DMAR Digest | Week of May 25

Check out the featured content, get the scoop with top news stories from the blog, mark your calendar for upcoming events & classes and catch up with the most buzz-worthy social posts from your Association.

May 26, 2020

COVID-19 updates

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac will allow borrowers who took forbearance to refinance their mortgage
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday morning that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will now allow borrowers who went into COVID-19 forbearance to refinance their loan or buy a new home with the support of the GSEs as long as they’ve made three straight months of payments after their forbearance ends. Read More

FHFA, FHA extend eviction and foreclosure moratorium to June 30
The Federal Housing Finance Agency is extending by over a month its moratorium for foreclosures and evictions on single-family loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac until at least June 30. Read More

Housing Starts Slid to Lowest Level Since 2015 in April as the Pandemic Gave Builders Pause
Housing starts occurred at an 891,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in April, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, representing a 30% drop from March. It was the slowest pace of new home construction since February 2015. Read More

How the Pandemic Is Changing Appraisals
One of the biggest differences Read found from her interviews with agents this year compared with two years ago is that there are fewer issues related to “geographical incompetence.” The instances of appraisers traveling to do inspections for homes in a neighborhood they aren’t familiar with has dramatically decreased, she said. Read More

Real estate making 'stunning' coronavirus comeback: Expert agents
It’s amazing,” Dolly Lenz Real Estate CEO Dolly Lenz told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday. “Purchase volume was down just 1 percent over a year ago. Imagine that. Last month it was down 35 percent annually. This month it's only down 1.5 percent.” Read More

Must read

DMAR Announces New Incoming CEO: Nobu Hata

It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce the Denver Metro Association of REALTORS® has named Nobu Hata the incoming chief executive officer formally taking on that role in September 2020 when our current CEO, Ann Turner, retires.

Over the past eight years, under Ann’s incredible leadership, DMAR has seen unparalleled growth starting with the merger of the Denver, North Metro, Jefferson County and Douglas Elbert County Association of REALTORS® where she introduced many new programs and services that helped create a progressive and financially secure organization. In November, NAR inducted Ann into its exclusive and honorable Dr. Almon R. (Bud) Smith, RCE, AE Leadership Society for her exceptional contributions to the real estate industry and the profession. We are immensely grateful for her commitment to our Association and to you - our members.

As she transitions into retirement, we are pleased to have Nobu Hata join us from his previous position with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) as the director of industry outreach and engagement strategy.

Learn More

Quote of the week

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."

Albert Einstein, German Theoretical Physicist

We're still here for you

If you are looking to reach a specific department or staff person, please refer to the staff directory here, or contact our main line at 303-756-0553 or email help@dmarealtors.com.

Visit Our Online REALTOR® Store
We are now offering curbside pick-up (by appointment only) for all REALTOR® Store purchases. Please view our inventory online and then call one of our four locations to place an order. We will take payment over the phone and schedule a time for you to pick-up your order. Learn More

Virtual Connect Meetings
It's been a while since we've hosted our weekly Connect Meetings and since we are not able to meet in-person at the moment, we're meeting the next best way: virtually! We'll have a chance to share our properties, chat and connect with one another. View the Calendar

COVID-19 Updates and FAQs
We continue to update our COVID-19 landing page and FAQs to keep you up to speed on the Colorado coronavirus outbreak and its impact on our industry. If you have additional questions please email communications@dmarealtors.com and we will do our best to provide an answer for you.

Follow us on Facebook for Updates and News
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram for trending news about COVID-19, the economy, our communities and our industry at-large.

Online Classes
While in-person classes are a no-go at the moment, you still have plenty of options when it comes to your education:

The CE Shop - 40% off extended through 5/31
VanEd
Armbrust Real Estate Institute

Skim this

Colorado REALTORS® foundation funds rent and mortgage assistance in response to the pandemic
The philanthropic arm of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® has dipped into its disaster relief fund to grant a total of $125,000 to help three Colorado nonprofit organizations keep people across the state housed during the economic slowdown caused by the novel coronavirus. Read More

How Low Will Mortgage Rates Go? They're Now Below 3 Percent If You Know Where To Look
One of the few silver linings for real estate in the middle of this devastating coronavirus pandemic has been record-low mortgage interest rates. And housing experts predict those ultralow rates will likely fall even further—venturing into the unprecedented 2% range. Read More

The East Area Plan Is Igniting Debate About Denver’s Development and Growth
In East Denver, the city’s Neighborhood Planning Initiative has stirred intense controversy. How will the battle among YIMBYs, NIMBYs, and even the QUIMBYs (we'll explain) impact the future of the city? Read More

As the city reopens, Denver leaders brace the economy for a coronavirus surge in the fall
During a presentation to City Council on Tuesday, city budget director Stephanie Karayannis Adams succinctly described a problem Denver faces: “What we’re facing in 2020 is very similar to what we faced during the recession — except for one caveat, and that is that we were not having to spend money to address a public health crisis.” Read More

Just for you

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