President Donald Trump has floated several controversial ideas to help make housing affordable again. But his latest pitch—allowing Americans to tap 401(k) plans and 529 education savings accounts without penalties to fund their down payments—could have lasting financial consequences even if it helps with some upfront homeownership costs. According to a report from Politico, the…
Manufactured and modular housing have been embraced as one solution to reaching housing affordability, due to their ease to build (including low cost), energy efficiency and other key benefits. On Friday, January 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable HOMES Act, a bill that cuts energy regulations in an effort to lower the…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell—a target of personal attacks and intense pressure from President Donald Trump and others in his administration—is now facing a criminal inquiry over renovations to the central bank’s headquarters. In a highly unusual video message posted to the Fed’s website Sunday evening, Powell said that the Fed was served Friday with…
Independent work plays a significant role in the global economy, especially in the real estate industry in the United States. Protecting the ability of real estate professionals to be classified as independent contractors remains a priority for the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), given that 89% of real estate agents are currently classified as independent…
The acting inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), aka the organization’s “internal watchdog” who polices waste, fraud and abuse, has been removed from his position, as reported by Reuters. The FHFA website now designates the position as vacant. Joe Allen is the latest in a chain of several other watchdogs who have…
Editor’s Note: The RISMedia series Legislative Round-Up looks at pending and passed federal and state-level legislation that impacts real estate professionals. Road to Housing bill passes Senate On Friday, October 10, 2025, the U.S. Senate passed the Road to Housing Act as part of a larger legislative package. The bipartisan bill is a comprehensive housing…
Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once wrote, “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.” As a real estate agent, though, you know to always look for possible price deductions. One of the most common taxes homeowners face is a property tax, one of many increasing carrying costs when it comes…
As the government shutdown reaches day 14, the future remains uncertain. Although the Senate is set to reconvene today to vote on a Republican short-term spending measure, the fact that this is the eighth vote on the matter with little movement on stances from lawmakers has left much to be desired in terms of a…
At the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), where interest rates were cut by 25 basis points, newly appointed Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran dissented and voted for a larger interest rate cut of 50 points. Miran has since called for further rate cuts. Today, at a moderated interview at the Managed Funds Association’s Policy…
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