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FinCEN anti-money laundering rule struck down in court

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 […]

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The ground just shifted: coming soon listings are taking over real estate

At a time when real estate industry leaders seem to be more conflicted than ever, one idea has emerged that everyone from Homes.com to Zillow, to eXp Realty and Compass can agree on: pre-marketing coming soon listings. What does that mean for the MLSs and will it invite more federal scrutiny? The resurgence of coming soon

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How policy uncertainty is reshaping senior retirement plans

Growing uncertainty over Social Security, Medicare and fiscal policy has left many older Americans more concerned about their financial futures — with some delaying retirement and shifting to more conservative investment strategies. Findings from a new survey analysis by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College offer critical insights for reverse mortgage professionals as

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Optimal Blue’s Mike Vough on borrowers staying rate anchored into 2026

Borrowers are still anchored to ultra-low, pandemic-era mortgage rates, a mindset that is influencing both purchase and refinance trends as the market heads into 2026. That’s according to Mike Vough, Optimal Blue‘s senior vice president of corporate strategy, who highlighted the company’s latest Market Advantage report in a conversation this week with HousingWire at the

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Bank regulators unveil capital reforms to boost mortgage lending

Federal bank regulators on Thursday introduced proposals to overhaul capital rules, affecting how depositories treat mortgage assets. The package includes three measures: revisions to the Basel III framework for large, internationally active banks; changes to the Global Systemically Important Bank (GSIB) surcharge; and updates to the U.S. standardized approach. A broader Basel III proposal introduced in 2023

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NAREB president calls for ‘optimistic underwriting’ to expand homeownership

Ashley Thomas III has assumed the presidency of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) — the nation’s oldest and largest Black real estate organization — with an agenda focused on expanding homeownership access. Thomas, a housing policy and wealth equity strategist with more than 25 years of experience across real estate, lending and

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Compass, Rocket, Redfin urge MLSs to allow seller-directed pre-marketing

Compass International Holdings, Redfin and Rocket Companies are urging MLSs to adopt policies that support pre-marketing and phased marketing distribution and to cease penalizing or punishing agents for carrying out “seller-directed marketing plans.”  The companies, which entered into a mutually exclusive deal to publish Compass coming soon listings on Redfin in late February 2026, made

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Midwest Real Estate Data moves to abandon NAR membership requirement

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) moved Monday to formally separate access to its multiple listing service (MLS) from mandatory membership with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) — a change the organization’s leader said is aimed at expansion and risk management. MRED offers wholesale listing data and technology to roughly 40 partner Realtor associations and

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Opinion: Dear President Trump, I have an idea to help first-time homebuyers

Over the past several months, President Donald Trump has floated a number of ideas aimed at helping Americans buy homes again. Among them are proposals such as 50-year mortgages and other creative financing tools intended to lower monthly payments for buyers struggling with today’s interest rates. The intention behind these ideas are novel and understandable.

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Atlantic Avenue Mortgage leads HECM broker endorsement activity in January

Following in the footsteps of an initial dataset for 2025, Reverse Market Insight (RMI) and HECMWorld published updated numbers this week for reverse mortgage broker and third-party originator activity. While the top Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) originators for January 2026 did not vary from 2025 as a whole, they offer insight into which companies

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