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January 2026

From military service to the built world: Why construction still struggles with accountability and visibility

Construction, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion /

Transitioning from military service to a civilian career is rarely straightforward. For me, it led to the built environment — an industry that, to my surprise, felt immediately familiar. Construction sites, development teams, and project organizations operate under pressures familiar to military units: tight timelines, limited resources, high stakes, and the need to coordinate across […]

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NRMLA backs New Jersey bill clarifying reverse mortgage rules

Compliance, HWmember, Mortgage, New Jersey, NRMLA, Reverse, Reverse Mortgage Daily /

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) has voiced formal support for New Jersey Senate Bill 4970 — urging lawmakers to advance legislation that would clarify how reverse mortgages are treated under the state’s secondary mortgage law. In a letter sent to State Sen. Joseph Lagana, the association said the bill would exempt reverse mortgage

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HUD tightens rules for FHA appraiser roster

Appraisals, Compliance, FHA, HUD, HWmember, Mortgage, Regulatory Compliance, Reverse, Valuation /

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued new guidance that clarifies how appraisers are added to, maintained on and removed from the FHA Appraiser Roster. Mortgagee Letter 2025-24 — effective immediately — updates FHA policy to make appraiser eligibility easier to track and more consistent with federal and state licensing records. Changes apply

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Why most buyers hire the first agent they talk to

Agent, First-Time Homebuyers, Homebuying, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Technology, Zillow /

Zillow’s 2025 Consumer Housing Trends Report for Agents shows that more than one-third (36%) of home sellers now find their agents online, a sharp increase from just 15% in 2018. Among buyers, 33% said online research played a significant role in selecting an agent. At the same time, repeat buyers now account for a majority

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Pinnacle emerges as $117B bank after completing Synovus deal

Growth strategies, M&A, State of Georgia, Tennessee /

Key insight: Pinnacle took a little over five months to close its merger with Synovus. The combined bank, which is focused on the Southeast, has $117 billion of assets. Why it matters: The transaction is the latest test case for mergers of equals, which have lost favor with investors because some such deals have underformed.

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MBA welcomes Alexandra Brinton as chief financial officer

MBA welcomes Alexandra Brinton as chief financial officer

Career advancement, Career moves, Industry News, Mortgage Bankers Association /

The Mortgage Bankers Association is starting 2026 with a major leadership appointment, appointing an experienced accounting executive to chief financial officer.  Processing Content The industry trade group welcomed Alexandra Brinton to the role of vice president, chief financial officer. With a background working for a variety of trade and nonprofit organizations, she will be responsible

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Mamdani begins term by wiping out 15 months of Adams’ orders

Housing markets, Politics and policy /

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani rescinded all executive orders issued by his predecessor over the last 15 months as part of a flurry of actions as the city’s new leader took office Jan. 1. Processing Content The directive revoked all executive orders former mayor Eric Adams had issued since Sept. 26, 2024, the day he was

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Gap between remodel, homebuilder businesses keeps growing

Homebuilders, Housing markets, Originations, REALTORS & HOMEBUILDERS /

The number of residential remodeling businesses hit a record-high earlier this decade, with the pace of their growth more than doubling that of builders. Processing Content Total remodeling enterprises came in at 128,187 at the close of 2022, according to the National Association of Home Builders analysis of U.S. Census data. By comparison, only 77,455

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Fannie Mae fending off discrimination, defamation lawsuits

GSEs, Law and legal issues /

Fannie Mae wants to squash separate lawsuits from workers it fired last spring, who are accusing the government-sponsored enterprise of discrimination and defamation.  Processing Content The accusations stem from a mass termination in April, in which Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte said over 100 employees were fired for fraud. Housing officials never elaborated

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