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Virginia governor’s amendments keep Faith in Housing Act in limbo

Affordability, Affordable housing, HWmember, Policy, Politics, The Builder's Daily, Virginia, Zoning /

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger left in limbo legislation that would let faith-based organizations build affordable housing on their land without rezoning. Instead of vetoing or signing the Faith in Housing Act, Spanberger recommended changes. The recommendations keep the bill’s core intact but make targeted operational tweaks. The governor, who has only been in office since […]

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Portable credit reports spark debate over costs, feasibility

Community Home Lenders of America, credit report, Credit Score, FICO, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, VantageScore /

While the mortgage industry lobbies to reduce credit report costs, the idea of allowing borrowers to use the same file across multiple lenders has slowly emerged. In this consumer-controlled portable credit report model, borrowers would authorize the use of a single credit report during their mortgage search across different lenders. The concept mirrors tenant screening

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America’s housing shortage stems from more than overregulation, Fed report finds

America’s housing shortage stems from more than overregulation, Fed report finds

Federal Reserve, Homebuilders, Housing Inventory, HWmember, Policy, The Builder's Daily, Zoning /

The U.S. housing market is chronically underbuilt, resulting in a decades-long shortage. Burdensome regulations take part of the blame, but they are not the only cause. A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis indicates that regulations are just one piece of the puzzle. Labor shortages, land constraints, and rising building, borrowing

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Dark Matter’s new CEO on AI, layoffs and growth strategy

Artificial Intelligence, Dark Matter Technologies, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage and Housing Layoffs, Technology /

On Thursday, Dark Matter Technologies announced the promotion of Vikas Rao from chief technology officer to CEO, with Rao replacing Sean Dugan. At the same time, the Florida-headquartered company announced layoffs impacting 5% of its workforce. The roles affected were not immediately announced. Rao, just one day into his new role heading the technology company,

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Maine enacts first state law to regulate home equity investments

Home Equity, HWmember, Legislation, Maine, Mortgage, National Consumer Law Center, Reverse /

Maine Gov. Janet Mills this week signed LD 1901, making Maine the first state to enact comprehensive consumer protections for home equity investments (HEIs), which the new law defines as “shared appreciation mortgage loans.” The bill, titled “An Act to Regulate Shared Appreciation Agreements Relating to Residential Property,” establishes guardrails around a growing class of

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Building mortgage AI agents that compliance teams can trust

Artificial Intelligence, Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination, Real Estate Technology, Technology /

The mortgage industry is no longer debating whether AI has a role to play. That part is over. The real conversation now is about what kind of AI can work inside a business where decisions must be documented, policies must be followed, and every workflow may eventually be reviewed by risk, audit, or compliance. That

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When listings lie: AI staging pushes real estate into an ethics gray zone

Agent, Artificial Intelligence, California Regional MLS, Coldwell Banker, Homebuyers, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Listings, Real Estate Marketing, Technology /

Virtual staging — once a simple tool for digitally adding furniture — is rapidly evolving into a powerful and sometimes controversial force in real estate marketing as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes what’s possible. To understand where the line is drawn between enhancement and misrepresentation, it helps to start with the people who enforce the rules.

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NAREB affordable homeownership bus tour targets Black homeownership gap

Baltimore, Black Homeownership, Detroit, Housing Market, HWmember, Kansas City, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Philadelphia /

The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) has launched an eight-city Affordable Homeownership Bus Tour aimed at closing the Black homeownership gap by bringing housing education, lending resources and policy conversations directly into local communities. The tour, led by NAREB President Ashley Thomas III, will visit Philadelphia; Baltimore; Detroit; Gary, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri;

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US foreclosure filings rise 26% in Q1 2026, ATTOM says

ATTOM, Foreclosure, HWmember, LendingLife, Loss Mitigation, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, REO, Servicing /

Foreclosure activity accelerated in the first quarter of 2026, with signs of mounting operational pressure for mortgage servicers and downstream vendors, according to ATTOM’s latest U.S. Foreclosure Market Report and insights from industry executives. While overall foreclosure volumes remain below pre-Great Recession peaks, starts, completions and real estate-owned (REO) inventories are climbing, timelines are shrinking

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Construction pros see spring rebound despite economic uncertainty

Construction, Homebuilder Sentiment, Homebuilders, HWmember, The Builder's Daily /

A new survey indicates that residential contractors and remodelers began the second quarter on an optimistic note, but economic uncertainty driven by the war in Iran could complicate the picture.  The Houzz Q2 2026 U.S. Houzz Pro Industry Barometer, a survey conducted between March 17 and April 6, found that construction and design pros expect

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