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Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Banks sour on Senate housing bill, but may not stop passage

Housing, Politics and policy, Trump administration /

Key insight: The Senate’s manager’s amendment, which added FHA multifamily loan limit reductions and an institutional investor cap on single-family homes, cost the legislation support from the Mortgage Bankers Association. What’s at stake: Community bank regulatory provisions championed by House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill were stripped from the Senate version, making it unlikely […]

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California MBA urges guardrails for bill targeting wildfire-related forbearance

California, CMBA, Forbearance, Housing Market, HWmember, Legislation, Mortgage, Natural Disaster, Wildfire /

The California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) testified on March 20 before the California Assembly Banking & Finance Committee during an oversight hearing on California Assembly Bill 238, which focuses on the effectiveness of mortgage forbearance and the broader challenges facing homeowners affected by the state’s January 2025 wildfires. AB 238 provides up to one year

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Ownli expands to 43 states with commission-free home listing platform

Brokerage, Commission Lawsuit, Cooperative Compensation, HWmember, NAR Lawsuit Settlement, Real Estate /

Ownli has launched its real estate platform nationwide across 43 states, positioning its commission-free model as an alternative to current compensation fees, the company announced Tuesday. The Denver-based company said that as of March 1, 2026, its platform features more than 500,000 active properties across the U.S., representing $313 billion in total market value and

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HUD launches probe into Washington state down payment assistance program

Down Payment Assistance, Fair Lending, HUD, HWmember, Mortgage, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance, Washington /

Washington state’s Covenant Homeownership Program is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over potential violations of the Fair Housing Act. HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) notified the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, which administers the program, of the probe on Tuesday. The investigation comes days

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Why modular construction fits high-cost custom markets

Architecture, Homebuilders, Residential Real Estate, Technology, The Builder's Daily /

Modular and panelized construction – often positioned as a tool to expand the supply of affordable housing – is also gaining traction in the luxury, custom homebuilding market. At The SHIFT, a placemaking conference hosted by Tavistock Development Company earlier this month in Orlando, Florida, Plant Prefab Founder and CEO Steve Glenn said off-site methods

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Howard Hanna settles homebuyer commission case as courtroom tensions escalate

Anywhere, Brokerage, Commission Lawsuit, Howard Hanna, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, HWmember, Legal, Real Estate /

Hanna Holdings, the parent company of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, has settled the homebuyer commission lawsuits.  In a filing in the Davis homebuyer commission lawsuit on Monday, attorneys for Hanna Holdings indicated that the company had reached a settlement agreement in the Tuccori home buyer commission lawsuit via an opt-in feature in that lawsuit’s

Howard Hanna settles homebuyer commission case as courtroom tensions escalate Read More »

Housing needs a fifth place. It’s how builders design belonging

Homebuilders, Land, Marketing & Sales, New Home Sales, Residential Real Estate, The Builder's Daily /

Let me say something that might make a few developers roll their eyes so hard they pull a muscle. Housing needs a fifth place. Not another splash pad. Not another pickleball court. Not another “resort-style amenity center” with furniture nobody uses. A fifth place. Here’s a quick tutorial on Ray Oldenburg’s framework. The first place

Housing needs a fifth place. It’s how builders design belonging Read More »

The power of leading with influence in real estate sales

Agent, Continuing Education, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Real Estate Marketing, real estate teams, Residential Real Estate /

One truth stands clear: real estate sales are built on trust, not persuasion. Yet, many agents still wrestle with outdated sales tactics, focusing on pushing products rather than understanding client needs. The most successful agents, however, don’t sell at all. Instead, they lead with influence and trust, employing a methodology that empowers clients, builds lasting

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Missouri senator opens investigation into FICO’s mortgage credit score pricing

Credit Score, FICO, First-Time Homebuyers, HWmember, Missouri, Mortgage, Origination, Senate /

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has opened an investigation into Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO)’s pricing practices in the mortgage industry and is urging Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson to do the same. FICO dominates the credit scoring market for mortgage lenders, largely due to decades of exclusive acceptance for loans sold to Fannie

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Hail risk to homes is on par on with major hurricane threats

Climate Change, Cotality, Homeowners insurance, Housing Market, Mortgage, Natural Disaster, Weather /

More than 43.5 million U.S. properties are at moderate or greater risk from hail damage, representing about $17.84 trillion in reconstruction cost value, according to Cotality’s 2026 Severe Convective Storm Risk Report released Tuesday. The report finds that hailstorms are emerging as one of the most financially destructive natural hazards for the housing market, with

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