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March 2026

Realtor.com data challenges effectiveness of Senate ban on big home investors

Affordability, Cotality, Housing Market, HWmember, Institutional investors, Investors, Legislation, Realtor.com, Trump administration /

In the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Thursday, is a provision titled, “Homes Are for People, Not Corporations.” This provision seeks to impose new restrictions on institutional investors in the single-family housing market. Under the provision, entities owning 350 or more single-family homes would face limits on purchasing […]

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Federal judge blocks DOJ subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Powell

Department of Justice, Federal Reserve, HWmember, Jerome Powell, Legal, LendingLife /

A federal judge on Friday blocked subpoenas that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) served the Federal Reserve in a case involving Jerome Powell’s Congressional testimony on the central bank’s headquarters renovation, concluding the effort appeared designed to “harass and pressure” him to lower interest rates or resign from his position. The DOJ served the

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Contrarian Smith Douglas leans into its system, goes for market share

Earnings, Homebuilders, Leadership, Residential Real Estate, The Builder's Daily /

Uncertainty, margin compression and the gut-check math of affordability are the givens of a new-home market impatiently waiting for relief on at least one of those three fronts.  Most public homebuilders – facing this indefinite limbo – are doing the same thing: slowing down. Production starts are throttling down. Spec inventory is being sold down.

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Is Opendoor playing the builder rate buydown game?

Affordability, Home Prices, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Opendoor, Origination /

iBuyer Opendoor’s recently launched mortgage product — which promises below-market interest rates after the company removed its markup — has sparked debate across the industry about who absorbs the cost and whether the model is sustainable. Some industry professionals view the offering as similar to the strategy many homebuilders use — providing below-market mortgage rates

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HannaList adds fuel to the escalating private listings war

Agent, Brokerage, Clear Capital, Compass, Contributors, Hoby Hanna, Homes.com, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Realtor.com, Zillow /

The private listings debate just got louder. Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has launched HannaList, an internal listing network that allows Howard Hanna agents to share listings exclusively with Howard Hanna buyer agents before those properties ever reach the MLS. Combined with what Compass has built since acquiring Anywhere, two of the industry’s most significant

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NFM Lending adds South Carolina producer Phil Crescenzo Jr.

HWmember, Lenders, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Origination, People Movers, South Carolina, Team Leaders /

Phil Crescenzo Jr., a high-producing loan officer in South Carolina, is joining NFM Lending. The move was announced Friday on social media by NFM managing director Greg Sher. Crescenzo comes to NFM after a two-year stint as Southeast division manager for Nation One Mortgage Corp. His prior experience also includes roles as a producing branch

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Compass names Shay Artzi CTO to unify agent technology platform

Brokerage, Compass, HWmember, People Movers, Real Estate, Robert Reffkin /

With the closure of its merger with Anywhere Real Estate now in the rearview mirror, Compass International Holdings (CIH) is looking to get all 340,000 real estate professionals under its all-in-one technology platform. On Friday, the firm announced that Shay Artzi will spearhead this effort in his new role as CIH’s chief technology officer.  “Our

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White House order to increase small bank mortgage lending

Housing, Politics, Politics and policy /

Key insight: The White House issued an executive order directing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and bank regulators to tailor mortgage rules for community banks. What’s at stake: The move is part of a broader Republican strategy to shore up its credibility around housing affordability ahead of the 2026 midterms, and comes as a bipartisan

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Judge tosses out ‘unsubstantiated’ subpoenas into Powell

Federal Reserve, Law and legal issues, Monetary policy, Politics and policy /

Key Insight: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg wrote in documents unsealed Friday that the Trump administration produced no evidence to suspect Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell of a crime, justifying the tossing of the subpoenas. The Justice Department said it would challenge the decision. Expert quote: “The Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect

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