BPC Action presses Congress to advance bipartisan housing bills

Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC) is urging congressional leaders to bring two bipartisan housing bills to the floor for votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate as soon as possible, citing rising housing costs and a nationwide shortage of affordable homes. In a statement issued Mond

Purlin and Final Offer merge to launch unified AI real estate platform

AI-powered real estate operations system Purlin and Final Offer, a consumer-facing offer negotiation marketplace, have merged to form Purlin Enterprises, according to an announcement on Tuesday. The financial terms of the merger were not disclosed. The merger creates an AI-platform that unifies real

Will steady mortgage rates calm buyers and sellers this spring?

Despite some key economic and policy announcements in the past week, mortgage rates have remained stable, which could alleviate homebuyer and seller concerns as the spring housing market approaches. Mortgage News Daily (MND) reported Tuesday that 30-year fixed rates averaged 6.20%, up 5 basis points

Experian to acquire mortgage shopping platform Own Up

Consumer credit reporting company Experian has reached an agreement to acquire mortgage shopping platform Own Up, with the goal of integrating homebuying guidance and loan options into Experian’s existing ecosystem of credit card, personal loan and auto insurance offerings. Own Up operates an artifi

Mega real estate brokerages raise the stakes in the war for agents

In many markets across the country, Compass’s acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate has resulted in a mega-brokerage firm with over 50% market share. As agents and brokers in some of these markets come to terms with their new massive competitor, many are thinking about how the merger may change the ag

Keller Williams settles Batton homebuyer commission lawsuit for $20 million

Nearly two years to the day since Keller Williams settled the home seller commission lawsuits, the firm has announced a settlement with the Batton homebuyer commission lawsuit plaintiffs. The company announced its settlement agreement on Monday. As part of the nationwide settlement agreement, Keller

MBA’s Broeksmit says credit bureau trade group “gaslit” mortgage industry

Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) President and CEO Bob Broeksmit took the stage at the trade group’s IMB26 Conference in Florida to say that its members and he himself have “just been gaslit by the trade association that represents the credit bureaus.” The MBA has proposed that lenders submit a si

Retirement accounts become emergency funds as financial stress rises

Long-term retirement accounts are increasingly serving as sources of emergency funds as American workers confront rising costs and persistent financial anxiety, according to multiple recent studies. Surveys from Allianz Life Insurance, Payroll Integrations and F&G Annuities and Life show Americans c

Fewer Medicare Advantage plans could create tough choices for senior homeowners

Rising health care costs, paired with minimal rate growth for Medicare Advantage plans, could accelerate insurer withdrawals from states and counties nationwide, potentially disrupting coverage options for millions of older Americans. Several of the nation’s largest insurers — including UnitedHealth

BLS jobs report for January delayed by partial government shutdown

The January jobs report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will not be released as scheduled on Friday due to the partial federal government shutdown that began Saturday. The report will be issued once funding resumes. The shutdown was triggered after Congress failed to pass fund

Builders FirstSource acquires Pleasant Valley Homes

Builders FirstSource, the largest American supplier of structural building products, quietly acquired the assets of Pennsylvania-based Pleasant Valley Homes, a wholesale manufacturer of modular homes.  Lori Conrad, Senior Director of Corporate Communications for Builders FirstSource, confirmed to Th

Sasha Jackson joins Housing Policy Council as SVP for market structure

The Housing Policy Council (HPC) — a trade association representing mortgage lenders and servicers, title insurers, and technology and data companies — said Monday that Alexander (Sasha) Jackson has joined the organization as senior vice president for market structure. Jackson brings more than 15 ye

Announcing the 2026 TECH100 Real Estate Winners

The Tech100 Real Estate award honors the most innovative and impactful companies transforming the real estate industry. This award highlights organizations that are driving efficiency, transparency, and accessibility, reshaping how real estate professionals operate and serve their clients. Now in it

Announcing the 2026 TECH100 Mortgage Winners

The Tech100 Mortgage Award recognizes the most innovative and influential organizations shaping the future of mortgage lending. Tech100 highlights companies delivering technology that meaningfully improves how mortgages are originated, processed, closed, and serviced — driving greater efficiency, tr

Homebuying power improves as prices cool, inventory expands

U.S. homebuyers are gaining ground on affordability as price growth slows and housing supply expands, according to the latest HousingWire Data through Jan. 24. While affordability challenges persist — despite mortgage rates trending lower — recent shifts are improving purchasing power and giving buy

Housing demand is still positive even with epic snowstorm

With an epic snowstorm hitting large areas of the U.S. recently, I expected housing data to take a hit after the solid start we had already seen in 2026, but it remained mostly positive, which surprised me. The big key to that, of course, is that mortgage rates, even with all the crazy headlines rec

WalletHub says these are the best states for retirees in 2026

A new WalletHub study compares all 50 states to identify where retirees may find the most favorable balance of affordability and quality of life — with Wyoming taking the top spot. The analysis highlights wide disparities between states, with some offering budgets that stretch much further than othe

House approves funding boost for Social Security Administration

The House of Representatives approved legislation last week to bolster customer service efforts at the Social Security Administration (SSA), advancing a broader funding package aimed at avoiding a government shutdown at the end of this month. Lawmakers paired the funding increase with oversight requ

Austin Niemiec to lead Rocket Pro as Dan Sogorka departs

Austin Niemiec will take the helm of Rocket Pro following the departure of Dan Sogorka, according to people familiar with the transition who spoke to HousingWire. Niemiec will retain his title as chief revenue officer of Rocket Mortgage but will focus exclusively on the broker and correspondent chan

Meritage holds its line as new-home demand turns inelastic

There’s a version of this market where “buying sales” becomes the default operating system for nearly everyone. When that happens, the question stops being whether incentives rise. They do. The real question becomes: who has the operational and balance-sheet self-control to decide where to lean in—a