President Donald Trump has made deregulation a policy pillar for his second term — and housing regulations are up for review. Homebuilders say that federal rules have driven up the cost of building a home. Many mortgage professionals want to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship. And there were no shortage of complaints […]
Where land-use regulations are driving up housing costs Read More »
As issues continue to persist across the country for local housing authorities, the situation in Houston has led to an investigation by prominent local media outlets and a commissioned report by outside legal counsel. The probe found that mismanagement of contractors and the submission of fraudulent paperwork likely led to millions of dollars in losses.
Fraud, mismanagement led to millions in losses for Houston Housing Authority Read More »
The rising cost of homeowners’ insurance coupled with the rising regularity of weather-related natural disasters is serving to erode the longstanding barrier between mortgage lenders and loan losses, according to a new report published by First Street. As the frequency of disasters has risen — destabilizing the insurance market, limiting coverage and raising consumers’ costs
Extreme weather and high insurance costs pose foreclosure risk Read More »
Rural areas of the U.S. that have long been viewed as a refuge for affordable homeownership are now grappling with rising prices, limited inventory and increasing competition — pressures once thought unique to urban housing markets. “Even the term ‘affordable’ feels like a relic of the past,” said Jake Vehige, president of mortgage lending at
Rural America isn’t immune to housing squeeze Read More »
As Congress continues its effort to rewrite major portions of the tax code, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) unveiled new polling showing just what the American people are looking for in the legislation. The national survey shows overwhelming bipartisan support for tax provisions that strengthen homeownership, support small business owners and the middle class,
NAR: Americans want a tax plan that supports the American dream Read More »
As part of broader housing initiatives, Republicans in both the Trump administration and in Congress are pursuing the sale of large swaths of federal land to potentially develop housing. But the Republican front is not completely united. Earlier this month, lawmakers in the House of Representatives’ Committee on Natural Resources saw an amendment added to
Federal lands amendment draws bipartisan rebuke Read More »
As economic concerns grow, a new survey from Realtor.com shows that a significant share of prospective homebuyers may view a potential recession as an opportunity rather than a deterrent. According to the survey, 63.4% of respondents expect a recession within the next year, reflecting the highest level of concern since 2019. Despite that, nearly 30%
Sidelined homebuyers see opportunity in a possible recession Read More »
First American Data & Analytics released its April 2025 Home Price Index (HPI) report on Tuesday, revealing that house prices nationally are now 57.2% higher compared to pre-pandemic levels. Month over month, the HPI changed +0.4% and tear over year the HPI changed by +2.0%. The report noted that home-price growth reported in last month’s
National home prices reached record high in April: First American Read More »
The secretaries of the U.S. departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Interior (DOI) journeyed to southern Nevada in an effort to highlight the Trump administration’s plan to sell federal lands to private developers for the purposes of housing development. Joined by Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), HUD
HUD secretary tours Nevada federal land to talk housing development Read More »
To start things off, I have an announcement to make, today will be my last weekly article for Altos Research. I founded Altos nearly 20 years ago to bring a new level of analytics and data to the housing market. Two and a half years ago, Altos was acquired by HousingWire, and it’s been tremendously
Inventory back to 2019 levels and what that means for 2025 Read More »