The NAR Settlement agreement has been a topic of conversation this past week and weekend. I had the great opportunity to speak with many real estate agents at their open houses.

My gut feeling is that this too shall pass. Rules change whether we like it or not, and the best we can do is learn, adapt, and continue forward.

The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, considered the “Gold Standard” for appreciation, shows home prices fell by 0.1% in January, but we are now up 6% year over year, compared to 5.6% previously.

The FHFA House Price Index, which excludes cash buyers and jumbo loans, reported similar numbers, with a year-over-year increase of 6.3%.

Durable Goods Orders rose by 1.4%, slightly higher than the anticipated 1.1%. Overall, when transportation is excluded, orders rose by 0.5%. There were interesting revisions to January’s numbers, which were revised lower from 0.1% to -0.4%. This number is used for GDP calculations and could influence the Federal Reserve’s rate cut decisions.

Below is a short Video on the NAR Settlement as it relates to Lenders.