DOGE accessed confidential HUD data on housing discrimination, report says

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has accessed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) confidential data related to housing discrimination, according to a report from non-profit investigative journalism outlet ProPublica.ProPublica said its findings are based on i

Could American reverse mortgage companies someday partner with one from Australia?

When reverse mortgage professionals from Australia and New Zealand made the long journey to San Diego last year to attend the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo, they were ready to learn about the core differences between the businesses in a different part

Could potential DOGE dividends trigger inflation?

President Donald Trump is floating the idea of a $5,000-per-household stimulus check, dubbed a “DOGE dividend,” which Trump explained would come from taking 20% of the savings identified by the Elon Musk-led U.S. DOGE Service.The idea, which stemmed from Azoria investment firm CEO James Fishback on

‘Data is an antidote to fear’ in the 2025 housing market, Altos’ Mike Simonsen says

Buyers, sellers and practitioners in the housing market pay close attention to the headlines that emerge from various changes in market activity, and sometimes those headlines can lead to fear. That fear trickles through to homebuyers and sellers, often leading them to stay on the sidelines.But payi

Pacaso partners with The Agency to expand luxury home access

Online marketplace Pacaso this week announced a partnership with The Agency to expand luxury home access in several markets.The deal will allow The Agency to offer Pacaso’s luxury home listings in all of its markets. The Agency currently operates in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean an

FHFA nominee Bill Pulte discloses investments in rental properties, HVAC firms and … MrBeast

Bill Pulte, the Trump administration’s nominee to run the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), has a wide array of investments with a value north of $190 million, including holdings in rental properties, HVAC firms, entertainment companies and Elon Musk’s X.That’s according to financial disclosure

The 29 mortgage servicers that received top marks from Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae on Tuesday announced the results of its 2024 Servicer Total Achievement and Rewards (STAR) program, recognizing 29 mortgage servicers for “competency, capability, and overall performance.”“Our servicers continue to show their commitment to operational excellence while reducing credit loss

Offerpad tightens belt, narrows 2024 loss to $62M

Online property marketplace and real estate technology company Offerpad Solutions Inc. reported a net loss of $17.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, which was up 12% from the $15.4 million loss it sustained in the final quarter of 2023.Its full year 2024 net loss totaled $62.2 million, which w

Maverick Systems expands agent recruitment platform

Chicago-based Maverick Systems is rapidly expanding its real estate data analytics platform nationwide, offering brokerages a new tool in the competitive landscape for experienced agents.The company is currently profiling about 200,000 real estate agents across the U.S. It focuses on eight key Multi

FOA’s James Mittleman on reverse industry’s forward partnerships, proprietary as ‘the future’

The reverse mortgage industry in 2025 could be defined by two key developments: continuing efforts to establish partnerships with the forward mortgage industry, as well as the development of proprietary reverse mortgage products that could be the “future” of the industry.This is according to an inte

The best hard money lenders in 2025 + hard money loans explained

Choosing the right hard money lender for your investment project can be challenging. With nearly three decades of experience in real estate and investing, I’ve worked with hard money lenders to secure financing for everything from simple fix-and-flip projects to multi-million-dollar apartment buildi

Redfin: Homebuyers’ average down payment rises to 16% of purchase price

The typical U.S. homebuyer put down 16.3% of the purchase price in December, up from 15% a year earlier, as rising home prices pushed down payments higher, according to a new report from Redfin.In dollar terms, the average down payment in December was $63,188, an increase of 7.5% from the previous y

What Home Depot’s Q4 earnings say about the 2025 housing market

Home Depot expects same-store sales in 2025 to be just 1.0% better than this past year, an indication that the housing market will remain slow.That 1% growth projection is below the 1.65% rate expected by Wall Street analysts, and comes on the back of a fairly disappointing 2024, in which elevated m

With the oldest population, Maine is a case study for supporting seniors

With a median age of 45.1 years, Maine is the oldest state, putting it in a unique position to provide insights to the rest of the nation about how it manages the needs of its older residents. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, about 23% of Maine’s population is at least 65 years old. Th

In court filing, Trump administration says it will keep ‘streamlined’ CFPB running

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will keep operating despite recent moves made by the White House to scale back its operations and amid court challenges that accuse the Trump administration of systematically working to eliminate it.This is according to a U.S. District court filing in

2025 could be the last year of inventory shortage

Home prices in 2025 are a couple percentage points above where they were last year at this time. People often ask, “How can it be possible that home prices are still climbing even though the cost of money is so much higher?”There are obviously fewer buyers who can afford these prices.One reason that

Texas Capital Bank opposes summary judgment motion in Ginnie Mae suit

The ongoing legal dispute between Texas Capital Bank (TCB) and Ginnie Mae added a new chapter this week. The bank is opposing a government request for a summary judgment that would hand a victory to Ginnie Mae, according to court filings reviewed by HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD).Governm

Deadly Kentucky floods will exacerbate existing housing issues

Effects from deadly flooding in Eastern Kentucky were made worse this past weekend as a storm system brought heavy snow and wind into already devastated communities. It will have a large impact on real estate for years to come, Kentucky real estate agents told HousingWire.As of Monday, the statewide

This real estate pro is taking an ‘enlightened’ approach to diversify revenue streams

When confronted with the possibility of a market shutdown and a prolonged “rent holiday” in California at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott Brady began looking for ways to further diversify his business model. Brady, the broker-owner of Partners Real Estate Group, already had a property mana

Retirees may be turning to home equity to finance healthcare shocks: report

Long-term care (LTC) will likely play a large part in the lives of Americans as the population continues to age, but financing it can be a financial challenge for people particularly on a fixed income. While many retirees often do not intend to tap their home equity to finance such moves, they may o