Claudia Larsen

Consumer confidence fell for the second month in a row, from 108.7 in August to 103 in September, according to the latest data from The Conference Board.  “Consumer confidence fell again in September 2023, marking two consecutive months of decline,” said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board. “September’s disappointing headline number reflected another…

Due to rising mortgage rates and a lack of inventory, new-home sales saw a drastic 8.7% dip in August, according to a new report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB reported, using data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, that sales of newly built,…

Builder confidence in September fell below a reading of 50 for the first time in five months, according to new data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) found that builder confidence fell five points to 45 in September, following a six point drop in August—coinciding with…

Editor’s Note: The Mortgage Mix is RISMedia’s weekly highlight reel of need-to-know mortgage-industry happenings. Watch for it each Friday afternoon. After a brief dip last week, mortgage rates rose again this week, according to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.18%, while the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.51%. “The…

Editor’s Note: The Playbook is an RISMedia biweekly segment centering on what brokers and agents are doing to ensure they not only survive but thrive in these challenging times. Industry professionals explain the strategies they’re employing and unique ideas they’ve formulated. Tune in every other Thursday for another addition to the series.  First-time buyers have…

Analytics are one of the most important metrics to use in order to track and propel your business on social media. This data allows you to enhance your marketing through seeing direct results of your posts and campaigns, broken down into specifics. That being said, there are many different analytics you can observe, so which…

Editor’s Note: The Mortgage Mix is RISMedia’s weekly highlight reel of need-to-know mortgage-industry happenings. Watch for it each Friday afternoon. Mortgage rates The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 7.12% this week, down slightly from last week’s 7.18%, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) from Freddie Mac released Thursday. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage…

Consumer sentiment fell 2.9% in August, while still maintaining the second-highest reading in 21 months, according to data from the University of Michigan. “After rising sharply for the past several months, consumer sentiment moved sideways in August with a small decline that is not statistically different from July,” said Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys…

Editor’s Note: The Mortgage Mix is RISMedia’s weekly highlight reel of need-to-know mortgage-industry happenings. Watch for it each Friday afternoon. Mortgage rates rose again this week, reaching their highest level since 2001, according to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.23%, while the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.55%. “Indications…

Median single-family home and condo prices increased in 61% of Opportunity Zones around the country, and rose at least 5% in about half, according to a new report from ATTOM. ATTOM’s Opportunity Zones report looked at 3,909 zones around the United States with sufficient data to analyze, meaning they had at least five home sales…