• The cost of real estate commission clarity

    The cost of real estate commission clarity,Tracey Velt

    With the numbers showing a slight dip in commission percentages, one might assume the impact of the NAR settlement is minor. However, agents are discovering that the challenges are about more than just the amount of commission they are earning. HousingWire surveyed a select group of real estate prof

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  • Home sales disappoint at the end of April

    Home sales disappoint at the end of April,Mike Simonsen

    Weekly pending home sales disappointed in the last week of April, with 10% fewer than the same week in 2024.To be specific, single-family home sales came in 8% fewer than the same week last year, and condo sales came in 19% fewer. Nationally, weekly pending home sales saw only a small rebound after

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  • Earnnest, CRMLS enter strategic partnership

    Earnnest, CRMLS enter strategic partnership,Brooklee Han

    Digital earnest money solutions company Earnnest is the latest tool available to California Regional MLS (CRMLS) subscribers via the MLS’s REcore dashboard. The firms announced their strategic partnership late last month.Beginning in June, CRMLS subscribers will have access to Earnnest at no cost, a

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  • Reba McEntire joins Realtor.com marketing campaign targeting struggling homebuyers

    Reba McEntire joins Realtor.com marketing campaign targeting struggling homebuyers,Jonathan Delozier

    Realtor.com has launched a new national advertising campaign featuring country music artist and actress Reba McEntire as the company aims to offer reassurance to prospective homebuyers who are navigating a historically difficult real estate market.The campaign, titled “Nearly Home,” incorporates sit

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  • AppraisalVision launches AI-powered appraisal execution system

    AppraisalVision launches AI-powered appraisal execution system,Jonathan Delozier

    AppraisalVision has restructured its platform into what it describes as the mortgage industry’s first fully autonomous appraisal execution system. This comes on the heels of a new partnership with Alpha7X, an artificial intelligence (AI) firm with a focus on automating mortgage operations.The shift

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  • Compass introduces ‘Family Office’ division for ultra-wealthy clients

    Compass introduces ‘Family Office’ division for ultra-wealthy clients,Jonathan Delozier

    Compass Real Estate has launched a new business unit aimed at catering to ultra-high-net-worth clients and family offices.The new division — called Compass Family Office — is led by Agent Cindy Scholz and will focus on providing strategic, long-term real estate services to individuals and entities m

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  • Unison announces rate cut on alternative home equity loan product

    Unison announces rate cut on alternative home equity loan product,Neil Pierson

    San Francisco-based home equity solutions provider Unison announced Monday that it’s lowering the annual percentage rate (APR) on its Equity Sharing Home Loan, an alternative funding vehicle aimed at helping U.S. homeowners tap into record levels of equity. Unison said in a press release that the mo

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  • Reverse mortgage volume, securities issuance increased in April

    Reverse mortgage volume, securities issuance increased in April,Chris Clow

    Reverse mortgage industry performance metrics have been soft so far in 2025, but two key data points involving Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) volume and HECM-backed Securities (HMBS) issuance saw promising increases in April.HECM endorsements rose by 9% to reach 2,320 loans in April — which

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  • How to Convert a 401(k) to a Self-Directed IRA to Invest in Real Estate

    How to Convert a 401(k) to a Self-Directed IRA to Invest in Real Estate,Jeremy Harper

    How to Convert a 401(k) to a Self-Directed IRA to Invest in Real Estate 🏡💰 For many Americans, a 401(k) is their primary retirement savings vehicle. While these accounts are great for long-term growth through stocks and mutual funds, they typically limit your investment options. If you're looking

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  • Why this week’s Fed meeting is critical for mortgage rates

    Why this week’s Fed meeting is critical for mortgage rates,Logan Mohtashami

    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

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  • The labor market is still keeping mortgage rates elevated

    The labor market is still keeping mortgage rates elevated,Logan Mohtashami

    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

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  • How Rate wants to close its ‘massive gap’ in the non-QM space

    How Rate wants to close its ‘massive gap’ in the non-QM space,Flávia Furlan Nunes

    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

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  • NRMLA co-chair outlines reverse mortgage advocacy plan

    NRMLA co-chair outlines reverse mortgage advocacy plan,Chris Clow

    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

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  • LERETA, Sagent integrate real estate tax and flood service solutions

    LERETA, Sagent integrate real estate tax and flood service solutions,Jonathan Delozier

    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

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  • The potential benefits of senior property tax deferral programs

    The potential benefits of senior property tax deferral programs,Chris Clow

    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

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  • Realtors clash over NAR speech code

    Realtors clash over NAR speech code,Jonathan Delozier

    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

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  • Where does Jonathan McKernan’s CFPB nomination stand?

    Where does Jonathan McKernan’s CFPB nomination stand?,Chris Clow

    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

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  • eXp Luxury announces seller financing partnership

    eXp Luxury announces seller financing partnership,Jonathan Delozier

    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

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  • Trump’s budget request seeks $33B in HUD cuts

    Trump’s budget request seeks $33B in HUD cuts,Chris Clow

    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

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  • Redwood gains ground with jumbos, defends GSE privatization efforts

    Redwood gains ground with jumbos, defends GSE privatization efforts,Flávia Furlan Nunes

    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

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