May 2019 News Brief
Residential
2019’s Housing Market Is Likely to Be Stronger Than We Thought—Here’s Why
Despite a real estate slowdown gripping the nation, this year’s housing market is expected to be busier than realtor.com® economists originally predicted late last year.
By: Clare Trapasso, realtor.com®, April 23, 2019
BEC Scams Cost $1.2 Billion in 2018
Losses from business email compromise (BEC) scams reached $1.2 billion in 2018, almost double the adjusted losses of $675 million in 2017, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said in its annual Internet Crime Report.
By: Fahmida Y. Rashid, Decipher, April 23, 2019
Read more: https://duo.com/decipher/bec-scams-cost-usd1-2-billion-in-2018
Waterworld: Could Floating Homes Be the Future?
As sea levels rise, architects are brainstorming ways to make homes more resilient to flooding. A floating unit is being singled out as a living solution for coastal areas.
By: REALTOR® Magazine, Daily News, April 16, 2019
Read more: https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/04/16/waterworld-could-floating-homes-be-the-future
How Home Insurance Premiums Are Weathering Natural Disasters
With natural disasters impacting everything from delinquency rates to property preservation, there’s no question that the state of the weather will continue to be a critical factor for the industry to watch and adapt to in the years ahead.
By: Mike Albanese, DSNews, April 24, 2019
Wanted: Home in Need of Renovation
Spring 2019 might just be the year for homes in need of renovation; according to a study by realtor.com, nearly 60% of homebuyers are considering the purchase of a fixer-upper.
By: Radhika Ojha, The MReport, April 15, 2019
Read more: http://themreport.com/daily-dose/04-15-2019/wanted-home-need-renovation
Commercial
Developers Look to Farmers to Cultivate Home Buyers
Eager to attract buyers who want modern homes with a close connection to the food they consume, a growing number of residential developers are building master-planned communities designed around agricultural themes—and some are even partnering with farmers to run community events.
By: REALTOR® Magazine, Daily News, April 18, 2019
Read more: https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/04/18/developers-look-to- farmers-to-cultivate-home-buyers
Commercial Real Estate and Multifamily Lenders Set New Record
Commercial and multifamily lenders had another banner year in 2018, when closed-loan originations rose 8% to a high of $574 billion.
By: Bonnie Sinnock, National Mortgage News, April 11, 2019
Read more: https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/commercial-real-estate-and-multifamily-mortgage-lenders-set-new-record
Four Ways Technology Can Help CRE Lenders
Sophisticated tech tools eliminate tedious busywork and free up commercial property lenders to uncover—and act upon—meaningful insights.
By: Richard Sarkis, National Real Estate Investor, April 24, 2019
Read more: https://www.nreionline.com/technology/four-ways-technology-can-help-cre-lenders
D.C. is First to Plan to Remove, Retrofit Flood-Prone Buildings
Washington is announcing a goal of retrofitting or removing all of its flood- prone buildings by 2050, the first major U.S. city to set such a policy.
By: Christopher Flavelle, Bloomberg, April 29, 2019
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-29/d-c-is-first-to-plan-to-remove-retrofit-flood-prone-buildings
Space-as-a-Service is Changing
Real Estate and the Way Companies Work
With changes in commercial real estate looming, space-as-a-service is a necessary and potentially hugely valuable part of the new shift in commercial real estate.
By: Jeff Wheeland, Propmodo, April 22, 2019
Read more: https://www.propmodo.com/how-space-as-a-service-is-changing-real-estate-and-the-way-companies-work
