Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate details 2026 homebuyer trends

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) released its 2026 Design Trends Moving Real Estate Report — outlining features and design preferences driving homebuyers in the year ahead. The report draws on a national consumer study conducted by thinqinsights, as well as insights from BHGRE-affiliated

Stress appears for consumer credit conditions

The American Financial Services Association (AFSA), the nation’s oldest and largest consumer credit trade group, on Tuesday released its quarterly Consumer Credit Conditions Index. It found that AFSA members’ assessment of current conditions turned slightly negative in the third quarter of 2025. Mor

Coalition presses for stronger federal flood response, eyes ROAD to Housing Act

A new multi-state coalition is warning that worsening floods across Appalachia — and the federal government’s uneven response — are heightening risks for communities, infrastructure and real estate markets across the region. The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition recently convened for the first

As rural housing costs soar, financing affordable housing remains a hurdle

America’s housing affordability crisis is an equal-opportunity phenomenon. Nowhere is this more painfully clear than in the nation’s rural communities, which quietly confront a deepening affordability gap. Financing challenges unique to rural areas pursuing affordable housing development exacerbate

Mortgage delinquencies steady in September, but there’s ‘signs of stress beneath the surface’

U.S. mortgage delinquencies held steady at 3% in September 2025, unchanged from a year earlier but up slightly from 2.9% at the end of the second quarter, according to Cotality‘s newest Loan Performance Indicators report released on Tuesday. “The national delinquency rate has remained relatively sta

New York raises senior property tax exemption to 65%

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation to expand property tax exemptions for seniors to up to 65% of their home’s assessed value, raising the ceiling for the first time in decades from the previous 50% cap.“No New York senior should lose their home because they can no longer afford their

Zillow updates sites, apps after watchdog flags ad disclosure gaps

BBB National Programs’ Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP) has worked with Zillow Group to bring several of the company’s major brands into compliance with industry rules governing interest-based advertising. DAAP said it initiated a routine review of Zillow.com and detected third-part

CrossCountry challenges court order in Gallo mortgage fraud case

CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) filed a motion last week as it seeks to intervene in the criminal case against former loan officer Christopher Gallo, and to vacate a November court order that blocked the company’s arbitration claim against the former employee. National Mortgage News first reported the l

Blue Owl commits $2.5B in funds to Point’s home equity investment platform

Blue Owl Capital announced Tuesday that it’s making a $2.5 billion commitment in funds it manages to home equity investment (HEI) platform Point. The newss comes just one month after the companies issued the largest securitization ever completed in the HEI space. The new capital will allow Palo Alto

FTC issues warnings to rental software firms on price transparency

A week after settling a lawsuit with rental property management company Greystar, it appears the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) involvement in the rental property management space is not waning.  On Tuesday, the government regulator announced that it had sent letters to 13 property management soft

Summit Sotheby’s International Realty rides high in Utah while giving back

When Thomas Wright entered the real estate world in 1999, he did so without a grand strategy — but with a deep sense of connection to people and place. “I was at a juncture in my life when I could have gone the commercial route or residential, and the residential was just felt like a real calling fo

Optimal Blue announces new CFO and CRO

Optimal Blue announced on Monday that it has promoted Lanny Rogers III to chief financial officer and Jeremy Moreno to chief revenue officer. Rogers, a certified public accountant, will oversee financial planning, forecasting and capital allocation as the company expands. He joined Optimal Blue in 2

Glut of new supply drags down BTR and multifamily rental rates in the Sun Belt

Rents for both multifamily and single-family built-to-rent units moved sideways over the last year. Still, rents in most major Sun Belt markets are down annually due to a glut of new housing, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Multifamily Report.  Meanwhile, rental growth is typically the

NRMLA speaks out on the future of federal reverse mortgage programs

After federal housing leaders issued a request for information in October about the future of two key reverse mortgage programs, the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) weighed in last week with a detailed list of suggestions. The trade group issued an 11-page letter to the U.S. De

House committee is set to review Senate-approved housing bill

The ROAD to Housing Act wasn’t included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released on Sunday, despite speculation that it might sneak in as an attachment to the more urgent priority $900 billion defense spending bill.  Still, the bipartisan housing legislation, which enjoys widespread

Sweeping new zoning targets Nashville housing affordability

Nashville, one of the fastest-growing Sun Belt cities over the past decade, has been working to address the housing affordability issues that accompanied its massive economic development. Confronted with a shortage of nearly 90,000 homes, the Nashville Metro Council made its most significant move si

ROAD to Housing Act dropped from NDAA, sparking trade group response

The ROAD to Housing Act was left out of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the final House text released Sunday, leaving the mortgage industry to continue pushing for housing provisions into the first quarter of next year.  The bipartisan bill — which includes policies to address

MBA voices support for proposed cut to community banks’ leverage ratio

Late last month, federal banking regulators proposed lowering the Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) for qualifying community banks and bank holding companies from 9% to 8% while extending the timeframe for certain banks to remain in the program. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

Buyer owes $24K after breaching buyers broker agreement, arbitration finds

Since the implementation of mandatory buyer broker agreements via the business practice changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement, many have wondered what happens if a buyer breaches a contract.  Jeff Lichtenstein, the broker-owner of Flo

After another lapse in coverage, trade groups urge Congress to pass long-term NFIP bill

Last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and 14 other trade groups representing insurance companies, lenders and other financial institutions urged Congress to approve a long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In a letter to congressional leaders dated Dec.