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FHA seeks input on buy now, pay later lending

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has opened a request for information on buy now, pay later (BNPL) lending as it seeks to understand its implications for housing affordability and stability. Comments are due by Aug. 25. These installment loans — often referred to as “phantom debt” — gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among

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Back on the tariff roller coaster: Trump imposes new levies, extends deadlines

After a few months of relative calm, President Donald Trump issued a flurry of new tariffs on key trade partners while indicating an extension of deadlines for most countries to reach a trade deal with the U.S.. Trump paused his new global tariff regime less than a week after it was announced on April 2,

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NAR celebrates passage of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) praised the narrow passage of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — a sweeping tax reform measures that includes a slate of real estate-related provisions. Last week, the legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 218-214, which followed a 50-50 vote in the Senate

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USA Today jumps into the real estate portal wars

USA Today publisher Gannett is partnering with AddressUSA, with the companies announcing Monday that they’re entering into a multiyear agreement to power an an online real estate portal across the USA Today Network. According to a press release, AddressUSA’s listings will be integrated throughout the USA Today Network alongside editorial content on topics like home

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Plaintiffs in fake leads lawsuit ask court to reconsider ruling

The plaintiffs in the fake leads lawsuit involving Move, News Corp. and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have announced that they’ll be filing a motion for the court to reconsider its ruling on the defendants’ motion to compel arbitration as early as Aug. 8.  Lead plaintiff James Bandy and 12 other named plaintiffs are

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Why mortgage purchase apps are on a 22-week growth streak

One of the most surprising pieces of housing economic data for 2025 is that purchase apps for the existing home sales market have shown 22 weeks of year-over-year growth. And that includes nine consecutive weeks of double-digit year-over-year growth in recent weeks. Normally, this would be a significant news story, but the confusion surrounding this

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Armando Falcon on the FHFA’s move toward crypto mortgages

It’s been just over a week since Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start preparing for the use of cryptocurrency in single-family mortgages. With limited guidance beyond the FHFA’s directive, mortgage originators and industry experts are working to assess how cryptocurrency could be applied to mortgages.

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State AGs oppose HUD’s plan to roll back fair housing marketing rules

California Attorney General Rob Bonta — along with a coalition of 20 other attorneys general — is urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to abandon a proposed rule that would eliminate federal requirements prohibiting discriminatory marketing of affordable housing. In a letter sent to HUD on Thursday, the attorneys general argued

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Texas independent brokerages join Compass

Compass continues to welcome agents to the firm, this time via two independent brokerage integrations in Texas. Vista Real Estate and Halo Group Realty are joining Compass, according to an announcement on Thursday.  Vista Real Estate serves clients in central Texas and has more than 60 agents, while Halo Group Realty serves clients in the Dallas-Fort

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