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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leaders in Akron, a heartland city nearly 40 miles south of Cleveland, hope to shed the city’s “Rust Belt” label and drive its emerging revival by making it easier to build new homes. To achieve the objective, planners believe they’re on the verge of eliminating minimum lot sizes to counteract a shr

Mortgage Forward announced Friday that it has agreed to acquire the third-party origination (TPO) division of First Federal Bank, including QRL Financial, in a deal the companies say will expand Mortgage Forward’s national mortgage lending platform and broaden its product offerings. The companies co

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) has introduced federal legislation that would temporarily raise the capital gains tax exclusion to $1 million for senior homeowners who sell their longtime primary residences. The move aims to ease tax burdens on older Americans and free up inventory for younger home

[Image (left to right): Scott Drees, Midwest Regional President, Barbara Drees Jones, VP Marketing, David Drees, Chairman, Alexa Drees Walker, Director of Midwest Design Centers. Drawing: Maggie Goldstone] The resonant image of a German immigrant’s handiwork – a brick Cape Cod house built on a shoes

American Pacific Mortgage (APM) has closed a merger deal to bring Synergy One Lending under its umbrella as a DBA, creating a mortgage production platform with roughly $14 billion in annual volume, the companies announced Friday. The combination of the two California-based lenders aims to scale thei

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seeking public feedback on whether the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)’s property requirements for single-family homes should be updated to better reflect current market conditions and reduce barriers to homeownership. In a request f

A former employee of the District of Columbia Housing Authority who later became a real estate developer has pleaded guilty to federal charges — stemming from a yearslong scheme to secure millions of dollars in financing from private mortgage lenders. The announcement was made by the office of Jeani

A federal judge in Chicago has extended Zillow’s temporary restraining order against Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) in the listing portal giant’s antitrust lawsuit against the Chicagoland MLS and Compass International Holdings.  On Thursday morning, Zillow filed a motion to extend its temporary res