AmeriTrust hires Shea Pallante as it preps for correspondent lending launch

AmeriTrust Mortgage Corp. has appointed Shea Pallante as chief revenue officer as the lender pursues a growth strategy that includes expanding into nondelegated correspondent channels and more than doubling its monthly origination volume. A mortgage industry veteran, Pallante joins AmeriTrust from n

New deduction may lower seniors’ Social Security tax burden

The federal tax bill passed in mid-2025 includes a provision marketed as “no tax on Social Security,” but it does not eliminate taxes on benefits. Instead, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act expands deductions for older Americans, potentially reducing federal taxes for many retirees, a finance leader re

Digging into how an institutional investor ban would play out

President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes has broad – even bipartisan – political appeal. Still, most housing experts doubt that it will exert a significant impact on affordability. The order could also pose risks for build

NAR outlines legal risk mitigation, litigation strategy in 2025 report

It is no secret that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has faced its fair share of legal challenges over the past few years. From the commission lawsuits, to an investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to lawsuits over the three-way membership agreement and the now defunct, optional

Mortgage pros warn credit card rate cap could backfire on homebuyers

In the mortgage industry, the initial reaction to President Donald Trump’s proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10% has been concern that the policy could ultimately backfire on would-be homebuyers. The cap might seem beneficial on paper, but the long-term consequences, including reduced cr

Providence mulls 4% rent cap as national rent control debate boils

The rent stabilization bug has hit Providence, RI. Municipal officials there are jumping on the bandwagon with other cities and states whose local officials have adopted or are weighing the policy as a housing affordability strategy.​ Providence City Council President Rachel Miller, alongside counci

Newfi Lending expands DSCR program to accept crypto reserves

Newfi Lending, a national mortgage lender focused on non-QM originations, announced Tuesday that it’s expanding its debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) loan program to allow larger loan amounts, financing for rural properties and the use of qualifying cryptocurrency assets to meet reserve requirement

Chris Heller joins PLACE as chief revenue officer

Chris Heller has joined PLACE as its chief revenue officer, a newly created role. The company said Heller will oversee revenue strategy across its technology and services portfolio — including pricing, customer acquisition, retention and cross-platform integration. His responsibilities will also inc

GSEs boost foreclosure prevention as forbearances surge

Foreclosure prevention activity increased in October as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed more than 17,000 actions to help struggling homeowners, according to a Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) report released Thursday. The government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) completed 17,032 foreclosure

What D.R. Horton’s dominance means for every U.S. homebuilder

We’ve said it before. When D.R. Horton reports its quarterly earnings, what you’re watching isn’t just the scoreboard of America’s largest homebuilder. You’re watching a business model operating at a different altitude — and with different oxygen — than almost every other homebuilding enterprise in

Philadelphia proposes new retirement savings program

The Philadelphia City Council has advanced a proposal to create PhillySaves, a city-sponsored automated retirement savings program designed to reach private sector workers whose employers do not offer retirement benefits. City officials said the initiative aims to expand access to retirement savings

Long-term care advocates speak out on regulatory rollbacks

The Trump administration has rolled back a series of health care regulations affecting nursing homes, home care workers and Medicare beneficiaries — scrapping minimum staffing standards and launching a new experiment that expands prior authorization in traditional Medicare. The changes reverse years

Real estate leaders applaud Trump’s focus on housing, but question the impact

During his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday President Donald Trump outlined three policy initiatives he was undertaking to help improve housing affordability for American consumers. In the speech, he did discuss his “ban” on large institutional investors purchasing single-fam

Pennsylvania bill targets local curbs on shared housing

A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers wants to scrap local limits on shared living in a move that could reopen the door to boarding houses, single-room occupancy buildings, and other shared housing statewide.​ House Bill 2109 – with support from seven state legislators signing on sponsor a committee vot

Trump’s 401(k) proposal could help homebuyers, hurt retirement funds

President Donald Trump’s expected proposal to allow Americans to tap their 401(k) retirement accounts without penalties to fund down payments could ease one of the biggest barriers to homeownership, but it could come at the cost of weakening long-term retirement security. The idea was absent from Tr

First American launches free title monitoring, fraud alerts

First American Title is offering customers a free property title monitoring and fraud alert service, citing growing concerns about real estate crime and identity-based property theft. The service alerts homeowners to new public record filings — such as deeds or liens — that could affect property own

Trade groups urge White House to lower FHA premiums, ease loan fees

Multiple mortgage lending trade groups are urging the White House to take administrative steps to lower the costs of home loans, arguing that federal regulations have driven up borrowing expenses as affordability worsens. In a letter sent Wednesday to White House National Economic Council Director K

The AI future of real estate runs straight through the MLS

The real estate industry is entering a decisive window as agentic AI moves from novelty to infrastructure. WAV Group’s new strategic white paper lays out how autonomous systems capable of planning, reasoning and executing multi-step workflows will reshape how brokers, agents, MLSs and vendors operat

Prudent AI launches same-day income calculator for all loan types

Delaware-based fintech company Prudent AI on Wednesday announced the launch of Prudent AI Upfront Income, a tool that it calls the mortgage industry’s “first universal income platform designed to calculate qualified income for any loan type in a single tool with same-day certainty.” The company expl

Fair housing is more than a compliance issue: It’s an opportunity to modernize the process.

Fair housing is often discussed in broad terms but is perhaps not always clearly defined. At its core, Fair Housing (capital F and H) refers to an interwoven framework of federal, state, and local policies rooted in the Fair Housing Act that prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color,