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?

You've heard of Fannie Mae, but do you really know their role in residential real estate? Jeff and Mark welcome special guest Lyle Radke to discuss Fannie Mae's purpose, how they made the transition from paper to the digital world, plus lessons learned from the housing crisis. What comes next?

Another day, more chaos in the real estate market. Mark and Jeff discuss DOGE savings estimates ranging from $9B to $122B, cutting impacting bias claims. Will Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac privatization result in rates going up or down? Friend of the podcast Mark Calabria argues privatization could cause rates to go down. How about Trump's proposal to return 20% of DOGE savings to taxpayers? How could increasing real estate taxes and insurance costs impact housing affordability? Additionally, Mark and Jeff touch on the Trump/DeSantis proposal to remove real estate tax. Why is Warren Buffet bailing out of his long held bank stocks? CNBC article: https://youtu.be/dSIjejyJ87k?si=gfMpqQNXpJQS5FIx

Post Trump bump? Mark and Jeff dive into economy changes, DOGE having an impact out of the gates, as well as return-to-work impacting housing inventories across the country. They also discuss Great Stay Economy and the lower job and housing turnover. Additionally, Deep Seek is examined and how it is driving down AI costs - making a strong case for the open source model.

Jeff and Mark talk to the loan officer whisperer Brian Vieaux covering the evolving role of loan officers as financing consultants for their borrowers. They also discuss how appraisers and lenders can more effectively interact and support each other's businesses, how appraisal speed and accuracy improve pull-through closing rates for loans, and why Brian would still want an appraisal for a home purchase. 

Former FHFA Director Dr. Mark Calabria joins Mark and Jeff to share valuable perspective on FHFA Director nominee Bill Pulte, the economy, foreclosures and forbearance policies, a potential virtual rate reduction cycle, FHFA's response to the COVID pandemic, what receivership means for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, recapitalization progress to date, and the likely future of Fannie and Freddie. 

Mark and Jeff host guest author Jim Amorin (The Generative Shift) to examine Deep Seek disrupting the AI market, including Nvidia stock prices. They discuss updates on Google Deep Research, OpenAI Operator and agents coming in 2025, and the Stargate investment. As the topics unfold, Mark and Jeff's eyes are opened when it comes to the endless possibilities using AI in real estate, including using ChatGPT to satisfy FNMA/Freddie Mac's new time adjustment requirements, going into effect February 4. Additionally, Amorin shares a home price index tool and does a deep dive into several valuation demo use cases for AI.