Earnnest, CRMLS enter strategic partnership

Digital earnest money solutions company Earnnest is the latest tool available to California Regional MLS (CRMLS) subscribers via the MLS’s REcore dashboard. The firms announced their strategic partnership late last month.Beginning in June, CRMLS subscribers will have access to Earnnest at no cost, a

Reba McEntire joins Realtor.com marketing campaign targeting struggling homebuyers

Realtor.com has launched a new national advertising campaign featuring country music artist and actress Reba McEntire as the company aims to offer reassurance to prospective homebuyers who are navigating a historically difficult real estate market.The campaign, titled “Nearly Home,” incorporates sit

AppraisalVision launches AI-powered appraisal execution system

AppraisalVision has restructured its platform into what it describes as the mortgage industry’s first fully autonomous appraisal execution system. This comes on the heels of a new partnership with Alpha7X, an artificial intelligence (AI) firm with a focus on automating mortgage operations.The shift

Compass introduces ‘Family Office’ division for ultra-wealthy clients

Compass Real Estate has launched a new business unit aimed at catering to ultra-high-net-worth clients and family offices.The new division — called Compass Family Office — is led by Agent Cindy Scholz and will focus on providing strategic, long-term real estate services to individuals and entities m

Unison announces rate cut on alternative home equity loan product

San Francisco-based home equity solutions provider Unison announced Monday that it’s lowering the annual percentage rate (APR) on its Equity Sharing Home Loan, an alternative funding vehicle aimed at helping U.S. homeowners tap into record levels of equity. Unison said in a press release that the mo

Reverse mortgage volume, securities issuance increased in April

Reverse mortgage industry performance metrics have been soft so far in 2025, but two key data points involving Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) volume and HECM-backed Securities (HMBS) issuance saw promising increases in April.HECM endorsements rose by 9% to reach 2,320 loans in April — which

Why this week’s Fed meeting is critical for mortgage rates

This week, the Federal Reserve is holding a crucial meeting that could significantly influence the housing market in 2025 and 2026. The outcome could set the stage for mortgage rate cuts or a pause in action until there are shifts in the labor market. As many have observed, President Trump has expre

The labor market is still keeping mortgage rates elevated

Another jobs week has come and gone, and while we see some signs of a slowdown in the labor market, it’s not breaking. Since 2022, I have suggested that to get mortgage rates below 6% with a longer duration, we need to see either a shift in the labor market or additional rate cuts that would lower t

How Rate wants to close its ‘massive gap’ in the non-QM space

Top 10 U.S. mortgage lender Rate is investing in the nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) space by launching a new suite of products. It aims to attract borrowers with nontraditional financial profiles, including self-employed individuals, small-business owners, freelancers and real estate investors.The C

NRMLA co-chair outlines reverse mortgage advocacy plan

The reverse mortgage industry’s premier trade association held its first event of 2025 this past week. While the mood was generally upbeat among the roughly 150 attendees who made the journey to Irvine, California, for the event hosted by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA), th

LERETA, Sagent integrate real estate tax and flood service solutions

Mortgage technology provider Sagent has announced a new partnership with LERETA, a company specializing in real estate tax and flood services, to integrate LERETA’s solutions into Sagent’s platform.The collaboration aims to give mortgage servicers streamlined access to real-time tax data, flood zone

The potential benefits of senior property tax deferral programs

Property taxes are rising dramatically across the country, and that reality has the potential to hit seniors living on a fixed income hardest of all. On top of that, keeping up with property tax and insurance costs are key requirements to keep any mortgage in good standing, whether it’s a forward or

Realtors clash over NAR speech code

The National Association of Realtors‘ (NAR) speech code, formally known as Standard of Practice 10-5, has sparked a contentious debate within the real estate industry.Critics argue that it infringes upon free speech rights, while supporters assert it’s a necessary measure to uphold ethical standards

Where does Jonathan McKernan’s CFPB nomination stand?

The nomination of Jonathan McKernan to lead the besieged Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) remains uncertain. While his nomination was passed out of the Senate Banking Committee nearly two months ago, it has remained on the executive calendar of the Senate without being scheduled for a vot

eXp Luxury announces seller financing partnership

eXp Luxury, the upscale division of real estate brokerage eXp Realty, is teaming with MORE Seller Financing to give luxury home sellers new tools to attract buyers and improve listing performance in a high interest rate environment.The partnership, announced this week, will give eXp Luxury agents ac

Trump’s budget request seeks $33B in HUD cuts

Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), submitted the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request to the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday and is calling for $163 billion in non-defense spending cuts.If the cuts are approved, roughl

Redwood gains ground with jumbos, defends GSE privatization efforts

California-based real estate investment trust Redwood Trust is expanding its role as a liquidity provider in the jumbo mortgage market while policymakers continue to debate the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Redwood’s jumbo loan lock volumes totaled $4 billion in the first three months of 202

Enterprise Community Partners combines CFO, COO roles

David Rands, chief financial officer at housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners, is taking on an expanded role as the organization’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. The move was effective May 1.The move comes as Enterprise combines its finance and operations functions fo

HomeServices of America announces more executive changes

Roughly two weeks after HomeServices of America announced that Chris Kelly was taking over as CEO from Gino Blefari, the firm is back with more C-suite changes.On Thursday, the firm announced the appointment of Alex Seavall to chief financial and operations officer, along with the appointment of Can

4 charts that show why Florida’s housing markets are struggling

Florida’s housing markets were as hot as any after the COVID-19 pandemic began, but now they’re among the coldest.Stubbornly high mortgage rates, rapidly rising inventory and macroeconomic headwinds are impacting housing markets all over the country, but Florida is notable for both how far it’s fall