Appraisal Now

MISMO | MISMO published a new Appraisal Procurement Dataset Specification to standardize property service ordering, aligning with FHFA's UMDP and UAD 3.6 updates. It enables appraisal orders independent of legacy forms being retired by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, using common MISMO vocabulary to reduce complexity and improve automation in the digitized valuation process.

NAHB | According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, builder confidence hit 32 in June, near 2012 lows. Thirty-seven percent of builders cut prices (highest since 2022 tracking began), with an average 5% reduction. Sales incentives at 62%. Current sales, future expectations, and buyer traffic all declined 2 points. Regional scores mixed but mostly down, with the West weakest at 28.

Realtor.com | US home values dropped $200 billion to $47.9 trillion in Q1 2025 but still gained $960 billionB yearly (up 2.1% up). Home equity fell $250 billion to $34.5 trillion (72% of value) but remains at near-record highs. Mortgage debt hit a new high of $13.4 trillion. Despite a three-quarter decline, market fundamentals remain strong with the supply shortage supporting prices.

CBRE | Canada's industrial real estate market has improved significantly since February when 25% tariffs were threatened. The current situation shows selective tariffs (steel/aluminum) with USMCA-compliant products exempt. Ontario announced a $10 billion support package. While uncertainty remains, lenders are still active and capital is flowing with increased caution. Two major deals ($35 million and 265,000 sq. ft. spec development) were approved during peak uncertainty, showing market resilience.

Nature | Researchers in China developed a real estate price prediction model using adaptive loss functions and optimized feature embedding. The model combines bidirectional GRU, CNN, and reinforcement learning to handle complex market factors. Testing showed high accuracy (R² = 0.975, EVS = 0.951), outperforming existing methods significantly.

Cointelegraph | Bitcoin holders are using crypto-backed loans to buy real estate without selling BTC, avoiding capital gains taxes while maintaining crypto exposure. Ledn issued more than $300 million in Q1 2025, targeting $1 billion annually. No credit checks needed due to 2:1 collateral requirement.

Entrepreneur | Saudi Arabia's RAFAL Real Estate partnered with droppRWA for the kingdom's first real estate tokenization, enabling fractional ownership starting at 1 Riyal to democratize property investment. The pilot aims to attract foreign capital and align with Vision 2030's digital transformation goals, positioning Saudi Arabia as a blockchain leader.

Alabama Reflector | A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Alabama's law requiring at least two minority members on the Real Estate Appraisers Board. The anti-affirmative action group AAER, founded by Edward Blum, dropped the case rather than face discovery, with both parties agreeing to dismissal with prejudice.

Tech Xplore | Virginia Tech researchers studied 9 million property sales near 3,699 solar sites, finding agricultural land values increased 19.4% within 2 miles, while residential homes lost 4.8% value within 3 miles. The residential impact stems from perception rather than physical harm and varies by political leaning.

Smith Anderson Newsroom | The NC Court of Appeals ruled in H/S New Bern v. First Berkshire that unauthorized stormwater runoff constitutes trespass. Despite clear liability, the plaintiff only received $1,000 nominal damages lacking evidence of actual harm. The court approved specific injunctive relief but rejected broad remediation orders without sufficient evidence.