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

Why most buyers hire the first agent they talk to

Zillow’s 2025 Consumer Housing Trends Report for Agents shows that more than one-third (36%) of home sellers now find their agents online, a sharp increase from just 15% in 2018. Among buyers, 33% said online research played a significant role in selecting an agent. At the same time, repeat buyers n

Judge Valderrama’s ‘roadmap’ for successful antitrust litigation in affordable housing crisis

“The Court accepts as true all of the well-pleaded facts in the Complaint and draws all reasonable inferences in favor of Plaintiffs.” So said U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama on 12.4.2025. According to Reuters: “A group of companies that lease land for mobile homes has convinced a federal ju

The spreadsheet trap: Why investor reporting still operates like it’s 2005

Manually updating spreadsheets. Dealing with paper jams in the printer. Remember what office life was like in 2005? If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can find many of the same practices still in place in the investor’s reporting offices of loan servicers today.  But why haven’t these offices evolved

Federal judge orders Trump administration to seek money for CFPB

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled against the Trump administration as it seeks to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by refusing to fund it. The judge ordered the administration to continue to seek funding for the bureau, which was created by Congress but is funded through the

The list of all Trump’s actions in 2025 that impacted housing

Below is a timeline of the actions the Trump administration or Congressional Republicans have taken that impact housing since President Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025, along with additional coverage of those topics. Opinions on Trump administration actions CFPB Trump fires CFPB Director Rohit Ch

Title insurance leaders bet on technology, efficiency for 2026 growth

As the title insurance industry moves into 2026, executives say it faces a complex mix of market pressures, regulatory shifts and escalating fraud risks. Leading executives who sat down with HousingWire are focusing on technology, operational efficiency and agent support — aiming to keep operations

HousingWire 2026 housing market forecast: A more balanced market comes into view

2026 is upon us and for this year, I want to keep the housing discussion very simple. As active inventory has returned to near-normal levels and home-price growth has cooled, we are entering a year when buyers, sellers and buyers-to-be are on a much better footing than in the unhealthy housing marke

Logan Mohtashami’s 2026 housing forecast

2026 is upon us and for this year, I want to keep the housing discussion very simple. As active inventory has returned to near-normal levels and home-price growth has cooled, we are entering a year when buyers, sellers and buyers-to-be are on a much better footing than in the unhealthy housing marke

REMAX accelerates real estate innovation with AI and technology

REMAX is accelerating the integration of AI and cutting-edge technology to transform how agents engage with clients, generate leads, and deliver results. Initiatives like Max AI, MaxRefer, MaxEngage, and HomeView leverage real-time data, personalized marketing, and AI-driven tools to streamline the

Out-of-state investors keep sizable stake in single-family homes

Out-of-state investment in U.S. single-family homes remains elevated in 2025, even as the housing market continues to cool from pandemic-era extremes, according to new data from SFR Analytics. Nonresident investors accounted for 5.56% of single-family home purchases nationwide this year. That share

Why AI alone can’t maximize renovation ROI for home sellers

When it comes to home renovation, it’s never been easier to pop a few images of your kitchen into an AI tool and ask it to paint the walls a new color or change the cabinets. These tools are fun and helpful for inspiration, but like an unused Pinterest board, often leave users without any actionable

Judge blocks key Hometap defenses in Massachusetts HEI lawsuit

A Massachusetts judge has barred home equity contract provider Hometap from arguing that state regulators previously approved or implicitly sanctioned the company’s business model — strengthening the attorney general’s consumer protection lawsuit against Hometap. In a Dec. 19 decision, Suffolk Count

Home price growth slows, affordability pressures persist

U.S. home price growth remained muted in October as high mortgage rates and affordability constraints continued to weigh on the housing market, according to data released Tuesday by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index rose 1.4% from a year earlier — up

Loan officer mental health: How to recognize & prevent burnout

Over the past few years, the mortgage industry has seen a significant decline in the number of loan originators. Loan officer burnout is a constant reality of the job, and what starts as long hours or a stressful month can gradually evolve into exhaustion, irritability, detachment and a loss of pass

Realtor.com urges action on US housing supply shortage

As the housing industry prepares for 2026, Realtor.com is taking some time to double down on its Let America Build campaign. Initially launched in March 2025, the national campaign advocates for solutions to expand housing supply.  Realtor.com describes the campaign, which calls on lawmakers to make

Rechat partners with SkySlope to add forms, e-signatures to platform

Experience management platform Rechat is partnering with transaction management platform SkySlope, enabling Rechat to expand its capabilities into forms and e-signatures.  The firms announced the partnership on Dec. 23. According to a press release, the partnership is an expansion of Rechat’s transa

How long does it take to save for a down payment in 2025?

Even though down payments remain an obstacle to prospective homebuyers across the country, affordability conditions have improved significantly in the past three years. That’s the key takeaway from a Realtor.com report released Monday. The company found that across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, t

RMLS Alliance becomes Broker Public Portal shareholder, expands reach via Cribio

RMLS Alliance (RMLS-A) is the Broker Public Portal (BPP)’s newest shareholder. In addition, RMLS-A listings are now live on Cribio, the BPP’s public facing portal. The BPP is an industry-led initiative formed by brokerages and multiple listing services (MLSs) that aims to deliver a national MLS home

Pending home sales rise in November as lower rates spur buyers

November’s declining mortgage rates enticed more homebuyers to come off the sidelines, resulting in an uptick for the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI).  According to NAR data released Monday, pending home sales were up 3.3% month over month in November, as the