Homebuilders’ spring toolbox: Incentives rose, but conversion stayed weak

Part of this is telling you what you already know. So, make sure you get to the second part. A string of better-than-expected quarters for new-home development players following the pandemic’s onset in 2020 had to end sometime. It did. The first half of 2026 delivered a worse-than-expected spring se
Read MoreMBA launches forum for reverse mortgages, senior lending

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) on Tuesday announced the launch of a new member forum dedicated to reverse mortgages and other senior-focused mortgage products. The Senior Mortgage Solutions Network (SMSN) will provide MBA members a venue to discuss emerging trends, policy developments and bu
Read More2026 The Thousand: eXp team provides ‘Anchor’ for military families

When Kelli Salter launched Anchor Real Estate in 2020, the military spouse and real estate professional was searching for a better way to serve members of the armed forces who form the backbone of the Jacksonville, North Carolina, housing market. Six years later, that decision has helped propel Anch
Read MoreMISMO updates PaVS procurement dataset for UAD 3.6

MISMO, the real estate finance industry’s standards organization, released an update to its Property and Valuation Services (PaVS) Procurement Dataset Specification on Tuesday, aiming to modernize how valuation services are ordered across the mortgage ecosystem. The updated specification replaces le
Read MoreThe verification layer financial systems forgot to build

For decades, financial systems operated on a quiet assumption: most information entering the system was fundamentally real. Documents might arrive incomplete. Borrowers might omit details. Fraud existed at the margins. But lending infrastructure was built around a world where verification happened s
Read MoreJust don’t: Why AI-generated marketing content is a regulatory minefield for mortgage lenders

Marketers have long used endorsements and testimonials in their ads. Even though it goes by multiple names, this is a playbook dating back centuries. You have something to sell. You borrow the trust of a known personality. You sell more product. For years, influencer marketing and user-generated c
Read MoreMany older Americans stuck in homes that no longer fit

The nation’s housing shortage is often framed as a challenge for first-time buyers and growing families. But another group is increasingly feeling the impact — older homeowners who want to downsize yet find themselves with few practical options. Across the country, many seniors remain in large famil
Read MoreClass Valuation adds Makena InstaPlan ahead of UAD 3.6 shift

Class Valuation has partnered with Makena to provide appraisers with new mobile data-collection tools ahead of the mortgage industry’s transition to the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 standards later this year. The appraisal management company announced last week that appraisers working through
Read MoreMay rent trends run sideways as multifamily supply stays strong

Policymakers have been making the case that more supply is a better check on housing costs than rent stabilization. May apartment rental data backs up that narrative. Rents ticked up modestly last month, the fifth consecutive month of sequential growth. But May’s reading was the lowest for that mont
Read MoreMortgage and real estate battle for the top of the funnel

Like many mortgage professionals, Vipul Hapani can see the wave of industry consolidation forming on the horizon and knows it is only a matter of time before it reaches his shores. As the broker-owner of Waxhaw, North Carolina-based Vema Mortgage—the third-largest brokerage originator in the U.S. in
Read MoreHUD pilots robotics-built housing and automated permitting

A pair of ultra-modest, little-noticed funding opportunities from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may signal a new strategy taking shape in Washington. The Builder’s Daily has learned that HUD recently opened applications for two new demonstration programs totaling $13 million t
Read MoreTop agent Kris Zacuto joins Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California

Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California has expanded its presence in the Silicon Beach and South Bay luxury markets with the addition of luxury real estate adviser Kris Zacuto as director of luxury estates. Zacuto brings more than a decade of experience in luxury real estate and mor
Read MoreSotheby’s International Realty names Marissa Ghesquiere regional president

Marissa Ghesquiere has been appointed as regional president for the East Coast and Central regions at Sotheby’s International Realty Inc. It’s a newly created role for the firm in which Ghesquiere will oversee brokerage operations across several key markets while continuing to lead the firm’s East S
Read MoreHow Nicholas Hartigan helps turn strategy into execution

As part of HousingWire’s Editor’s Choice awards spotlight series, we’re highlighting past Insiders honorees whose leadership, innovation and behind-the-scenes contributions continue to shape the housing industry. The HousingWire Insiders award recognizes the operational leaders, problem-solvers and
Read MoreFirst-time buyers are the missing link in today’s market

The share of first-time buyers in the U.S. housing market has fallen to 21%, the lowest on record. The historical norm is closer to 40%. That gap isn’t a blip, nor is it a rate-cycle artifact that corrects itself when the Fed moves. It’s a structural condition, and it sits at the root of why transac
Read More-

A lot of real estate investors know the power of a traditional 1031 exchange. Sell one investment property, roll the proceeds into another, and defer the capital gains taxes. It is one of the most valuable tools in real estate investing. But what many smaller investors do not realize is that there i
Read More Continued Iran conflict raises mortgage rate risk into late 2026

The conflict with Iran continues to be a threat to mortgage rates, and even today, 100 days into this conflict, Iran shot missiles at Israel and President Trump is trying to stop Israel from firing back, pushing oil prices up 3% late Sunday. This made me think: what if everyone is wrong on the timel
Read MoreHousing demand stays positive with mortgage rates near 2026 highs

Despite rising mortgage rates, the conflict in the Middle East pushing oil prices higher and headlines that say AI is going to take all the jobs, housing demand remains positive year over year. It sounds strange, but for the most part, especially if we take the snowstorm data away from early in the
Read MoreBoston’s international business boom equals more demand for housing

For Boston real estate agents scanning for the next wave of demand, the most important market signal may not come through mortgage rates or listings — but from where multinational corporations decide to plant their flag. Boston has been named the top U.S. city for foreign multinational business acti
Read MoreTrump says Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac IPO still on the table

President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is still considering a public offering of shares in mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, despite naming the government’s top housing regulator to temporarily lead the nation’s intelligence agencies. Bloomberg reported that whi
Read More
Categories
Recent Posts











