Better mortgage spreads are still keeping home sales positive

Existing home sales were still positive year over year last week, with our weekly pending home sales data holding steady even with elevated mortgage rates. While people are frustrated that lower oil prices haven’t brought rates down, they should be deeply grateful that improved mortgage spreads have

Reffkin takes the stand, MRED CEO says Zillow threatened litigation over listing policy dispute

The second and final day of the hearing regarding Zillow’s preliminary injunction motion in its ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Compass International Holdings featured testimony from two key witnesses for the defense, Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and MRED CEO Rebe

Government-backed modular housing trend arrives in Cleveland

Earlier this week, the City of Cleveland and Cleveland’s Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund announced that UK-based MMY was selected as the City’s preferred modular housing manufacturer, following the award of $2.56 million to support the construction of a new modular housing factory. The news mirror

Will the ROAD Act change what pencils for multifamily rentals?

While the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act remains in Oval Office big yawn limbo, its game-changing relevance to multifamily developers, apartment builders, rental housing investors and capital providers is clear. The bill has passed both chambers of Congress by historic bipartisan margins. What it

First MLS names Jenni Bonura chief growth officer

Jenni Bonura has joined Georgia-based First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) as chief growth officer after more than 20 years in senior leadership roles at Harry Norman, REALTORS, including serving as president and CEO of brokerage, according to an announcement on Wednesday. At Harry Norman, Bonura h

RealTrends Verified The Craig Tann Group continues decade of growth

Consistent growth and disciplined hiring have helped The Craig Tann Group become one of the nation’s highest-performing real estate teams. Based in Las Vegas, the team closed just under $486 million in sales volume across 877 transaction sides last year — earning the No. 10 national ranking for sale

MISMO updates mortgage insurance data guide for VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) has updated its Mortgage Insurance Implementation Guide to incorporate data requirements for VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) subsidiary announced Thursday. The guide provides a standardized data fr

America 250 is a turning point for American homeownership

When Americans think about infrastructure, they think about roads, bridges and broadband. But they should also think about housing. A home is the foundation from which families build their lives: where children grow up, neighbors become communities and one generation creates new opportunities for th

Former employee works toward settlement in Zillow job discrimination suit

Former Zillow employee Samuel James Herrera has notified a Denver-based U.S. District Court that he and his former employer are working toward a settlement in his job discrimination lawsuit.  On Wednesday, Herrera, who calls himself “a day-one Zillow employee,” notified Judge Regina Rodriguez, who i

Student loan plan phase-out could tighten mortgage affordability

As of July 1, more than 7 million federal student loan borrowers have 90 days to transition to a new repayment option as the Biden administration’s SAVE income-driven repayment plan is officially phased out. The program, launched in 2023 to lower monthly payments and accelerate loan forgiveness for

Compass International Holdings rolls out Home Platform across brokerage brands

Compass International Holdings, is rolling out its AI-powered Home Platform across its company-owned brokerage brands, marking what the company calls the largest technology deployment in residential real estate history, according to an announcement on Thursday.  The firm said the deployment comes le

TitleEase accelerates growth as franchise model gains traction

TitleEase is gaining momentum as demand grows for its franchise-based title insurance model — backed by a recent capital raise, strategic acquisitions and an expanding pipeline of real estate and mortgage partners. The company completed a capital raise that closed at the end of May, with funding sla

The amenity arms race is over. The profit center era has begun. 

For years, the amenity playbook in multifamily was simple: build it, bundle it, absorb the cost and call it a competitive differentiator. Rooftop decks, co-working lounges and resort-style pools have all been baked into the rent, and all have been treated as overhead. The logic made sense when lease

Seniors hold a record share of housing wealth. The mortgage system still struggles to underwrite it.

A major shift has happened inside American housing finance, and it should have the full attention of lenders, regulators and policymakers. For the first time on record, Americans 70 and older hold a larger share of the nation’s real estate wealth than Americans aged 40 to 54. That crossover happened

When AI listing videos look too real: the disclosure test agents need now

In my last HousingWire column, I focused on reviewing AI-generated listing remarks before they reach the MLS. That was about what AI says about a property. This follow-up is about the line between effective marketing and misrepresentation. A listing video may show a drone-style approach, a smooth wa

Newsom signs balanced budget with $1.7B locked-in for housing

This time last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a state budget that included sweeping housing reforms that allowed urban residential developers to avoid rigorous environmental reviews. This year’s budget, which Newsom signed on Monday, does not carry the same historic housing reforms as las

Why Carlisle Companies targets Owens Corning for an M&A combo

As homebuilders grapple with questions of scale, access to capital and long-term competitiveness, many of their largest suppliers appear to be navigating similar strategic pressures. Carlisle Companies‘ unsolicited pursuit of Owens Corning, reported Monday by the Wall Street Journal, suggests that t

Trump calls 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act ‘a yawn’

President Donald Trump on Monday characterized the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act as “a yawn,” following an abrupt cancellation of a signing ceremony for the legislation last week. The comments came as Trump reinforced prioritization of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act as his to

Why Fed President Beth Hammack wants more rate hikes

As we approach Jobs Thursday, certain Federal Reserve members have still not changed their tune about rate hikes, even with oil prices back down to $70 today. Why haven’t mortgage rates dropped along with oil prices? Because Fed policy has shifted, and some Fed members want more rate hikes. Today, I

MRED seeks arbitration in Zillow antitrust lawsuit

With less than 48 hours to go before the start of a two-day hearing regarding Zillow’s preliminary injunction motion in its antitrust lawsuit against Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) and Compass International Holdings, the Chicagoland MLS is seeking to compel arbitration with the listing portal giant