CFPB, facing staffing constraints, moves to expand mortgage credit box

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), amid months of uncertainty under the Trump administration, is moving to pursue changes to mortgage regulations, most recently by advancing a request for information (RFI) intended to expand access to mortgages. The RFI was sent to the White House Offi

Tavant debuts agentic AI platform for software engineering, automation

Tavant has introduced a new enterprise platform that uses agentic AI to accelerate software development, data modernization and automation. The California-based technology firm positions the Tavant Platform as an alternative to proprietary AI stacks and high recurring platform fees, the company anno

How the housing market survived the Iran conflict

Now that the Iran conflict is behind us and oil prices have fallen significantly, we can hopefully move into the second half of 2026 with less drama for housing. It would be great if the economic backdrop was less like an episode of 24 and more like Saved by the Bell. How did housing hold up with oi

VA loan fee hike proposal advances in Congress, drawing industry pushback

Legislation moving through Congress would increase fees on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, creating a new flashpoint for the mortgage industry. H.R. 6047, which would expand benefits for severely disabled veterans and survivors, would offset its costs by raising fees. The fee for the

Homebuilding scale emerges as a fiduciary priority for boards

A question has hovered over America’s publicly traded homebuilders as the price, pace and margins plot thickened on or about February 28, 2026. How big is big enough anymore, especially with the cloud of uncertainty that intensified on the day the Iran War began? Taylor Morrison Home Corp.‘s recentl

Decade-long accessibility push earns Seattle agent fair housing honor

A decade after addressing a room full of real estate agents as a motivational speaker, Barry Long is being recognized as a 2026 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Fair Housing Champion. Home accessibility search standards that Long co-developed are being adopted by multiple listing services (MLS

Don’t give away your future: Why servicing is becoming a strategic asset

You hear them in a conference session, jot them down in your notebook, and then weeks later you find yourself still thinking about them while walking the dog, sitting on an airplane or reading another industry headline (from HousingWire, of course). That happened to me with something Ron Leonhardt,

Florida homebuyers sue Compass over $475 transaction fee

Homebuyers in Florida have filed a lawsuit against Compass challenging a transaction fee the brokerage charged them upon the close of their August 2024 home purchase.  Filed on Tuesday in Palm Beach County, Florida circuit court by plaintiffs Jeff and Melissa Efron, the suit accused Compass of “unfa

New York AG charges suspect in alleged deed theft involving 92-year-old homeowner

New York Attorney General Letitia James has charged a Queens resident with allegedly stealing the Brooklyn home and savings of a 92-year-old woman with dementia, in a case highlighting how deed theft continues to strip home equity and housing security from elderly homeowners in New York City. On Thu

Viral ‘71% zero deals’ claim clashes with NAR 2026 member data

Data makes it easier to do our jobs in real estate — but accuracy and trust are more important than ever. We live and work in an age of nearly instant information and timesaving technology. This has had a profound impact on those of us in the world of real estate. With the tools at our disposal, we

VA updates appraisal rules, adjusts fees in some regions

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has updated several home loan appraisal requirements, removing and revising certain Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs), the agency announced Thursday. The changes are now in effect and reflected in the revised VA Lenders Handbook. The agency said in a n

Portals and brokerages escalate real estate vertical integration race

The modern battlefield offers a lesson in real estate vertical integration. Look around. Rocket bought Redfin. Compass combined with Anywhere to become the country’s largest brokerage, north of 340,000 agents. Zillow is fighting over listing access. Homes.com is still buying its way to portal releva

ARA adds REMAX president Chris Lim to board

The American Real Estate Association (ARA) has added REMAX president and chief growth officer Chris Lim and investor Andrew Dodge to its board of directors, expanding its leadership, according to an announcement on Thursday.  As part of the move, ARA will provide all REMAX agents in the United State

Finding meaning in a busy world: The modern originator’s path to pursuit, purpose, passion and peace

The mortgage industry has never been short on movement. In just the past decade, we’ve seen the rise and fall of companies, shifts in market leadership, the emergence of new technology and the kind of disruption that forces every originator to stop and ask: What am I really building? We’re operating

In land acquisition, the fastest decision wins

Every piece of land worth buying is a race. A broker hears that a landowner might sell fifty acres, and within an hour, twenty buyers know about it. Whoever gets to a confident number first, the price the seller will actually accept, wins it. Everyone else is analyzing yields and preparing bids for

KB Home Q2 2026 earnings point to scale vs execution debate

Homebuilding’s mid-year public company earnings season is now looking through the prism of the back half of 2026. Each of the sector’s players had better have put themselves in a good position for some heavy lifting and outperformance, rather than lugging around a forgettable first half. In that lig

Experienced Realtors hold the line in a tough housing market

Seasoned real estate agents are anchoring the residential market as buyers confront the toughest affordability environment in decades, according to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2026 Member Profile, published on Thursday. The annual report, based on 2025 transactions and trends, shows

Senators push bipartisan plan to ‘save Social Security’

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) are calling on Congress to shore up Social Security by lifting the cap on wages subject to payroll taxes. The proposal comes as policymakers and financial professionals warn of looming funding shortfalls and widespread confusion among

Young buyers are priced out in most U.S. metros, Pew data shows

Buying a first home has gotten materially harder for young adults in most major U.S. metros since 2019, as home values have far outpaced income gains and higher mortgage rates push monthly payments out of reach, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of American Community Survey data. The s

JPMorgan Chase names co-presidents as Dimon succession plan takes shape

JPMorgan Chase has named Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh as co-presidents effective immediately — the clearest step yet in the board’s planning for an eventual successor to CEO Jamie Dimon. Dimon, who has led JPMorgan since 2006, remains as chairman and CEO. Over his tenure, he has reduced the bank’s