California weighs single-stair multifamily to ignite housing supply

California’s emerging housing fracas over a single stairwell may become a lightning rod, affecting both building codes and capital investment in more multifamily projects in more places. California’s Fire Marshal is reportedly in the final stages of a report due this month on whether the state will

HomeAdvantage, Affinity Federal Credit Union relaunch partnership

HomeAdvantage, a real estate benefits program for credit unions, has relaunched its partnership with Affinity Federal Credit Union — giving members renewed access to real estate tools, expert guidance and potential savings throughout the home buying and selling process. Through HomeAdvantage, member

One year later, insurance hurdles and red tape slow Los Angeles wildfire recovery

Roughly a year after destructive wildfires tore through parts of Los Angeles, rebuilding in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods remains slow, hampered by insurance delays, regulatory bottlenecks and rising construction costs.  Most of the damage stemmed from the two largest blazes, the Eaton Fire

Court advised to reject legal bid to compel NAR rule enforcement

A magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s West Palm Beach Division has recommended that the court deny plaintiff Jorge Zea’s preliminary injunction motion that seeks to compel the National Association of Realtors (NAR) along with 16 local Realtor associatio

Housing activity weakens in latest Fed Beige Book report

Housing activity weakened across much of the country, emerging as one of the clearest drags on overall economic performance, according to the Federal Reserve’s most recent Beige Book report. Most Federal Reserve districts reporting on residential real estate cited softer home sales, slower construct

Are 50-year mortgages, portable mortgages and assumable loans the future of U.S. housing?

Affordability pressures, elevated mortgage rates, and homeowner rate lock-in have pushed once-fringe mortgage ideas back into the spotlight. Concepts such as 50-year mortgages, portable mortgages, and assumable loans are being discussed as potential solutions. Some are misunderstood. Others already

Proprietary reverse mortgage market share continues to climb

New View Advisors on Tuesday published the newest installment of its Proprietary Reverse Mortgage Production Index, which showed that private-label reverse mortgages are continuing to become a preferred product among lenders and borrowers. The company estimated that proprietary loan volume totaled $

Home care crisis drives innovation for aging in place

A growing shortage of home care workers is threatening older Americans’ ability to remain in their homes. Despite rising demand, the sector struggles with low wages, high turnover and limited benefits — leaving families and patients scrambling for support, according to recent data highlighted by KFF

WFG National Title Insurance introduces financial planning tool for homebuyers, sellers

WFG National Title Insurance Company has developed a new financial planning and scenario analysis tool that is available to its real estate agent clients. The tool, called — WFG Key — is designed to help agents walk homebuyers and sellers through common financial questions related to affordability,

Kind Lending restructures leadership team with new president and COO

Kind Lending announced multiple leadership changes this week as company co-founder Yvonne Ketchum moves from the president role’s to a part-time role as president emeritus and executive adviser as she begins semi-retirement. As a result, chief operating officer Jennifer Folk will assume the role of

Is the lock-in effect loosening its grip on housing? Realtor.com thinks so

U.S. homeowners who carry mortgages with rates of 6% or more now outnumber those with rates below 3%. This should drive a “meaningful shift in the housing market after years of historically low borrowing costs,” according to a Realtor.com report released Wednesday. The company analyzed residential m

The 11 best real estate podcasts in 2026

There’s no better audience for podcasts than real estate agents who are on the road all day. Make the most of your time driving between showings and open houses by listening to experts in the industry. Whether you’re looking for motivation, a new fresh lead generation idea or simply another perspect

Titl raises $2.5M to expand title automation technology

Titl, a technology company focused on automating title verification, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to expand beyond Florida and increase operations nationwide. The round was led by Cofounders Capital and FIT Ventures — with funds supporting expansion into Georgia, Maryland and Connecticut

Real estate public speaking help offered in new platform founded by real estate team leader

A new professional development program aimed at preparing experienced real estate professionals for public speaking roles has begun a soft launch. The Industry Speaks Academy was created to help real estate professionals develop skills needed to participate effectively on conference stages, panel di

Top New Jersey team launches boutique firm at Side

A top-producing New Jersey team is making the move to Side. The Long Beach Island-based Freeman Group announced Wednesday that it was leaving REMAX at Barnegat Bay to launch a boutique firm, Freeman & Company, at Side.  The six-person team is led by owner and managing partner Edward Freeman. In laun

Lower mortgage rates support steady new home sales

After a long delay caused by the government shutdown, we finally have a new home sales report for October! The report shows that lower mortgage rates, which are now moving toward 6%, are helping to keep new home sales steady, similar to what we see in the existing home sales market. New home sales a

Cost of retirement comfort soars, leaving most far short

Retirement is widely portrayed as the reward for decades of work, but many Americans who have already stopped working say that promise is slipping out of reach. Rising costs and inadequate savings are reshaping expectations — and fueling fears — about life after work, according to findings from a re

Builders greet 2026 squeezed by policy flux and margin erosion

By the time the homebuilding industry reaches Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8, the stakes will be unmistakable. That date marks more than the unofficial kickoff to Spring Selling Season, for U.S. homebuilders large and small. It signals the point at which months of price capitulation, incentive laye

NAMB urges FHA to end lifetime mortgage insurance rule

The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) is urging the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to end its “life of loan” mortgage insurance rule and let borrowers cancel premiums once they’ve paid down their loan to 78% of their home’s value. NAMB believes the policy is outdated and unfair.

Luxury Presence raises $37M to push CRM platform development

Luxury Presence has raised $22 million in a Series C equity financing round, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, and secured an additional $15 million in debt financing from J.P. Morgan. New funding will support development of Luxury Presence’s new artificial intelligence (AI)–driven customer relation