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March 2026

Better launches ChatGPT-based credit decision engine for mortgage and HELOC lenders

Artificial Intelligence, Better, ChatGPT, HWmember, Loan Processing, Mortgage, Origination, Technology, Underwriting /

Better.com has launched a conversational credit decision engine that lets mortgage and home equity lenders run underwriting through ChatGPT using the company’s Tinman AI platform, the company announced Thursday. The integration, built with OpenAI using a Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector, allows loan officers and bank teams to access Better’s Tinman engine directly in ChatGPT […]

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Study finds 65-year-olds need $135K for long-term care

Aging in Place, Healthcare, HWmember, Long-term care, Retirement, Reverse /

A new report from consulting firm Milliman concludes that the average 65-year-old should set aside $135,000 to cover high-intensity long-term care in the future. But averages can mask wide variation depending on gender, location and health.   Women face significantly higher costs than men — an average of $171,000 versus $98,000 — largely because women

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NAR speaks out on “coming soon” listings

Agent, Brokerage, Compass, HWmember, MLS/Associations, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate, Real Estate Listings /

The National Association of Realtors said it does not set a national policy for “coming soon” listing statuses and leaves those decisions to local multiple listing services. “NAR respects the rights of individual brokers to make their own business decisions and does not comment on specific brokerage practices or business models,” the trade group said

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New eXp division bridges homebuilder-brokerage service gap

Agent, Brokerage, eXp Realty, eXp World Holdings, Homebuilders, HWmember, Leo Pareja, Real Estate /

eXp Realty has announced the launch of eXp New Homes, a specialized division designed to help agents expand into the new construction market — from boutique urban developments to large master-planned communities. The division aims to bridge the gap between traditional brokerage services and the specialized needs of developers. By providing education, tools and resources

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USDA rural housing loan changes could limit California buyers

Affordability, California, First-Time Homebuyers, Housing Market, HWmember, Mortgage, Regulatory, USDA /

Housing advocates warn that recent changes to a federal rural lending program could sharply limit homeownership opportunities for low-income families in California communities. The California Coalition for Rural Housing said revisions made Feb. 10 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Section 502 Direct Loan program reduce the maximum loan amount allowed under the program

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Compromise Indiana housing reform law trims local zoning power

Affordable housing, Housing Policy, Policy, Residential Real Estate, The Builder's Daily, Zoning /

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun swiftly signed into law comprehensive state housing reforms after lawmakers spent weeks debating how much the state could and should override local zoning rules and design standards. The law adopts a softer approach to neutralizing local zoning authority after mayors, county commissioners and municipal planners complained that the initial bill overreached

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NAHB data maps modest housing affordability gains in 2025

Affordability, Homebuilders, Marketing & Sales, Residential Real Estate, The Builder's Daily /

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index, released on Thursday, indicates that housing affordability slightly improved in 2025 as new home prices decreased nationwide and mortgage rates steadily declined during the second half of the year.  The quarterly index shows that the average family needed to spend 34% of their

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How independent real estate leaders stay competitive in 2026

Artificial Intelligence, Brokerage, HWmember, LeadingRE, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate /

The real estate industry has never lacked for uncertainty. But if there was a prevailing message from a panel of brokerage leaders moderated by Paul Boomsma, president and CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), it’s that perspective matters. For brokerage leaders navigating consolidation, commission pressures and rapid technology changes, that sentiment

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Morgan Stanley cuts 2,500 jobs across divisions

Banking, HWmember, Morgan Stanley, Mortgage, Mortgage and Housing Layoffs, Origination /

Morgan Stanley’s reported layoff of about 3% of its workforce — roughly 2,500 employees — is affecting some staff working on mortgage origination services for wealth management clients. The bank is cutting positions across its estimated 83,000-employee global workforce due to shifts in business priorities, geographic strategy changes and individual job performance considerations, people familiar

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House committee passes bank deregulatory package

Community banking, Politics, Politics and policy /

Key insight: The package includes measures that had already been considered by the committee, including a bill on brokered and custodial deposits and a number of measures aimed at relaxing oversight, particularly for community banks.  What’s at stake: The package is opposed by some Democrats, who argue the bill favors large banks as well as

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