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Manufactured housing Is the future of affordable housing

Affordable housing, Contributors, HWmember, Manufactured Housing, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

Last month, Members of Congress were treated to an on-the-ground look at manufactured housing – the sector of the housing industry that holds the greatest promise for meeting our nation’s affordable homeownership and rental housing challenges. At the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Innovative Housing Showcase” in early September on the National […]

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Private mortgage insurance: one of the most powerful financial tools for first-time buyers

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Connect, Mortgage insurance, Opinion /

While it may seem second-nature to realtors, lenders, and others in the industry, navigating the homebuying process can be overwhelming and confusing, particularly for first-time homebuyers. It can feel like a foreign language and it’s often easy for misconceptions to take root. This includes the characterization of private mortgage insurance, which helps first-time buyers and

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There’s no such thing as a Realtor tax: Here’s what they’re missing

Agent, Brokerage, Contributors, Housing Market, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Tax /

Benjamin Franklin famously said that nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. When I saw a recent article by Robert Bork Jr. claiming that the affordability crisis is due to some sort of “Realtor® tax,” I stopped in my tracks. The only Realtor® tax I’m aware of is the 15% self-employment tax I’m

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Weekly home sales look stronger than normal, but there’s a catch

Home Sales, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, Housing Market Tracker, HWmember, Mortgage Rates, New listings, Purchase Applications /

We had a nice pop in our weekly pending home sales last week, and with mortgage rates near 2025 lows we could ask: Is housing breaking out? Not exactly.   One of the themes I really stressed this year is that weekly data can be volatile around holiday weekends. So we always look at the two

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Tech Pulse: MLS AI debate; CoStar disputes Zillow announcement

Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Compass, CoStar Group, eXp Realty, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association, Real Estate, Technology, United Wholesale Mortgage, Zillow /

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: It’s up to MLSs to decide if the Zillow-ChatGPT integration violates IDX policies The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said individual MLSs must determine whether Zillow’s ChatGPT integration

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Fannie Mae names new head of single family and acting general counsel

Bill Pulte, Fannie Mae, Government Lending, GSEs, HWmember, Mortgage, People Movers, Trump administration /

Fannie Mae on Friday announced the promotion of two long-time employees to lead its Single-Family business and general counsel’s office. “We are pleased to announce the promotion of Fannie Mae seasoned veterans Jake Williamson to acting head of single-family and Tom Klein to acting general counsel. These highly respected leaders will help lead the company

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Ohio moves to tie property tax increases to inflation

Affordability, Homeownership, Housing Market, HWmember, Legislation, Ohio, Politics, Property Tax /

The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday passed two bills aimed at limiting future property tax increases by tying them to inflation — marking the latest in a series of efforts to curb rising property taxes across the state. Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman said the legislation represents “something significant” for Ohio taxpayers. He estimates

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From life change to top agent: James Jensen’s North Dakota story

Agent, Brokerage, Commercial Real Estate, HWmember, North Dakota, RE/MAX, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, RealTrends Verified Rankings /

As James Jensen walked away from work in the life insurance industry the day his son was born 12 years ago, he knew change was coming on multiple fronts. “I was trying to find the right time to make my life change,” Jensen said. “It was a great job with good pay, but it just

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Social Security COLA will increase 2.8% in 2026

HWmember, Retirement, Reverse, Social Security, Social Security Administration /

The Social Security Administration (SSA) on Friday announced that its cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will rise 2.8% in 2026. Among the 53 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits in retirement, that will translate to an additional $56 per month. The average monthly payment to retirees will rise to $2,056, the SSA reported. The 2.8% increase

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ICE’s First Look report shows mortgage performance is strong despite FHA strain

Delinquencies, FHA loan, Foreclosure, HWmember, ICE Mortgage Technology, LendingLife, Mortgage, Servicing /

The mortgage market remains largely resilient — with delinquencies and foreclosures still below long-term averages — even as performance among Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans continues to weaken. That’s according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s First Look report on September mortgage performance data. The data, released Friday, show the national delinquency rate — loans 30 or

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