HWmember

The evolution of mortgage marketing: From rates to relationships 

Mortgage marketing has been hooked on a single lever — rate — for far too long. In a category as cyclical and commoditized as ours, chasing a number that whipsaws with macro forces is a race to the bottom. The shift that matters now is from price-forward messages to people-first experiences: trust, guidance, and partnership […]

The evolution of mortgage marketing: From rates to relationships  Read More »

Why did the growth rate of housing inventory drop by half this year?

This is the final Housing Market Tracker article for 2025 and we’re going to tackle why the inventory growth rate has been cut in half this year. At one point, we had over 30% year-over-year growth, and that number is now down to 13.54%. Why is this the last tracker of the year? I don’t

Why did the growth rate of housing inventory drop by half this year? Read More »

Existing home sales hit 9-month high with inventory at 1.43M units

Existing home sales have been trending higher since June, when the monthly sales print bottomed at 3,930,000 for 2025. The question is: can this continue? Back in mid-June, the housing market started to shift, and then mortgage rates fell below the key 6.64% level and headed toward 6. This has given us 200,000 more sales

Existing home sales hit 9-month high with inventory at 1.43M units Read More »

AOL provider Voxtur files for Chapter 15 bankruptcy

Voxtur, one of the largest proponents and providers of attorney opinion letters (AOLs), has filed a Chapter 15 bankruptcy petition in Delaware. This comes after the Canadian firm already committed to a restructuring plan in Ontario.  In the U.S. bankruptcy filing, which covers Voxtur and dozens of its affiliates in Canada and the U.S., the

AOL provider Voxtur files for Chapter 15 bankruptcy Read More »

Spanberger unveils Virginia housing affordability plan

Affordability has become the defining test of political electability today. From housing to groceries, voters increasingly judge candidates by their ability to reduce everyday costs.​ Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) focused on improving affordability during her campaign. To follow through, she rolled out a housing agenda that leans heavily on preservation of existing affordable homes,

Spanberger unveils Virginia housing affordability plan Read More »

TD Bank expresses cautious optimism for affordable housing in 2026

Affordable housing developers are entering 2026 with mixed expectations, balancing optimism about long-term demand with immediate concerns over costs and policy shifts. A new TD Bank survey shows that half of affordable housing professionals believe market challenges will affect their deal pipelines next year. They cite high construction costs and tariff-driven price increases as the

TD Bank expresses cautious optimism for affordable housing in 2026 Read More »

Sonic Fire Tech launches infrasound wildfire defense system in California

Sonic Fire Tech recently announced the commercial rollout of its Sonic Home Defense system, a wildfire defense system in California that extinguishes fires using inaudible, infrasound technology instead of water or chemicals.  The product has personal significance for Remington Hotchkis, chief commercialization officer at Sonic Fire Tech, whose family home in Altadena burned down in

Sonic Fire Tech launches infrasound wildfire defense system in California Read More »

Keller Williams sharpens focus on agent teams for 2026

For many of the real estate industry’s newest entrants, team recruitment and retention was a primary focus in 2025. And while Keller Williams recognizes that other companies are jumping on the mega and expansion team bandwagon, the firm is confident that it has what it takes to compete in this arena in 2026 and beyond. 

Keller Williams sharpens focus on agent teams for 2026 Read More »

CertifID’s Tyler Adams on deepfakes, fraud and protecting homebuyers

Cybercriminals are not inventing entirely new schemes in 2025. They are perfecting old ones. According to Tyler Adams, CEO and co-founder of CertifID, fraudsters are combining artificial intelligence (AI) with patience, timing and realism to exploit real estate transactions in increasingly convincing ways. From AI-generated voice impersonations to email monitoring and highly targeted wire fraud,

CertifID’s Tyler Adams on deepfakes, fraud and protecting homebuyers Read More »

HUD reverse mortgage counseling removal risks senior protections

A proposal to remove housing counseling as a front-end requirement for borrowers seeking government-insured reverse mortgages would eliminate a key consumer protection for seniors, according to Peter M. Mazonas, CEO of NatEquity Inc. Mazonas voiced his concerns in a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. His comments came in response to

HUD reverse mortgage counseling removal risks senior protections Read More »