Longbridge Financial, one of the nation’s leading reverse mortgage lenders, on Tuesday announced the hiring of Azita Guzzo as its new head of technology innovation.

Guzzo will fill a newly created role at Longbridge. She’s being tasked with the development of advanced technology solutions for enhanced customer service and improved operational efficiency.

“Azita’s deep expertise and inventive spirit make her the ideal leader to help us continue building on the success of our technology initiatives and expand our suite of smart digital solutions,” Bill Packer, the company chief operating officer, said in a statement.

“Her visionary leadership will help ensure that as we innovate, we keep older homeowners and our partners at the center, delivering solutions that are transparent, trustworthy, and truly helpful.”

Guzzo has more than 20 years of prior experience in leading technology initiatives in the mortgage lending, automotive finance, health care and software industries. She’s a recognized leader in artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation and advanced analytics.

“I’m honored to join Longbridge Financial at a pivotal moment for the company and this industry,” Guzzo said. “I look forward to advancing the company’s technology platform to improve the accessibility of our product by enhancing the borrowing and servicing experience for older homeowners.”

Guzzo will report to Packer and will work closely alongside Nicole Taylor, the company’s vice president of technology.

“Azita is an inspiring leader whose dedication to technology-driven problem solving will help us continue to propel Longbridge to the next stage of digital innovation, and I look forward to partnering with her to deliver breakthrough solutions,” Taylor said.

In two recent interviews with Reverse Mortgage Daily, Packer shared his vision for how Longbridge is incorporating AI into its daily business activities. The company believes that AI must be more inclusive of seniors, and it’s seeing rapid improvement in productivity, especially among its servicing team.

Stellar MLS — the largest multiple listing service in Florida and Puerto Rico — has launched IO Reports, a new tool that offers subscribers access to neighborhood and market insights for any address in the U.S.

The new feature — provided in partnership with location intelligence company Local Logic — gives real estate professionals detailed reports that include demographics, amenities, school data and transportation access. It also includes a market trends component that covers home sales, median home prices and inventory updates.

The information is pulled from more than 3,000 sources and covers every U.S. address.

“At Stellar MLS, our mission is centered around helping our customers deliver exceptional value to their clients,” said Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS. “With the launch of IO Reports by Local Logic, agents now have access to powerful, hyper-local insights that help them go beyond the basics of a property, allowing them to tell the complete story of the neighborhoods their clients are considering.

“Whether it’s understanding demographics, lifestyle preferences, transportation options, or overall neighborhood dynamics, IO Reports equips agents with the information buyers care about most. We’re proud to offer this innovative tool to help our customers stand out, build trust and guide their clients with unmatched expertise.”

“For over a decade, Local Logic has been focused on helping real estate consumers make better-informed decisions,” said Vincent-Charles Hodder, CEO and co-founder of Local Logic. “With over 50 million consumers engaging with our insights every month, we’ve learned what information truly resonates and how to present it in a way that’s intuitive and easy to understand.

The release of IO Reports is the latest addition to Stellar MLS’s toolset — which includes Reciprocal MLS Access, MLS Match and Rayse’s progress-tracking platform.

Stellar MLS serves more than 84,000 professionals across 21 Realtor associations in central and southwest Florida and Puerto Rico.

Husband and wife John Howell and Rhiannon Evans are set to move on from their Blackburn townhouse after significantly renovating the home.

Mr Howell said he initially thought that Melbourne home prices were “kind of mad” when he bought, after first moving back in with his parents to save for a deposit.

Although the prospect of spending hundreds of thousands on a property caused him a lot of stress when he first purchased, it has since paid off.

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According to PropTrack, Blackburn’s median unit price has jumped from $570,000 to $765,000 since 2020.

Across the time frame, the suburb was one of Melbourne’s best-performing areas for increases in typical unit values, including apartments, units and townhouses.

Other suburbs rounding out the top five were Hampton East where median prices rose from $687,500 to $975,000, Doveton (where medians increased from $386,500 to $535,000), Hampton Park (from $410,000 to $560,000) and Beaumaris (from $895,000 to $1.175m).

For Greater Melbourne houses, Lower Plenty where median values surged from $950,000 to $1.586m, headed the list.

The suburb in the city’s north east was followed by Gembrook (where medians soared from $650,000 to $1.0498m), Kinglake (from $606,500 to $930,600), Research (from $1.0825m to $1.6m) and Longwarry (from $407,000 to $592,800).

Mr Howell and Ms Evans said they had loved living in Blackburn but were now planning to upsize.

They have put their abode at 3/5 Clare St on the market with a $690,000-$755,000 asking range.

Ms Evans said that rising home prices were positive in one respect because it would help them to buy a larger property with more space for their dog, Kelpie-mix Romeo.

Treasured memories of their current suburb include walking around Blackburn Lake, visiting their favourite cafe and hosting Mr Howell’s late parents for pancakes on Sundays.

“Blackburn is amazing, it is lovely and we will miss it,” Ms Evans said.

“We’ll be coming back, partly for the cafe we like best and see some of our friends here.”

One of the reasons Mr Howell initially bought the townhouse was its proximity to Blackburn train station, eateries and shops.

He was also won over by the courtyard and private location.

“It’s enough away from the roads to not worry about traffic noises and things like that, but also close enough that I could get access to the freeway and public transport quite easily,” Mr Howell said.

He and Ms Evans have extensively renovated the home, making the bathroom larger, giving the kitchen a complete makeover and installing a new staircase.

“Somewhere in between that we took up a carpet downstairs, and they had really beautiful wooden floors underneath,” Ms Evans said.

Having plenty of storage space was another priority.

“We made quite a few changes and built things in to make use of the space,” she added.

“And I think my favourite room is my study upstairs with my study, where we built in bookcases and a desk, and it can double as a guest bedroom too.”

Their townhouse, listed with Woodards Blackburn’s Rachel Waters, will be auctioned at 2pm on August 16.

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Prince William and Kate Middleton are looking at moving on from Adelaide Cottage to a larger home.

It’s understood the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are looking to upsize to a grander royal residence, may consider relocating to Fort Belvedere, the Daily Mail reports.

The property was the favourite home of Edward VIII, who lived there before he became king and after he abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.

Known as The Fort, the sprawling estate features an outdoor swimming pool and tennis court.

It also boasts a rose garden, walled garden, kitchen garden, large greenhouse, stables, two lakes, paddocks and three cottages for staff.

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“They feel they have outgrown Adelaide Cottage and need somewhere more substantial,” a source told the Daily Mail.

“This is the perfect new home for them. It has a swimming pool and tennis court, and Charlotte loves playing tennis.”

William and Kate were previously reported to be offered the keys to Royal Lodge, the large Windsor home where Prince Andrew lives.

The Duke of York, who moved into the 30-room mansion in 2004, has refused to move, after taking on a “cast-iron lease” that lasts until 2078.

Another plan to move the family into a wing of Windsor Castle also seems to be off the table.

William and Kate moved their family into Adelaide Cottage in 2022.

Before living in the four-bedroom home, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, and their parents lived in a lavish 20-room Kensington Palace apartment, which has been dubbed a “prison for kids”.

The family lived in Apartment 1A from 2017 to 2022, and Kate and William still use it as their official office, The Sun reports.

Although it is called an “apartment”, royal experts have said the royal dwelling is anything but small.

The “enormous” Apartment 1A is spread over four floors and takes up half the Clock Tower wing designed by Sir Christopher Wren for King William and Queen Mary.

It has five reception rooms, three main bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, as well as his-and-hers dressing rooms.

There are nine bedrooms for staff on the top floor, which can be reached by a lift. In the basement, there is a gym, laundry room and space for luggage.

Despite the impressive amenities, William and Kate uprooted their kids in 2022 for a more rural and private life out of the “goldfish bowl” of central London.

Sources said the couple dreamt of having a “modest” home with a garden so the children could play outside together.

Parts of this story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.

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The post Prince William, Kate Middleton eyeing new royal home appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A charming Ferntree Gully home close to the 1000 Steps Trail and train station has sold for $863,000, after drawing more than 200 buyers and fierce competition at auction.

The three-bedroom property at 63 Alma Ave, was snapped up under the hammer by a couple planning to rent it before making it their dream home.

Ray White Ferntree Gully’s Matthew George said the home’s sunlit interiors, leafy outlook and convenient location had buyers lining up.

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“We had just over 200 buyers through the campaign, which is a huge turnout,” Mr George said.

“It’s literally steps from the station and just up the road from the 1000 Steps, so downsizers, retirees and investors were really drawn to it. “You’ve got the convenience and the lifestyle.”

Mr George said the auction opened with a bold $700,000 bid, right at the top end of the $670,000-$730,000 price guide, and quickly gained momentum, with ten bidders in the mix.

“Interestingly, the opening bidder actually ended up buying it,” he said.

“I always tell buyers that being first out of the gates can pay off, and this property proved that.”

Inside, the north-facing home blends old school charm, with its original carpets, ornate light fittings and draped curtains, with practical family features.

A spacious kitchen with a breakfast bar forms the heart of the floorplan, while open-plan living zones flow to a deck with views of the Dandenong Ranges.

The main bedroom includes a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite, with two further bedrooms offering built-in storage.

A split system services the living zone, while ducted heating and a double garage add year-round comfort and convenience.

While the interiors are in largely original condition, the Ray White Ferntree Gully agent said cosmetic work didn’t deter buyers.

“I’d suggested the sellers consider some light updates, fresh carpet, a coat of paint, maybe replacing the deck, but even without that, it sold really well,” Mr George said.

“There’s a shift in buyer mindset. A few years ago a home like this would’ve been a tough sell.
“But today people just want to get into the market. There’s a real ‘just buy something’ mentality, and they’re prepared to roll up their sleeves.”

With the Ferntree Gully median house price sitting around $890,000 and tipped to climb, Mr George said it was only a matter of time before more homes like Alma Ave started nudging the million-dollar mark.

“Newer homes are already there, and older homes on smaller blocks are catching up,” he said.

Listing levels across the Knox region remain tight, with about 440-450 listings currently on market, a figure Mr George warned could balloon in spring.

“If that number blows out to 600+ come September or October, sellers will be competing for buyer attention,” he said.

“Right now is the time to sell, demand is high and there’s less competition.”

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