In the crazy world of economics, with all the drama last week, it was a pretty normal housing week. Housing data showed year-over-year growth, weekly pending home sales rose, inventory declined slightly and mortgage rates were very steady, considering the conflict with Iran. Let’s take a look at pro

Redwood Trust closed a $391 million securitization backed by nonqualified mortgages (non-QMs), marking the inaugural deal from its Aspire platform that was expanded in early 2025, the company announced Friday. The transaction (SPIRE 2026-1) establishes Redwood’s third securitization shelf, alongside

What realistic, visionary, and wise players in the U.S. housing sector believe is that some solutions are already here, hidden in plain sight. Part of the problem is that what often hides those solutions from view is a past history, baggage or a whiff of negative reputation. Manufactured housing is

Virginia-based Allied Title and Escrow has expanded its operations into Ohio and Michigan — bringing its total footprint to 14 states. The move marks another step in Allied’s national growth strategy and expands its presence in the Midwest as leaders cited increased demand from real estate agents, l

A sweeping new anti-money laundering rule from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), took effect this week, introducing new reporting obligations for certain residential real estate transactions. The regulation, effective March 1, expands federal oversight into parts of the real estate

Oil prices are surging and mortgage rates are roughly flat so far today. It has been a crazy day in the bond market: the 10-year yield first went lower after the jobs report, then Trump posted that the goal in Iran is “ultimate surrender,” which sent the 10-year yield higher with oil prices over $90

On paper, Maile Aguila’s story reads like a fairy-tale version of the American dream: After 30 years of hard work, a daughter of 1960s Cuban exiles sells $1 billion worth of Miami condos in a single year for a multi-national developer. Then she partners with The Agency, one of the buzziest luxury re

When mortgage rates stayed higher for longer over the past few years, originators increasingly turned their attention to nonqualified mortgages (non-QMs). But that resurgence may not lose momentum even if rates decline in 2026. “We traditionally have seen nonagency volumes represent about 10% of the

Real estate agents and brokers are bombarded daily with headlines predicting the industry’s next upheaval. Let it go, says Larry Kendall, founder of Ninja Selling, because most of that noise sits firmly outside of your control. While it’s important you keep up with current headlines, Kendall believe

In a sign of a still-softening labor market, U.S. employers eliminated 92,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Economists say the report is unlikely to change the Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates. Meanwhile, t

The mortgage industry is starting to work through major changes after a federal law restricting abusive trigger leads took effect this week, limiting when credit bureaus can sell a borrower’s information to competing lenders. The policy stems from the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (S.B. 3502), w

Making less money but making steady headway may be a crude way to boil down what early 2026 was looking like for many homebuilding business leaders. Public homebuilder execs were not discussing a plain-and-simple “recovery trade.” The most consistent post-earnings themes – across demand, pricing, ma

Better.com has launched a conversational credit decision engine that lets mortgage and home equity lenders run underwriting through ChatGPT using the company’s Tinman AI platform, the company announced Thursday. The integration, built with OpenAI using a Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector, allow

A new report from consulting firm Milliman concludes that the average 65-year-old should set aside $135,000 to cover high-intensity long-term care in the future. But averages can mask wide variation depending on gender, location and health.   Women face significantly higher costs than men — an avera

The National Association of Realtors said it does not set a national policy for “coming soon” listing statuses and leaves those decisions to local multiple listing services. “NAR respects the rights of individual brokers to make their own business decisions and does not comment on specific brokerage

eXp Realty has announced the launch of eXp New Homes, a specialized division designed to help agents expand into the new construction market — from boutique urban developments to large master-planned communities. The division aims to bridge the gap between traditional brokerage services and the spec

Housing advocates warn that recent changes to a federal rural lending program could sharply limit homeownership opportunities for low-income families in California communities. The California Coalition for Rural Housing said revisions made Feb. 10 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Secti

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun swiftly signed into law comprehensive state housing reforms after lawmakers spent weeks debating how much the state could and should override local zoning rules and design standards. The law adopts a softer approach to neutralizing local zoning authority after mayors, county

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index, released on Thursday, indicates that housing affordability slightly improved in 2025 as new home prices decreased nationwide and mortgage rates steadily declined during the second half of the year.  The quarterly ind

The real estate industry has never lacked for uncertainty. But if there was a prevailing message from a panel of brokerage leaders moderated by Paul Boomsma, president and CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), it’s that perspective matters. For brokerage leaders navigating c