Originally published on December 6, 2022, by Stephanie Pagan and Elizabeth Thompson for the National Association of Home Builders.

The big jump in single-family home building activity that occurred in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in large metro outlying counties and exurban areas has shown a marked decline over the past 12 months, according to the latest findings from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) for the third quarter of 2022.

The Appraisal Institute on Dec. 1 released its latest episode of the Face Value podcast, “AI PAREA: Opportunities for Future Appraisers and Mentors.” Host Warren Boizot, SRA, AI-RRS, talks with AI Vice President Sandy Adomatis, SRA, about how AI professionals with an MAI or SRA designation can get involved as mentors and the many opportunities available to aspiring appraisers.

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Originally published on November 29, 2022 , by Patricia Kirk for WealthManagement.com.

The past year has brought more cannabis legalization in the United States. But is legalization turning into greater real estate investment opportunities?

Originally published on December 1, 2022, by Angela Waugaman for Freddie Mac.

Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.49 percent.

Originally published on November 30, 2022, by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Residential sales fell during the past month amid high interest rates, dropping moderately in some parts of the country but much more steeply in others, the Federal Reserve reported Nov. 30 in its latest Beige Book. Commercial sales and leasing have also softened, and vacancies continue to climb.

Originally published on December 22, 2023, by James Kleimann for HousingWire.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) isn’t doing all that it can to prevent appraisal bias, according to the agency’s Office of Inspector General.

Originally published on November 29, 2022 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the conforming loan limit values (CLLs) for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) in 2023. In most of the United States, the 2023 CLL value for one-unit properties will be $726,200, an increase of $79,000 from $647,200 in 2022.​

Originally published on November 22, 2022, by ATTOM.

ATTOM, a leading curator of real estate data nationwide for land and property data, today released its 2022 Grocery Store Wars analysis, which shows how living near a Trader Joe’s, a Whole Foods or an ALDI might affect a home’s value – as a homebuyer based on home price appreciation and home equity, or as an investor looking for the best home flipping returns and home seller ROI.

Originally published on November 22, 2022, by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Federal Housing Administration in its Nov. 22 Mortgagee Letter 2022-19 rescinded the Mandatory Use Date for the FHA Catalyst: Electronic Appraisal Delivery Module. This action rescinds the mandatory use date for mortgagees to submit appraisals for single-family Title II mortgage endorsements through the FHA Catalyst: EAD Module, which is being discontinued. Starting Oct. 14, 2023, appraisals must be submitted through FHA’s non-Catalyst, legacy EAD portal.

The Appraisal Institute Board of Directors on Nov. 22 sent to 45-Day Notice proposing amendments to Appraisal Institute Bylaws governing the nomination and election of officers (AI log-in required).

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Originally published on November 17, 2022 by th Appraisal Institute.

The Appraisal Institute announced today that CEO Jim Amorin, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, will resign effective Feb. 14, 2023. He will conclude five years of service as the organization’s CEO and is moving on to pursue other opportunities.

Originally published on November 15, 2022 by Lynn Pollack for GlobeSt.com.

An increasing number of voters supported affordable housing initiatives during the midterm elections, with some measures receiving more than 70% of the vote in both red and blue states, according to a review from Moody’s Analytics, GlobeSt.com reported Nov. 15. In Austin, Texas, for example, voters approved a $350 million bond, as affordable housing currently makes up just 6% of the city’s rental market.

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Originally published on November 10, 2022 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced today that the 2023 multifamily loan purchase caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will be $75 billion for each Enterprise, for a combined total of $150 billion to support the multifamily market. The 2023 caps reflect an anticipated contraction of the multifamily originations market in 2023.

Originally published on November 17, 2022 by Elizabeth Thompson and Stephanie Pagan for the National Association of Home Builders.

Elevated mortgage rates, high construction costs for concrete and other building materials and weakening demand stemming from deteriorating affordability conditions continue to act as a drag on single-family housing production.

Originally published on November 16, 2022, by the Appraisal Institute.

The Appraisal Institute Board of Directors voted to adopt one 45-Day Notice item during its Nov. 10-11 meeting in Chicago. The 45-Day Notice item addresses proposed amendments to the Bylaws regarding the International Member on the Board as set forth in the 45-Day Notice distributed to Designated Members, Candidates, Practicing Affiliates, and Affiliates on Sept. 26.

Originally published on November 10, 2022, for Freddie Mac.

A new survey from Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) found that 64% of active-duty servicemembers transitioning to civilian life expect their search for affordable housing to be extremely or somewhat challenging. The survey also found that the majority of veterans believe VA Home Loans provide a clear pathway to homeownership. Eighty-seven percent of active-duty military are aware of the program’s benefits, and 90% of active-duty servicemembers who are currently renting plan to use a VA Home Loan to buy a home at some point.

Originally published on November 10, 2022, by ATTOM.

ATTOM, a leading curator of real estate data nationwide for land and property data, today released its third-quarter 2022 report analyzing qualified low-income Opportunity Zones targeted by Congress for economic redevelopment in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (see full methodology below). In this report, ATTOM looked at 4,732 zones around the United States with sufficient data to analyze, meaning they had at least five home sales in the third quarter of 2022.

Originally published on November 8, 2022, by Michael Tucker for the Mortgage Bankers' Association.

U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room improved in September and now exceeds the pre-pandemic comparable, said STR, Hendersonville, Tenn. But the STR P&L data release for September noted the cost of labor per available room came in higher than the pre-pandemic comparable for the first time.

Originally published on November 2, 2022, by Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir for Reuters.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point again on Wednesday and said its battle against inflation will require borrowing costs to rise further, yet signaled it may be nearing an inflection point in what has become the swiftest tightening of U.S. monetary policy in 40 years.

Originally published in November 2022 by Junia Howell and Elizabeth Korver-Glenn for the Arts & Sciences at Washington University.

Homes in predominately white neighborhoods are reportedly appraised at double the value of homes in communities of color with comparable amenities, the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy concluded in its Nov. 3 report Appraised: The Persistent Evaluation of White Neighborhoods as More Valuable Than Communities of Color. The report utilizes information found in the Uniform Appraisal Dataset.