Retirement plans for small-business owners have visible generational gaps

A report released Monday by Capital Group found large disparities between various generations of entrepreneurs and the retirement options available to them. The Small Business America report — based on an April 2025 survey of 1,000 small-business owners regarding their outlook and readiness to offer

VA loans rise as housing market shifts toward buyers

A growing share of U.S. homebuyers are using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans as the housing market leans in favor of buyers. Nationwide, 7.3% of mortgaged homebuyers used a VA loan in August, up from 6.5% a year earlier — the highest level for that month since 2019, according to a report f

Homebuyers embrace sustainability, efficiency in 2025

Americans are redefining home comfort and value by focusing on efficiency, sustainability and natural design, according to Realtor.com’s 2025 Hottest Home Trends Report. Findings reflect a nationwide shift away from large, aesthetic features toward practical, eco-friendly and tech-driven living. Wat

Reimagining a real estate icon: Inside the RE/MAX brand refresh

Refreshing a brand is no small feat, especially when that brand is synonymous with an entire industry. The RE/MAX balloon has long been one of the most recognizable symbols in real estate, representing trust, consistency and market leadership. But in a digital era where attention spans are short and

Seattle median list price at $850K even as price cuts spread

Price reductions swept through 44.7% of active listings in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro during the week ending Nov. 7, 2025, as the region’s median list price held at $850,000, nearly double the national median of $435,000. The widespread pricing adjustments signal a recalibration in one of the

Home flippers express caution over rising costs, low resale demand

As the fix-and-flip market faces a lack of demand and higher costs, prices for these transactions are slipping and investors are taking a more cautious approach. That’s the conclusion of the 2025 Fix and Flip Market Index released Monday by fix-and-flip lender Kiavi and John Burns Research & Consult

Helping heroes home: how real estate pros can better serve veterans

Veterans Day serves as a meaningful opportunity to honor the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform who have served our country. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the challenges veterans face as they transition back to civilian life, including navigating the homebuying process. For r

Community association leaders advocate on Capitol Hill

Hundreds of community association leaders visited Capitol Hill this past Thursday for the Congressional Advocacy Summit hosted by the Community Associations Institute (CAI). More than 200 advocates from CAI — representing more than 77 million homeowners association, condominium and co-op residents —

Inside Zillow’s legal storm: From RESPA to job discrimination

If you’ve lost count of the number of lawsuits filed against Zillow over the past six months you probably aren’t alone. The listing portal giant’s legal woes began in mid-June 2025, when Compass filed its antitrust lawsuit against Zillow, and they kicked into yet another gear late last week when a h

Fathom Holdings, ByOwner partner to connect agents with FSBO sellers

Fathom Holdings announced a partnership with for-sale-by-owner (FBSO) marketplace ByOwner to link sellers who need professional assistance with Fathom agents across the country. The agreement aims to convert listings from ByOwner.com and BuyOwner.com — which together attract more than 500,000 monthl

Title insurance revenue rises for Big Four firms in Q3 2025

Falling mortgage rates during the third quarter of 2025 were certainly a boon for the Big Four title insurance firms who all saw title insurance revenue rise year-over-year during the quarter.  At First American, which released its earnings in late October, company-wide revenue was up 41% annually t

AIME’s Jonathon Haddad becomes CEO at bevri.ai

bevri.ai, a technology firm focused on applying artificial intelligence to the mortgage industry’s third-party origination (TPO) channel, announced on Monday that it has appointed Jonathon Haddad as CEO. The agentic AI company said in a press release that Haddad’s appointment marks a new phase in it

Why fiduciary duty and communication matters more than ever in real estate

At the core of real estate lies one constant: our duty to communicate clearly, act with integrity, and put our clients first. When those principles slip—even unintentionally—the results can be costly. Not long ago, a situation discussed during one of our coaching calls served as a powerful reminder

Atlantic Coast Mortgage acquires Tidewater Mortgage

Atlantic Coast Mortgage LLC, a Fairfax, Virginia-based mortgage lender licensed in 40 states, has acquired Tidewater Mortgage Services Inc., a coastal Virginia lender serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. The deal, announced on Monday, combines Atlantic Coast Mortgage’s technology-driven l

Housing inventory falls as demand picks up

Last week, housing inventory levels decreased noticeably, while our weekly pending sales showed a notable increase compared to the same period last year. Was the decrease in inventory primarily due to the seasonal decline in housing stock, or did the increase in demand contribute to lowering the inv

A 50-year mortgage could double your interest payment

In a social post on Saturday, President Trump floated the idea of a 50-year mortgage to boost housing affordability, but the idea got a frosty reception online. One reason is that stretching the loan term out that long ends up costing much more in interest over the life of the loan while only shavin

Trump proposes 50-year mortgage to help affordability

Trump on Saturday posted an image on social that seemed to suggest he would be proposing 50-year mortgages, something FHFA Director Bill Pulte confirmed shortly after on X. The image Trump posted on Truth Social features a head shot of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt under the title 30-year mort

Pulte says Fannie, Freddie to remain in conservatorship with IPO plans

FHFA Director Bill Pulte said Friday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain in conservatorship, but that the government would seek to sell up to 5% of their shares. Pulte made the remarks at the ResiDay conference in New York City, according to posts on X by ResiClub Co-founder Lance Lambert. L

Stewart acquires MCS’s mortgage services business for $330 million

Title and real estate services company Stewart Information Services Corp., owned by SISCO Holdings, has entered into an agreement to acquire the mortgage services of property preservation provider Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS) for $330 million. The transaction, announced Friday, expands Stewar

Opendoor hits reset: The iBuyer goes full founder mode with new CEO

Opendoor’s recently appointed CEO Kaz Nejatian used the firm’s third-quarter earnings call with investors and analysts to introduce himself and reintroduce the company he has been tasked with turning around.  “I’m a computer nerd turned lawyer, turned founder, but I think of myself primarily as a pr