Zillow says its ‘Housing Super App’ strategy is working

Zillow may be facing legal and Realtor Code of Ethics challenges from a variety of sources in and out of the housing industry, but executives feel strongly that the company’s “Housing Super App” strategy is paying off.  “Our strong results and consistent execution demonstrate the durability of our s

Zillow promotes two SVPs as Hofmann adds COO duties

Zillow Group has restructured its executive ranks, expanding chief financial officer Jeremy Hofmann’s role to include chief operating officer, while appointing Cassandra “Sandi” Knight as its first chief legal and policy officer and promoting two senior vice presidents, according to an announcement

M/I Homes trades margin for market share as spec sales rise

M/I Homes is trading some margin for sales growth, speed, and market share. Pair that spec-heavy operating model with an asset-light finished-lot supply, and the returns could become considerably stronger. M/I Homes is making a contrarian bet at a time when much of the homebuilding industry is becom

The missing piece of America’s new housing strategy

Earlier this month, landmark housing legislation became law, marking the most significant federal housing reform in decades. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act rightly seeks to lower the cost of housing by building more homes and expanding access to financing. The next challenge is ensuring those

Opinion: Why 20% down has become the exception in commercial real estate

“I can’t remember the last commercial real estate acquisition I financed with only 20% down.” Not because banks suddenly became dramatically more conservative. Not because buyers became more risk-averse. The math simply no longer works. As an investor, commercial real estate broker, property manager

An emerging source of affordable housing supply

Foreclosure auction volume increased 23% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to a year ago, matching a six-year high from the previous quarter and the sixth consecutive quarter with an annual increase.  Meanwhile, auction sellers — mostly mortgage servicers, banks and government agencies — lowere

Austin Housing Market Update: Buyers Gain Leverage as Inventory Builds

Austin’s single-family housing market continued to rebalance in July 2026. While the market remains broadly balanced, the latest data shows buyers gaining more negotiating power as homes take longer to sell, prices soften, and seller concessions increase. The shift is not dramatic, but it is becomin

Jim D’Amico joins Corcoran Premier Realty as part owner

Jim D’Amico, chairman of the board of Brands by Integra, has joined Central Florida luxury brokerage Corcoran Premier Realty as a part owner, the company announced Monday.  Corcoran Premier Realty is a franchisee of The Corcoran Group, held under parent company Compass International Holdings, and op

Vishal Garg steps down at Better, board names Daniel Lewis interim CEO

Better Home & Finance Holding Co. has appointed board member Daniel Lewis as interim CEO effective immediately, replacing founder Vishal Garg, the company announced Monday. Garg will remain on the company’s board and work with Lewis to ensure an orderly leadership transition. As interim CEO, Lewis w

FOA leads July HECM endorsements while HMBS issuance remains weak

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements declined in July after an uptick in June, while HECM Mortgage-Backed Securities (HMBS) issuance remained near the lowest levels seen since 2009, according to data released Monday by New View Advisors. The top 15 originators endorsed 2,034 HECM loan

Why Builders FirstSource bought ICG; and why Pulte sold it

Builders FirstSource’s acquisition of Innovative Construction Group (ICG) from PulteGroup signals that, while homebuilders see value in off-site construction, many prefer to rely on third-party manufacturers rather than own those operations themselves, especially during down cycles.  Builders FirstS

Dream Finders adds Rick Beckwitt as Beazer bid heats up

Dream Finders Homes’ 2026 quest to acquire Beazer Homes has focused mostly on the target’s financial and operational underperformance. Dream Finders has publicly argued that Beazer shareholders deserve the certainty of a cash exit and that a new owner can produce better results from the company’s as

Social Security 2100 Act seeks higher benefits, long-term program solvency

A sweeping Social Security reform bill reintroduced in the House of Representatives would boost benefits for millions of Americans, change how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated and impose new taxes on high earners to shore up program finances. The Social Security 2100 Act, H.R. 9519,

OriginPoint adds $165M Halliday-Levin team to boost West Coast mortgage presence

Chicago-based mortgage lender OriginPoint has hired top-producing loan officers Erin Halliday and Jon Levin from New American Funding, where they operated as a high-volume production team. Halliday and Levin officially joined OriginPoint — a joint venture of Rate and Compass — on July 27 as the Erin

Congress finally acted on housing. Now the real work begins.

For years, housing affordability was a problem hiding in plain sight. Rents were climbing faster than wages. First-time buyers locked out of markets their parents once could afford. Families doubling up, moving away or simply giving up on the idea of owning a home. The numbers were damning. The caus

AI is changing what it takes to be a great real estate agent. Here’s what matters now.

For years, becoming a great real estate agent followed a familiar path. You put in the hours, learned your market, built relationships and slowly developed systems that made you more efficient than the competition. Experience wasn’t just valuable. It was your competitive advantage. AI for real estat

The housing market defies expectations even with higher rates

Housing demand still showed positive year-over-year growth last week, despite the hawkish Fed, escalation of the Iran conflict, rising mortgage rates and the 10-year yield hitting yearly highs. We had year-over-year growth in our weekly pending sales, total pending sales and purchase apps. Growth ha

AI’s housing impact is strong — but highly localized

Artificial intelligence (AI) and broader tech investment is reshaping broad swaths of the U.S. economy, but its impact on housing is proving far from uniform. HousingWire Data updated July 25 shows a growing divide between markets where AI wealth is supporting demand and those where even strong tech

Green Brick seizes a margin edge as a land and product outlier

While many homebuilders battle a gross margin slippery slope from the 20s into the mid-teens, Green Brick Partners is fairly striding against the tide.  During the company’s Q2 earnings call on Thursday, executives said its gross profit margin expanded to 29.8% in Q2, down 150 basis points from a ye

Regulators move to narrow CRA, drawing fire from advocates

Federal banking regulators released a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) proposal Friday that narrows how banks earn credit for community development while raising asset thresholds for small and midsized institutions. The plan drew immediate criticism from consumer and housing advocates. The Federal D