Americans are divided over housing impacts of immigration, tariffs

A new Redfin survey reveals sharp divides among Americans over how immigration and tariffs are affecting housing affordability, reflecting a complex and politically charged landscape.More than half of U.S. homeowners and renters (51.2%) believe that reducing immigration could worsen housing affordab

In Chicago, a reverse mortgage scammer left a lasting scar

Mark Diamond has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for his crimes against elderly homeowners, but the scars from the damage he inflicted across the Chicago metro area are still visible.A recent report from a local publication, the South Side Weekly, detailed one family’s struggle to recov

Tech Pulse: UWM challenges industry AI fear; Optimal Blue automates refi opportunities

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — a new weekly series rounding up the latest in technology, including tools, integrations and trends impacting mortgage and real estate.Here’s what happened this week:UWM’s Jason Bressler challenges the fear-driven narrative around AI in mortgage lendingAt HousingWire’s Th

First American: Rising costs squeeze homeownership for millions

The cost of owning a home in the U.S. has jumped sharply in recent years, reaching an average of more than $1,700 per month in 2023 — a 17% increase since 2020 — according to an analysis by First American senior economist Sam Williamson.Using the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Williamson found

MBA, FHFA explore single credit report for mortgages

While the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) under President Joe Biden proposed a transition from a tri-merge to a bi-merge credit report system, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is now assessing the feasibility of moving to a single credit report for mortgage underwriting.Bob Broeksmit, pr

HUD signs agreement with South Korean housing finance agency to spur MBS investment

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Ginnie Mae on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a South Korean housing finance authority, with the goal of increasing investment in U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities.The agreement, signed with the Korea Housing

How midsize lenders are surviving the mortgage squeeze

Mortgage veteran Glenn Stearns is taking a different approach with his latest venture. Kind Lending, a national wholesale mortgage lender and his second brainchild, is built on lean operations and a focus on efficiency — a contrast with his first company, Stearns Lending, which filed for Chapter 11

HUD is light on reverse mortgage detail in justifications for budget request

Following the release of the president’s fiscal year 2026 “skinny” budget request — and a look at the White House’s performance expectations for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released its congressional justificatio

Judge blocks CFPB bid to undo Townstone redlining settlement

A federal judge on Thursday blocked an attempt by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to reverse a $105,000 settlement with Townstone Financial, a Chicago-based mortgage broker accused of discouraging Black applicants.U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled that allowing the CFPB t

Judge sets trial timeline for Mutual of Omaha and Longbridge

An order signed by a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has established a forward timeline for the ongoing lawsuit between major reverse mortgage industry lenders Mutual of Omaha Mortgage and Longbridge Financial. A trial is scheduled to begin in Nove

Logan Finance launches new product suite for non-QM borrowers

Nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) lender Logan Finance Corp. has launched a new set of loan products designed to serve borrowers who fall outside traditional lending requirements.The “Open Road” product series includes seven mortgage offerings tailored to self-employed individuals, real estate investor

Aging in place increasingly embraced by independent senior living companies

Senior living organizations are often seen by the public as opposing ideas related to aging in place, but one senior living executive says that the industry’s future may lie in facilitating this increasingly common goal.This is according to an interview with Tod Petty, chief marketing officer at Fyn

Century 21 expands yet again — this time in Northern California

Century 21 Real Estate has announced a new affiliation with Kobetz Realty Inc., a full-service brokerage based in Ukiah, California.The move expands Century 21‘s presence in Mendocino County and the surrounding region.Founded in 2020 by broker/owner Benjamin Kobetz, the firm will now operate as Cent

Federal Reserve watchdog investigates efforts to dismantle CFPB

As Trump administration officials press ahead with their efforts to dismantle and defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Reserve Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is reportedly opening an investigation into moves to fire the vast majority of CFPB and attempted cancel

EliseAI to integrate conversational AI into Zillow Rentals listings

EliseAI is finalizing a partnership with Zillow Rentals to embed its conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technology directly into multifamily rental listings on the Zillow platform.The integration is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2025.Branded as AI Assist, Powered by EliseAI, th

Partner Real Estate soars to new heights among mega teams

Partner Real Estate is on the rise — and making its presence felt. The Los Angeles-based independent brokerage achieved its best-ever placement in the 2025 RealTrends rankings, coming in at No. 13 among mega teams by closed sales volume.For Rudy Kusuma, CEO of the team, the distinction represents mo

Nevada senator accelerates criticism of Republican federal lands proposal

As Republican lawmakers continue to press ahead with a proposal to sell wide swaths of federal land, one official in a state that would be impacted is ramping up her opposition to plans from both the Trump administration and her congressional colleagues.Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Neva

Lower to settle LO poaching dispute with Residential Wholesale Mortgage

Ohio-based digital mortgage lender Lower and Residential Wholesale Mortgage (RWM) have moved to settle a poaching lawsuit filed earlier this year in federal court in Texas.A two-page notice filed by Lower on May 16 offered few details about the settlement, but it signals the end of a brief legal bat

MLS PIN settlement gains preliminary approval … again

The settlement agreement between MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN) and the Nosalek commission lawsuit plaintiffs has been granted preliminary approval for a second time.Judge Patti B. Saris of U.S. District Court in Boston granted preliminary approval to the fourth amended settlement agreem

Diane Tomb out, Chris Morton in as CEO of ALTA

The American Land Title Association (ALTA) has appointed Chris Morton as its new CEO effective immediately, the organization announced Tuesday.Morton, who previously served as ALTA’s senior vice president of public affairs and chief advocacy officer, succeeds Diane Tomb, who filled the seat for the