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January 2026

HomeAdvantage, Affinity Federal Credit Union relaunch partnership

Credit Union, Homeownership, HWmember, Lenders, Mortgage, Partnerships, Real Estate /

HomeAdvantage, a real estate benefits program for credit unions, has relaunched its partnership with Affinity Federal Credit Union — giving members renewed access to real estate tools, expert guidance and potential savings throughout the home buying and selling process. Through HomeAdvantage, members can access home search tools, local market insights, connections to experienced real estate […]

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Insurance hurdles, red tape slow Los Angeles wildfire recovery

California, Climate Change, Housing Market, HWmember, Insurance, Los Angeles, Real Estate, Wildfire /

Roughly a year after destructive wildfires tore through parts of Los Angeles, rebuilding in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods remains slow, hampered by insurance delays, regulatory bottlenecks and rising construction costs.  Most of the damage stemmed from the two largest blazes, the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, both of

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Court advised to reject legal bid to compel NAR rule enforcement

Florida, Lawsuit, Legal, MLS/Associations, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate /

A magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s West Palm Beach Division has recommended that the court deny plaintiff Jorge Zea’s preliminary injunction motion that seeks to compel the National Association of Realtors (NAR) along with 16 local Realtor associations and MLSs to follow their own rules.  Filed in

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Housing activity weakens in latest Fed Beige Book report

Beige Book, Federal Reserve, Homebuilders, Housing Market, Housing Market Data, HWmember, Lenders, Real Estate, Unemployment /

Housing activity weakened across much of the country, emerging as one of the clearest drags on overall economic performance, according to the Federal Reserve’s most recent Beige Book report. Most Federal Reserve districts reporting on residential real estate cited softer home sales, slower construction and reduced mortgage lending. Higher borrowing costs and affordability constraints continued

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Mortgage Rates Higher For Some Lenders and Lower For Others

Uncategorized /

Mortgage rates moved modestly lower for the average lender today, but higher for others. The distinction is whether the lender in question made a late-day adjustment yesterday afternoon.  At the time, the underlying market for mortgage bonds was improving somewhat sharply. This prompted several lenders to drop rates before the end of business. Those lenders

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Former Fed officials: Markets still trust Fed independence

Former Fed officials: Markets still trust Fed independence

Federal Reserve, Monetary policy, Trump administration /

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Processing Content Key Insight:  A panel of former Federal Reserve officials discussed the implications of a probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell, saying the market’s muted reaction reflected political pushback against a potential indictment. Expert Quote:  “Markets think these institutions will be strong enough to withstand these types of shocks.” — Randall Kroszner,

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Ginnie Mae adds pooling flexibilities as 2026 gets underway

Ginnie Mae adds pooling flexibilities as 2026 gets underway

Capital markets, Ginnie Mae, Secondary markets, Servicing, Technology /

Government securitization guarantor Ginnie Mae is providing mortgage companies with more options for pooling loans as it starts 2026 with a newly confirmed president. Processing Content Electronic promissory notes, which Ginnie made eligible for commingling with traditional collateral back in 2024, can now be included in Pools Issued for Immediate Transfer starting Feb. 1. PIIT

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New-home sales slip in December despite annual gains

Homebuilders, Housing Inventory, Mortgage applications, Originations, REALTORS & HOMEBUILDERS /

New-home sales dropped in December compared with previous months, but remained above 2024 levels, according to new industry data. Processing Content Mortgage applications for new-home purchases decreased 15.2% on a seasonally-adjusted basis and 3% unadjusted from November to December, the Mortgage Bankers Association Builder Application Survey found. Compared with last December, applications increased 2.5%. “December

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Mortgage rates reach three-year low after MBS buy order

Economy, MARKETING TO BORROWERS, Mortgage Rates, Originations /

Mortgage rates fell to their lowest levels in more than three years after Pres. Trump ordered a $200 billion purchase of agency mortgage-backed securities, Freddie Mac said. Processing Content Spreads were already tightening as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have increased the size of their respective retained portfolios in recent months. The announcement further narrowed

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Are Big Investors Really Buying Up All the Homes? Here’s the Truth.

Are Big Investors Really Buying Up All the Homes? Here’s the Truth.

For Buyers /

It’s hard to scroll online lately without seeing some version of this claim: “Big investors are buying up all the homes.” And honestly, if you’re a homebuyer who’s lost out on a few offers, that idea probably sounds believable. When homes are expensive and competition is tight, it’s easy to assume giant companies are scooping

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