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December 2025

Homebuilder confidence ticks up but remains low

Builder Confidence, homebuilder, Homebuilder Confidence, Homebuilder Sentiment, Leadership, NAHB, The Builder's Daily /

Homebuilding executives remain downbeat, citing a range of current conditions marked by buyer hesitancy, economic uncertainty, shrinking profit margins, increased use of incentives, and high costs. However, homebuilders whose primary focus is the strained entry-level buyer segment face the biggest hurdles.  The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI)’s builder confidence […]

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Inside Pennymac’s Texas expansion and its push for top mortgage talent

HWmember, Mortgage, PennyMac, Servicing /

Pennymac cut the ribbon on a new facility in Carrollton, Texas, on Friday, which will become the company’s largest corporate office, eventually housing more than 1,800 employees. The move consolidates two offices in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex while also giving the company room to grow. Pennymac is taking full advantage of the bigger space, actively hiring

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MRED challenges Zillow’s claims of imminent listing feed disruptions

Chicago, Clear Cooperation, HWmember, MLS, MLS/Associations, Real Estate Listings, Zillow /

The spat between Zillow and Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) continues on. Over the weekend, the Chicago-based MLS sent an email, obtained by HousingWire, to members warning them that the listing portal’s industry relations team is contacting MRED subscribers and allegedly threatening to contact their home seller clients. MRED stated that it’s anticipating disruptions to

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Google enters portal wars with MLS listings in select cities

Google, HouseCanary, HWmember, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, MLS/Associations, Real Estate Listings, Technology /

The portal wars may have a new entrant — and it isn’t one to shake a stick at. Google has begun testing a new advertising format in select markets that embeds for-sale home listings directly into search results.  Listings are embedded only in mobile searches for listings in select markets, including Chicago, Denver and Austin. 

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Sweeney amends lawsuit against AIME, names UWM

AIME, HWmember, Lawsuit, Legal, Mat Ishbia, Mortgage, United Wholesale Mortgage /

The legal skirmish between Katie Sweeney and the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) is continuing to develop with a first amended complaint that officially names United Wholesale Mortgage, AIME’s main sponsor, and Sarah DeCiantis, UWM’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, as defendants. Sweeney previously filed a motion on Oct. 28 in the

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Social Security faces insolvency risk as Americans doubt its future

HWmember, Retirement, Reverse, Social Security, Social Security Administration /

Most Americans hold a favorable view of Social Security, but about one-third are skeptical the program will still exist when they retire, according to new survey data released by the Cato Institute and YouGov. The survey also found that Americans are broadly misinformed about how Social Security works.  “Many do not understand how the program

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Vacation homes and seasonal properties drive up rural prices

Housing markets, Industry News, Originations /

Rural markets across the board saw a significant spike in property values during the pandemic housing boom, but some communities benefited more thanks to their locations and the rise of remote work.  Processing Content Between March 2020 and March 2023, home prices appreciated 36.1% in rural areas, more than doubling their rate of growth in

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Feds raise appraisal exemption for higher-priced mortgages

Appraisals, Originations, Regulation and compliance /

The government is raising the exemption for special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans to $34,200. Processing Content The loans are defined as any mortgage with specifically higher annual percentage rates than the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s average prime offer rate. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the

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Housing market will be soft in 2026, KBW analysts warn

Housing markets, Marketing, Mortgage Rates /

The U.S. housing market is set for a soft 2026, with modest home price gains and slowing sales, according to KBW. Processing Content “In housing, we expect rent growth to turn positive on moderating supply and resilient rental demand while home purchasing remains subdued with high rates and challenging affordability,” the report from Jade Rahmani,

Housing market will be soft in 2026, KBW analysts warn Read More »