Hawaii Supreme Court rules against insurance companies, $4B settlement to proceed

The Supreme Court of Hawaii this week decided that insurance companies seeking to file their own suits against those deemed responsible for 2023’s devastating wildfires on the island of Maui cannot proceed, paving the way for a $4 billion settlement to continue, according to reporting from the Assoc

Homebuyers say they are willing to accept longer mortgage terms

High interest rates and home prices are causing some prospective homebuyers to avoid applying for a mortgage. But despite this trend, some buyers are willing to adjust their loan term expectations to achieve homeownership, according to a recent report by real estate technology company REsimpli.REsim

The ultimate open house checklist for new & experienced agents

When I first started in real estate, I was eager for advice. The best advice I got from an experienced agent was simple but powerful: “Do as many open houses as you can.” I took his advice to heart. Running open houses (among other strategies) has helped me build a sustainable career in real estate

The CFPB may be frozen, but RESPA hasn’t gone away

It’s a new week and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a new acting director. Over the weekend, the Trump administration announced that Project 2025 architect Russell Vought would be taking over as acting director from newly appointed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was i

ICE adds rate lock comparison tool to Encompass

ICE Mortgage Technology on Monday announced several enhancements to the Encompass loan origination platform, including a rate lock comparison tool that enables lenders to automatically detect and adjust for changes to a loan that may affect pricing and eligibility.The “Rate Lock Comparison Tool,” wh

Illinois Realtors’ leaders discuss market challenges and growth opportunities

In this week’s episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt traveled to the REengage Winter Conference to speak with Illinois Realtors CEO Jeff Baker and president Tommy Choi. During the conversation, the group discuss real estate market challenges, the value of being a part of an associati

FOA’s James Mittleman looks ahead at 2025 with AAG integration in rearview

When news came down about the acquisition of American Advisors Group (AAG) by Finance of America (FOA), reactions across the reverse mortgage industry were largely optimistic. Now that some time has passed, FOA leaders are largely looking ahead at the business possibilities for the next year.This is

Greater purpose: Why you should build community through real estate and service 

When I first started in real estate, I thought my job was solely about helping buyers and sellers. As time went on, the desire to go beyond that struck me. Real estate agents have the privilege of guiding people through one of their biggest life decisions. We agents can also strengthen the communiti

Rocket’s modern messenger: TikTok influencers

Rocket Companies’ return to the Super Bowl on Sunday marked not only a milestone for the company’s calculated rebrand but a new level of connection between the financial services sector and online influencers.While many mortgage professionals have taken to apps like TikTok, LinkedIn and Instagram to

Many older Americans are still working, with more planning to rejoin the workforce in 2025

One in four Americans in the 65-and-over age bracket remain in the workforce, and more plan to rejoin it at some point in 2025 for a variety of reasons including rising costs, boredom and job satisfaction. This is according to a survey conducted by ResumeTemplates.com.The survey, conducted in Januar

Industry must step up to help veterans achieve the American Dream

I recently had the profound honor of helping to hand-wash the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a deeply moving experience that allowed me to pay homage to my fellow servicemembers and Naval Academy classmates who served in one of the longest wars in American history.Standing alongside

Why the CFPB’s enforcement pause is not a free pass for lenders

The recent developments surrounding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have left many in the mortgage industry wondering what comes next. With Acting Director Russell Vought halting all rulemaking, enforcement actions and examinations, some may be tempted to believe that the regulatory

Better mortgage spreads are capping rates in 2025

Another jobs week has come to an end, and amid the chaotic headlines about job numbers, tariffs, and the leadership of the Treasury, mortgage rates remained calm. Better mortgage spreads are limiting how high rates can rise in 2025. This situation contrasts with the challenges the market faced in 20

A timeline of what’s happening at the CFPB under Trump

President Trump’s shake-up of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues. On Friday night, Russell Vought, the architect of the Project 2025 plan and the newly confirmed director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, emailed top staffers at the CFPB to inform them that he’d bee

Project 2025 architect Russell Vought takes over CFPB

Russell Vought, an architect of Project 2025 and the current head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is the new acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Wall Street Journal reported late Friday night.Vought emailed top staffers at the agency to inform them that

Sherry Chris urges brokers to stick with NAR in 2025

In this week’s episode of the Power House podcast, host Diego Sanchez sits down with a close observer from within the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sherry Chris, special advisor to NAR CEO Nykia Wright, joins the show to discuss the trade association’s response to post-settlement changes a

Proprietary reverse mortgage business in Oregon could be in danger

A bill introduced into the Oregon Senate that seeks to limit the amount of equity a reverse mortgage lender can receive after the sale or transfer of a property could potentially halt the availability of proprietary product offerings in the state.This is according to a version of the bill reviewed b

Crye-Leike wants to be covered by NAR’s settlement, but rankings data says otherwise

In 2022, Crye-Leike Real Estate Services closed roughly $7 billion in sales volume, according to data from the 2023 RealTrends Verified rankings. The T3 Sixty Real Estate Almanac reports the same numbers, while the brokerage company’s 2022 Annual Report pegged its sales volume at $8.5 billion. But n

Washington, D.C. moves to bolster reverse mortgage foreclosure protections

The governing council of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. is taking steps to establish a permanent program seeking to protect its older residents with reverse mortgages from foreclosure.In mid-January, the D.C. council enacted the “Fairness and Stability in Housing Amendment Act of 2024,” whic

Mortgage servicing executives grapple with tech stack questions

Mortgage servicing is more complex than ever, and while some large servicers are sinking real resources into innovation, many are hesitant to branch out beyond the decades-old systems they’re comfortable with. This could be risky if delinquencies continue to rise in the coming years.“I think service