This week, the Federal Reserve is holding a crucial meeting that could significantly influence the housing market in 2025 and 2026. The outcome could set the stage for mortgage rate cuts or a pause in action until there are shifts in the labor market. As many have observed, President Trump has expre

Another jobs week has come and gone, and while we see some signs of a slowdown in the labor market, it’s not breaking. Since 2022, I have suggested that to get mortgage rates below 6% with a longer duration, we need to see either a shift in the labor market or additional rate cuts that would lower t

Top 10 U.S. mortgage lender Rate is investing in the nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) space by launching a new suite of products. It aims to attract borrowers with nontraditional financial profiles, including self-employed individuals, small-business owners, freelancers and real estate investors.The C

The reverse mortgage industry’s premier trade association held its first event of 2025 this past week. While the mood was generally upbeat among the roughly 150 attendees who made the journey to Irvine, California, for the event hosted by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA), th

Mortgage technology provider Sagent has announced a new partnership with LERETA, a company specializing in real estate tax and flood services, to integrate LERETA’s solutions into Sagent’s platform.The collaboration aims to give mortgage servicers streamlined access to real-time tax data, flood zone

Property taxes are rising dramatically across the country, and that reality has the potential to hit seniors living on a fixed income hardest of all. On top of that, keeping up with property tax and insurance costs are key requirements to keep any mortgage in good standing, whether it’s a forward or

The National Association of Realtors‘ (NAR) speech code, formally known as Standard of Practice 10-5, has sparked a contentious debate within the real estate industry.Critics argue that it infringes upon free speech rights, while supporters assert it’s a necessary measure to uphold ethical standards

The nomination of Jonathan McKernan to lead the besieged Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) remains uncertain. While his nomination was passed out of the Senate Banking Committee nearly two months ago, it has remained on the executive calendar of the Senate without being scheduled for a vot

eXp Luxury, the upscale division of real estate brokerage eXp Realty, is teaming with MORE Seller Financing to give luxury home sellers new tools to attract buyers and improve listing performance in a high interest rate environment.The partnership, announced this week, will give eXp Luxury agents ac

Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), submitted the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request to the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday and is calling for $163 billion in non-defense spending cuts.If the cuts are approved, roughl

California-based real estate investment trust Redwood Trust is expanding its role as a liquidity provider in the jumbo mortgage market while policymakers continue to debate the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Redwood’s jumbo loan lock volumes totaled $4 billion in the first three months of 202

David Rands, chief financial officer at housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners, is taking on an expanded role as the organization’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. The move was effective May 1.The move comes as Enterprise combines its finance and operations functions fo

Roughly two weeks after HomeServices of America announced that Chris Kelly was taking over as CEO from Gino Blefari, the firm is back with more C-suite changes.On Thursday, the firm announced the appointment of Alex Seavall to chief financial and operations officer, along with the appointment of Can

Florida’s housing markets were as hot as any after the COVID-19 pandemic began, but now they’re among the coldest.Stubbornly high mortgage rates, rapidly rising inventory and macroeconomic headwinds are impacting housing markets all over the country, but Florida is notable for both how far it’s fall

On Tuesday, the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) held its first dedicated reverse mortgage industry event of the year. The association’s Western Regional Meeting in Irvine, California, included an estimated 150 registrants from 75 companies around the country and took place in t

Artificial intelligence has moved from a buzzword to boardroom priority in lending. After years of hype and speculation, we’re finally seeing real transformation in how loans are processed, underwritten, and serviced. What’s most fascinating isn’t just the technology itself but the emerging pattern

The real estate industry and The New York Times have not been on good terms for a while now. Although the mutual disdain began with the Times’ 2023 expose of alleged widespread sexual harassment and a “culture of fear” at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), things really began to heat up wit

You’ve set an appointment with a new potential buyer client – congrats! But, now what? Successful agents send a real estate buyer questionnaire to all buyer leads. This will not only save you time in the future, but it will also position you as a professional. Since you’ll be guiding them through th

Industry debate around off-market listings — or pocket listings — has become increasingly heated. For some agents, these private transactions are tools of exclusivity and strategy. For others, they’re a disservice to sellers and a potential breach of fiduciary duty.Four agents with strong opinions;

Coldwell Banker Realty has launched a national rollout of its Transaction Concierge program, a back-office support system designed to assist real estate agents with administrative tasks during the homebuying process.The program provides Coldwell Banker-affiliated agents with access to in-house emplo