Bill targets Social Security earnings limits as retirement trends shift

A proposal in Congress to eliminate a rule that reduces Social Security benefits for working retirees comes as more Americans rethink what retirement looks like and opt for flexible, phased transitions instead of a hard stop. The Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act, introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R

The Gathering 2026: Mortgage execs debate the hidden risks of credit score reform

Mortgage industry executives say the shift to new credit score models and lender choice could raise mortgage delinquencies, reshape pricing grids at the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and ultimately push costs back onto borrowers, even if the costs for scores fall on the front end. U.S. Dep

Reside outlines growth strategy at first event since acquisition

The recent Reside Oceanside Mastermind Conference in Florida marked the first major in-person gathering for the brokerage-agnostic coaching platform since it was acquired by Robert Palmer — who leads LPT Realty and its parent LPT Aperture Holdings. Attendees included team leaders, coaches and broker

LPT Realty’s Robert Palmer: ‘We run the brokerage like a business instead of as a loss leader’

LPT Realty founder and CEO Robert Palmer took the stage Tuesday at HousingWire’s The Gathering in Austin, Texas — outlining growth strategy built on team empowerment, agent retention and a deliberate separation from mortgage origination. Palmer, who spent roughly 20 years in the mortgage business, h

Keller Williams names Christopher Brodhead chief revenue officer

Keller Williams Realty has hired Christopher Brodhead as chief revenue officer, a new role that will oversee revenue growth strategy across the real estate franchise’s ecosystem, according to an announcement on Tuesday In this role Brodhead will be responsible for aligning Keller Williams’ revenue-d

HUD rescinds energy rule for new construction, opening market to more FHA, USDA buyers

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner said the agency is rescinding energy-efficiency requirements tied to loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Turner announced the move Tuesday at HousingWire’s Th

Case-Shiller: Home price growth remained slow in February

The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose just 0.7% year-over-year in February, down from 0.8% in January. For the ninth consecutive month, inflation outpaced home price appreciation. Consumer prices rose 2.4% — leaving any housing gain deep in negative territory in real terms.  Chicago le

Rethinking the CRM: How Sure Send is redefining daily execution for modern real estate and lending teams

For years, CRM platforms have been positioned as the backbone of productivity for loan originators, agents and sales teams. However, in practice, many have failed to evolve beyond static databases, becoming repositories of stale contacts rather than true systems of execution. As teams scale and pipe

The infrastructure cost squeeze and what builders can do

Infrastructure costs and impact fees remain the persistent financial burdens in residential development. Site grading, roads, water systems, sewer lines, drainage, utilities and development impact fees are rising faster than home prices can absorb them. For builders operating on already compressed m

Smart home technology continues to emerge as key tool for aging in place

A rapidly aging U.S. population is accelerating demand for smart home technology that allows older adults to remain in their homes longer. Financing options, including the tapping of home equity, are emerging to help pay for it. Roughly 11,000 Americans turn 65 each day and about one in four U.S. re

Century’s spec and land optionality model zigs as others zag

As public homebuilders work to reduce their spec inventory and strike price-pace-and-incentives balances that best fit their land positions and operational fortes, Century Communities strategists are betting they can win on underpricing peers and rebuilding margins on the back of operational excelle

Minnesota zoning reform push for starter homes falters

A third go at trying to reboot starter-home construction in Minnesota is on life support at the state Legislature, with supporters scrambling to revive it before the session ends. High-profile zoning reform bills failed in a House committee and missed key Senate deadlines late last month, potentiall

The Group Real Estate’s Brandon Wells on AI ‘slop,’ independents’ edge

Brandon Wells, president and CEO of The Group Real Estate, doesn’t buy into the fear that artificial intelligence will replace real estate agents (AI). But he also doesn’t buy into most of the AI tools being sold to brokerages today. “I think there’s a lot of AI slop out there,” Wells said on the la

What if the housing shortage era is ending for some metros?

The Changing Landscape “This is not a forecast. A forecast is a prediction, the validity of which my ego and I are professionally responsible for. What I offer here is speculation – something that is likely enough to write about but not so likely that my ego hangs in the balance.” – George Friedman

‘Off to the races’: Real, REMAX CEOs on tech and culture after acquisition

Just after announcing an $880 million acquisition of REMAX Holdings, Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage, described the deal as historic for the real estate industry — combining two companies whose leaders say share a common vision for an evolving business. In an interview with HousingWire, Poleg

NEXA Lending denies loanDepot trade secrets lawsuit

NEXA Lending CEO Mike Kortas is dismissing claims that the company misappropriated trade secrets and confidential customer data after being sued by rival lender loanDepot in federal court. The complaint alleges that NEXA knowingly assisted two former loanDepot employees in taking proprietary informa

LA wildfire recovery aftermath draws Trump scrutiny

Donald Trump said last week that his administration will examine how banks are treating homeowners affected by the last year’s Los Angeles wildfires, singling out Wells Fargo for criticism after meetings with local officials. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he met with Los Angeles Mayor Karen

Rethinking fire-resistant construction: How fire-retardant OSB is reshaping building materials innovation

Oriented strand board (OSB) has been a trusted staple in construction for decades. Builders have relied on its consistency, familiarity and structural performance in an industry where predictability often outweighs experimentation. But as fire risk intensifies, building codes evolve and insurance pr

The mortgage industry optimized for affordability. It ignored capital efficiency.

For decades, mortgage lending has been built around a single objective: to make homeownership affordable. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage became the dominant structure because it lowers monthly payments, expands borrower eligibility, and fits cleanly into underwriting frameworks built around debt-to

Speed-to-lead: Your strongest competitive advantage in homebuilding lies in response time

Builders are generating more online leads than ever, but many are missing what matters most: speed. The homebuying journey now begins with an online inquiry, a form submission or a request for pricing and the outcome is increasingly determined by how quickly a builder responds. New Home Star is work