Portable credit reports spark debate over costs, feasibility

While the mortgage industry lobbies to reduce credit report costs, the idea of allowing borrowers to use the same file across multiple lenders has slowly emerged. In this consumer-controlled portable credit report model, borrowers would authorize the use of a single credit report during their mortga

Virginia governor’s amendments keep Faith in Housing Act in limbo

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger left in limbo legislation that would let faith-based organizations build affordable housing on their land without rezoning. Instead of vetoing or signing the Faith in Housing Act, Spanberger recommended changes. The recommendations keep the bill’s core intact but mak

America’s housing shortage stems from more than overregulation, Fed report finds

The U.S. housing market is chronically underbuilt, resulting in a decades-long shortage. Burdensome regulations take part of the blame, but they are not the only cause. A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis indicates that regulations are just one piece of the puzzle. Labor shortage

Dark Matter’s Vikas Rao on the nature of shifting mortgage work in the era of AI

On Thursday, Dark Matter Technologies announced the promotion of Vikas Rao from chief technology officer to CEO, with Rao replacing Sean Dugan. At the same time, the Florida-headquartered company announced layoffs impacting 5% of its workforce. The roles affected were not immediately announced. Rao,

Maine becomes first state to impose consumer safeguards on home equity investments

Maine Gov. Janet Mills this week signed LD 1901, making Maine the first state to enact comprehensive consumer protections for home equity investments (HEIs), which the new law defines as “shared appreciation mortgage loans.” The bill, titled “An Act to Regulate Shared Appreciation Agreements Relatin

Culture isn’t what you say. It’s what you do

Culture isn’t something you define once. It’s something you prove every day through what you reward, what you allow, and what you model when no one’s watching. That distinction matters because most organizations treat culture as a document. They write the values, post them on the wall, and move on.

The rise of HELOCs: What it means for originators in today’s market

As interest rates remain elevated compared to historic, pandemic-era lows, many homeowners are rethinking how to access cash without giving up the favorable rates they locked in just a few years ago. For originators, that shift is creating a clear opportunity. Demand for home equity lines of credit

Chain reaction: A framework for America’s housing and retirement crises

The American Dream has a math problem. Millions can’t afford homes. Those who can, can’t find them. And many who already own don’t have enough saved to retire. It’s gridlock, compounding and dangerous enough to stifle homeownership as a pathway to stability, wealth creation, and retirement longevity

MBA chief economist says mortgage rates, inflation will stay elevated through 2026

Mortgage rates and inflation are expected to remain elevated through 2026 as pressures tied to geopolitical tensions keep Federal Reserve rate cuts on hold. That’s according to Mike Fratantoni, chief economist and senior vice president of research and business development at the Mortgage Bankers Ass

California lawmakers weigh state-backed loans for downtown housing towers

California lawmakers are weighing yet another tool in the housing toolbox to jumpstart high-rise construction in the state’s largest downtown areas. Assembly Bill 2074, dubbed the Downtown Revitalization Act, would ease approvals and offer state-backed, low-interest financing near major transit hubs

White House backs deregulation as it looks to address estimated 10M housing deficit

The White House estimates that the U.S. has a housing shortage of 10 million single-family homes, according to the annual Economic Report of the President released on Monday. This shortage is largely a product of overregulation, the report claims. To combat the housing deficit, White House economist

Brynn Carmody’s burnout as a real estate agent sparked an AI platform for the entire industry

In the male-dominated space of real estate tech companies, 26-year-old Brynn Carmody stands out.  “It is definitely hard walking into serious spaces like AI and being taken seriously,” Carmody said. “I’m young, I’m a woman and it’s a bootstrapped company, so I don’t have those typical signals people

Why is housing inventory growth slowing down in 2026?

After the release of the March existing home sales report, which missed estimates, the fact that housing inventory growth is slowing down has caught some people off guard. States like Florida, which some people said would see worse-than-2008 housing inventory increases in 2026, are already negative

UWM, Mat Ishbia sued after Michigan State football coach’s harassment fallout

Brenda Tracy, who reported sexual harassment against former Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker, is suing United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) and CEO Mat Ishbia. Tracy claims the mortgage lender and its chief executive inserted themselves into a matter that was “none of their busine

As policy uncertainty rattles older investors, how can reverse mortgage pros respond?

Retirement planning has long required navigating many financial risks — from outliving savings to market volatility and rising health care costs. But new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College finds that uncertainty surrounding federal policy has sharply intensified these

How to Protest Your Property Taxes

It’s property-tax season in Texas, and if you disagree with the valuation of your property, you have the right to protest. The standard deadline to file a protest is May 15 or no later than the 30th day after your notice of appraised value was mailed to you. The Texas Real Estate Research Center pub

How to create a real estate agent development plan when you’ve hit a plateau

You’re experienced. You’ve closed deals, navigated tough transactions and built a book of business. But your production hasn’t meaningfully changed. One month is strong, the next is quiet. No matter how many hours you put in, it’s hard to build consistent momentum. This is where a lot of agents stal

Interactive dashboards: A move from optional to essential

Mortgage servicers and their partners need dashboards for speed and transparency. Interactive dashboards are a practical application of business intelligence (BI) technology, designed to make data accessible and actionable for day-to-day decisions. Microsoft Power BI and similar platforms allow user

Is housing inventory about to turn negative year over year?

Is housing inventory about to go negative? Since mid-June 2025 I’ve been writing that housing market dynamics have shifted, which we could already see in our HousingWire data while it might take other sources six to nine months to show that. This shift should create some negative year-over-year inve

As retirement slips further away, workers prioritize stability and senior home equity

America’s workers are clinging to their jobs at a decade-low quit rate of 2%, driven by fear rather than fulfillment, new data shows. The research from Economist Enterprise surveyed 2,063 full-time employed Americans ages 18 to 62 across industries, including energy, manufacturing, media, financial