Stefan Swanepoel

Learn more about the advocacy work that NAR is doing! Get the inside scoop on how advocacy works, and the steps NAR is taking in Washington for the betterment of the Real Estate community. https://lnkd.in/em7zg84W

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A new report describes the political might of NAR, its lavish efforts to protect it, and risks to its future posed by the government — and its own actions. #realestatenews #realestate #NAR #realtors #futureofrealestate

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REALTORS® have a window of opportunity before new practice changes take effect on August 17. If you want to hear tips on answering buyers' questions on the settlement, how to adapt to change, and educating sellers on the options available to them when it comes to listing their homes, tune into three all-new episodes of REALTOR® Magazine’s “Drive With NAR” at: https://bit.ly/3wZeZE8

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Rising Inventory, But Buyers Remain Cautious Amid Market Uncertainty https://bit.ly/40AOwZU A recent report from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) shows that while housing inventory has increased, home buyers remain hesitant due to economic and market uncertainties. According to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, factors such as improved inventory, lower mortgage rates compared to last year, and ongoing job growth would typically encourage more activity. However, buyers appear cautious, likely due to economic concerns and the upcoming election. Read more: https://bit.ly/40AOwZU #housingmarket #realestate #housinginventory #homebuyers #firsttimebuyers #homeprices #mortgagerates #realestatetrends #housingstarts #homebuilders #realestatemarket

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Confused about real estate commissions and the NAR settlement? Here's the scoop: The only change so far is that listing agents can now offer zero compensation to buyer's agents. But don't worry, it's still rare! Stay tuned for more updates, and feel free to message me with any questions! 🏡✨ #RealEstate #NARSettlement #CommissionUpdate #June2024 #PropertyMarket #Focusre

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What the Latest NAR Settlement Means for You The recent settlement in the National Association of Realtors (NAR) case, has sparked widespread discussion and, unfortunately, some misconceptions. Despite what the headlines may suggest, the settlement is not about diminishing the value real estate professionals provide or making homeownership a distant dream. Instead, it’s an opportunity to enhance transparency, flexibility, and ultimately, the consumer experience in real estate transactions. Here’s a breakdown of the truths behind the settlement, highlighting the positive aspects for consumers and how we, as dedicated agents, play a crucial role in this new era of real estate. The Reality of Broker Fees The settlement importantly reaffirms that it does not mandate changes in broker compensation. This ensures that real estate fees remain as they have always been – negotiable and diverse. As a buyer or seller, this translates to a variety of choices in service levels and pricing, providing you with the flexibility to find options that align with your financial plans and needs. Clarifying Agent Compensation Addressing a common misconception, the settlement does not disrupt the seller’s established role in compensating the buyer’s agent. As a seller, you retain the discretion to decide on this aspect. This element of the settlement enhances the existing flexibility, empowering sellers to make strategic decisions that align with their unique goals. Enhancing Market Dynamics While the settlement won’t revolutionize housing affordability overnight, it does bring to light the intricate dynamics of real estate pricing. With or without changes in commission structures, our role as agents is to navigate these dynamics to your advantage. Whether you’re buying or selling, we’re here to ensure you understand the market forces at play, helping you make informed decisions that align with your financial and lifestyle goals. The True Value of Real Estate Professionals Amid discussions of financial restitution and industry practices, it’s essential to remember the value that experienced real estate professionals bring to your journey. Beyond transactions, we are advisors, negotiators, and advocates who strive to make your real estate dreams a reality. The settlement reaffirms our dedication to serving you with integrity, professionalism, and a deep commitment to achieving your goals. Continue reading: https://lnkd.in/ebVzjnPm #NARSettlement #RealEstateBlog #RaleighRealEstate

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Yesterday, MPHA brought Housing Choice Voucher participants another RentWise event. 🏡✨ From practical tips to future planning strategies for long-term housing goals, RentWise provides all you need to become a successful renter!

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HOW TO INCREASE CASH FLOW WITH MUTM For owners and managers of affordable housing projects with Section 8 rental assistance, to paraphrase Dickens, it is the best of times and it is the worst of times.    Section 8 project-based funding provides a contractual, steady, stable stream of revenue, provided the owner’s or manager’s procedures, HUD-inspired paperwork and processes are all in good working order.    However, Section 8 funding often does not keep pace with increases in operating costs, especially in unique regional circumstances where there are increases in property insurance.  Section 8 contracts allow for an annual operating cost adjustment factor (OCAF), but that often lags actual cost increases, and in today’s inflationary environment, could result in an even larger gap.  There is a Plan B that involves a reset of operating expenses beyond an adjustment factor via a Budget-Based Rent Adjustment (BBRA), but that has limited options.   However, while the OCAF and BBRA protocols can help close the gap between revenues and operating expenses, it does not do much to address the long-term capital needs of older buildings, which often are limited to reserve for replacement deposits for these purposes.  But reserves alone are not enough to fund major capital projects, often to the detriment of the residents.       We have a Plan C.  It has a different focus, and a big upside, for when it is done properly, it can significantly increase a property’s cash flow and debt capacity to fund major capital projects.  And like all things HUD, it has an acronym, MUTM – Mark-Up-To-Market.     A MUTM provides the opportunity to increase the rents to market levels by the use of a Rent Comparability Study (RCS), typically done by an appraiser.  The process involves an early cancellation of the remaining term of the existing Section 8 contract and a new 20-year renewal contract at the higher market rents negotiated with HUD based on the RCS. But the project does not lose the remaining term of the Section 8 contract that was cancelled – it gets added to the back end of the renewal contract! What about annual increases for operating expenses?  Depending on the existing Section 8 contract the need for a revised operational budget is omitted and annual OCAF adjustments are included going forward.  One potential drawback to the MUTM is the need for a new RCS in 5 years to reset the market rates with the possibility of rents being decreased.  However, this risk is typically mitigated in areas where positive economic development, real estate and demographic trends have led to higher market rents in general.   Our expanding consulting practice has recently led us to evaluate MUTM options for our affordable housing clients and to assist them secure HUD approval of rent increases.  And with terrific results.  Please contact us if you would like to know if your affordable housing property could benefit from a MUTM. 

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💦 NEW VIDEO ALERT Building Agents with the CrewAI CLI Are you ready to leverage virtual agents in your projects? In this video we walk you through the CrewAI CLI – the recommended tool for building and managing teams of agents in the CrewAI ecosystem. 🛠️ What will you learn? 1) Step-by-step setup: Learn how to build custom crews via an example of building virtual musicians for creating hit songs 🎶 2) Tooling: All you need is Docker and VSCode to get started 🤓 3) AgentOps Monitoring: Set up monitoring to keep your agents running smoothly 🦅 Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or looking to integrate virtual agents into your business workflow, this demo will provide practical insights on using CrewAI for real-world applications. Special dedication to Bryan Stewart : ) #CrewAI #AgentOps #VirtualAgents #AI #MachineLearning #Automation Adam Silverman (Hiring) Howard Gil Shawn Qiu Alex Reibman João (Joe) Moura CrewAI Agency https://lnkd.in/eMzvt4hU

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New Episode | NAR Settlement Part 2: Implications for Buyers📖 Last month, we covered the widely publicized 2024 NAR Settlement and what it means for sellers. In Part 2, we focus on the implications for home buyers: what has changed, and what hasn’t. These changes are still evolving, however, now that the dust has settled we wanted to address the changes and what buyers should know as they navigate purchasing real estate under the new rules and regulations. | To read the NAR Home Buyer summary, visit: bit.ly/NARBuying Listen via the link below or wherever you get your podcasts🎧 ▪️[email protected] ▪️(310) 230-5771 . . . . #themarkandgrethergroup #tonymark #russellgrether #compass #DRE01205648 #DRE01836632 #maliburealestate #malibu #malibucalifornia #malibuliving #broadbeach #broadbeachmalibu #beachhouse #malibuhomes #dougburdge #architecturalhomes #poliformkitchen #poliform #newprice #malibulife #malibulifestyle

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Housing market update Jul 29 - With the NAR Commission Settlement imminent, there is widespread uncertainty and confusion across the industry about how it will all play out. The uncertainty is exemplified by the decision of the CMLS not to offer best practices advice to its members. The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) represents 225 different MLS providers across the country, and has urged its members to have "thoughtful conversations" and "pick your own adventure". This means we are likely to see different implementations in different geographies. The confusion is also exemplified by the NAR's FAQ web-page on the settlement where the number of FAQs has risen to more than 100, putting it well into TLDR territory. Recent surveys have shown that commission rates have varied little across the regions of the USA with buyer's agents earning between 2.6% and 2.8% historically while listing agents have earned 2.8% to 3.2%. In recent months these numbers have fallen a little to 2.4% to 2.8% and 2.8% to3.0%. There is a lack of consensus on what these numbers might look like over the next year. The impact of the settlement is likely to be much more significant to real estate agents than the housing market itself, though some effects are certainly possible. Our feeling is that these would tend to reinforce existing trends rather than change them. We are at a low level of closing activity with only 70,473 closed listings over the past 12 months across all areas & types. This is down from 74,060 a year ago and well below the long-term average of 85,101. We are still a long way above the extreme low point of 48,491 that we witnessed on June 30, 2008, so there is room to fall. The uncertain legal and procedural situation is not likely to increase volumes and we may instead see the declining closing rate continue for some time before easing mortgage rates are able to stimulate a recovery. New home sales may benefit from having their agent commissions clearly communicated and this could continue to grow their percentage share of sales. Builder margins may also benefit from an increasing number of transactions where no external agent is involved, saving them from paying any compensation to a buyer's agent or broker and allowing them to compete harder on gross prices. While it is true that real estate commissions are higher in the USA than elsewhere, the duties performed by both buyer and listing agents are usually more extensive than in most other countries. It seems likely that when the dust settles, buyers will end up paying lower commissions than those paid in the past on their behalf by the seller, but buyers will also be getting a lot less advice and support during the buying process.

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What is the Community Investment Trust or CIT? The Community Investment Trust (CIT) builds the foundation to strengthen communities and create empowered lives. The CIT offers neighbors a long-term path to shared ownership of commercial property in their neighborhood through accessible investments of $10 - $100 /month. We are committed to working together to build more productive and resilient communities across the country. CIT Community Investors benefit from strengthened personal finance knowledge, annual and long-term financial returns through dividends and long-term share price change. They gain pride of ownership through interconnection, relationships and belonging within the wider community. Small business tenants of the CIT property benefit from community stewardship, local visibility and collaborative resiliency with Community Investors and fellow CIT tenants. The community benefits from a greater voice in civic engagement and influence in neighborhood decisions and development. Learn more on https://investcit.com/ #investcit #CommunityInvestmentTrust https://lnkd.in/gJeeMMAe

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