Why federal support for tiny homes could be a game changer

As homelessness continues to rise nationwide, one nonprofit is pushing for a paradigm shift.DignityMoves, a San Francisco-based organization, has been leading the charge for what its founder and CEO Elizabeth Funk calls “interim supportive housing.”These cost-effective tiny home communities aim to h

Some cities, states embrace property tax refunds for older homeowners

Older homeowners living on a fixed income have a higher chance of seeing their finances destabilized by rising costs, and that can be particularly true of something like property taxes. For homeowners who have either a forward or reverse mortgage on their home, these costs also must be paid in order

Nevada senator accuses Republicans of ‘land grab’ with late federal amendment

Following the revelation this week that Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives added an amendment to a bill that would authorize the sale of thousands of acres of federal land in Nevada and Utah, a Democratic senator has called foul on the nature of the effort.Sen. Catherine Cortez Mas

Washington’s ‘upzoning’ law seeks to expand supply as Seattle home prices soar

A new law going into effect this summer in Washington aims to address the state’s housing supply woes. The legislation lifts zoning restrictions to allow for more multifamily development and comes as the median single-family home price in the Seattle area set a new record by exceeding $1 million.H.B

New York bill targets lender payouts in deed fraud cases

State lawmakers in New York have introduced legislation that would block mortgage lenders from receiving title insurance payouts when real estate transactions are later found to be based on stolen deeds.S.B. 7732 was introduced May 2 and seeks to prohibit title insurers from compensating lenders for

Homes.com to ‘Boost’ listings banned by Zillow, Redfin

CoStar Group is using Boost, its new Homes.com marketing feature, in an attempt to counter the bans by Zillow and Redfin on listings that are publicly marketed prior to being entered into the MLS.On Thursday, CoStar Group CEO Andy Florance told Inman News that Boost will be free for listings impacte

Robert Reffkin on Compass’s pre-marketing strategy: What’s the downside?

The heated debate around the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) has roiled the real estate brokerage space as a result of fierce pushback on the rule from Compass. But company CEO Robert Reffkin has a question amid what he characterized as “negative narratives and scare tactics.” What’s the downside for

Rocket shifts focus to integration after Q1 growth in originations and M&A

Lower rates helped Detroit-based Rocket Companies, the parent of Rocket Mortgage, improve its originations in the first quarter of the year — a period also marked by the announcement of two major acquisitions in Redfin and Mr. Cooper. But the second quarter is expected to look different. While the m

Longbridge endures Q1 loss, but leaders tout ‘positive contributions’

Despite a slowdown in overall Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) volume in the first quarter of 2025, Longbridge Financial contributed positively to parent company Ellington Financial.Overall performance at Ellington saw $31.6 million in net income to common stockholders, up from $22.4 million t

Frederick Warburg Peters joins Brown Harris Stevens

The founder of Warburg Realty Frederick Warburg Peters is joining Brown Harris Stevens. The New York-based firm announced Peters’ move on Thursday. Peters founded Warburg Realty in 1991 before selling it to Coldwell Banker in 2021. Frederick Warburg Peters“The choice of Brown Harris Stevens was an e

NAR: Home prices are up in 83% of metros

Home prices rose in more than 80% of U.S. metro areas in the first quarter of 2025 — even as affordability remained stretched and fewer markets posted double-digit gains.According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 189 of 228 metro areas (83%) saw year-over-year increases in the median p

As economic concerns mount, home equity lending is viewed more favorably

Nearly 30% of U.S. homeowners would consider tapping their home equity via products like a home equity line of credit (HELOC) due to ongoing concerns about the economic climate, stemming from a rise in volatility and uncertainty over the past three years.This comes from survey data collected by Meri

Major title insurers post strong Q1 earnings, fueled by commercial real estate deals

A surge in commercial real estate transactions helped drive solid first-quarter 2025 earnings for the country’s largest title insurers.First American Financial, Fidelity National Financial, Old Republic International and Stewart Information Services all reported year-over-year gains in commercial ti

Michael Maher to lead referral training for KW MAPS

Keller Williams has a new training program for KW-affiliated agents looking to up their game this summer. On Thursday, the firm announced that it is welcoming Michael Maher to the KW MAPS coaching team. Maher will lead a referral training program at KW MAPS.“At the core of every great business are g

House bill markup pushes sale of federal land for housing development

A markup of a budget reconciliation bill from the House Committee on Natural Resources saw an amendment added that would authorize the sale of thousands of acres of federal land in Nevada and Utah, according to reporting by The Hill and NPR.The move could have significant implications for housing. T

Slow burn: Inside the 2025 luxury home market

Concierge Auctions‘ 2025 Luxury Home Index reveals a market at a crossroads.Prices remain high and inventory is tight. Demand hasn’t vanished, but luxury properties are taking longer to sell, listing discounts are widening and macroeconomic shifts are reshaping buyer behavior.“Luxury hasn’t collapse

Zillow posts strong Q1, touts listing transparency and app traffic

Zillow reported a strong start to 2025, exceeding its first-quarter 2025 outlook with $598 million in revenue, up 13% year over year.The company also posted $153 million in adjusted EBITDA and achieved GAAP profitability — driven by cost management and margin expansion, leaders said. During an earni

Finance of America posts a profit, beats funded volume estimates in Q1 2025

In beating its estimates for funded loan volume — and by posting a profit — in the first quarter of 2025, reverse mortgage lender Finance of America (FOA) saw its volume improve by nearly one-third compared to numbers from Q4 2024. The company is maintaining a bullish outlook for business in the mon

Is it a good time to sell a house? ‘No’ is increasingly the answer

President Donald Trump’s trade war has turned perceptions of the U.S. economy upside down, and data is beginning to trickle in on how tariffs might impact consumer behavior in the housing market.The latest numbers come from Fannie Mae‘s Home Purchase Sentiment Index, which measures consumer attitude

The Fed is preparing for rate cuts, but waiting on job losses

During Wednesday’s FOMC press conference, Jerome Powell discussed how the economy was performing well before the trade war began and acknowledged that the tariffs were much larger than anticipated. As a result, the Fed has increased its projections for the risk of higher unemployment and inflation.