Trump executive orders target housing supply and mortgage credit

President Donald Trump on Friday announced two executive orders that aim to increase the U.S. housing supply and consumer access to mortgage credit. One of the orders directs various federal agencies — including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Finan

Trump executive order targets regulatory barriers to homebuilding

The White House announced on Friday afternoon its effort to challenge what it calls “unnecessary regulatory barriers” to homebuilding by issuing a broad executive order to reduce environmental, permitting and programmatic restrictions that federal officials say are contributing to the nation’s housi

Realtor.com data challenges effectiveness of Senate ban on big home investors

In the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Thursday, is a provision titled, “Homes Are for People, Not Corporations.” This provision seeks to impose new restrictions on institutional investors in the single-family housing market. Under the provision, entities o

Federal judge blocks DOJ subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Powell

A federal judge on Friday blocked subpoenas that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) served the Federal Reserve in a case involving Jerome Powell’s Congressional testimony on the central bank’s headquarters renovation, concluding the effort appeared designed to “harass and pressure” him to lower in

Contrarian Smith Douglas leans into its system, goes for market share

Uncertainty, margin compression and the gut-check math of affordability are the givens of a new-home market impatiently waiting for relief on at least one of those three fronts.  Most public homebuilders – facing this indefinite limbo – are doing the same thing: slowing down. Production starts are t

Is Opendoor playing the builder rate buydown game?

iBuyer Opendoor’s recently launched mortgage product — which promises below-market interest rates after the company removed its markup — has sparked debate across the industry about who absorbs the cost and whether the model is sustainable. Some industry professionals view the offering as similar to

The private listings war is escalating. Here’s the compromise that could save our industry

The private listings debate just got louder. Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has launched HannaList, an internal listing network that allows Howard Hanna agents to share listings exclusively with Howard Hanna buyer agents before those properties ever reach the MLS. Combined with what Compass has b

NFM Lending adds high-producing South Carolina LO Phil Crescenzo Jr.

Phil Crescenzo Jr., a high-producing loan officer in South Carolina, is joining NFM Lending. The move was announced Friday on social media by NFM managing director Greg Sher. Crescenzo comes to NFM after a two-year stint as Southeast division manager for Nation One Mortgage Corp. His prior experienc

Compass names Shay Artzi CTO to unify agent technology platform

With the closure of its merger with Anywhere Real Estate now in the rearview mirror, Compass International Holdings (CIH) is looking to get all 340,000 real estate professionals under its all-in-one technology platform. On Friday, the firm announced that Shay Artzi will spearhead this effort in his

The senior housing bottleneck is a mortgage market issue hiding in plain sight

For years, the housing industry anticipated that the aging demographic would steadily release inventory into the resale market. Instead, many older homeowners are remaining in place longer than expected — and the reasons go far beyond sentiment. As someone who began my career building a mortgage len

New Jersey proposal could reduce senior property tax relief

New Jersey homeowners could see smaller property tax relief benefits under a budget proposal unveiled Tuesday by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, as the state confronts fiscal pressures and persistently high costs of living. In her first budget address since taking office, Sherrill proposed tightening eligibili

Hajime Construction Buys 51% of Utah Builder Wright Homes

Japan-based real estate and construction giants have spent the past decade quietly building footholds across the U.S. housing market. By early 2026, those footholds are transforming into a noticeable wave of expansion. The latest development comes from Tokyo-based Hajime Construction Co., Ltd., whic

Mortgage trade groups urge VA to revise elements of proposed partial claim rules

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to revise elements of its proposed partial claim and loss-mitigation policies for VA-backed mortgages, arguing that the draft rules could leave veteran borrowers at a disadvantage compared to others. In a comme

ROAD to Housing Act sparks debate over investor limits, housing supply

When the Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on Thursday, longtime real estate analyst Steve Murray zeroed in on a number at the center of the legislation: 350. That figure, under the bill, defines a “large institutional investor” — a category that triggers strict limit

The edge that large remodelers leverage in a fragmented industry

Like its residential construction counterpart – homebuilding – the more than $500 billion residential remodeling industry remains highly geographically fragmented and varies widely in firm size, despite a slight increase in M&A activity since the COVID pandemic. In an industry dominated by small ope

Howard Hanna debuts HannaList with MLS aligned early access

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is launching HannaList, an internal listing portal designed to give sellers an early-access marketing option before a listing is widely distributed. The initial rollout will begin in Northeast Ohio and the Greater Pittsburgh area in early April, with expansion to ad

Bryan-College Station is a Texas sleeper market for builders

Most people view Texas in two ways: through our large cities or the stereotypical image of a man on a horse. One is about skyscrapers, private equity, and traffic; the other focuses on boots, cattle, and a mythology that has increased tourism. However, some of the real opportunities in Texas may be

Private listings: The full truth both sides are avoiding

The private listings debate has become one of the most polarizing conversations in organized real estate — and in my view, it is being handled poorly by nearly everyone involved. Advocates are cherry-picking the benefits without acknowledging the risks. Critics are sounding alarms without acknowledg

Senate passes sweeping housing package in 89–10 vote

The Senate overwhelmingly passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an 89–10 vote on Thursday, advancing a sweeping bipartisan bill aimed at boosting housing supply and addressing affordability challenges nationwide. But consumer advocates and trade groups are still pushing for changes to sever

CrossCountry Mortgage launches dedicated builder division amid new-home surge

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) has launched a dedicated homebuilder division and made a “significant investment” in the new unit as it targets more business from builders and consumer buyers, the company announced Wednesday. The Cleveland-based lender said the expansion is meant to deepen relationships