Fidelity data shows record retirement savings, rising Roth adoption

Retirement savers continued to build momentum in early 2026, even as markets fluctuated, according to the latest quarterly analysis from Fidelity Investments. The firm reported that total savings rates reached record levels in the first quarter. Combined employer and employee contributions for 401(k

New home sales stumble in April, as affordability pressures mount

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that new home sales fell well short of economists’ and investors’ expectations in April, amid a challenging spring selling season marked by elevated mortgage rates, persistent inflation and broader economic and geopolitical uncertainty.  Sales of newly

Elizabeth Warren presses Bilt on payment disruptions during bank shift

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is demanding answers from Bilt Rewards over reports that customers experienced payment disruptions and account issues during the company’s transition between banking partners. In a letter sent Wednesday to Bilt CEO Ankur Jain, Warren — the ranking member of the S

Rent stabilization fracas shapes Providence mayoral contest

Providence, Rhode Island’s city council passed rent stabilization but failed to override the mayor’s veto. Rent stabilization is now one of the sharpest fault lines in the 2026 mayoral race. In September, voters will decide between a Democratic mayoral incumbent who vetoed the ordinance and a Democr

Epique Realty bets on specialized AI tools to modernize agent workflow

Real estate agents are being asked to do far more than sell homes — and that growing workload is exactly what Houston-based Epique Realty hopes artificial intelligence (AI) can solve. Epique Realty has grown rapidly in recent years — climbing to No. 15 among brands in RealTrends Verified’s 2025 rank

Compass adds Miguel Salvat and Daniel Golik in Miami

Longtime Miami real estate partners and family duo Miguel Salvat and Daniel Golik have moved their luxury business to Compass in South Miami, the brokerage announced on Thursday. The uncle-and-nephew team brings a combined 35 years of experience and more than 1,500 closed transactions to Compass, ac

Urban Institute study makes the case for a 100% LTV FHA mortgage

A new study from the Urban Institute concludes that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) could offer zero-down payment mortgages to first-time homebuyers without significantly increasing default risk or endangering its insurance fund. “Allowing zero-down payment mortgages would level the playing

A start-up with a deep tech pedigree launches AI to train the trades

For a decade and a half coming out of the Global Financial Crisis and housing crash of the 20-oughts, a shortage of skilled labor has bedeviled homebuilders and their ecosystem of stakeholders, stalling projects, driving up costs and growing worse as skilled front-liners age out of their roles on jo

AI paralysis is real. Here’s how to move past it

The conversation around artificial intelligence has reached a tipping point. For many professionals, the barrier is no longer skepticism. It’s saturation. AI is everywhere. Headlines, product demos, internal meetings and daily workflows. And yet, despite constant exposure, a large number of people r

The insurance market at halftime: What builders need to know for the rest of 2026

The spring housing market came in with genuine momentum. Mortgage rates had moderated. Affordability was improving at the margins. Pent-up buyer demand was real. And running beneath all of it, quietly reshaping what buyers could actually afford, was the continued rise of homeowners insurance costs.

New research: Homebuyers value digital mortgage solutions

High rates and low inventories have beleaguered homebuyers for far too long. At a time when they should be exhilarated at the prospect of making their homeownership dreams come true, many instead feel stressed out, frustrated and uncertain as they face sticker shock, rate volatility, bidding wars, n

Make payments with a reverse mortgage?

Most homeowners who obtain a reverse mortgage do it for one primary reason: to eliminate the required monthly principal and interest mortgage payment. And that makes perfect sense. For retirees living on a fixed income, removing a large monthly obligation can dramatically improve cash flow, reduce s

Scale is now table stakes for private builders, Eastwood proves it

Word that Eastwood Homes would acquire Atlanta-based Peachtree Building Group on Tuesday came as any private-to-private combination might. An energized, well-led, fast-growing Carolinas-based private homebuilder was expanding its reach and deepening its foothold in one of America’s most strategicall

Zillow and CoStar continue to spar over Matterport 3D tours

More than six months after Zillow first pulled Matterport’s 3D tours from its website in October 2025, due to Matterport’s updated terms of service, the two companies are still debating whether Zillow can display the tours on its website.  In a statement on Wednesday, Matterport president Rob Hines

Pennsylvania lawmakers set to vote on home equity investment regulations

Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving to bring home equity investment (HEI) companies under state banking oversight, with a floor vote scheduled June 1. The legislation, House Bill 2120, would subject shared appreciation agreements to similar regulations as those governing traditional lenders. The propo

Mamdani’s $22 billion ‘grand bargain’ for NYC affordable housing

Zohran Mamdani ran for mayor on one promise: make New York City affordable again. This week, he moved to further dismantle the rules New York spent decades erecting to prevent residential density. Mamdani released a 10-year housing plan pledging to build 200,000 new affordable homes while preserving

Zillow, MRED face July 1 hearing after restraining order on feeds

While Chicago-based federal Judge John Tharp, Jr. did order Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) to restore its listing feeds to Zillow on Friday, amid the listing portal giant’s antitrust lawsuit against the Chicagoland MLS and Compass International Holdings, Zillow’s Chicagoland listings may still be a

Eastwood Homes lands Peachtree Building Group in Atlanta

Eastwood Homes’ acquisition of Atlanta-based Peachtree Building Group – announced today – maps out on its surface as a straightforward expansion move. Eastwood Homes, our HousingWire Homebuilder Ranking’s No. 11-ranked private homebuilder, is a fast-growing Charlotte-based builder that, with this de

Home equity cap tied to Medicaid eligibility is set to change

A new federal Medicaid rule will place a nationwide cap of $1 million cap on home equity for older adults who seek long-term care coverage, a change advocates say could increasingly affect middle-class homeowners in expensive housing markets. The provision, included in the Budget Reconciliation Act

Compass agent with no coding experience builds local real estate hub using AI

A real estate agent with no technical background spent 11 months using artificial intelligence (AI) to build a hyperlocal educational website — aiming to replace what she calls a fragmented online landscape for buyers and sellers. Irina Norrell, who leads Compass’s Irina Norrell Team in the Washingt