Home price growth slows, affordability pressures persist

U.S. home price growth remained muted in October as high mortgage rates and affordability constraints continued to weigh on the housing market, according to data released Tuesday by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index rose 1.4% from a year earlier — up

Loan officer mental health: How to recognize & prevent burnout

Over the past few years, the mortgage industry has seen a significant decline in the number of loan originators. Loan officer burnout is a constant reality of the job, and what starts as long hours or a stressful month can gradually evolve into exhaustion, irritability, detachment and a loss of pass

Realtor.com urges action on US housing supply shortage

As the housing industry prepares for 2026, Realtor.com is taking some time to double down on its Let America Build campaign. Initially launched in March 2025, the national campaign advocates for solutions to expand housing supply.  Realtor.com describes the campaign, which calls on lawmakers to make

Rechat partners with SkySlope to add forms, e-signatures to platform

Experience management platform Rechat is partnering with transaction management platform SkySlope, enabling Rechat to expand its capabilities into forms and e-signatures.  The firms announced the partnership on Dec. 23. According to a press release, the partnership is an expansion of Rechat’s transa

How long does it take to save for a down payment in 2025?

Even though down payments remain an obstacle to prospective homebuyers across the country, affordability conditions have improved significantly in the past three years. That’s the key takeaway from a Realtor.com report released Monday. The company found that across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, t

RMLS Alliance becomes Broker Public Portal shareholder, expands reach via Cribio

RMLS Alliance (RMLS-A) is the Broker Public Portal (BPP)’s newest shareholder. In addition, RMLS-A listings are now live on Cribio, the BPP’s public facing portal. The BPP is an industry-led initiative formed by brokerages and multiple listing services (MLSs) that aims to deliver a national MLS home

Pending home sales rise in November as lower rates spur buyers

November’s declining mortgage rates enticed more homebuyers to come off the sidelines, resulting in an uptick for the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI).  According to NAR data released Monday, pending home sales were up 3.3% month over month in November, as the

Innovations in reverse mortgage lending will drive growth in 2026

The reverse mortgage market is expected to see growth in 2026 as lenders and originators adapt to evolving interest rate conditions and innovate to reach more borrowers. John Lunde, founder and president of Reverse Market Insight, said that 2025 marked a shift in focus for many originators, as they

WFG’s Don O’Neill on FinCEN, rate scrutiny and title compliance

The regulatory and compliance landscape for the title insurance industry grew more complex in 2025, driven by federal anti-money laundering rules, expanding reporting obligations and renewed scrutiny from state regulators. From delayed but still-looming FinCEN requirements to rate reductions, licens

Bank statement loans: More mortgage options for self-employed buyers and homeowners as rates ease

If you’re self-employed, paid on commission, or run a business, you already know the frustration: you can have strong cash flow, great credit, and real assets—yet a traditional mortgage can still feel like a square peg in a round hole. That’s exactly why bank statement loans exist. They’re designed

Why didn’t double-digit growth in purchase apps lead to more home sales in 2025?

Purchase application data had its first positive year in many years in 2025, meaning we had more positive than negative week-to-week data, and most of the year was positive year over year in almost every weekly print. However, existing home sales will likely be only slightly higher in 2025 than in 2

Compass, NWMLS clash over document production in antitrust suit

Compass and Northwest MLS (NWMLS) are currently locked in a dispute over the MLS’s production of documents during discovery in the Robert Reffkin-helmed firm’s antitrust lawsuit.  Compass filed this lawsuit against NWMLS in late April 2025. The antitrust suit centers around NWMLS’s listing policy. A

The U.S. housing market in 2025: A year of normalization

After housing market cycles defined by extreme shortages, rapid price appreciation and frenetic buyer competition, this year delivered something closer to balance. Inventory climbed meaningfully, price growth flattened and homes took longer to sell — signs of a market settling into a more sustainabl

Compass-Anywhere deal may exceed DOJ market-share limits in some cities

Compass’s proposed acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate may give the firm some eyebrow-raising market share levels in certain markets across the country, according to analysis of RealTrends Verified data published by The Capitol Forum earlier this week. This includes more than 80% market share in bot

DOJ wants antitrust review of real estate commissions in Davis suit

The Department of Justice (DOJ) wants a federal court in Philadelphia to take a close look at real estate agent commissions. Last Friday, the DOJ filed a statement of interest in the Davis homebuyer commission lawsuit filed in May 2024 against Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.  The statement of int

NAR legislative priorities for 2026 focus on housing supply, affordability

There’s no shortage of differing opinions within housing, but one thing most industry professionals can agree on is that affordability is a key ongoing struggle for many prospective homebuyers.  Real estate agents and members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) are on the front lines of th

Why the DSCR loan became the investor darling of 2025

For real estate investors sidelined by traditional income documentation requirements, debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) loans are becoming easier to access and are more widely available as lenders refine underwriting and gain confidence in the product’s performance. Like other seemingly “nontraditi

Mortgage applications fall 5% despite rate decline

Mortgage applications decreased 5.0% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Dec. 19, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 6% compared with the previous week. The refinance index decre

Texas proposes property tax cuts for homeowners 55+

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently announced “Operation Double Nickel,” a proposal that would lower the age for senior property tax benefits from 65 to 55 and expand homestead tax exemptions. According to Patrick’s website, the plan “would accelerate school property tax cuts, reduce school property

Mortgage rates cool in 2025, but 2026 relief likely limited

Mortgage rates started the year slightly above 7% but are heading into the holiday season near the 6.2% level. Looking ahead to 2026, lenders and industry experts expect some relief, though not a dramatic shift. On Monday, Mortgage News Daily reported that 30-year conventional fixed rates averaged 6