Housing Wire

JANUARY 3, 2025

The California Department of Insurance unveiled a new regulation this week that aims to increase homeowners insurance coverage in areas prone to wildfires , a response to the recent pullback in policies by several major insurers. Announced by California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on Monday, the regulation is under administrative review and is set to take effect by the end of January, according to reporting by The Associated Press (AP).

Design 517

Design Marketing As-is Sales 517

Housing Wire

APRIL 5, 2025

Mortgage rates recently hit a year-to-date low, coinciding with ongoing market disruptions from tariffs. The more encouraging story, however, is that the spring season is shaping up positively for the housing market. Notably, purchase applications show growth both year-to-date and year-over-year. Additionally, our weekly pending contract data and new listings are trending positively compared to last year.

Mortgages 531

Mortgages Sales Marketing As-is 531

Housing Wire

MAY 17, 2025

One of the lesser known storylines in housing economics is that the improvement in mortgage spreads since 2023 has contributed to a noticeable trend in purchase application data for 2025, which is now showing 15 consecutive weeks of positive year-over-year growth. Mortgage spreads recently turned negative due to market volatility, which resulted in an increase of 20 to 25 basis points in mortgage rates.

Mortgages 496

Mortgages Sales Marketing As-is 496

Housing Wire

JANUARY 9, 2025

Several fires burning more than 45 square miles in the Los Angeles area have forced more than 100,000 residents from their homes and killed five people, The Associated Press reported on Thursday. Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed, with many displaced residents scouting for rental properties and temporary shelter.

Marketing 485

Marketing Lending Land Residential 485

Speaker: Jady West, VP of Hospitality & Chris Bennett, Head of Sales & Engineering

The modern hotel room is no longer just a place to stay—it’s an experience to remember. Today’s guests expect seamless 5G connectivity, personalized comfort, and high-tech convenience. From AI-powered smart room controls to in-room entertainment and app-based services, technology is redefining hospitality from the inside out. In this new session featuring industry pros Jady West and Chris Bennett, we’ll explore how high-speed, high-bandwidth connectivity powers the innovations that are enabling

Technology

Housing Wire

MARCH 15, 2025

Earlier this year, when mortgage rates soared to 7.26%, a cloud of worry hung over the housing market many feared that home sales would tumble in 2025, fueled by concerns about inflation and tariffs. But when it seemed doom and gloom would prevail, the 10-year yield dropped, pulling mortgage rates lower in a lovely slow dance. This unexpected turn of events breathed new life into the market, pushing purchase application data into positive territory for the year.

Mortgages 535

Mortgages Sales Marketing As-is 535

Housing Wire

APRIL 3, 2025

Mortgage rates have reached the lowest levels of the year today as the 10-year yield dropped significantly on tariff news. The stock market reacted negatively to the news regarding tariffs, resulting in significant selling and a shift towards the bond market. In this week’s Housing Market Tracker , I mentioned that the 10-year yield level was stubbornly resistant and that we needed bad news to break through it.

Mortgages 531

Mortgages Residential Construction As-is 531

Housing Wire

APRIL 7, 2025

Government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Fannie Mae has reportedly laid off as many as 700 employees, with 200 of the layoffs focused on members of the Telugu-speaking community over irregularities uncovered related to charitable donations. According to reports from outlets including TechStory , HRKatha and the Times of India ,700 U.S.-based employees were fired within the first few days of April, including 200 workers who speak the Telugu language, which is primarily spoken in the Indian states of

Finance 540

Finance Loans As-is Mortgages 540

Housing Wire

APRIL 14, 2025

Over the weekend, fears rose that the 10-year yield would climb to 5%, leading to 8% mortgage rates. However, Monday morning arrived with a sense of calm. The 10-year yield is now nearing a more balanced position at 4.35%, reflecting what I believe it should have always been after the jobs report two Fridays ago. As I write this, the 10-year yield currently stands at 4.37%.

Mortgages 510

Mortgages Marketing Investor Development 510

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Home prices in 2025 are a couple percentage points above where they were last year at this time. People often ask, How can it be possible that home prices are still climbing even though the cost of money is so much higher? There are obviously fewer buyers who can afford these prices. One reason that home prices have stayed elevated is that inventory nationally is still restricted.

Sales 471

Sales Mortgages As-is Marketing 471

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Development

Housing Wire

JUNE 2, 2025

U.S. homeowners tapped nearly $25 billion in home equity through second-lien mortgages during the first quarter of 2025 the largest volume for this period in 17 years, according to the ICE Mortgage Technology ‘s newest Mortgage Monitor report. That marks a 22% increase compared to the same quarter last year. The first quarter is typically the slowest for home equity lending, but lower interest rates in early 2025 helped to boost activity particularly for home equity lines of credit ( HEL

Equity 474

Equity Technology Lending Mortgages 474

Housing Wire

MAY 22, 2025

Last year, I predicted a national home-price increase of 2.33%. While that forecast was lower than most others, it seemed achievable due to higher mortgage rates and increased inventory. I was wrong and too low for 2024. This year, my prediction is even lower at 1.77% national home-price growth. So far this year, the existing home price index has been higher than my forecast level every month.

Sales 455

Sales Mortgages Development As-is 455

Housing Wire

MAY 10, 2025

If someone had told me that home sales would remain firm this year despite mortgage rates ranging from 7.25% to 6.64%, I would not have taken that bet. However, amid all the chaotic economic headlines of 2025 so far, the demand for mortgages is holding steady, even with the higher rates. Let’s dig into the latest Housing Market Tracker data to see what last week brought us.

Mortgages 462

Mortgages Sales As-is Marketing 462

Housing Wire

JUNE 9, 2025

The 2025 U.S. housing market is flashing warning signs reminiscent of 2008: rising household debt burdens, persistent inflation and home prices that are outpacing incomes. Unlike the pre-2008 era, stricter lending standards and robust regulations have kept mortgage delinquency rates low, significantly lowering the odds of a catastrophic collapse. Yet, the growing share of income devoted to debt payments signals a need for heightened oversight and proactive measures to prevent financial strain fr

Marketing 438

Marketing Debt-to-income ratio Fixed-rate mortgage Loans 438

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

Industrial

Housing Wire

JANUARY 16, 2025

The 10-year yield and mortgage rates have been on a wild ride lately, even testing my top-end forecast at 7.25%, but today, the 10-year yield fell after remarks by Fed President Chris Waller about whether the Fed would do even more rate cuts than the market was anticipating. His statement on this, in a CNBC interview : If inflation continues on this path through the beginning of 2025, it’s reasonable to think that possibly rate cuts could happen in the first half of the year.” This w

Mortgages 500

Mortgages Residential Construction Marketing 500

Housing Wire

APRIL 9, 2025

Mortgage applications jumped 20.0% from the prior week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) weekly mortgage applications Survey for the week ending April 4, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 20% compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 35% from the previous week as mortgage rates took a dip.

Fixed-rate mortgage 463

Fixed-rate mortgage Mortgages Loans VA loan 463

Housing Wire

MARCH 30, 2025

Homeowner delinquency rates are rising from record low levels but arent even back to pre-COVID-19 levels yet. This weekend, there has been a lot of discussion on social media surrounding homeowners’ delinquency data. This situation has prompted me to write this article and bring some reality into this discussion because the narrative being pushed is simply not true.

Fixed-rate mortgage 541

Fixed-rate mortgage Bankruptcy Loans Commercial 541

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he wants to eliminate property taxes in the state. In a post on X, the governor said that taxing land/property “is the more oppressive and ineffective” form of taxation. “Property taxes are local, not state. So wed need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60

Land 525

Land Sales As-is 525

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As the real estate market evolves, technology has become essential for success. According to NAR, only 26% of agents feel their brokerage provides the necessary tech tools and, as a result, agents seek teams and brokerages who prioritize technology investments! Whether you manage an established team or are forming a new one, this guide outlines key considerations and necessary applications to thrive.

Agents

Housing Wire

JUNE 12, 2025

LPT Realty achieves growth by tailoring compensation models to the career stage of its real estate agents, from newbies who get the most out of a flat-fee model to superstars who like a traditional split. “What that creates is [that] we actually have alignment with our team leaders,” said LPT CEO Robert Palmer. “Everybody wins, and it’s led to massive growth.

Agents 410

Agents Brokerage Technology Staging 410

Housing Wire

MARCH 31, 2025

Florida’s long-standing reputation as America’s affordable sunshine paradise is rapidly dimming under the weight of skyrocketing housing costs, unsustainable insurance premiums and crumbling infrastructure, according to a new report from real estate analytics firm Cotality. The study reveals a state at a critical crossroads, with early warning signs mirroring California ‘s housing collapse that triggered a mass exodus of residents.

Construction 421

Construction Development Marketing As-is 421

Housing Wire

JUNE 2, 2025

Homeowners are bracing for another year of rising home insurance premiums, with rates projected to climb an average of 8% by the end of 2025, according to a new analysis from Insurify. This follows a staggering 20% surge over the past two years increasing financial strain on property owners as insurers contend with escalating losses from climate-related disasters.

Construction 421

Construction As-is Marketing 421

Housing Wire

APRIL 8, 2025

UWM’s Jason Bressler and Google’s Oliver Parker United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) , the top mortgage lender in America, on Tuesday announced a strategic AI agreement with Google Cloud that the companies say will bring modernization to the mortgage industry. The partnership will see UWM blend Google Clouds advanced AI and data analytics capabilities with the lender’s technical solutions to create a faster, more intuitive and streamlined mortgage process.

Mortgages 479

Mortgages Lending Loans Technology 479

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Sales

Housing Wire

MARCH 17, 2025

Not wasting any time following his Senate confirmation last week, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte made a series of major changes to the boards of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The news was first reported by Inside Mortgage Finance.

Finance 494

Finance Development Mortgages As-is 494

Housing Wire

JUNE 9, 2025

Unless you’ve been living among the Amish, you’ve probably already tried ChatGPT for your real estate business. Most agents we work with have, but usually to write listing descriptions packed to the gills with fluffy language and way too many em dashes. Sound familiar? If so, you’ve barely scratched the surface of what ChatGPT can do for your real estate business.

Branding 417

Branding Title Agents As-is 417

Housing Wire

JANUARY 17, 2025

Todays housing starts data exceeded estimates; however, a closer examination of the report with the builder confidence reveals that the recent rise in mortgage rates , approaching 7.25%, has negatively affected builder sentiment. Since late 2022, our analysis indicates that mortgage rates in the 6%-6.5% range are positive to grow sales, whereas rates at 7% and above especially 7.50% or higher significantly impact the builder data.

Mortgages 466

Mortgages Construction Sales As-is 466

Housing Wire

APRIL 17, 2025

Bill Ackman, the billionaire founder of Pershing Square Capital Management , has an audacious plan to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without congressional approval. The proposal involves the federal government forgiving hundreds of billions of dollars while also reducing capital requirements. As a result, Ackman claims the plan would boost the stock prices of both companies to the $30 range without putting upward pressure on mortgage rates.

Pre-approval 533

Pre-approval Mortgages Equity Banks 533

Speaker: Sarah Santa Ana, Real Estate Coach, Move4Free Realty

Networking is one of the crucial elements in every real estate organization's success. Both agents and real estate companies need to maintain robust networking links. This is why social media is essential for any real estate professional! Social media enables you to stay in touch with your present clients, maintain connections with your past clients, and engage potential customers and investors.

Agents

Housing Wire

JANUARY 27, 2025

Todays new home sales report beat market expectations, just like last weeks existing home sales report. However, a detailed analysis of the data explains why housing permits continue to remain at recession-level figures. Builders are struggling to get clarity on how many homes they can sell in this rate environment in the future. Without more clarity on mortgage rates , substantial growth in housing permits is unlikely.

Sales 459

Sales Construction Mortgages Residential 459

Housing Wire

MARCH 12, 2025

Mortgage applications increased 11.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from last week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending March 7, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 12% compared to last week. The refinance index saw a 16% uptick from the previous week and was 90% higher than the same week one year ago, largely driven by a dip in the 30-year fixed rate observed by the MBA.

Fixed-rate mortgage 409

Fixed-rate mortgage Mortgages Loans Marketing 409

Housing Wire

MAY 15, 2025

Housing markets across the country are grappling with a number of issues that have resulted in historically low home sales, and chief among them is the lack of affordability. Thats largely driven by a national housing shortage thats leading to fewer listings and thus driving up home prices. According to a new paper from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the drop in affordability is present in all income brackets but its most stark among the middle class where the percentage of affordab

Sales 397

Sales Marketing As-is 397