Rising inflation deals blow to potential interest rate cuts

The housing market is starved for relief on mortgage rates, but hope for the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates just took a huge blow.The reading of the consumer price index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics came in unexpectedly high, showing a 3% rise for the 12-month period ending in J

Zillow is still in the red, but its major revenue streams are rising

Rental listings have been a consistent high-growth revenue stream for Zillow since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. And the company has struck a deal that it believes can push that growth even higher.On its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call on Tuesday evening, Zillow announced a partnersh

Oregon reverse mortgage bill that could halt proprietary business may be amended

The Oregon state senate’s Committee on Housing Development held a hearing last week on a piece of proposed legislation that seeks to limit the amount of equity a reverse mortgage lender can receive after the sale or transfer of a property.Industry representatives contend that if enacted, the bill co

LendingTree: Salt Lake City is the top major metro for families

Families are becoming more strategic when choosing a city to live in. And some cities are better equipped to promote the concept of family homeownership.Online marketplace LendingTree released a study this week that identified the best major metropolitan areas for families in 2025. The study utilize

Despite aging-in-place preferences, senior support services are in short supply

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Older Americans want to age in place in their own homes, and they also want to remain in their current communities. But these desires could clash with a reality that many communities across the country simply don’t have the resources to supp

Mortgage credit availability jumped 2.5% in January

Mortgage credit availability ramped up in January, according to a report released Tuesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) that analyzed data from ICE Mortgage Technology.The MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) increased by 250 basis points (bps) on a monthly basis to 99.0 in Ja

The crucial role of community lending in our nation’s economy

Our economy faces many challenges – persistent high mortgage interest rates, a declining rate of existing home sales, elevated costs for basic goods and services, labor market imbalances, and rising health care costs to name just a few. As a new Administration takes over, dozens of policy prescripti

Florida struggles with affordable housing despite bulking up construction

Despite bolstering its construction activities and the availability of single-family homes, the state of Florida continues to endure shortages in its affordable housing stock that impact the workforce and retirees living on fixed incomes.This is according to a 2024 annual report from the University

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