Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  When it comes to mortgage rates, it helps to have multiple perspectives. If you’ve been a BAM reader long enough, you’ve read several different predictions from different housing experts on what we can expect over the next 1-2 years. You also heard a prediction from a respected housing expert during BAM Pro Bowl. And, last week, on the Knowledge Brokers Podcast, Logan Mohtashami, Lead Analyst for HousingWire, shared his own thoughts on mortgage rates. Anyone hoping to buy a home in 2024 is likely hoping rates fall below 6% sooner rather than later. But given the relationship between the 30-year fixed and the 10-year Treasury Yield, later seems more realistic. Read on to get a sense of how the conversation went. And be sure to watch the full podcast episode to hear the whole conversation. HOW LIKELY IS THE 30-YEAR FIXED MORTGAGE RATE TO HIT 5% IN 2024? Byron Lazine brought up the idea of mortgage rates falling to 5% in 2024—and specifically how this prediction could influence anyo...

3 Reasons More People Are Losing Money to Real Estate Fraud Recently released its  2024 State of Wire Fraud report.  And for one in 10 Americans, the findings come as no surprise.  According to the report, at least 10% of Americans are targeted for real estate fraud, and one in 20 (5%) suffer losses as a result of real estate fraud.  More than one factor explains the increase in wire fraud specific to the real estate industry, but these three combined create an ideal environment for fraudsters: Advanced technology  Socioeconomic factors that create pressure to close quickly Lack of awareness of—and education on—the risks of real estate fraud Report provides a detailed examination of  wire fraud  in the real estate industry, highlighting the latest threats, the general lack of consumer awareness, and the consequent rise of real estate fraud, resulting in $446M in annual losses. #1—TECHNOLOGY IS ONLY AS HELPFUL AS YOUR AWARENESS OF ITS WEAKNESSES The ver...

Single Women Still Own More Homes Than Single Men—And the Gap Is Widening A new LendingTree analysis shows single women are still more likely to be homeowners than single men. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a woman’s median weekly earnings are still, on average, only 83% of men’s. But while that suggests men are generally more well-off financially than women in the U.S., in one area, single women are coming out ahead. The latest LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau 2022 data shows a higher rate of homeownership among single women living by themselves compared to single men living by themselves in 47 of 50 states. Single women in the U.S. own 10.95 million homes—2.71 million  more  than the 8.24 million homes owned by single men. Another way to put it, single women own an average of 12.93% of owner-occupied U.S. homes, compared to 10.22% owned by single men. The same analysis also shows a widening homeownership gap between single women and single men co...