In his first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting as Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh held rates steady and announced the formation of five task forces to review the Fed’s operations. He also stripped forward guidance from the policy statement entirely. The FOMC voted to maintain the federal funds rate at 3.5% – 3.75%, citing solid…
The Mortgage Bankers Association is pointing to a combination of economic and geopolitical forces ultimately netting a decrease in mortgage application activity this week. The latest Market Composite Index from the MBA—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume and includes purchases and refinances—shows application activity decreasing 3.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis from a jump…
Summer arrives with a positive sign for the housing market, as the National Association of Realtors®’ (NAR) pending home sales report shows growth month-over-month and year-over-year in May 2026. Gains were felt across all four major regions of the United States. “A late spring buyer rush—even with mortgage rates not budging—is an indication of pent-up…
Three Virginia congressional representatives have sent letters to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) encouraging further investigation into listing portal practices and their effects on housing affordability. Jennifer McClellan and Don Beyer (both Democrats) sent a letter to FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson on May 29. On June 12, Ben Cline (a Republican) sent a second, substantively…
The multiple listing service has always been a simple concept. But like a lot of straightforward ideas, everything gets a lot more complicated once you need to address competing interests, stakeholder priorities and operational requirements. Even so, MLSs remained a relatively unquestioned foundation of real estate for decades—until now. For the first time in the…
Housing construction took a definite hit in May as inflation reached new peaks and affordability remains challenged, as seen in recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Census Bureau. The latest New Residential Construction report saw housing starts clock in at a rate of 1,177,000 in May, down a…
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner recently stressed that the Trump Administration has been intentional about tearing down the regulatory environment that many have blamed as a cause for housing affordability across America. Appearing on CNBC, the conversation focused on regulatory burdens that officials say add roughly $100,000 to the cost of a…
Windermere Real Estate Expands Lucy Wood’s Role Windermere Real Estate, one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate companies, has elevated Lucy Wood, a third-generation member of its founding family, to regional director for Western Washington and Oregon. The appointment positions Wood at the helm of the nearly $40 billion organization’s largest operating region,…
Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate. FTC lawsuit cost Zillow shareholders millions, new suit alleges A Zillow shareholder filed a securities class action in the Western District of Washington on June 9, alleging the company and its top executives…
Builder sentiment remains subdued as rising material costs, elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to strain the housing market. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 35 in June, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released June 15.…
| Older Posts |