Today’s News Synopsis:

Co-living, college dorm life for adults.  How are mortgage rates connected to the coronavirus?  Confidence in the multifamily builder and development sector remained the same.

In The News:

Realtor Magazine – “Credit Scores Nationally Surge to Record High” (3-2-2020)

“Americans’ credit scores are improving, particularly among millennials. The average FICO score in the U.S. surged to a record of 703 in 2019, Experian reported in a new analysis.”

Redfin – “Remote Work Is Enabling Americans to Move to More Affordable Cities” (3-2-2020)

“With unemployment at the lowest level in decades and wages stagnant, the chance to telecommute is allowing U.S. workers to move to more affordable areas, while maintaining their salaries.”

Realtor.com – “The Great Turnaround: How Much Have Prices Rebounded Since the Housing Bubble Burst?” (3-2-2020)

“Most Americans these days have a certain degree of PTSD  when it comes to even passing mentions of the R word. After all, the Great Recession worked its dark tendrils into the lives of just about everyone. Nearly 9 million people lost their jobs.”

CNBC – “Like a college dorm for adults, co-living is the next big thing” (3-2-2020)

“There’s a new solution for millennials struggling with rising rents, but it has a familiar feel.  Communal living, or co-living, brings together a group of people, likely strangers, in a shared space.”

Business Insider – “Multifamily Builder and Developer Confidence Remains Unchanged in the Fourth Quarter” (3-2-2020)

“Since 2011, I’ve owned three homes and refinanced one of my mortgages, and in that time I’ve learned many valuable lessons about what it’s like to buy and own a home.”

Forbes – “Creating A Positive Real Estate Development Customer Experience In The Social Media Age” (3-2-2020)

“The consumer experience (CX) is at the core of our value chains in the real estate development industry. CX is equally fundamental for business and personal consumers.”

Curbed – “Everything you need to know about prefab homes” (3-2-2020)

“Prefab construction isn’t new. From Sears Catalog Homes to the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian Automatic concrete homes, prefab homes have a rich history in the U.S. Amid today’s mounting housing costs and environmental concerns, however, prefab—or assembling a structure from components produced off-site—continues to offer alluring possibilities.”

Realtor Magazine – “Coronavirus and Mortgage Rates: What’s the Connection” (3-2-2020)

“The rapid international spread of the coronavirus is striking fear in investors and shaking financial markets. With 89 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of Monday morning, how could the near-pandemic impact the housing market?”