Elon Musk says retirement savings could become ‘irrelevant’

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, stoked debate about the future of retirement savings by saying that in the coming years, traditional retirement planning could become “irrelevant” amid technological advances. “One side recommendation I have is: Don’t worry about squirreling money

Sharp decline in mortgage rates revives hopes of a refi surge, LOs say

Mortgage rates briefly fell below 6% on Friday for the first time in nearly three years — driven by President Donald Trump’s proposed $200 billion push in the secondary market. If they stay that low, they are expected to spur refinance activity.  Historically, a 22–basis-point decline in the 30-year

Housing starts fall to lowest point since 2020, led by a stall in the Sun Belt

Residential construction fell to its lowest point since May 2020, according to an October U.S. Census Bureau report that was delayed by last year’s government shutdown. Widening air pockets of demand over the past year led to an overbuild of speculative homebuilder inventory in — formerly booming —

Mortgage rates drop below 6% following Trump’s MBS announcement

It finally happened today: We got mortgage rates under 6% for a short time. Can we get some traction for that level? Well, one aspect of the mortgage-rate story really improved today; we had a monster day in mortgage spreads, improving overnight to push rates down over 20 basis points without much h

ATTOM: Home affordability stays strained across the country

Homes remained less affordable than historic norms in nearly every U.S. county at the end of 2025, despite modest improvements late in the year, according to ATTOM’s latest U.S. Home Affordability Report, released Thursday. In 586 of the 594 counties analyzed (or 99%), median-priced single-family ho

What Trump’s $200B MBS proposal means for mortgage spreads, rates

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac quietly increased their purchases of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in 2025, helping push mortgage spreads lower toward the year’s end. Most analysts, however, were not expecting further meaningful tightening in the near term — at least until this week. That changed Thur

Cotality’s Thom Malone on Trump’s proposed institutional investor ban

Housing professionals across the country raised their eyebrows earlier this week when President Donald Trump said he would look to stop large institutional investors from buying homes, citing increased affordability pressures on the typical American consumer. Cotality principal economist Thom Malone

Modest jobs gain in December signals even cooler labor market

The U.S. labor market continues to slow with the economy adding just 50,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in December, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  In addition to the modest jobs gain, the November jobs number was revised downward to 56,000, which is 8,000

Compass-Anywhere merger closing imminent, brokers share plans to compete

Despite initial estimates calling for a summer or even fall 2026 close for the Compass–Anywhere merger, the two companies have indicated the transaction could close as soon as this Friday.  This news came after shareholders at both firms overwhelmingly voted to approve the merger at special meetings

Trump directs GSEs to buy $200B in MBS to push mortgage rates lower

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is directing representatives at the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities (MBS), a move he said is intended to bring mortgage rates down. “Because I chose not to sell Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in m

Unexpected retirement expenses can strain senior homeowners

A new analysis from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College finds that nearly all retirees face surprise costs each year — from roof repairs to dental work — and a large share lack the cash to absorb even one year of these expenses. The result can be financial stress, forced asset sales

Toll Brothers announces Karl Mistry as new CEO, Doug Yearley to become Executive Chairman

Toll Brothers announced on Wednesday that Karl Mistry will be the company’s next CEO, replacing Doug Yearley, who will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board on March 30.  Mistry will take the helm at a time when Toll Brothers is leaning on its resilient, high-income buyers to nav

Jorgenson Group launches independent brokerage after 16 years with Keller Williams

The Jorgenson Group, a Round Rock, Texas–based real estate team led by founder Kasey Jorgenson, has officially launched Jorgenson Real Estate as an independent brokerage — ending a 16-year run operating within Keller Williams. The move became public this week and marks a new chapter for a team that

Taylor Morrison leads most-trusted rankings for 11th year in 2026

For the past five-plus years up to this very day, an 800-lb gorilla takes a seat at the table at every meeting in every Taylor Morrison conference room in every one of the organization’s offices. From its Scottsdale, AZ headquarters, to its three national operating regions, to its divisional hubs in

MeridianLink, Optimal Blue strike integration deal

MeridianLink and Optimal Blue announced Wednesday that they’ve reached an agreement to integrate their technology platforms, with the joint solution expected to be available to customers in early 2026.  Under the partnership, mortgage users of MeridianLink’s loan origination system will gain access

New York program helps gig workers qualify for mortgages

The New York City Housing Partnership launched a new homeownership initiative aimed at helping gig workers and self-employed New Yorkers qualify for mortgages — funded through a multi-year partnership with Airbnb. The program — called Pathways to Homeownership — is designed to assist workers who rel

Roc360 REIT receives $150M investment to target renovation loans

Singapore-based investment firm Temasek has closed a $150 million investment in a fund managed by real estate lending platform Roc360, the companies announced Thursday. The capital will be allocated to an investment vehicle focused on residential transition loans used to finance home renovations.Tem

Laura Brandao on taking a prominent leadership role at MLB Residential Lending

Laura Brandao announced on social media this week that she’s embarking on a new professional endeavor at MLB Residential Lending as its president of wholesale and correspondent lending. In a conversation with HousingWire, Brandao said that she’d been in a consultant’s role for MLB — which stands for

NRMLA backs New Jersey bill clarifying reverse mortgage rules

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) has voiced formal support for New Jersey Senate Bill 4970 — urging lawmakers to advance legislation that would clarify how reverse mortgages are treated under the state’s secondary mortgage law. In a letter sent to State Sen. Joseph Lagana, t

HUD tightens rules for FHA appraiser roster

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued new guidance that clarifies how appraisers are added to, maintained on and removed from the FHA Appraiser Roster. Mortgagee Letter 2025-24 — effective immediately — updates FHA policy to make appraiser eligibility easier to track and more