Detroit-based Rocket Companies is offering voluntary separation packages to some employees as part of its consolidation following last year’s acquisitions of Mr. Cooper Group and Redfin.“Rocket, Mr. Cooper and Redfin share a vision of a stronger, more connected homeownership platform built for long-

Here’s a truth that’s going to sting a little: if you’re still walking into listing appointments armed with the same pricing presentation you used in 2021, you’re bringing a butter knife to a sword fight. The market has fundamentally shifted, and the agents who haven’t shifted with it are watching l

Groundworks, a large foundation repair and water management contractor, plans to create 5,000 skilled trades jobs over the next five years as demand for structural and moisture remediation grows across the aging U.S. housing stock, the company said. The Virginia Beach, Virginia-based firm, which ope

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has dropped a lawsuit that accused Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte of violating federal privacy laws. The parties agreed to the “dismissal of this action without prejudice, with each side bearing its own fees and costs,” according to court

Rising costs of living and debt are pushing many Americans to rethink retirement as a flexible, phased transition, with 72% now expecting to retire on their own terms, according to Fidelity Investments’ 2026 State of Retirement Planning Study. The study, released last week and conducted annually sin

Every mortgage lender knows that declined loans represent marketing spend, staff time and operational resources that never convert into funded loans or revenue. Those losses add up quickly in a margin-sensitive environment. In Q3 2025, independent mortgage banks (IMBs) and mortgage subsidiaries of c

After failing to turn starter-home legislation into law, Arizona lawmakers are advancing two bills that would curb local control over design standards, homeowners associations and contractor licensing – a renewed attempt to chip away at costs amid the state’s housing shortage. Lawmakers are close to

Despite higher oil and gas prices, higher mortgage rates and no indication that the conflict in Iran is ending, existing home sales still posted another positive week. However, with every week that goes by with mortgage rates above 6.25% and heading higher, it gets harder to maintain that growth, an

Deltec Homes, an Asheville, North Carolina-based builder of prefabricated, round houses, says its designs can withstand the extreme wind loads associated with a Category 5 hurricane. CEO Meg Gore said the company’s circular footprint and roof system reduce pressure points that can lead to structural

The passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act felt like a rare event in Washington: genuine, overwhelming bipartisanship. In a political climate defined by caustic friction, an 89-10 vote in the Senate isn’t a legislative victory; it is a confession. It is an admission by both parties that hou

I’ll be honest with you — I’m not always the most charitable voice when it comes to the National Association of Realtors. Those of you who follow me know I say what’s on my mind, and for a while, my mind hasn’t been particularly generous toward NAR leadership. So, when I received an invitation to vi

Built-for-rent multifamily construction surged at the end of 2025, extending the cycle’s heavy tilt toward rentals and keeping average apartment sizes below pre-Great Recession levels, according to a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis of Census Bureau data. NAHB Chief Economist Ro

The Iran conflict finally pushed the 10-year yield above a key level on Friday morning and if this move sticks and the conflict escalates further, mortgage rates are at risk of heading much higher during the spring season, something that wasn’t the case even a few weeks ago. Even some doves at the F

Compass’s antitrust lawsuit against Northwest MLS (NWMLS) is that much closer to heading to court.  On Thursday, Judge Jamal Whitehead of U.S. District Court in Seattle denied NWMLS’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit for failure to state a claim. Originally filed in late April 2025, the lawsuit centers

Two former loan officers have sued Stockton Mortgage Corp., alleging the company illegally accessed their personal email accounts and used private messages in separate litigation against them. Christopher Hoehn and Ashley Hoehn filed the complaint on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Nort

A federal judge in Texas has vacated the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) nationwide anti-money laundering rule requiring title insurance companies to report details of millions of residential real estate transactions. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle of the Eastern District of Tex

Michigan housing advocates are pointing to Austin, Texas, as they try to build support for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “grand bargain” housing affordability agenda in the state Legislature. Advocates say a multi-year set of zoning, permitting and code reforms in Austin helped drive a surge in homebuildi

Before Daiwa House Industry unveils its 8th Medium-Term Management Plan this May, the globally integrated real estate giant has already achieved – and possibly surpassed – the goals of its previous 10-year U.S. expansion plan. With Trumark Homes’ acquisition of Washington-based JK Monarch, Daiwa Hou

If you work in mortgage banking long enough, you learn to watch the signals. Rates move.Consumers react.The agencies adjust.And the industry pivots. We watch these indicators because they tell us where the market is going. But there’s one signal the industry often overlooks — and ironically, it migh