In this 10 minute video I talk about the 3 things that happened this week in real estate that you need to know about.
One.
Thursday the Department of Justice (DOJ) simultaneously filed an anti-trust lawsuit against NAR and a proposed settlement. The two organizations had confidentially reached an agreement that makes changes to NAR’s code of ethics and MLS policies regarding providing information on commissions and MLS participation. Click here for details from the DOJ. Click here for details from NAR.
Two.
Last week NAR’s board of directors approved changes to its Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. According to Andrea Brambila of Inman, the changes apply “to all of a Realtor’s activities, not just those related to real estate; prohibit hate and harassing speech against protected classes; prohibit all discrimination, not just willful discrimination, against protected classes; and recommend that ethics violations be considered under membership qualification criteria.”
Three.
Affordable housing is quickly becoming a big focus both locally and nationwide. Prices are rising very quickly, at unsustainable levels. That does not mean that prices will drop, it means that they will eventually rise more slowly. This will happen either when supply increases or demand decreases. Prices only decrease in buyer’s markets, not in balanced markets.
The Home Opportunity Index measures affordability, the normal range is 60-75, meaning that Americans earning the current median income, can afford 60-75% of the homes on the market. The higher the number the more affordable the city.
Affordability dropped from Q2 2020 to Q3 2020. Nationally, it decreased from 59.6 to 58.3. Greater Phoenix remains more affordable than the national average but our quarter to quarter decrease was much more significant. We dropped from 64.8 in Q2 2020 to 61.9 in Q3 2020, which means Arizona households earning the median income of $72,300 can afford 61.9% of what is on the market. The median income did not change from Q2 to Q3. (NAHB/Wells Fargo)
Sarah Perkins is an award winning account executive and has been in title sales since 2004. As the Director of Industry Research & Senior Account Executive, Sarah’s role is to bring real estate transactions to Navi Title. Sarah supports her clients by helping them navigate the ever-changing real estate space through thorough research and understanding of current trends impacting today’s home buyers and sellers.