WFG’s Don O’Neill on FinCEN, rate scrutiny and title compliance

The regulatory and compliance landscape for the title insurance industry grew more complex in 2025, driven by federal anti-money laundering rules, expanding reporting obligations and renewed scrutiny from state regulators. From delayed but still-looming FinCEN requirements to rate reductions, licens

Bank statement loans: More mortgage options for self-employed buyers and homeowners as rates ease

If you’re self-employed, paid on commission, or run a business, you already know the frustration: you can have strong cash flow, great credit, and real assets—yet a traditional mortgage can still feel like a square peg in a round hole. That’s exactly why bank statement loans exist. They’re designed

Why didn’t double-digit growth in purchase apps lead to more home sales in 2025?

Purchase application data had its first positive year in many years in 2025, meaning we had more positive than negative week-to-week data, and most of the year was positive year over year in almost every weekly print. However, existing home sales will likely be only slightly higher in 2025 than in 2

Compass, NWMLS clash over document production in antitrust suit

Compass and Northwest MLS (NWMLS) are currently locked in a dispute over the MLS’s production of documents during discovery in the Robert Reffkin-helmed firm’s antitrust lawsuit.  Compass filed this lawsuit against NWMLS in late April 2025. The antitrust suit centers around NWMLS’s listing policy. A

The U.S. housing market in 2025: A year of normalization

After housing market cycles defined by extreme shortages, rapid price appreciation and frenetic buyer competition, this year delivered something closer to balance. Inventory climbed meaningfully, price growth flattened and homes took longer to sell — signs of a market settling into a more sustainabl

Compass-Anywhere deal may exceed DOJ market-share limits in some cities

Compass’s proposed acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate may give the firm some eyebrow-raising market share levels in certain markets across the country, according to analysis of RealTrends Verified data published by The Capitol Forum earlier this week. This includes more than 80% market share in bot

DOJ wants antitrust review of real estate commissions in Davis suit

The Department of Justice (DOJ) wants a federal court in Philadelphia to take a close look at real estate agent commissions. Last Friday, the DOJ filed a statement of interest in the Davis homebuyer commission lawsuit filed in May 2024 against Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.  The statement of int

NAR legislative priorities for 2026 focus on housing supply, affordability

There’s no shortage of differing opinions within housing, but one thing most industry professionals can agree on is that affordability is a key ongoing struggle for many prospective homebuyers.  Real estate agents and members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) are on the front lines of th

Why the DSCR loan became the investor darling of 2025

For real estate investors sidelined by traditional income documentation requirements, debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) loans are becoming easier to access and are more widely available as lenders refine underwriting and gain confidence in the product’s performance. Like other seemingly “nontraditi

Mortgage applications fall 5% despite rate decline

Mortgage applications decreased 5.0% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Dec. 19, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 6% compared with the previous week. The refinance index decre

Texas proposes property tax cuts for homeowners 55+

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently announced “Operation Double Nickel,” a proposal that would lower the age for senior property tax benefits from 65 to 55 and expand homestead tax exemptions. According to Patrick’s website, the plan “would accelerate school property tax cuts, reduce school property

Mortgage rates cool in 2025, but 2026 relief likely limited

Mortgage rates started the year slightly above 7% but are heading into the holiday season near the 6.2% level. Looking ahead to 2026, lenders and industry experts expect some relief, though not a dramatic shift. On Monday, Mortgage News Daily reported that 30-year conventional fixed rates averaged 6

MBA 2026 forecast: Slow growth amid inflation, rate hikes

Economic growth is expected to slow in 2026 and remain below trend for several years as higher interest rates and lingering inflation pressures weigh on the U.S. economy, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s December Economic and Mortgage Finance forecasts. MBA economists Mike Fratantoni,

November sees sharp rise in U.S. mortgage delinquencies

U.S. mortgage delinquencies jumped sharply in November, reaching their highest level in more than four years, according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s latest First Look report, released on Tuesday. The national delinquency rate rose to 3.85% in November, up 50 basis points from October, as the number

How The Loan Store doubled volume in a crowded wholesale market

In a wholesale mortgage market dominated by giants, Arizona-based lender The Loan Store (TLS) has found a way to grow quickly by hiring a team of “samurai” account executives and underwriters from across the industry and picking up loans that others would deny. In the first nine months of 2025, the

reAlpha to buy InstaMortgage for $8.5M to expand direct lending

Real estate technology company reAlpha Tech Corp. has closed a deal to acquire lender InstaMortgage Inc. for $8.5 million in a cash-and-stock transaction. The move will add direct lending capabilities and expand multi-licensing structure to reAlpha’s existing mortgage brokerage operations, the compa

Opinion: Easing GSE credit score requirements raises risk concerns

At a time when lack of affordability is a major issue for prospective homebuyers, eliminating minimum credit score requirements in GSE automated underwriting may sound like a great idea to expand credit access. However, there’s a reason the GSEs had such requirements in place for decades. They acted

FHFA sets 2026-2028 housing goals for GSEs

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Tuesday issued a final rule setting housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for 2026 through 2028, lowering benchmarks from 2025-2027 levels. The Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 requires the FHFA to establish se

No IPO, no apologies: Kuba Jewgieniew on building a global brand without going corporate

For Realty ONE Group founder and CEO Kuba Jewgieniew, 2025 was a special year, as it marked the 20th anniversary of his founding of the firm. “It is still a family business, supporting other family businesses and entrepreneurs with our agents and team leaders, and we really are one big family,” Jewg

The rise of credit solutions in lending: Why loan officers with credit tools find more success 

A credit report shows a score and a list of tradelines. It does not show what to do next. When qualification hinges on small swings in a score, borrowers need coaching that translates data into actions. That is where modern loan officers add the most value: not by interpreting a score in isolation,