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Editor’s Note: This is the first part in a three-part series on local innovations focused on affordability and community development.

Nearly a year after assuming interim leadership of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Sandra Thompson has been named the agency’s permanent director.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Thompson as FHFA director by a 49-46 vote.

So-called “opportunity zones,” identified in the 2017 tax cuts passed under the Trump administration as areas in need of economic redevelopment, have seen significant growth in home prices this year, largely keeping up with broader market trends even with rising mortgage rates, according to an analysis by ATTOM Data Solutions.

Median single-family home and condo prices rose from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022 in 55% of opportunity zones around the country, the report found, even as the pace of increases slowed compared to last year.

With more than 20 years’ experience in the real estate industry, I have managed luxury brands and helped agents develop their personal brands. It is a delicate art. Each agent must create their individual style that incorporates their unique personality, communication approach and relationship skills. But the most successful agents all share a common trait: they are prepared with proficient market knowledge that inspires trust and confidence with their clients.

In a new study by LendingTree, researchers analyzed home occupancy and homeownership data of immigrant and foreign-born communities across the nation’s 50-most-populous metro areas.

Specifically, the data looked at which places have the highest share of homes owned and occupied by those born outside of the country, the study showed.

Key findings

Homebuyer affordability decreased in April, with the national median payment applied for by applicants rising 8.8% to $1,889 from $1,736 in March. This is according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), which measures how new monthly mortgage payments vary across time—relative to income—using data from MBA’s Weekly Applications Survey (WAS).

Coldwell Banker Real Estate has announced that Roni Boyles has been appointed vice president of public relations and corporate communications. In her new role, Boyles will oversee a multi-talented in-house team of PR and communication professionals as well as agency partners as they work to further the brand’s goals and support Coldwell Banker’s network of over 100,000 affiliated agents, the company stated.