Mortgage rates drop below 6% for FHA, VA loans

On Thursday, mortgage rates data from Mortgage News Daily (MND) showed that the 30-year fixed rates for government loans fell below 6%. As of Thursday afternoon, the average Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan rate was 5.97% and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rate was 5.99%. Mort

Real estate pros: Explain the value of buyer rep without sounding like a script

One of the most important parts of a real estate agent’s job is helping buyers understand why working with you matters, especially now that the new rules around representation and compensation have changed the conversation. Now, more than ever, it is important for buyers to understand the value your

Mortgage rates hit new 2025 low as jobless claims spike

Mortgage rates have reached a new low for 2025, despite the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation being well above the target and showing a stronger increase in the core goods component. Why are mortgage rates at 6.27%? Jobless claims experienced a significant spike today, which suggests that the lab

Homebuyers strained by costs, confused about mortgage market

Mortgage rates remain below the 50-year average, but most homebuyers see them as unusually high — a perception that is driving stress, delaying purchases, and reshaping major life decisions, according to a nationwide survey conducted in August. The survey of more than 1,000 buyers, released this wee

Most Gen Xers doubt their retirement readiness

With the oldest members of Generation X set to turn 60 by the end of 2025, many are approaching retirement with financial concerns. Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning & Progress Study, released this week, found that more than half (54%) of Gen Xers born between 1965 and 1980 don’t believe they’ll b

Opendoor hires Kaz Nejatian as new CEO

Opendoor Technologies announced Wednesday that it has named Kaz Nejatian, the former chief operating officer of Shopify, as its new CEO. Nejatian will also join Opendoor‘s board of directors as he takes over for Carrie Wheeler, who stepped down last month. The San Francisco-based iBuyer also announc

Optimal Blue: Rate-and-term refis soar 70% in August

Borrowers rushed to refinance in August as mortgage rates eased, pushing rate-and-term refi lock volume up 70% from July, according to Optimal Blue’s Mortgage Market Advantage report released Wednesday. “Borrowers are responding quickly to rate improvements, driving the strongest month for rate-and-

Bipartisan House bill would strengthen HUD’s grip on manufactured housing standards

U.S. Reps. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) introduced the Streamlining Manufactured Housing Standards Act on Wednesday, which clarifies that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has the sole authority to establish energy efficiency and safety standards for manuf

Clayton debuts CrossMod manufactured homes at HUD showcase

Tennessee-based homebuilder Clayton Homes presented the first official single-section CrossMod manufactured homes at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2025 Innovative Housing Showcase this past weekend. The event allowed the public, policymakers and housing leaders to tour the m

AREAA releases 2025 A-List of top-producing agents and teams

The Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) has named 109 individual agents and 64 teams to its annual A-List of top producers. Honorees closed 7,743 transaction sides and recorded $8.49 billion in sales volume in 2024. The top 50 agents and 25 teams will be recognized at AREAA’s national c

Virginia insurance commissioner issues warning regarding AOLs

Scott White, Virginia’s commissioner of insurance, has issued a warning to both title insurance companies and consumers in his state about attorney opinion letters (AOLs). In a letter sent Tuesday addressed to all title insurance companies, agents and entities in the state of Virginia, and obtained

LitFinancial introduces stablecoin to ‘modernize’ mortgage lending

Mortgage lending fintech LitFinancial announced on Wednesday the launch of litUSD, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain in partnership with Brale and Stably. The company said the token is designed to “modernize” mortgage lending, streamline treasury operations and increas

The ultimate real estate agent schedule to set you up for success

We all have the same amount of time, yet how you utilize your time and energy will make or break your business. Creating and following your schedule in a purposeful, strategic way is the key. And once you get a routine going, your business (and personal life) can run on autopilot. Check out our ulti

FNF partners with CLEAR Secure on real estate fraud prevention

Fidelity National Financial (FNF) has partnered with CLEAR Secure to use biometric identity verification in real estate transactions to mitigate real estate fraud, the companies said Wednesday. The initiative integrates CLEAR’s identity platform into FNF’s inHere digital system, which manages title

Virtual staging: The best apps for 2025 + mind-blowing AI picks

Is virtual staging finally ready for its close-up? We think it is. The days of AI-staged photos that look more like Salvador Dali paintings than comfy living rooms or HGTV-ready kitchens are long gone. The images today’s virtual staging companies can create using AI are shockingly realistic and, dar

Federal judge blocks Trump’s attempt to fire Lisa Cook

A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, granting Cook’s request for a preliminary injunction on Tuesday evening. In her ruling, Judge Jia Cobb said that Trump’s reasons for removing Cook did not meet the standard for sufficient cause, notin

Homeownership among Black Americans drops to 4-year low

The homeownership rate among Black Americans fell to 43.9% in the second quarter of 2024, the lowest level since late 2021, according to Redfin. That was down from 45.3% a year earlier and marked the steepest annual decline since the third quarter of 2021. By comparison, the Hispanic homeownership r

Fannie Mae: Consumer housing sentiment slips in August

Americans grew slightly less confident about the housing market in August, as more consumers expressed concerns about job stability, selling conditions and future home prices, according to Fannie Mae’s monthly National Housing Survey. The agency’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) fell 0.4 points

Compass taps former NAR settlement attorney Ethan Glass as chief legal officer

Compass has appointed Ethan Glass as its new chief legal officer. Glass — a veteran antitrust lawyer — previously led the global antitrust and competition practice at Cooley LLP and directed U.S. Department of Justice teams that investigated and sued multiple listing service (MLS) organizations over

Tech that builds trust: Insights from Tech Trendsetter Simon Moir

HousingWire’s Tech Trendsetters award was created to recognize the visionaries behind the technology that powers housing. As we open nominations for the 2025 class of Tech Trendsetters, we’re revisiting past honorees whose insights continue to shape the industry. HousingWire reached out to 2022 Tech