2025

article thumbnail

California will require home insurers to offer policies in high-risk wildfire areas

Housing Wire

The California Department of Insurance unveiled a new regulation this week that aims to increase homeowners insurance coverage in areas prone to wildfires , a response to the recent pullback in policies by several major insurers. Announced by California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara on Monday, the regulation is under administrative review and is set to take effect by the end of January, according to reporting by The Associated Press (AP).

Design 523
article thumbnail

Lower mortgage rates are spurring housing demand

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates recently hit a year-to-date low, coinciding with ongoing market disruptions from tariffs. The more encouraging story, however, is that the spring season is shaping up positively for the housing market. Notably, purchase applications show growth both year-to-date and year-over-year. Additionally, our weekly pending contract data and new listings are trending positively compared to last year.

Mortgages 533
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

LA fires upend rental market as residents scramble for housing

Housing Wire

Several fires burning more than 45 square miles in the Los Angeles area have forced more than 100,000 residents from their homes and killed five people, The Associated Press reported on Thursday. Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed, with many displaced residents scouting for rental properties and temporary shelter.

Marketing 500
article thumbnail

Home sellers who didn’t list on the MLS lost $1B in sale proceeds: Zillow

Housing Wire

Home sellers who did not list their properties on the MLS lost out on more than $1 billion in sale proceeds over the past two years, according to a study published Monday by Zillow. The study also found that these losses were deepest in communities of color. Zillow defined communities of color as ZIP codes where a majority of households are headed by Blacks , Hispanics , Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders or Native Americans.

MLS 501
article thumbnail

The 2025 Real Estate Roadmap to Success

Don’t just react to changes, plan for them, so you can approach the new year with confidence, direction, and a competitive edge for your business. Having a well-defined business plan helps you chart a clear course, navigate challenges, and set a foundation for growth. This workbook gives you the key steps to outline what matters and will ensure you’re moving ahead.

article thumbnail

Mortgage rates fall as markets calm down

Housing Wire

Over the weekend, fears rose that the 10-year yield would climb to 5%, leading to 8% mortgage rates. However, Monday morning arrived with a sense of calm. The 10-year yield is now nearing a more balanced position at 4.35%, reflecting what I believe it should have always been after the jobs report two Fridays ago. As I write this, the 10-year yield currently stands at 4.37%.

Mortgages 516
article thumbnail

Lower mortgage rates spark housing demand heading into spring

Housing Wire

Earlier this year, when mortgage rates soared to 7.26%, a cloud of worry hung over the housing market many feared that home sales would tumble in 2025, fueled by concerns about inflation and tariffs. But when it seemed doom and gloom would prevail, the 10-year yield dropped, pulling mortgage rates lower in a lovely slow dance. This unexpected turn of events breathed new life into the market, pushing purchase application data into positive territory for the year.

Mortgages 536

More Trending

article thumbnail

Florida’s housing affordability crisis is reaching a breaking point

Housing Wire

Florida’s long-standing reputation as America’s affordable sunshine paradise is rapidly dimming under the weight of skyrocketing housing costs, unsustainable insurance premiums and crumbling infrastructure, according to a new report from real estate analytics firm Cotality. The study reveals a state at a critical crossroads, with early warning signs mirroring California ‘s housing collapse that triggered a mass exodus of residents.

article thumbnail

Tariff news sends mortgage rates to the lowest level of 2025

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates have reached the lowest levels of the year today as the 10-year yield dropped significantly on tariff news. The stock market reacted negatively to the news regarding tariffs, resulting in significant selling and a shift towards the bond market. In this week’s Housing Market Tracker , I mentioned that the 10-year yield level was stubbornly resistant and that we needed bad news to break through it.

Mortgages 533
article thumbnail

Reports: Fannie Mae lays off 700 employees

Housing Wire

Government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Fannie Mae has reportedly laid off as many as 700 employees, with 200 of the layoffs focused on members of the Telugu-speaking community over irregularities uncovered related to charitable donations. According to reports from outlets including TechStory , HRKatha and the Times of India ,700 U.S.-based employees were fired within the first few days of April, including 200 workers who speak the Telugu language, which is primarily spoken in the Indian states of

Finance 539
article thumbnail

2025 could be the last year of inventory shortage

Housing Wire

Home prices in 2025 are a couple percentage points above where they were last year at this time. People often ask, How can it be possible that home prices are still climbing even though the cost of money is so much higher? There are obviously fewer buyers who can afford these prices. One reason that home prices have stayed elevated is that inventory nationally is still restricted.

Sales 485
article thumbnail

Avoiding Lease Accounting Pitfalls in 2025: Lessons Learned from Spreadsheet Errors

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

article thumbnail

UWM and Google announce AI partnership

Housing Wire

UWM’s Jason Bressler and Google’s Oliver Parker United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) , the top mortgage lender in America, on Tuesday announced a strategic AI agreement with Google Cloud that the companies say will bring modernization to the mortgage industry. The partnership will see UWM blend Google Clouds advanced AI and data analytics capabilities with the lender’s technical solutions to create a faster, more intuitive and streamlined mortgage process.

Mortgages 497
article thumbnail

Here’s how one CRE veteran helps multifamily investors thrive

Housing Wire

Volatility is becoming the new norm in today’s commercial real estate market. If it isn’t rising interest rates or shifting rental trends, then growing technology is the driving force that prompts investors to evolve. They also face significant pressure to become faster and more efficient. A change is needed. To help investors survive uncertain times, professionals must understand market trends and develop a game plan for success.

Investor 468
article thumbnail

No, homeowner delinquency rates aren’t elevated

Housing Wire

Homeowner delinquency rates are rising from record low levels but arent even back to pre-COVID-19 levels yet. This weekend, there has been a lot of discussion on social media surrounding homeowners’ delinquency data. This situation has prompted me to write this article and bring some reality into this discussion because the narrative being pushed is simply not true.

article thumbnail

Mortgage rates fall after remarks by Fed President Waller

Housing Wire

The 10-year yield and mortgage rates have been on a wild ride lately, even testing my top-end forecast at 7.25%, but today, the 10-year yield fell after remarks by Fed President Chris Waller about whether the Fed would do even more rate cuts than the market was anticipating. His statement on this, in a CNBC interview : If inflation continues on this path through the beginning of 2025, it’s reasonable to think that possibly rate cuts could happen in the first half of the year.” This w

Mortgages 511
article thumbnail

Tech-Forward Strategies for Scaling Agent Efficiency & Accelerating Growth

As the real estate market evolves, technology has become essential for success. According to NAR, only 26% of agents feel their brokerage provides the necessary tech tools and, as a result, agents seek teams and brokerages who prioritize technology investments! Whether you manage an established team or are forming a new one, this guide outlines key considerations and necessary applications to thrive.

article thumbnail

Mortgage applications climb as rates continue to decline

Housing Wire

Mortgage applications increased 11.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from last week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending March 7, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 12% compared to last week. The refinance index saw a 16% uptick from the previous week and was 90% higher than the same week one year ago, largely driven by a dip in the 30-year fixed rate observed by the MBA.

article thumbnail

DeSantis wants to ban property taxes in Florida

Housing Wire

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he wants to eliminate property taxes in the state. In a post on X, the governor said that taxing land/property “is the more oppressive and ineffective” form of taxation. “Property taxes are local, not state. So wed need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60

Land 528
article thumbnail

No Congress, no rate hikes: Bill Ackman’s plan to privatize the GSEs

Housing Wire

Bill Ackman, the billionaire founder of Pershing Square Capital Management , has an audacious plan to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without congressional approval. The proposal involves the federal government forgiving hundreds of billions of dollars while also reducing capital requirements. As a result, Ackman claims the plan would boost the stock prices of both companies to the $30 range without putting upward pressure on mortgage rates.

article thumbnail

Pulte makes sweeping changes to boards of GSEs

Housing Wire

Not wasting any time following his Senate confirmation last week, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte made a series of major changes to the boards of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The news was first reported by Inside Mortgage Finance.

Finance 499
article thumbnail

Accelerating Real Estate Sales Pipelines to Streamline Buyer Journeys

Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.

article thumbnail

Rising mortgage rates zap builder confidence

Housing Wire

Todays housing starts data exceeded estimates; however, a closer examination of the report with the builder confidence reveals that the recent rise in mortgage rates , approaching 7.25%, has negatively affected builder sentiment. Since late 2022, our analysis indicates that mortgage rates in the 6%-6.5% range are positive to grow sales, whereas rates at 7% and above especially 7.50% or higher significantly impact the builder data.

Mortgages 488
article thumbnail

Single-family rentals are more expensive than apartments — and the gap is growing

Housing Wire

Single-family rental ( SFR ) homes are now priced 20% higher than the typical apartment, according to Zillow s rental market report for December 2024. This is the largest difference ever recorded by the real estate portal as the pricing gap has grown considerably from pre-pandemic levels. Zillow analyzed the 50 largest U.S. metro areas and found that the typical asking rent for a single-family home reached $2,174 per month in December.

article thumbnail

New-home sales hit highest level since 2021

Housing Wire

New home sales continue to be a bright spot in a dismal housing market. The December report from the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development shows new-home sales registering at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 698,000, good for a 6.7% rise year over year and 3.6% higher than November. Even better, new home sales for the calendar year 2024 are estimated at 683,000, which is 2.5% more than 2023 and the highest sales have been since 2021.

Sales 476
article thumbnail

Rocket Companies to acquire Mr. Cooper in bombshell $9.4B deal

Housing Wire

Rocket Companies is buying Mr. Cooper , America’s largest mortgage servicer, in a market-shattering deal that could reshape the mortgage industry for years to come. The Detroit-based fintech , which is also in the midst of acquiring real estate brokerage and home search portal Redfin for $1.75 billion , is paying an equity value of $9.4 billion in stock, the companies said in a statement early Monday morning.

Finance 468
article thumbnail

Maximizing Your Online Presence: Tips for Real Estate Agents on Social Media

Speaker: Sarah Santa Ana, Real Estate Coach, Move4Free Realty

Networking is one of the crucial elements in every real estate organization's success. Both agents and real estate companies need to maintain robust networking links. This is why social media is essential for any real estate professional! Social media enables you to stay in touch with your present clients, maintain connections with your past clients, and engage potential customers and investors.

article thumbnail

Lowest mortgage rates in months create surge in applications

Housing Wire

Mortgage applications increased 20.4% from one week earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis as buyers pounced on lower rates , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Feb. 28, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, applications increased 22% compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 37% from the previous week and was 83% higher than the same week one year ago.

article thumbnail

Housing resources and help for victims of the LA fires

Housing Wire

Real estate and mortgage firms are stepping up to help housing professionals and the Southern California community as wildfires ravage the area. Here’s a roundup of the companies and people offering help, which will be updated with new information as it becomes available. Help for those in the community Coldwell Banker Realty in Southern California, which is affiliated with Anywhere , created a Facebook group page for its network to coordinate a wide variety of needs from short- and long-t

Land 488
article thumbnail

Why didn’t we see a national home-price correction in 2024?

Housing Wire

Existing home sales ended the year on a positive note , which aligns with our weekly Housing Market Tracker data, but something surprising is that home prices firmed up late in the year as well. We observed a shift in the forward-looking data starting in the summer, which continued throughout the year. Notably, we compared the data from 2022 and 2023 and noticed positive year-over-year data starting in October 2024, which you can see in the chart below.

Sales 482
article thumbnail

Home price signals continue to weaken for 2025

Housing Wire

There are three big trends in the spring 2025 housing market: Supply continues to build. This is measurable in both the total unsold inventory and the number of new listings each week. Because each week we have 815% more sellers than last year, the total inventory will continue to build unless and until demand shifts dramatically, which would require notably lower mortgage rates.

Sales 445
article thumbnail

Rise of The Apps: Building Your Dream Tech Stack For Real Estate Success

Speaker: Trey Willard, Realtor/Team Leader at Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

In order to create continued success in today’s real estate market, realtors need to utilize an arsenal of technology that will increase their efficiency and presence on social media. Using technology to manage your prospects and tap into their needs through websites, social media, and other channels is critical for real estate success in 2022 and beyond.

article thumbnail

Why new home sales are disappointing, despite beating estimates

Housing Wire

Todays new home sales report beat market expectations, just like last weeks existing home sales report. However, a detailed analysis of the data explains why housing permits continue to remain at recession-level figures. Builders are struggling to get clarity on how many homes they can sell in this rate environment in the future. Without more clarity on mortgage rates , substantial growth in housing permits is unlikely.

Sales 471
article thumbnail

Seattle leaders struggle to agree on a path forward for housing

Housing Wire

This week, the Seattle City Council had its first meeting of 2025 and housing was a key topic of discussion. But if the meeting itself was any indication, determining a path forward for the citys severe housing shortage will be a struggle as elected leaders attempt to ascertain a sustainable plan for the next decade, according to reporting by The Seattle Times.

article thumbnail

Stone Point Capital takes a stake in Keller Williams

Housing Wire

Keller Williams has entered into a strategic partnership with private equity firm Stone Point Capital , according to an announcement on Monday. Stone Point is no stranger to the real estate industry, as it also holds strategic investments in Lone Wolf Technologies , Homepoint , CoreLogic and Meridian. This is an exciting milestone for all Keller Williams agents and franchisees, Gary Keller, the co-founder and executive chairman of Keller Williams, said in a prepared statement.

article thumbnail

Higher insurance premiums are a shoo-in after the LA wildfires

Housing Wire

As wildfires tear through Southern California and firefighters battle winds up to 100 mph, tens of thousands of residents have evacuated. The looming impacts on real estate and insurance are also at the forefront of Californians minds. According to Anthony Marrone, the fire chief for Los Angeles County , the wildfires have torched more than 1,000 structures, killing at least two people and injuring several more.

Banks 418
article thumbnail

5 Data Proven Ways Agents Can Do 18% More Business

Curious as to how you could do 18% more business? How about 14 more transaction sides per year? Check out this infographic with data from a RealTrends study to learn more.