Did the Appraisal Foundation make a mistake in appointing Jeff to their Board of Trustees?! Joking aside, a big congrats to Jeff. In Episode 42, he and Mark touch on the Appraisal Institute president's message to residential appraisers, which hits close to home for them. They also discuss the Federal Government proposing an additional 2T+ deficit while U.S. bonds are downgraded by Moody's. Not much news on interest rates - no relief yet. But have you heard Brad Gertsner's proposal for private investment accounts for all those born in the U.S.? How would it work and is it a good idea? Lastly, the Pope's home was for sale and was pulled off the market. https://www.appraisalinstitute.org/insights-and-resources/insights/newsroom/presidents-message/2025-05-14-presidents-message

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Jeff and Mark discuss the Appraisal Institute, which is in the news with multiple allegations. Distrust in institutions, in general, is historically high. A negative PAREA review: Is PAREA for everyone? This episode also covers the progress on tariffs, and how the housing inventory continues to increase in the sunbelt and shrink in northern states. Lastly, a shocking new piece of data - only 53% of current renters anticipate buying a home in the next 5-10 years.

From bad to worse? The headlines in real estate aren't pretty, but it's better to face reality than try to hide from it. Sales volume and mortgage applications are at historical lows. Is there any hope in sight? 75% of potential buyers say now is not a good time to buy and 72% cite high home prices as the reason. Mark's curveball topic: Lenders working with an appraisal firm vs. individual appraisers.

Is the economy softening? Mark and Jeff talk all things economy, including decreasing prices for events and lodging facilities. Will things get worse before they gets better? We've seen another real estate volume false start and Jerome Powell says the Fed will prioritize fighting inflation over unemployment, if necessary. DR Horton and KB Homes join in sharing data highlighting weakness in the new housing market. Additionally, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging applications. One AI Guru suggests Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will add 10-25 trillion dollars to the global gross domestic product (GDP), which is like adding the economies of Japan, Germany, South Korea, and India again to global GDP. Lastly, Mark and Jeff touch on how Homes.com is positioning opposite of Zillow and Red Fin.

Two recently-certified PAREA graduates have a conversation with Mark and Jeff about their PAREA experience. What was it like going through the program? Do they feel ready for real-world appraising? What is the value of a PAREA education for students and potential employers?

Mark and Jeff come to you from the ACTS Conference in San Antonio to discuss current, pressing topics in real estate. In this episode, the market experts focus on the income gap and housing affordability. They also dive into the massive mortgage servicing move - Rocket Mortgage acquiring Mr. Cooper. How about those tariffs? How will they impact interest rates and the economy? The conversation wraps up with coverage on a possible credit default swap opportunity and home flipping stats.

Jeff and Mark discuss the highest levels of housing inventory in over a decade. Does this mean values will begin to drop? Home Builder Lennar has the highest levels of buyer incentives since 2009. Consumer sentiment takes a significant drop by the University of Michigan and The Conference Board surveys. PAREA updated - back to our roots! The Appraisal Institute has increased the price of PAREA and is working to make the program profitable while still being the only provider in the country. Additionally, FHFA rescinds multiple initiatives in an effort to narrow the scope of their focus on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In episode 35, Mark and Jeff can't help but ask the question, "Are the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans coming for your home?" Not really, but did you know their wealth is equal to the approximate value of all residential real estate in the United States? The Fed is holding rates steady, but still has two rate cuts penciled in this year. What do you think about Chair Powell bringing back the "T" word, describing possible transitory inflation due to tariffs? Additionally, the newly appointed Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director isn't wasting any time rearranging the boards of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - appointing himself as chairman of both boards, and he wants your input on the future of Fannie and Freddie. What could that mean? Why are over 60% of appraisers less than five years or more than 20 years in the profession? Why the gap? Finally, Jeff and Mark discuss how the northeast markets currently have lower inventory levels than back in 2017.

Big changes are happening in real estate. In episode 34, Mark and Jeff dive into several hot topics, including Rocket Mortgage acquiring Redfin. What's their game? Have you seen Rocket's home equity marketing? What do you think? Is preparing for an appraiser to come the worst thing in your world? The Market Moves experts also discuss Trump's U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner who recently stated, "Let me be clear, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is dead at HUD." As a result, HUD canceled 162 grants to non-profits for Fair Housing investigations and ADI is now known as Appraiser Development Initiative, formerly Appraiser Diversity Initiative. To conclude, Jeff and Mark discuss how they used artificial intelligence (AI) to prep for their show discussion. 

Mark and Jeff evaluate the 20% increase in mortgage applications week over week due to improved interest rates. They also discuss Scott Bessent's (President Trump's Treasury Secretary) prediction that the housing market will unfreeze. Of course, the progression of artificial intelligence can't be ignored. How will AI continue to impact the real estate market? Is agency more valuable than intelligence?