As rising energy prices and growing inflation fears make corporate bonds look increasingly risky, big money managers including State Street and Voya Investment Management have been looking at buying mortgage bonds and other securitized debt instead. Processing Content Mortgage bonds often perform better than US high-grade corporate debt in “risk off” markets where investors are […]
State Street, Voya pivot to mortgage-backed bonds Read More »
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, and housing data in the past
Housing demand still growing as mortgage rates reach inflection point Read More »
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 failure in high-wind events. “Round really works with nature, instead
Why these round homes are resilient to hurricanes Read More »
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 housing affordability has reached a
The housing blind spot: Why the Senate’s housing bill is a start, not a solution Read More »
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
What a visit to NAR revealed about leadership change Read More »
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 Robert Dietz reported that 96,000 multifamily units started construction in the fourth quarter
Built-for-rent multifamily starts jump 18% in Q4 2025 Read More »
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 Federal Reserve
Mortgage rates are breaking higher — and things can get worse with Iran conflict Read More »
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 around NWMLS’s listing policy. As a non-Realtor-association
Judge denies NWMLS bid to dismiss Compass antitrust suit Read More »
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 Northern District of Alabama. They claim that Stockton and unidentified employees
Ex-employees accuse Stockton Mortgage of accessing personal emails Read More »
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 Texas decided Thursday that FinCEN exceeded its statutory authority with the rule, which took
FinCEN anti-money laundering rule struck down in court Read More »