Execution is the edge mortgage banks can control

When rates surged and the mortgage market shifted almost overnight, lenders were forced into difficult decisions. Growth plans changed. Costs were reassessed. Teams had to adapt quickly to a different operating reality. At Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, that moment reinforced a simple truth: While mar

House subcommittee probes Compass MRED private listing network deal

A House Judiciary subcommittee is pressing Compass International Holdings and Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) to explain their nationwide private listing network partnership, citing concerns that the arrangement could limit transparency, reduce competition and harm homebuyers and sellers. The House

Pulte banks on build-to-order pivot as margins find a floor

The market-driven forces for greater homebuilder margins, sales pace and efficiency in 2026 take a variety of shapes, sizes, risks and opportunistic tactics. For PulteGroup, a key margin-enhancing strategy is leveraging improved build-cycles and a balanced sales pace to swell its mix of build-to-ord

House passes bill to ease banking regulations

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation that would make a series of changes to federal banking regulations, including easing certain capital, supervisory and merger requirements for community banks and other smaller financial institutions. The bill is sponsored by House Commi

NAR Q2 strategic plan update targets MLS rules, lawsuits, training

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released its second-quarter update on the 2026-2028 strategic plan on Wednesday outlining progress on lobbying, legal strategy, MLS guidance, technology and education designed to protect member businesses and reinforce the value of membership. NAR CEO Nykia

Michigan’s Whitmer steps up, signs single-stair reform into law

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took a big step toward clearing the path for developers to build smaller apartment buildings more affordably. Whitmer signed Michigan’s single-stair legislation into law this week, a green light for developers to build multifamily housing up to six stories more economically, wi

Housing Market Spotlight: Lower-priced metros show greater resilience as demand softens

Transaction activity slowed across much of the housing market as mortgage rates remained elevated, but metros where homes remain within reach of buyers continued outperforming higher-priced markets. Mortgage rates remained above 6.64% for most of the week, creating another headwind for housing deman

Nick Janovsky joins SERHANT. as Tampa luxury sales director

SERHANT. appointed Nick Janovsky director of luxury sales for Tampa, St. Petersburg and the Gulf Beaches, the company announced on Wednesday. Based in St. Petersburg, Janovsky brings more than $250 million in career sales volume across 340-plus transactions, according to the announcement. He was a t

The architecture of trust in the age of AI

By the time my morning stroll took me past a window of USD-priced for-sale notices for flats in the fashionable Palermo district of Buenos Aires, I was no longer surprised. This is what a deficit of trust looks like. But what gives? You’re reading HousingWire and not a travel blog. Home listings in

For better building codes, a more deliberate course is overdue

Building codes are ripe for change as policy analysts and the housing reform movement at large move beyond land use and zoning alone. After working through several hundred hours of building code reviews in Minnesota over the past decade, reforms are needed, even with our robust local adoption proces

Will Trump’s new Canadian tariffs add cost risk for builders?

On Monday, President Donald Trump threatened to impose 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, raising questions about the potential impacts on homebuilders and residential construction costs.  The tariffs, which would take effect in 30 days if the United States and Canada can’t negotiate an agreement,

D.R. Horton bets operating rigor will outperform uncertain demand

Few homebuilding enterprises look so voraciously at other homebuilding operators’ share of new-home sales in any given arena as present and future opportunity as does D.R. Horton. When those Horton flags flap in the dry summer wind, you can almost hear them as lips smacking in anticipation of a good

The JMG acquisition gives teams leverage, but not equal valuations

When Keller Williams announced its acquisition of the Jason Mitchell Group (JMG) earlier this month, Steve Murray, the co-founder of RealTrends Consulting, felt it was an historical moment for real estate companies with models similar to JMG, such as Mark Spain Real Estate, PLACE or Robert Slack Gro

Investors list more homes after ROAD to Housing Act, but impact may stay local

Institutional investors are listing significantly more single-family rental homes for sale following passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, but economists and real estate professionals say the legislation is unlikely to dramatically reshape the national housing market. New data from Parcl

FHA proposes partial claim model that drops subordinate liens

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is proposing a new structure, called Reinstatement Advance Payment (RAP), that would change how servicers document and service partial claims and payment supplements.  Under the draft, attributed to Joseph M. Gormley, who is performing the delegable duties of

Equifax locks in $1 VantageScore through 2027

Equifax will keep its $1 VantageScore 4.0 price in place through the end of 2027 as it pushes mortgage lenders to adopt the alternative credit score model, CEO Mark Begor told investors. The initiative was first launched in March, when the company also continued to offer free VantageScore 4.0 credit

Senior housing wealth reaches record level in first quarter

Housing wealth among homeowners age 62 and older rebounded to a record $14.92 trillion in the first quarter of 2026 after declining in the previous two quarters, according to the latest National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) – RiskSpan Reverse Mortgage Market Index. The quarterly inde

Jay Papasan to step down as Keller Williams executive

Longtime Keller Williams executive Jay Papasan announced his decision to step down from his role as vice president of strategic content in a post on LinkedIn on Tuesday.  Papasan has been with Keller Williams since September of 2000. He said his decision to step down comes from a desire to focus on

Is the Zestimate era coming to an end? 

For nearly two decades, consumers have had the ability to answer one of life’s biggest financial questions almost instantly: “What is my home worth?” Today, millions of homeowners monitor their home’s estimated value almost as closely as they monitor their investment portfolios. Anyone who has spent

We are not ready for the next housing downturn

The pandemic wrought financial havoc across the economy, but its impact on the housing market was significantly reduced due to a whole-of-government response that enabled millions of families to stay in their homes. The rapid deployment of forbearance, the ability to pause mortgage payments and a sl