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March 2026

Florida: In choppy 2026, one state is many homebuilding markets

Florida, Homebuilders, Marketing & Sales, New Home Sales, Residential Real Estate, The Builder's Daily /

It may come as a surprise amid the noise, negativity, and volatility in today’s new-home market that Florida remains one of the most dynamic homebuilding markets in the country. The housing landscape in the nation’s third-most-populous state shares a vertiginous, bumpy near-term outlook with other Sun Belt markets. The region has been challenging for homebuilders. […]

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DeCaro Auctions expands executive team

Auction, Home Sales, HWmember, Luxury Real Estate, People Movers, Real Estate /

DeCaro Auctions has expanded its executive team as the luxury real estate auction firm seeks to grow its international platform. The appointments come after Mario Vargas was recently named CEO. “Luxury auctions are about more than marketing reach. They are about relationships, strategy and execution,” said Vargas. “Each member of this team brings deep experience

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Washington just banned noncompete agreements. Will other states follow suit?

Employment, Federal Trade Commission, HWmember, Legislation, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance, Washington /

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill into effect earlier this week that bans noncompete agreements across the state. The move marks a significant shift in employment law that will take effect on June 30, 2027. The measure prohibits contracts that restrict workers from joining or starting competing businesses after leaving a job. Noncompete agreements

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BuildersUpdate pay-at-closing model targets builders’ marketing risk

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

BuildersUpdate.com has rolled out a “pay upon performance” model that shifts new-home marketing costs from upfront spend to a flat fee due only when a sale closes, aiming squarely at builders’ growing concern over wasted lead-gen dollars in a choppy demand and rate environment. Announced March 26, 2026, the program lets homebuilders list communities on

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FinCEN’s anti-money laundering rule struck down: what real estate and title professionals need to know

Compliance, FinCEN, Home Sales, HWmember, Legal, Money laundering, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Real Estate, Regulatory Compliance, Title, Title insurance, U.S. Government, U.S. Treasury /

A federal judge in Texas has vacated the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) nationwide anti-money laundering (AML) rule — creating a legal vacuum and uncertainty among title and real estate professionals. While the ruling eliminates a significant compliance burden that industry groups had criticized, legal observers warn that FinCEN retains broad authority over real estate

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Florida court shields unused reverse mortgage credit from garnishment

Florida, HECM, HWmember, Lawsuit, Legal, Mortgage, Reverse, Reverse Mortgage Daily /

A Florida appeals court has ruled that funds available but not yet withdrawn from a reverse mortgage line of credit are protected under the state’s homestead exemption and cannot be garnished. The March 25 decision by the Fourth District Court of Appeal found that a creditor could not force a homeowner to access unused funds

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Even as GSEs step into MBS market, macro forces are controlling mortgage rates

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Government-Sponsored Enterprise, HWmember, LendingLife, MBS, Mortgage, Regulatory, Secondary market /

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been active in the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) market in recent weeks — but their approach appears more measured and opportunistic than many initially expected. Their activity has also been overshadowed by the U.S.-Iran conflict.  “We’ve seen some activity from the GSEs. Instead of issuing cash window pools and putting

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The case for seller choice: Why exposure is a strategy and not a setting

Agent, Brokerage, Contributors, Gary Keller, HWmember, MLS, Opinion, Real Estate, Technology, Zillow /

Gary Keller is one of the most consequential figures in the history of residential real estate. In nearly five decades, few people have done more to educate, elevate and safeguard the well-being of the real estate professional. I say this as a 36-year veteran of this business and as someone who spent six years working

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CoStar says Zillow copyright infringement now tops 53,000 photos

CoStar Group, HWmember, Legal, Real Estate, Realtor.com, Redfin, Technology, Zillow /

CoStar Group is claiming that Zillow’s alleged infringement upon copyrighted photos owned by CoStar has continued despite the ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit CoStar filed against Zillow last July. In an amended complaint filed on Friday, CoStar claims that Zillow has infringed on CoStar’s copyright on more than 53,000 watermarked photos across Zillow and the platforms

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NEXA Lending targets recurring income model for loan originators

HWmember, Loan Officer, Mike Kortas, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, MSRs, NEXA Lending, Origination, Servicing /

NEXA Lending announced Friday that it’s developing a new initiative aimed at allowing loan originators to participate in recurring income tied to the long-term performance of the loans they originate. The initiative, described as a “servicing-aligned income model,” is expected to begin rolling out as early as July 2026, the company said. The program centers

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