The mortgage industry’s AI problem is not what you think it is

Every conference I go to right now has the same conversation happening in every room. AI is going to transform the mortgage industry. AI is going to eliminate jobs. AI is going to make everything faster, cheaper, smarter. And maybe all of that is true, eventually. But I keep sitting in those session
Read MoreHow VantageScore 4.0 is expanding opportunity in wholesale lending

Mortgage lenders and brokers are navigating an affordability-constrained market in which a borrower’s qualifying score can determine not only eligibility but also pricing, cash-to-close and purchasing power. UWM moved quickly to introduce VantageScore 4.0 through a new pilot, giving independent mort
Read MoreInventory edges slightly higher year over year as rates rise

While it’s been a relatively boring year for housing inventory — even with higher mortgage rates — the movement in the last few weeks and easier comps have pushed inventory a tad higher, as we are at the midpoint of August. The question is: can we eke out a bit more growth before the seasonal declin
Read MoreReal shareholders approve REMAX acquisition, closing nears

Shareholders of The Real Brokerage Inc. and REMAX Holdings Inc. on Friday approved Real’s proposed acquisition of REMAX, moving the companies closer to forming Real REMAX Group after their respective votes. The votes were held at special meetings of both companies’ security holders, according to the
Read MoreSummer heat sets in across Northeast housing markets

The Northeast continues to command a disproportionate share of the nation’s hottest housing markets, with four of the top five metros located in New England or New York, according to the latest weekly HousingWire Data. Rochester, N.Y.; Hartford, Conn.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Boston, Mass.; and Buffalo
Read MoreAppeals court reboots NYC pied-à-terre tax rollout after pause

New York City’s ultra-rich started the week with a reprieve from having to prove residency to avoid a pied-à-terre tax. But as the week ends, the reprieve itself proved fleeting. A state appeals judge yanked back the roadblock on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s tax plan Thursday afternoon in a Staten Island
Read MoreWhy 2026 foreclosure gains are not a housing crash signal

The quarterly New York Fed foreclosure data came out for Q2, and once again — to the surprise of many doomers — the index fell slightly, still below 2019 levels. Not only that, but this week’s existing home sales report also showed housing inventory down year over year and sales slightly higher, wit
Read MoreRadian sells real estate services, plans title sale to PLACE

Radian Group has completed the sale of its real estate services business and agreed to sell its title insurance business to PLACE, marking a key step in the mortgage insurer’s shift into a global multi-line specialty insurer. The Wayne, Pennsylvania-based company said last Monday that it closed the
Read MoreARA expands advocacy, hires John Blount to lead lobbying

The American Real Estate Association (ARA) announced Friday that John Blount will serve as the Mauricio Umansky and Jason Haber-founded trade group’s chief lobbyist. Blount spent years as chief lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), directing the association’s advocacy shop. He he
Read MoreLGI Homes is trying to remove the reasons buyers keep waiting

Winning the game of a momentum-free and uncertainty-filled new-home market is like winning at Cat’s Cradle. You can lose to the game if you don’t play hand-in-hand with your partner. In the case of a homebuilder’s way through an indefinite, sluggish stretch, winning happens when something missing re
Read MoreNRMLA asks CFPB for new reverse mortgage disclosure framework

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) is urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to overhaul reverse mortgage disclosures, arguing that tailored, simplified materials could help consumers better understand the products and their risks. In an Aug. 10 comment letter
Read MoreWyoming MLSs object to NAR settlement data sharing notice

MLS in Wyoming have some thoughts to share on Judge Stephen Bough’s recent authorization of the Gibson and Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit plaintiffs to send a notice to all of the MLSs that opted into the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement, reminding them of the
Read MoreBetter pushes back on Garg’s bid to regain control, citing losses and board concerns

Better Home & Finance Holding Co. on Friday pushed back against efforts by former CEO Vishal Garg to regain control of the company, accusing him of a history of poor performance and attempting to pressure the board. The company said its board, excluding Garg, unanimously voted to remove him as CEO a
Read MoreBetter founder Vishal Garg lines up voting majority to retake control

Vishal Garg, the founder and former CEO of Better Home & Finance Holding Co., is seeking to regain control of the company after securing support from shareholders holding a majority of its voting power. Garg has retained attorney Alex Spiro in connection with the shareholder action, according to an
Read MoreAcrisure Mortgage names Todd Boss president

Acrisure Mortgage announced Thursday that it has appointed Todd Boss as president, succeeding Joe Nunziata, who was recently promoted to president of Acrisure Real Estate Services. Boss will oversee the day-to-day operations of Acrisure Mortgage, including its nationwide mortgage platform, sales org
Read MoreSide CEO says independents are the future, launches SideOS

While much of the housing industry is focused on the current wave of consolidation consuming the space, real estate brokerage Side is placing its bet on local and regional independent brokerages being the future of the industry. “The prevailing narrative in the industry today is that there are goin
Read MoreBrokers say it’s ‘business as usual’ with UWM despite loss, capital raise

Mortgage brokers working with United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) say it remains “business as usual” following the lender’s second-quarter loss and a multibillion-dollar capital raise, with no noticeable impact so far on day-to-day loan production. The Pontiac, Michigan-based wholesale lender reported l
Read MoreDream Finders Beazer acquisition sets new industry scale bar

Dream Finders Homes’ agreement to acquire Beazer Homes for $33.50 per share brings an end to homebuilding’s most dramatic takeover contest of 2026. What the deal says about what comes next may be even more compelling. The $2.2 billion enterprise-value deal will make Dream Finders the sixth-largest U
Read MoreNew Coldwell Banker Affiliates president speaks on AI, rates, luxury market

Mary Lee Blaylock recently stepped into the role of president at Coldwell Banker Affiliates, bringing more than 30 years of residential real estate experience to the position. Her appointment comes as Coldwell Banker advances its “One Coldwell Banker” brand strategy — aiming to align company-owned o
Read MoreHow Taylor Morrison tracks one division’s offsite component gains

Battling soft margins, dicey demand and chronic labor shortages, can homebuilders leverage a pivot to factory-built components as an offset to build more efficiently and scale with fewer workers?This is a question that Taylor Morrison’s Austin division began asking just before the onset of the COVID
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