With a political ally now at the head of the department, a Republican senator is aiming to garner more scrutiny of federal work policies and practices at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) submitted a letter this week to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, al

As MLSs across the country work to implement the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Multiple Listing Options for Sellers (MLOS) policy, brokerages and some Realtor associations are busy creating the new disclosures needed for delayed marketing exempt listings. Over the weekend, Compass‘s new “A

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), implemented in 2020, is the source of much debate within the real estate industry. The policy was a response to a proliferation of pocket listings and a rapid decline in housing inventory on the MLS, despite a large number of

Veteran mortgage executive Randell Gillespie has been named president of Kansas City-based mortgage shop LeaderOne.Gillespie joins LeaderOne following a long stint at Thrive Mortgage and Lower, which merged in early 2024. He most recently served as chief production officer at the combined company be

Homebuyers paid an average of $4,661 in closing costs on purchase mortgages last year, according to a new report from LodeStar Software Solutions.The company released its first-ever purchase mortgage closing cost report. The findings showed that, on average, closing costs represented 1.06% of home s

An illustration of an ax falling on the CFPB headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Image created with ChatGPT 4o)Under a workforce reduction announced on April 18, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may be left with just one employee in the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity, alon

A high-performing Colorado real estate team has joined one of Denver’s largest brokerages.Mile High Lifestyles, led by co-founder Jaden Hanson, has joined Your Castle Real Estate, bringing 25 residential agents to the firm. Since then, the team has doubled in size, according to Hanson.In 2024, RealT

As one of only a few states considering more stringent regulation of the home equity investment (HEI)/home equity contract product category, lawmakers in the state of Washington have requested an academic study to assess the impacts on state residents who may use an HEI to tap into their home equity

An in-home care assistance program funded entirely by the state of Massachusetts is aiming to find a way forward after the news that the governor is capping the number of beneficiaries far below the number of current clients.The state’s Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP) will cap its total en

A majority of agents believe 2025 is going to be a great year for the housing market, with 85% saying they have an optimistic outlook, and 70% believing the market will be more stable, according to a new survey from Clever Real Estate.   Although agents are split on whether it’s going to be a buyer’

As housing affordability in Florida continues to decline, a new initiative is targeting first-time homebuyers who are struggling to enter the market.Nestment, a real estate education company, has partnered with Florida-based brokerage The Keyes Co. to launch a five-week program aimed at preparing po

A coalition of Democratic lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives are aiming to reintroduce a bill they say will help address homelessness and home prices across the country. The legislation would bolster investments in federal programs — including some that have been targeted by th

Amid inflation worries, political turmoil and ripple effects from new federal spending cuts, Americans are growing increasingly pessimistic about the economy, housing market and their personal finances, according to a new consumer sentiment survey.Only 34% of U.S. households are optimistic about the

The weekly home sales data for last week was a big surprise. If someone had told me at the beginning of the year that we would have mortgage rates fluctuating between 6.64% and 7.25%, trade war escalations, stocks slipping into bear market territory and confidence data collapsing — I would think hou

The housing market is facing unprecedented uncertainty and volatility headed into the spring buying season. Recent reports and data signal that the impacts are setting in.Homebuilders D.R. Horton and KB Homes held earnings calls this week, and the results aren’t great. In the first quarter of 2025,

Reverse mortgages have a minimum age requirement that serves as a key differentiator for the product. But it also leads to questions about how much — or how little — technology tools can or should interact with the business.But things seemed to take a step forward last week when one of the leading l

The White House is considering sweeping cuts to federal housing assistance programs, including the Section 8 voucher system, in a move that could leave millions of low-income families without rental support, The New York Times reported Thursday.According to the Times, President Donald Trump and admi

Less than two weeks ahead of its first in-person meeting of the year, the premiere trade association for the reverse mortgage industry has announced preliminary details for both its upcoming regional meeting and its annual meeting and expo slated for later this year.The National Reverse Mortgage Len

Property tax collections on U.S. single-family homes fell slightly in 2024 despite continued growth in home values, according to an analysis released Thursday by ATTOM.The report, based on tax data from nearly 86 million homes nationwide, found that $357.5 billion in property taxes were levied in 20

As the Trump administration’s federal cost-cutting effort reportedly turns its attention to a congressionally chartered community development organization, one of the nation’s largest housing groups is sounding the alarm and calling for action.A bulletin issued Friday by the National Housing Confere