• The Compass deal to buy Anywhere draws applause and alarm

    The Compass deal to buy Anywhere draws applause and alarm,Brooklee Han

    After over a decade in the industry, real estate brokerage Compass has amassed its fair share of critics and supporters. While industry leaders may have differing opinions on the Robert Reffkin-helmed firm, most seem to agree that Compass’s deal to acquire Anywhere Real Estate is impressive. “Co

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  • What to know about Anywhere following acquisition by Compass

    What to know about Anywhere following acquisition by Compass,Jonathan Delozier

    In the wake of Compass’ acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate — formerly known as Realogy — here’s a primer on Anywhere’s trajectory as a major housing market player. Anywhere oversees and franchises some of the most recognizable names in residential real estate, including: Coldwell Banker

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  • Property tax, mortgage relief package introduced by Ohio lawmakers

    Property tax, mortgage relief package introduced by Ohio lawmakers,Jonathan Delozier

    A new bill introduced in the Ohio Senate would create a grant program to help older and disabled homeowners cover the cost of their property taxes, mortgages and essential household bills. Senate Bill 255 — dubbed the “Save the Dream Ohio” program — would allow qualifying homeowners to apply for

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  • Sun Belt leads sales volume but posts nation’s lowest absorption rate

    Sun Belt leads sales volume but posts nation’s lowest absorption rate,Rachel Bader, HW Data

    The Sun Belt region continues to dominate the U.S. housing market in raw transaction volume, recording 25,857 weekly home sales across its metropolitan areas, nearly six times the Northeast’s 4,452 sales and more than double the West’s 11,061 transactions. However, this sales advantage masks a mark

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  • Katie Sweeney, AIME lawsuit escalates as broker group files counterclaims

    Katie Sweeney, AIME lawsuit escalates as broker group files counterclaims,Sarah Wolak

    Katie Sweeney, the former top dog at the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) and the current executive vice president of strategy and broker advocacy at Rocket Pro, is denying claims by AIME that she misrepresented her role, concealed conflicts and awarded herself payments she wasn’t

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  • US birth rate hits record low, housing costs weigh on family planning

    US birth rate hits record low, housing costs weigh on family planning,Jonathan Delozier

    The U.S. birth rate fell to an historic low in 2024, continuing a nearly two-decade decline that researchers say is shaped in part by rising housing costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the national fertility rate dropped below 1.6 children per woman last year.

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  • Legal experts say RESPA suit against Zillow is ‘going nowhere fast’

    Legal experts say RESPA suit against Zillow is ‘going nowhere fast’,Brooklee Han

    Zillow’s legal workload became even heavier on Friday when homebuyer Alucard Taylor filed a class action lawsuit against the real estate behemoth over its Premier Agent and Flex programs.  The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges both the Washington Consumer Protec

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  • CalHFA announces Tony Sertich as new executive director

    CalHFA announces Tony Sertich as new executive director,Sarah Wolak

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that Tony Sertich is the new executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). Sertich most recently served as the assistant deputy director for the division of state financial assistance at the California Department of Housing an

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  • LoanStream launches new dba, GIANT Lending

    LoanStream launches new dba, GIANT Lending,Sarah Wolak

    OCMBC Inc., dba LoanStream Mortgage, announced on Monday the retirement of its dba, Jet Advantage Mortgage, and the official launch of GIANT Lending. According to a press release from the company, the new identity “underscores the division’s mission to equip brokers with the strength, resources

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  • Trump appointees roll back fair housing enforcement, internal records show

    Trump appointees roll back fair housing enforcement, internal records show,Jonathan Delozier

    Internal documents and interviews reviewed by The New York Times reveal that Trump administration officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have sharply limited enforcement of the Fair Housing Act — a cornerstone civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination in housin

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  • Have lower mortgage rates already changed the housing market?

    Have lower mortgage rates already changed the housing market?,Logan Mohtashami

    Mortgage rates fell to almost 6% just before the Fed announcement on rate cuts, then rose slightly to close out the week. Have lower mortgage rates already changed the housing market? Yes. Housing data started to change in our weekly Housing Market Tracker in mid-June and I’m writing this weekend’s

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  • Tech Pulse: Real estate referral landscape; new e-sign tool

    Tech Pulse: Real estate referral landscape; new e-sign tool,Jonathan Delozier

    Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: From Zillow to sphere: Why you must know the source of your real estate referrals

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  • Zillow faces class-action suit over Premier Agent, Flex commissions

    Zillow faces class-action suit over Premier Agent, Flex commissions,Brooklee Han

    Zillow is facing yet another lawsuit. Filed on Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, the lawsuit alleges that the portal tricks consumers into using agents affiliated with Zillow through its Flex and Premier Agent programs, resulting in inflated home purchase prices.  The suit was filed by A

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  • New York and DC homeowners set for biggest savings from SALT cap hike

    New York and DC homeowners set for biggest savings from SALT cap hike,Jonathan Delozier

    Homeowners in New York and Washington, D.C., stand to gain the most from the recently expanded federal cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions — with typical households in these locations saving more than $7,000 a year, according to a Redfin report released Thursday. The change — part of Pr

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  • US home flipping profits hit lowest level since 2008

    US home flipping profits hit lowest level since 2008,Jonathan Delozier

    The share of U.S. homes flipped by investors fell in the second quarter of 2025 while profit margins dropped to levels not seen in more than 15 years, according to new data from ATTOM. Flippers resold 78,621 single-family homes and condominiums between April and June, or 7.4% of all sales.That w

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  • Help exists for cash-strapped homebuyers — but many don’t know it

    Help exists for cash-strapped homebuyers — but many don’t know it,Jonathan Delozier

    As home prices and mortgage rates continue to stretch budgets, many would-be homebuyers are wondering if they’ll ever be able to make the jump. Industry professionals say that creative financing tools and professional guidance can make homeownership more attainable, but a lack of awareness conti

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  • Canadians are cooling on the U.S. housing market

    Canadians are cooling on the U.S. housing market,Brooklee Han

    Between April 2024 and March 2025, Canadian homebuyers spent $6.2 billion on U.S. real estate purchases, making up 14% of all foreign homebuyers, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).  While the total spend of Canadian buyers is up from $4.4 billion in the prior 12-m

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  • Stellar MLS, Miami Realtors sign reciprocal access agreement

    Stellar MLS, Miami Realtors sign reciprocal access agreement,Brooklee Han

    Stellar MLS, the largest MLS in Florida, and the Miami Association of Realtors, the nation’s largest local Realtor association, have entered into a reciprocal access agreement, the groups announced Friday.  Stellar MLS currently serves about 30% of Florida’s land area across 18 counties and Puer

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  • Retirement age could change as Social Security examines all options

    Retirement age could change as Social Security examines all options,Sarah Wolak

    With the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget predicting that Social Security’s retirement trust funds will run out by 2032, policymakers are being forced to act fast. When asked during Fox Business News‘s “Mornings with Maria” segment on Thursday whether the retirement age would change, S

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  • Houston’s $351K median price outperforms Texas metros in affordability

    Houston’s $351K median price outperforms Texas metros in affordability,Rachel Bader, HW Data

    Houston’s housing market maintains a competitive edge in affordability while still showing a slight seller’s advantage, according to the latest HW Data. With a median listing price of $351,900, Houston presents a value opportunity for buyers priced out of Dallas and Austin markets. Inventory and

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