Market Moves with Mark and Jeff

In episode 43, Jeff and Mark examine Trump on the existing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conservatorship. Can going public be done without driving up interest rates? Trump's team lays out how. In recent news, Fannie and Freddie stock prices increase. Let's discuss Elon's pull back from DOGE. Rental rates? They're coming down across the country but still much higher than pre-pandemic. We can't forget...

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 muc...

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% o...

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 apprais...

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...

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 wrap...

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...

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"...

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)...

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 intellige...

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 coul...

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 pu...

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 usin...

Are you tracking the United States debt clock and its recent DOGE addition (we might have broken in on the podcast)? Mark and Jeff examine the debt as well as the "return to work" executive order that's adding momentum to the trend of ending remote work options. The duo also discusses Bill Pulte as the new FHFA director and Trump's executive order to lower housing costs. Delivering Emergency Price...

Mark and Jeff discuss the devastating California wildfires and the impact on people and real estate (including Jeff's inspection story during a prior wildfire). Other topics include Artificial Intelligence (AI) - will it take over the world in the next five years? Additionally, Mark makes a call on Fannie and Freddie stock prices. The nation's largest mortgage companies' stock prices are down sign...

Jeff and Mark discuss hot topics in real estate, including malls being turned into condos and apartments to address the housing shortage. Additionally, they talk about how mortgages with over a 6% interest rate have been increasing since 2022, creating refinance pockets. The episode also highlights housing inventory and pending home sales rising, plus Bill Ackman on privatization of Fannie Mae and...

What do Mark and Jeff think will happen in 2025 real estate? Are appraisal waivers distorting market pricing? What do industry leaders like Matt Ishbia and Jeff Bezos think about change and disruption? How is artificial intelligence more like electricity than the internet?

Mark and Jeff welcome Freddie Mac's Senior Director of Single Family Valuation, Danny Wiley, to round out the perspective on appraisal waivers from one of the enterprises actually using them. Recently, Freddie Mac published a study comparing appraisal vs. appraisal waiver loan defaults, which is a big topic in this episode. What do appraisal users think about appraisals? Do they want to eliminate...

Can the real estate market get any worse in 2025 or is there reason for hope? Mark and Jeff digest a number of data points that give insight into expectation for mortgage rates, housing affordability, and buyer sentiment. What is coming in 2025?

Mark and Jeff talk about hard mode challenges for ibuyer real estate companies and market participants as a whole. Will interest rates stay higher longer? Is home price devaluation the answer to our interest rate problem? Is the Argentina experiment of radical reductions in government spending making its way to the United States with DOGE? Can it offset inflationary polices of tariffs and tax cuts...

Jeff and Mark sit down with Ed Pinto, Co-Director of the American Enterprise Institute's Housing Center, to talk about Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and appraisal waivers. They explore how the waiver system could be "gamed" during loan applications. Pinto also shares the history of the GSEs, including their time under conservatorship, and makes a bold prediction as President-Elect Trump prepares to tak...