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April 2023 ยป thefivestar.com 21 April 2023 I N D U S T R Y U P D A T E validate the photos and data are collected at the borrower's property. In addition to SCOUT, Black Knight also provides SCOUT QC, a web-based inspection quality control tool that empowers the lender or the lender's AMC quality control staff to review the inspection for accuracy and loan eligibility using proprietary pass/fail logic. Completed inspections are seamlessly uploaded to Fan- nie Mae using the already integrated API. "We are honored to be one of the small group of providers approved by Fannie Mae for lenders to use for the data collection process as part of the value acceptance plus property data option," said Ben Graboske, President of Black Knight Data & Analytics. "SCOUT is a great solution to support Fannie Mae's appraisal modernization initiative. By using SCOUT, lenders experience significant efficiencies and cost savings as well as greater data transparency, minimize the potential for bias, and realize faster origination turn times." SCOUT also includes advanced fraud protection features, works on any camera and GPS-enabled mobile device, and supports multiple valuation types, including apprais- als, hybrids and BPOs. HOMEBOT ACQUIRES FIRST- TIME BUYER APP QUO H omebot, an ASG home education portal, has acquired Quo Finance, a mobile app that helps first-time homebuyers secure their dream home and begin to build wealth. As part of the acquisition, Quo's team, led by Co-Founders Tucker Haas and Neel Yerneni, will join the Homebot team. In 2018, Tucker and Neel founded Quo with the mission of making building wealth more equitable by simplifying the mortgage process and making homeownership accessi- ble for everyone. Quo's app helped first time homebuyers get mortgage-ready by guiding its customers throughout the homebuying process. "Ensuring that Quo was a success was extremely personal to me, and I'm incredibly proud of what we have accomplished at Quo over the last four years," Haas said. "Growing up in a household that experienced financial hardship as a result of medical debt, I saw how broken the financial system was. It was incredibly difficult for my family to chart a path to homeownership and reap its wealth building potential. We founded Quo to make finding that path to homeownership easier, especially for families who face similar financial hurdles. Partnering with Homebot guarantees that we will continue to build on our mission and empower millions towards their goals of home ownership and building wealth." In December 2021, Quo announced that it raised $7.2 million in seed funding, led by SignalFire, to further accelerate the development and growth of the mobile app. Since launching their home buying app in June 2021, Quo's users have amassed over $1.5 billion in homebuying power and are work- ing towards purchasing $5 billion in homes. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "Quo will massively accelerate Homebot's mission to connect people to make informed homeownership decisions," said Charlie Pratt, CEO of Homebot. "Later this year, Homebot's customers will have the ability to offer a Homebot native mobile app to their millions of engaged clients and attract more first-time homebuyers to their pipelines. We're very impressed by the product and team that Tucker and Neel have built. They have made an enormous impact since joining Homebot." NEW REDFIN DIVISION EXPANDS THE SALE OF LUXURY HOMES R edfin has announced the expansion of its Redfin Premier luxury real estate service nationwide. Consumers can now work with an expert Redfin Premier agent to buy or sell luxury homes in every market where Redfin provides agent service. Redfin Premier service matches luxury homebuyers and sellers with a top Redfin Premier agent who has years of experience buying and selling high-end properties. Redfin has offered Redfin Premier service to home sellers in select markets since 2020, and expanded its service to homebuyers earlier this year. "Redfin Premier has helped thousands of homeowners sell their luxury homes, and that experience has taught us a lot about what it means to provide high- end service," said Mia Simon, VP of Redfin Premier. "We're excited to offer an unmatched luxury real estate experience to customers across the country, no matter where they want to move." When it's time to list a luxury home, Redfin Premier captures every detail of the home, with professional video tours, high-resolution photography, drone and twilight views, and detailed interactive 3D scans that let prospective buyers virtually tour the home from anywhere in the world. "Redfin Premier challenges the notion that luxury service should cost more just because it's a luxury product," Simon said. "We know that luxury home sellers want the best possible service and offering, at the best value. That's why we're proud to offer the best agents and the sophisticated marketing clients expect, all for a lower fee." Homes priced at or above the following minimums qualify for Redfin Premier: $1,750,000 in San Francisco; $1,500,000 in Los Angeles and Orange County; $1,250,000 in Hawaii, New York, San Diego, and Seattle; $1,000,000 in Boston, Washington, D.C., Flagstaff, Lake Tahoe, Maryland, Miami, New Mexico, Palm Springs, and Virginia; and $850,000 in all other markets.