Mortgage applications rose 2.8% last week as lower borrowing costs spurred a pickup in refinancing activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Feb. 13. On an unadjusted basis, the index rose 5% compared with the previous week. Refinance applications led the gain, climbing 7% from the […]
Mortgage demand rises 2.8%, fueled by 7% leap for refis Read More »
While homebuilder sentiment remains subdued after a 12-month grind that hasn’t quite let up, Robert Dietz, Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders, offered “guarded optimism” in his take on housing economics’ complex set of market drivers. In other words, the worst of the worst may be over, but don’t expect a switch
Wary optimism sparks new-home outlook … but grind may linger Read More »
The outlook for new home construction and purchases appears brighter going into 2026. After contracting last year, housing stats are forecast to rise 3% this year. A few favorable factors are lining up to boost buyer demand. Affordability is improving: wage growth is outpacing inflation, and home prices are moderating. Mortgage rates have trended down
The insurance challenge builders face in the 2026 spring housing market Read More »
Inflation didn’t just make things “more expensive.” It broke household planning—because the largest line item in most budgets, housing, is still shopped with the wrong unit of measure. When families budget by monthly outflow but search by list price, the market becomes inefficient, stress rises, and mobility collapses. The fix is straightforward: make monthly payment
Two people can look at the same parcel of land and come away with wildly different ideas and “facts” that determine how to value it. While there are more than three categories of landowner, most can be characterized in broad terms as developers, speculators or small parcel farmers/passive heirs. Each land-seller category has its own valuation process and formulas. The value creator A
The new math of land deals in Texas growth corridors Read More »
Real estate brokerage firm The Keyes Company and Illustrated Properties is teaming up with Delta Media Group to launch a unified, AI-ready digital platform for its agents and their clients in South Florida. Developed in partnership with Delta Media Group and built on DeltaNET7, Delta’s enterprise real estate technology, the platform brings consumer websites, agent
Delta Media powers unified digital platform for Keyes and Illustrated Properties Read More »
Union Home Mortgage (UHM) indicated a strong appetite for mergers and acquisitions by hiring Renee Hildebrand from Guild Mortgage to seek new opportunities, the company announced Tuesday. The move comes a few years after the Strongsville, Ohio–based UHM, led by CEO Bill Cosgrove, acquired Amerifirst Home Mortgage. It also follows two additional acquisitions in 2025
Union Home Mortgage brings on M&A veteran Renee Hildebrand Read More »
Rayse has partnered with OneKey Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to offer its agent value and transparency platform as an enhanced member benefit to more than 43,000 Realtors serving Long Island, Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and the broader New York metropolitan area. OneKey MLS is the largest Realtor-run MLS in the state of New York —
Rayse, OneKey MLS partner on agent value tools in New York Read More »
Property taxes can feel like a minor nuisance in some states and a crushing expense in others — a reality detailed in a new WalletHub analysis. The average U.S. household pays $3,119 per year in property taxes, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited in the report. Even renters are affected. Roughly 35% of households
Property tax burdens vary widely as states debate senior relief Read More »
For Dan Duffy, CEO of United Real Estate Group, the current market is not defined by disruption alone. It is defined by positioning — years of deliberate preparation colliding with a period of industry upheaval. “I have never been this excited about the next phase [of our company],” he said. “There’s never been as much
United Real Estate’s strategic position in the mega-brokerage era Read More »