Happy November! We hope all of our attorney and lender friends have been enjoying all the fall season has to offer. As we enter a new month, our West Virginia Bankers Title team wishes you luck in the last months of 2021.
November is all about giving thanks to the people in our lives, as Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Not only is the food something to be excited about, but family and friends make the holidays just that more special. We are grateful to all of you!
We love helping our customers out by giving you the best title insurance products in the state. Thank you for trusting us with your transactions! Our West Virginia Bankers Title team hopes you enjoy the latest e-newsletter full of essential and exciting real estate news.
Have a wonderful month!
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Consumers agree: community banks are the heart of the
financial system
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We know we work with some of the best banking and lending partners in the state – and that many of those friends fit in the category of local banks and credit unions. That’s why we thought this piece from finLedger saying that consumers deeply value relationships with these institutions as was such great news.
The piece cited a study that said about 9 out of 10 respondents believed “community banks and credit unions as the core of banking’s financial system.” More specifically, researchers said 92% of small business owners and 89% of consumers believed this.
The article also talked about how helpful – and resilient – such banks have been during the pandemic. We hope you find the article as enlightening as we do, but it is important to note that not all of it was rosy news. There is also a “growing pains” section that talks about how smaller financial bodies are generally behind when it comes to technology and consumer innovation and ends with this quote from one of the researchers.
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Mortgage rates persist in their ascent, hitting six-month highs
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Mortgage rates have been increasing these last few weeks, with numbers not seen since April, which is fascinating news for our banker and lender friends. Data released by Freddie Mac exhibits that the 30-year fixed-rate average increased to 3.14 percent, a week ago the fixed-rate was 3.09 and 2.81 a year ago. Based on NextAdvisor's article on the ascending mortgage rates, consumer confidence is improving and it is still a great time to refinance.
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New HUD rule aimed at preventing public housing evictions
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The Biden Administration is seeking to prevent evictions from public housing nonpayment of rent. As the AP News article highlights, the administration is trying to “shore up protections following the end of the nationwide eviction moratorium.” Part of this prevention would include a 30-day warning given to tenants in HUD-subsidized housing before eviction from nonpayment. The rule was published in the Federal Register. Often, rules do not go into effect until 30 days post-publication, however, public housing authorities were expected to comply with the order immediately.
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It is always interesting to see the new and ambitious plans of the real estate industry. The Wall Street Journal delves into 3-D Printed homes that are sprouting around the United States. To solve the chronic issue of housing shortages in America, 3-D printed houses are a great idea. Shockingly enough, the time it takes Icon, a 3-D printing company, to print a wall system, “is about the same amount of time it takes to frame and drywall a home using traditional construction methods.” Likewise, 3-D printing is cheaper compared to newly built homes typically. Anything that can relieve the housing shortage in some way is an excellent addition to innovation in the real estate industry.
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Mortgage payments are outpacing rents for the eighth consecutive month. However, that isn’t stopping rent payments from going up, too! According to a recent Redfin report, the average monthly rent payment increased 11% nationwide in the last year, the most significant growth rate in two years. Likewise, the median monthly mortgage payments have been climbing 15% since September. Overall, this is excellent news for bankers, attorneys, and lenders for both mortgage and rent payment increases!
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While many aspects of the real estate industry need focusing on, diversity and inclusion are coming to the forefront of things to work on. One way in which this has been done is by reaching out to more minority borrowers, which grows the market while supporting social justice issues. With a demographic shift that indicates 70% of new households will be headed by minorities in the next decade, it is essential to create a diverse and inclusive business for all.
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Despite warnings and predictions that COIVD-19 would decrease property values, investors have purchased a record of commercial real estate in the third quarter. This is exciting news. Thankfully the widespread damage that many said would occur never did, and we are seeing surges that were never expected. This particular boom in sales is different from previous occasions due to many deals being for single properties. As the article emphasizes, there is reason to believe in the industry right now, and it sure has proven that.
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Join us in giving back to the community this holiday season!
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In the spirit of gratitude and the upcoming holiday season, the West Virginia Bankers Title team is excited to say we are supporting the Marion County Christmas Toy Shop in Fairmont again this year. Many of you know about this great operation and all the good cheer it spreads. To learn more about the Toy Shop, read this recent article from the Times West Virginian. This great effort is always looking for donations and volunteers!
Please join us in supporting this cause – or another one that is close to your heart – as we gear up to celebrate Thanksgiving this month. We certainly appreciate all our customers and partners, especially during the holiday season.
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