USA Today: If Social Security falters, reverse mortgages could be worth a look

Many retirees have said they rely largely — and sometimes entirely — on Social Security benefits as their primary income stream in retirement. But in instances where these payments may not be enough to make ends meet, other options should be considered — and in the right situation, a reverse mortgag
Read MoreSeattle leaders struggle to agree on a path forward for housing

This week, the Seattle City Council had its first meeting of 2025 and housing was a key topic of discussion. But if the meeting itself was any indication, determining a path forward for the city’s severe housing shortage will be a struggle as elected leaders attempt to ascertain a sustainable plan f
Read MoreThe Midwest housing market revival, charted
For decades, cities in the Midwest have declined due to an exodus of manufacturing jobs that changed the region’s nickname from the “Steel Belt” to the “Rust Belt.”While elected leaders from Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders have proposed tariffs on industries whose jobs once sustained the region, the
Read MoreTight inventory is challenging Illinois’ ‘steady Eddie’ housing market

In 2024, more people moved out of Illinois than into the Prairie State. According to the National Movers Study conducted by United Van Lines, 60% of moves in Illinois last year were outbound, which was the second-highest percentage of outbound moves among all states.The most popular reasons for relo
Read MoreTeresa Carlile hired as president of Ridgeland Mortgage

Ridgeland Mortgage, a recently formed joint venture between loanDepot and homebuilder Smith Douglas Homes, on Thursday announced the appointment of Teresa Carlile as president. In her new role, Carlile will lead Ridgeland’s growth strategy and daily operations.“Teresa is a trusted leader in the mort
Read MoreLA fires upend rental market as residents scramble for housing

Several fires burning more than 45 square miles in the Los Angeles area have forced more than 100,000 residents from their homes and killed five people, The Associated Press reported on Thursday. Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed, with many displaced residents s
Read MoreWhich cities have the largest portion of homes affordable to the average wage earner?

Housing affordability is a constant issue faced by working-class renters and homebuyers in recent years. Despite rising home prices and mortgage rates, online lender NetCredit highlighted two major cities with a glimmer of hope for average earners seeking affordable housing in 2025.NetCredit’s relea
Read MoreHousing pros forecast stable housing market conditions
Across the board, mortgage and real estate respondents to the HousingWire Pulse Q1 2025 survey say the housing market will be flat for the first three months of 2025. The majority chose “flat” when asked the direction of home sales and home prices. The good news? HousingWire experts are forecasting
Read MoreHUD announces $12B in long-term disaster assistance across 24 states

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for communities across 24 U.S. states and territories. This money is designed to go toward long-term recovery ef
Read MoreHow reverse mortgage pros will seek to connect with clients in 2025

The reverse mortgage industry has long sought to streamline and maximize its ongoing efforts to connect with prospective borrowers. After a challenging year for the mortgage industry broadly and the reverse mortgage business specifically, companies are aiming to assess the best ways to accomplish th
Read MoreWill the NAR-DOJ fight head to the Supreme Court? A decision is expected this week

On Friday, the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will meet and decide whether to weigh in on the legal battle between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).A docket entry for the case lists Jan. 10 as the conference date for NAR’s writ of certiorari fil
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HousingWire, the leading source for housing market news and information, announced its partnership with Columbus Realtors, the largest city-based Realtor association in Ohio. This collaboration will provide access to HousingWire’s cutting-edge news and information to 8,500 members of Columbus Realto
Read More Many homeowners have a death grip on their properties with no plans to sell

Rising home prices and mortgage rates are keeping the lock-in effect alive during the early days of the 2025 housing market. Despite increased levels of for-sale inventory, a significant share of homeowners are content to stay put in their homes for the long haul.This finding comes from a report rel
Read MoreThe ‘silver tsunami’ wealth transfer will mostly stay in the family

The nation’s demographics continue to trend older while home prices experienced a run-up during the pandemic. That means most members of the baby boomer generation are sitting on as much as $17 trillion in home equity as of the second quarter of 2024, and they are largely planning to keep that wealt
Read MoreNorth Carolina governor, HUD leadership to announce new Hurricane Helene recovery initiatives

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and North Carolina’s new governor are poised to announce fresh recovery efforts following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene across the state in the fall.Josh Stein (D), who was elected in November and succeeds term-limited Democrat
Read MoreJames Whitlinger takes over permanent CFO slot at Freddie Mac

Freddie Mac on Tuesday announced the appointment of James Whitlinger as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Jan. 1. Whitlinger has served as interim CFO since Christian Lown’s departure in June 2024.“It’s with great pleasure that we announce Jim Whitlinger as the company’
Read MoreBuffalo thunders back as Zillow's hottest market for 2025

Berkshire Hathaway Energy seeks arbitration in Gibson commission lawsuit

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), the parent company of real estate brokerage firm HomeServices of America, has asked Judge Stephen R. Bough to reconsider a previous ruling and for an order to compel arbitration in the Gibson copycat commission lawsuit.In a document filed last week, BHE asked Bough t
Read MoreLPT Realty’s Michael Valdes on expansion plans and agent choice models

In this week’s episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt is joined by Michael Valdes, CEO of LPT Realty. They discuss LPT’s recent expansion milestones, its Agent Choice model and the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on real estate workflows. This conversation has been edited fo
Read MoreYou’ll never guess which state has the highest percentage of inbound movers

The COVID-19 pandemic set off a wave of migration that temporarily depressed coastal housing markets and caused others to explode. But almost five years after the pandemic began, new trends are emerging that may surprise you.That’s according to an annual study from United Van Lines that surveys move
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