New View Advisors floats sweeping changes to HECM, HMBS programs

Ideas for reshaping the federally insured reverse mortgage program and its avenue for secondary market issuance is the hot topic of conversation for industry professionals in late 2025. And New View Advisors added to the discussion last week with a host of comments submitted to the U.S. Department o

Settlor integrates with DataTrace to streamline title searches

Title and settlement services technology provider Settlor has introduced a new integration with DataTrace. The connection allows Settlor’s users to access DataTrace tools directly within Settlor’s title production system — eliminating the need to switch between platforms. Integration gives users the

HUD investigating Boston housing policies, alleging discrimination against white residents

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced Thursday that it is opening an investigation into the city of Boston’s housing policies, examining perceived discrimination against white residents. In a letter to Mayor Michelle Wu, Craig Trainor — HUD’s assistant secretary for fair ho

Don Goettling goes all in with Momentum Builder

Don Goettling, a nearly 40-year veteran of the mortgage and real estate industry, announced last week that he’s committing full time to his role as CEO of Momentum Builder, the company he co-founded in 2018. The organization, which provides resources for housing professionals — including coaching, w

CMLS unveils new 2026 board, names Nicole Jensen chair

The Council of Multiple Listing Services’ (CMLS) has announced its board of directors for 2026.  On Friday, the MLS trade association announced that the chair of the 2026 board is Nicole Jensen, the CEO of realMLS, replacing John DiMichele, the CEO of Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, who will rem

REMAX Results acquires REMAX Unlimited in Florida expansion

Hendersonville, North Carolina-based REMAX Results in continuing to expand its footprint in the Southeast. On Wednesday, the Lee Linhart-helmed firm announced the acquisition of Florida-based REMAX Unlimited. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Through this acquisition, REMAX Results

Sitewire launches AI tools to streamline pre-construction risk review

As homebuilders face shrinking access, tighter reins, and higher costs from traditional local and regional banks for construction financing, Sitewire this week introduced two new AI tools, BudgetIQ and Permit IQ, to streamline pre-construction budgeting and permitting for small residential construct

Why invisible risk will define homebuilding’s 2026 reality

Builders often talk about “uncertainty” as if it were a temporary fog that had to clear eventually. Rates will decline, the Fed will pivot, pent-up demand will return, migration will pick up again, and the longstanding pattern of structural underbuilding will resume.  The idea that the industry’s bi

U.S. House unveils Housing for the 21st Century Act

The Housing for the 21st Century Act — the U.S. House’s version of the Senate-approved ROAD to Housing Act — was unveiled Wednesday. Led by sponsors including Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Chairman Mike Flood (R-Neb.) and Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo

PLACE names new leaders for growth, legal, and title strategy

Real estate platform PLACE is welcoming three new executives. On Monday, the firm announced the additions of Nikki Miller, Jamie Jatzlau and Claire Dunham to its leadership team.  Miller, who will serve as PLACE’s new vice president of growth, began her real estate industry career in 2014 as a sales

FirstHome IQ highlights financial literacy gaps among young homebuyers

FirstHome IQ says that millennials and Generation Z face significant gaps in financial knowledge and trust as they approach homebuying age, according to the group’s newly released 2025 Impact Report. The report outlines widespread uncertainty among younger homebuyers — noting that most never receive

Housing affordability challenges steepen in Q3

The housing market showed faint signs of near-term affordability improvement in late 2025, but it remains dramatically worse than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Oxford Economics. In the third quarter, a household needed to earn $110,100 a year to afford to own a

Pathway Lending launches $30M housing fund

Pathway Lending, a Nashville-based Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), announced on Thursday the launch of the Pathway Housing Fund with $30 million in committed capital to acquire and preserve Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) in Tennessee communities at risk of gentrifi

Advocacy groups see erosion of fair lending oversight, move to fill the gap 

Nonprofit organizations say the Trump administration has dramatically scaled back fair lending oversight — and they’re stepping in to fill the void.In its latest move, the Department of Justice (DOJ) this week announced the rescission of disparate-impact liability from its Title VI regulations, whil

YIMBY group sues Newsom over SB 9 pause in L.A. wildfire zones

California Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the state’s “yes-in-my-backyard” coalition celebrated wins this year on housing legislation. Those same pro-housing activists have now sued him over an August executive order that exempts fire-ravaged areas in Los Angeles from a 2021 state law — Senate Bill 9 — that

Boston emerges as hottest large metro market entering 2026

Boston has emerged as HousingWire’s hottest major metropolitan housing market heading into 2026 — fueled by chronic supply shortages, rapid sales and a job base that continues to outpace national trends. Local experts say the metro’s long-standing economic strength and global pull are driving compet

Beazer taps Howard Heckes for board; Danny Shepherd retires

Beazer Homes announced the appointment of Howard Heckes as a new independent member of the company’s 10-person board of directors, along with the retirement of board member Danny Shepherd.  Heckes has extensive experience in the building materials and services industry and is currently a member of t

Buyer angst puts home insurance at the center of the purchase

In today’s market, the buyer standing in your model home isn’t just asking, “Can I afford this?” They’re questioning: “Will anyone insure it – and how will that affect my payment and resale?” In a cycle where climate risk, hidden ownership costs, and sour sentiment cause as much damage as mortgage r

Toll Brothers leans on luxury to navigate homebuilding’s headwinds

For Toll Brothers, whose enviable core customers are ones whose financial wherewithal effectively shields them from worries about high prices and high interest rates, the question is not “can they buy?” It’s will they? And will they buy now? “America’s Luxury Homebuilder” continues to rely on its mo

November mortgage lock data driven by strong refinance activity

Optimal Blue on Wednesday released its November 2025 Market Advantage report, which revealed that mortgage rate-lock activity slowed with typical late-fall seasonality but still posted the strongest November in four years. Total lock volume fell 25% from October but was up 17% from November 2024, dr