Bipartisan bill would allocate CDBG funds to disaster prevention efforts

Reps. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) and William Timmons (R-S.C.) introduced bipartisan legislation on Tuesday to help local governments invest in disaster prevention rather than focusing solely on post-disaster recovery. The “Ounce of Prevention Act” would expand eligible uses of Community Development Blo

CRMLS adds ‘Limited Exposure Coming Soon’ listing option

California Regional MLS (CRMLS) is creating more options for home sellers looking to market and sell their properties. Earlier this month, CRMLS debuted a Limited Exposure Coming Soon listing option for home sellers and real estate professionals in California.  In a post on the MLS’s Knowledgebase b

The hidden cost of leverage: Why today’s real estate investors need to be more conservative than ever

For decades, leverage has been one of the greatest wealth-building tools available to real estate investors. The ability to control a large asset with a relatively small amount of cash has helped countless investors build portfolios, generate passive income and create long-term wealth. But somewhere

The mortgage industry is on an AI binge. Let’s make the hangover optional.

I watched mortgage leaders embrace AI at The Gathering in Austin. And for good reason: The tools are getting good, the productivity math is starting to math and the competitive pressure is doing what classic IMB horse races do. I left more bullish about AI in the industry than when I arrived. I also

The spring selling season that wasn’t: Why builders are pivoting to margin recovery

At the start of 2026, many homebuilding industry leaders anticipated that falling mortgage rates would revitalize consumer interest. Instead, rates have remained stubbornly elevated, with the 30-year fixed rate expected to stay in the 6%-6.5% range over the next three years. Home price appreciation

Caregiver survey shows widespread burnout, with Gen Z hit hardest

A national survey commissioned by LogicMark Inc. paints a stark picture of the nation’s caregiving crisis, finding that 90% of family caregivers report symptoms of burnout. And younger adults, particularly Gen Z, are carrying an outsized share of the burden. The survey, conducted in April 2026 by Ta

DeSantis signs Live Local 4.0 housing reform into Florida law

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the fourth iteration of the Live Local Act on Friday, cementing the state’s commitment to building affordable housing. House Bill 1389 takes effect July 1. It extends state preemption of local zoning rules and closes a loophole that local governments used to discriminate aga

eXp agent builds top RealTrends Verified team despite cancer battle

 The phone rang on Sept. 8, 2022, and Britany Boatwright put the doctor on speakerphone, expecting routine news from a second biopsy. Instead, she heard words that would redefine everything; breast cancer. Sitting in her office with her director of operations planning a team meeting, Boatwright’s fi

The ROAD Act and the 26.4% regulatory cost stack on new homes

While Washington waits to see whether the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becomes law by presidential signature, by inaction, by override, or not at all, homebuilders and developers already know the issue at stake does not wait. Here’s how regulatory cost adds up as a chokehold – not a theoretical

Midwestern markets emerge as hotspots for rental momentum

While the typical midwestern city doesn’t offer the glamor and sunshine of South Florida, the growth profile of the Carolinas, the tech pedigree of Austin or the music scene of Nashville, the Midwest can provide build-to-rent (BTR) developers strong rental growth and lower costs.  Sun Belt markets h

CFPB, facing staffing constraints, moves to expand mortgage credit box

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), amid months of uncertainty under the Trump administration, is moving to pursue changes to mortgage regulations, most recently by advancing a request for information (RFI) intended to expand access to mortgages. The RFI was sent to the White House Offi

Tavant debuts agentic AI platform for software engineering, automation

Tavant has introduced a new enterprise platform that uses agentic AI to accelerate software development, data modernization and automation. The California-based technology firm positions the Tavant Platform as an alternative to proprietary AI stacks and high recurring platform fees, the company anno

How the housing market survived the Iran conflict

Now that the Iran conflict is behind us and oil prices have fallen significantly, we can hopefully move into the second half of 2026 with less drama for housing. It would be great if the economic backdrop was less like an episode of 24 and more like Saved by the Bell. How did housing hold up with oi

VA loan fee hike proposal advances in Congress, drawing industry pushback

Legislation moving through Congress would increase fees on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, creating a new flashpoint for the mortgage industry. H.R. 6047, which would expand benefits for severely disabled veterans and survivors, would offset its costs by raising fees. The fee for the

Homebuilding scale emerges as a fiduciary priority for boards

A question has hovered over America’s publicly traded homebuilders as the price, pace and margins plot thickened on or about February 28, 2026. How big is big enough anymore, especially with the cloud of uncertainty that intensified on the day the Iran War began? Taylor Morrison Home Corp.‘s recentl

Decade-long accessibility push earns Seattle agent fair housing honor

A decade after addressing a room full of real estate agents as a motivational speaker, Barry Long is being recognized as a 2026 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Fair Housing Champion. Home accessibility search standards that Long co-developed are being adopted by multiple listing services (MLS

Don’t give away your future: Why servicing is becoming a strategic asset

You hear them in a conference session, jot them down in your notebook, and then weeks later you find yourself still thinking about them while walking the dog, sitting on an airplane or reading another industry headline (from HousingWire, of course). That happened to me with something Ron Leonhardt,

Florida homebuyers sue Compass over $475 transaction fee

Homebuyers in Florida have filed a lawsuit against Compass challenging a transaction fee the brokerage charged them upon the close of their August 2024 home purchase.  Filed on Tuesday in Palm Beach County, Florida circuit court by plaintiffs Jeff and Melissa Efron, the suit accused Compass of “unfa

New York AG charges suspect in alleged deed theft involving 92-year-old homeowner

New York Attorney General Letitia James has charged a Queens resident with allegedly stealing the Brooklyn home and savings of a 92-year-old woman with dementia, in a case highlighting how deed theft continues to strip home equity and housing security from elderly homeowners in New York City. On Thu

Viral ‘71% zero deals’ claim clashes with NAR 2026 member data

Data makes it easier to do our jobs in real estate — but accuracy and trust are more important than ever. We live and work in an age of nearly instant information and timesaving technology. This has had a profound impact on those of us in the world of real estate. With the tools at our disposal, we