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

CMLS, this one is for you: Build the alliance now or watch Compass build it instead

In the next four months, CMLS leadership has the opportunity to convene the MLS-controlled national alliance the industry needs. The 2026 Board of Directors is in place under Chair Nicole Jensen of realMLS and Vice Chair Justin Haag of Northwest MLS, taking the helm at what WAV Group described as on

Smartfi offers 50-bps reverse mortgage discount for veterans

A new offering from Smartfi Home Loans is aimed at expanding benefits for veteran homeowners through a lower interest rate on its proprietary reverse mortgage product. In honor of Memorial Day, the company this week launched Choice Service, an enhancement to Smartfi Choice, the company’s proprietary

MISMO white paper details path to standardize mortgage fee descriptions

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) on Tuesday announced the publication of a new white paper, “Fee Standardization in the Mortgage Industry,” outlining how its consumer-facing charge and fee guide can improve consistency and reduce costs tied to mortgage fee disclosures

2026 GameChanger: REMAX Select credits collaboration for transaction side growth

Despite business practice changes, a housing market slow, stubbornly high mortgage rates and continued housing affordability challenges, REMAX Select and REMAX Select Partners grew transaction sides by 67% between 2021 and 2025. This growth, which included 7,005 transaction sides in 2025 alone, earn

Leading beyond the process: Dawn Kernicky on mentorship, adaptability and customer empathy

As part of HousingWire’s Editor’s Choice awards spotlight series, we’re spotlighting past Women of Influence honorees whose careers, leadership and insights continue to influence the industry. This series offers a closer look at the experiences and decisions that have shaped their paths. HousingWire

How Sunlife Homes jump-started in one of the U.S.’s toughest arenas

Sunlife Homes, despite kickstarting operations during the economically wobbly and environmentally volatile pandemic era in Southwest Florida, operated among the fastest-growing homebuilders in the nation last year.  The company ranked 11th fastest-growing builder in the 2025 HousingWire Homebuilder

Unanswered calls are costing real estate agents closings

Ask any real estate agent what threatens their business, and they’ll mention market slowdowns, rising interest rates or fierce competition from other agents. Rarely will they mention the one problem that quietly costs them commissions every single week — unanswered phone calls and slow response time

Mortgage lock-in has become life lock-in 

The housing market has spent three years talking about one number: the mortgage rate. That makes sense. The mortgage rate matters. It decides the monthly payment. It decides who can buy, who can refinance, who can move and who has to wait. But the lock-in has lasted long enough that the rate is no l

Homebuilders adopt disciplined growth strategies as market pressures reshape housing in 2026

Elevated mortgage rates, affordability pressures and economic uncertainty continue to shape the housing market in 2026, prompting homebuilders to adopt a more disciplined operating approach. Across the industry, builders are refining product mix, tightening inventory levels and pursuing strategic ho

What happens to mortgage rates if the Iran conflict is over?

Though there is still a lot of uncertainty, it looks like we could have an actual end to the Iran conflict as tankers are starting to move through the Strait of Hormuz. If we don’t have to worry about oil prices getting much higher for longer, what are the implications for mortgage rates? And what h