Is the real estate industry getting its antitrust enforcement wish? 

Many in the real estate industry lauded President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election as they anticipated his win would usher in a new wave of weaker antitrust scrutiny on an industry that had spent the past four years battling its fair share of antitrust suits.  However, these

Pittsburgh, Cleveland top global metro affordability list

Pittsburgh and Cleveland rank as the world’s most affordable major housing markets, but a new report finds that not a single metro area among 95 studied actually qualifies as affordable. The annual Demographia International Housing Affordability report — released by Chapman University — measured aff

Homebuyers seek independent research, but still want a real estate agent

From business practice changes, to a slowing housing market, to rapidly advancing technology, real estate agents have had to adapt quite a bit over the past few years. Still, homebuyers find them more important than ever. Data from Cotality shows that while more than 500,000 agents have entered the

Powell’s Jackson Hole speech stirs cautious optimism for housing

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech on Friday at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium left real estate and mortgage professionals cautiously optimistic. While expectations are building for lower interest rates, volatility remains a concern. In his final address as Fed chair at the Federal Re

USDA is automating its loan application uploading

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this week that it has awarded technology services firm Phoenixteam a $49 million contract to modernize its mortgage underwriting platform, the Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS). The Arlington, V.A.-based company will overhaul GUS, which supports

Mortgage rates hit year-to-date lows after Powell comments

We’ve reached fresh new year-to-date lows in mortgage rates after Jerome Powell, speaking at the Jackson Hole Economic Summit on Friday, suggested that the labor market may be more important than inflation for the time being. If only someone had been saying that for a few years! All jokes aside, mor

Redfin: Home purchase cancellations hit 8-year high

Nearly 58,000 U.S. home-purchase agreements were canceled in July, equal to 15.3% of homes that went under contract during the month, according to a Redfin analysis of MLS data. That marks the highest July cancellation rate since the company began tracking the metric in 2017 — and up from 14.5% a ye

ADUs could remedy America’s housing crisis, but obstacles remain

Industry veteran Bill Dallas, chairman of Dallas Capital and former president of Finance of America, says accessory dwelling units (ADUs) still face major hurdles before they can become a reliable solution to what he calls the nation’s “largest social challenge:” affordable housing. “One of the chal

eXp Realty embraces digital twin tech to transform workflows

For eXp Realty, artificial intelligence (AI) is not a side project — it’s a company-wide mandate. Following a session at HousingWire’s AI Summit where eXp chief technology officer Sumanth Kamath talked about how the company was utilizing digital twin technology, HousingWire sat down with  eXp CEO Le

WFG National Title added to Fannie Mae’s multifamily approval list

WFG National Title Insurance Co. has been added to Fannie Mae’s list of approved title insurers for multifamily transactions. The designation means lenders and borrowers using WFG for Fannie Mae–financed multifamily deals can avoid delays caused by policy exceptions or compliance issues. Fannie Mae

ERA Real Estate expands in Colorado

LUX Real Estate Company ERA Powered has expanded with the acquisition of Vail Real Estate Center, the firm announced this week. The Cherry Creek North, Colorado-based brokerage — founded and led by Emily Duke — will now have a presence in one of the state’s most competitive resort markets. Founded i

As seniors gain comfort with AI, how should reverse mortgage lenders respond?

The knowledge and use of artificial intelligence (AI) among older generations is often misunderstood and mischaracterized. But seniors are often following the path of the wider population when it comes to incorporating AI into their daily lives. Recent survey data published by the University of Mich

Survey: Where are you in the AI revolution in mortgage operations? 

Attention Mortgage Professionals! You’ve been selected to participate in our exclusive survey on AI in mortgage operations. Your insights are crucial! Click Here As noted at the HousingWire AI Summit, exploring AI solutions is essential. We want to know your journey and strategies in this exciting f

Former DOJ official blames lobbyist for weaker antitrust scrutiny

Roger Alford’s time at the Department of Justice (DOJ) may have been brief — much to the relief of the real estate industry — but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have thoughts on his time there.  Alford, a law professor at Notre Dame who served as an expert witness testifying against the real estate in

CrossCountry Mortgage settles sexual harassment case in Georgia

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), a branch manager in Georgia and a former employee have reached a settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit, according to court filings. The case began in June 2023 when former processor Christina Nielsen alleged that branch manager Steven Bocca subjected her and other fe

Existing home sales surprise with positive growth in July

Existing home sales in July exceeded monthly estimates and demonstrated year-over-year growth. However, it’s important to remember that we started from a low baseline for sales in 2024, so this year-over-year growth needs to be viewed in context. For those who have been following our weekly tracker,

Survey: Job insecurity leading to home purchase delays

More than two in five American workers say concerns about job security are causing them to delay or cancel a major purchase such as a car or home, according to a new Redfin-commissioned survey. The survey found that 44% of employed U.S. residents put off or scrapped such purchases. Another 30% said

Bill Emerson to retire as president of Rocket Companies

Bill Emerson is retiring as president of Rocket Companies but will remain as a director, the company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “After more than three decades at Rocket, Bill Emerson will step down as president at the end of the year,” a Rocket spokesper

Tech startup offering AI-driven property level risk modeling

San Diego-based startup FutureProof is using artificial intelligence (AI) to change the way insurers assess catastrophe risk and set premiums, a shift that could make insurance both more affordable and easier to come by in disaster-prone regions. “FutureProof started with thinking about the build en

In New York, many seniors aren’t getting vital support services

New York is among the states where older residents are not receiving adequate levels of in-home care and other support services, according to a report published by a local news outlet. The report cited data from the Office of the New York State Comptroller, which found that some 16,000 of the state’