DS News

Nov 2015-Torn Apart

DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.

Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/594957

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 19 of 99

18 ON THE WEB WEBSITES TO GET TO KNOW. DOTLOOP bills itself as "the collaboration platform where real estate professionals get deals done." Agents can upload documents and pre- assign the spaces that require a signature from the client. Upon receiving the documents, the client creates an account, verifies their identity, and is then guided through the document. All signatures are e-verified and encrypted for security. Dotloop's turnkey transactions ensure consistency for your clients every time they deal with your business, and charts and graphs that provide real-time insight and visibility into the transactions occurring within your business allow you to make data-driven decisions. PDFESCAPE provides users with a new way to open and edit PDF files online. is a free, online PDF reader, editor, form filler, and form designer that frees users from the typical software requirements for using the de facto document file format. With PDFescape, you can upload any PDF document and add signatures, text, dates, or other information where it is needed. No logo, watermark, or other tag is added to the file. PDFescape is completely online, and all users need is a modern Internet browser and an active Internet connection. INVOICERA is a simplified invoice management system that allows users can send electronic invoices with brand logos, accept payments online, and stay on top of invoicing deadlines. It can be utilized by small businesses, free- lancers, or big businesses. Invoicera offers multiple payment gateways—generate invoices in the currency suitable for the client, to upscale the business to global level. Invoices can be customized; fields can be added to invoices to show supplementary details. Emails can also be customized using Invoicera placeholders. Invoicera can be integrated with such tools as Google Apps, Basecamp, and many others. PDFESCAPE.COM 2 DOTLOOP.COM 1 INVOICERA.COM 3 CONSUMERS THINK THE HOUSING MARKET IS IN GOOD SHAPE Consumer confidence in the housing market rose in September nearly to its record high, driven mostly by positive sellers' attitudes and home price strength. Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) rose to 83.8 for the month of September following a two-month decline and is up 3 points from August. Four of the six index components posted net positive gains. e Good Time to Sell component increased 13 points in September compared to the prior month, with 52 percent indicating it was a good time to sell, up 5 percentage points from last month. "e HPSI returned near its record high this month, driven primarily by improvement in attitudes about selling a home and strengthening home prices," said Doug Duncan, SVP and chief economist at Fannie Mae. e Good Time to Buy component increased 3 points as rising rental prices may be pushing more consumers toward purchasing a home. Of those surveyed, 64 percent indicated it was a good time to buy a home in September, up 1 percentage point from August. "With consumers' expectations for rental price increases continuing to outpace their expectations for home price growth, many consumers may view homeownership as a more attractive option," Duncan said. "is should have positive implications for the housing market, which remains well below historical norms in relation to housing starts." Fannie Mae also found 45 percent of respondents believe home prices will increase over the next year, while 9 percent indicated prices will lower. Fifty-five percent of respondents noted that mortgage interest rates will go up in the next 12 months, while 5 percent said they will go down. "Although net home price and mortgage rate expectations dipped in September, consumers' confidence in their employment and financial situations climbed 2 and 3 points, respectively, further suggesting a possible firmer footing for housing," the report said. When questioned about job security, 84 percent of respondents shared that they are not concerned with losing their job, while 15 percent are. Approximately 28 percent of those questioned reported higher income than last year, and 13 percent reported lower income. "We noted last week that, despite a relatively dismal jobs report, the addition of 8,000 construction jobs, the biggest gain in four months, may be a sign of grudging progress for the supply side of housing," Duncan said. "e September HPSI data, combined with the recent increase in construction jobs, are consistent with our expectation for a continued upward grind in housing."

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of DS News - Nov 2015-Torn Apart