From allegations of appraiser bias in the home valuation process to new controversial methods of conducting an appraisal, the profession is under intensifying scrutiny—and a new NAR survey offers insights into these challenges.

Mortgage rates, now at a 20-year high, combined with inflation and stock market volatility are causing housing markets to soften quickly. The next several months will be a critical test for the economy, experts say.

A record number of Florida residents are filing claims for damaged or destroyed homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, overwhelming the fragile insurance and real estate markets and driving up the prices of ownership. Florida insurers heavily depend on reinsurers such as Lloyd's of London and Munich Re, but increasing risks from climate change are leading reinsurers to raise rates or consider pulling away.

IKEA's affordable and functional furniture fits into any design style, and is particularly popular with homeowners and interior designers on a budget. These room ideas showcase using cabinets to create a home office, upgrading dining chairs with custom slipcovers and filling an open-plan living space with room dividers.

Real estate professionals are leveraging the newest technology developments to conduct business remotely and improve client experience. 3D virtual property tours and mobile apps such as iAuditor are increasingly popular for virtual services, while platforms such as Yieldstreet allow investors to build a real estate portfolio with minimal capital.

Kama Burton provides a safe space for troubled youth in California to express themselves, build camaraderie and chart a more positive path forward in life.

Find the business tips and advice you've come to rely on from REALTOR® Magazine at our new home nar.realtor/magazine. The website has a new look and feel—but the same actionable content to help you drive your business forward every day. Bookmark us and visit often!

Freddie Mac is looking to leverage new financing flexibility to ease inflation uncertainties and benefit newly built or extensively rehabbed multifamily housing. The company plans to implement more forward commitments locking in interest rates with agreements to acquire loans at a later date.

Black homeownership dropped to 40.6% in 2019 from the 2004 peak of 49.7%, and the gap between white and Black homeownership rates is wider now than it was in the early 1960s. Cities such as Washington, D.C., are implementing policies to increase Black homeownership by creating a public-private fund to make homes more affordable, assist residents in transferring properties to their heirs and ramping up zoning for affordable units.

Owners with pyrrhotite-contaminated concrete in their homes will gather this month in Worcester County, Mass., to discuss the problem of the mineral being discovered in more homes in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed legislation in the budget that would have required quarries in the state to test for the mineral, but lawmakers plan to reintroduce the bill in 2023.