eXp Realty continues to add agents and teams at a fast clip. The company announced the addition of the Maine-based Realty ONE Group, a 36-agent team that has closed 338 transactions totaling $128 million in sales volume so far this year.The team is led by Steven Brackett, who has been part of Realty

A new study from Morningstar focused on U.S. retirement readiness illustrates that while there has been some improvement over time, general retirement preparedness is lacking.Using data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, Morningstar researchers analyzed data from 3,442 household

Mortgage rates continue to rise, serving as a bucket of cold water for lenders and consumers that were warming to lower borrowing costs just a few months ago.According to HousingWire‘s Mortgage Rates Center, the average 30-year conforming rate was 6.61% on Tuesday. That was up 15 basis points (bps)

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) this week announced two temporary policy waivers as the response to hurricanes Helene and Milton continues.The FHA’s 203(k) rehabilitation mortgage program currently has a requirement that “when a repair is considered ‘major,’ it becomes ineligible to be fina

The Real Brokerage is keeping attendees of RISE, its third annual agent conference, on their toes. From the RISE stage in Las Vegas, Real unveiled three new products for agents and clients on Tuesday.The first product launched is an upgrade to Leo, the AI assistant the firm first debuted during the

If there’s one word that best encapsulates the current political climate, it might be “polarized.” People who are active in the political process are often tribal about their beliefs on how the country should be run, and that tribalism has manifested into political polarization that seems to be stri

In a recent episode of “The Loan Officer Podcast,” co-hosts Dustin Owen and John Coleman discuss key tips for loan officers when engaging in small talk with prospective clients. Owen and Coleman explore common discussion topics, conversational nuances and best practices for communicating with client

Another regulator has sued Rocket Mortgage for allegedly discriminating against a Black homeowner by undervaluing her home during an appraisal in Colorado three years ago. And the Detroit-based lender believes it’s a “massive overreach.” On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice—following a move mad

As the year comes to a close, states are adding more down payment assistance (DPA) programs to help first-time buyers achieve homeownership.Down Payment Resource — a national database for connecting prospective homebuyers to financial assistance programs — recently released its newest Homeownership

The legal woes continue for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). On Wednesday, Maurice Muhammad — the broker of Progressive Realty — filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania claiming that NAR, the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR) and the Greater Lehigh Valley MLS (GL

An effort seeking a partial summary judgment in a case brought by Texas Capital Bank (TCB) against Ginnie Mae over reverse mortgage-related collateral has been denied by presiding Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, according to a court filing reviewed by HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD).TCB sought s

The controversial Clear Cooperation Policy from the National Association of Realtors continues to spark debate — for several reasons — among real estate professionals. (Image generated by AI in Midjourney)With the Aug. 17 implementation deadline for the business practice changes outlined in National

Despite the Florida hurricanes, and in the face of recently rising mortgage rates, unsold inventory of homes on the market climbed this week by about 1%. We’ve been expecting inventory to climb, and to tick up again next week before seasonal inventory declines start in November. The seasonal changes

Since 2019, the state of Florida has built more than 77,000 new properties in areas with a high risk of flooding. This is the most among all states, according to an analysis by climate-modeling firm First Street Foundation on behalf of the The Wall Street Journal.The construction activity is likely

The remaining defendants in Homie Technologies’ antitrust suit are seeking to have the case dismissed. On Friday, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Anywhere Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, HomeServices of America and RE/MAX filed motions to dismiss the suit, which was originally filed

Mutual of Omaha Mortgage has been given more time to respond to allegations against it in a case that accuses the lender of operating manipulative websites that skew reverse mortgage reviews in its favor.The suit, brought by reverse mortgage competitor Longbridge Financial, alleges that Mutual of Om

In a housing market shaped by uncertainty, military veterans and service members are emerging as some of the most confident and prepared homebuyers, outpacing their civilian counterparts.That’s according to a recent index released by Veterans United Home Loans to measure the financial health and opt

We have had three weeks of positive year-over-year growth in both purchase application data and weekly pending contract data, with last week showing a noticeable jump from last year. Now the dose of reality: last year at this time mortgage rates were heading toward 8%, and even though 2023 showed re

Important Note* Check your local forms for options around discussing buyer agency with visiting prospects. Follow your local MLS and broker rules and regulations and master how to speak to the prospects about their options.Open houses are still a fundamental pillar of the business. NAR reports that