Stewart Named a Winner of the 2025 USA Today Top Workplaces Award
March 20 2025 | |
“At Stewart we are striving to be a destination for top talent in the title insurance and real estate industry,” said Stewart CEO Fred Eppinger. “Over the years we have strengthened our Employee Value Proposition through a number of improvements to our employee benefits and programs as a direct result of employee feedback. Our employees are the driving-force behind our continued success for more than 130 years and I celebrate this notable recognition with them.”
|
|
Existing-Home Sales Accelerated 4.2% in February
March 19 2025 | |
“Mortgage rates increased for the first time in nine weeks, with the 30-year fixed rate rising to 6.72 percent. This increase in rates led to a decrease in refinance volume. However, purchase application volume inched up to its highest level in six weeks, led by a 3 percent increase in FHA purchase applications,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist.
|
|
Advocus Launches GO Live in Chicago
March 18 2025 | |
Chicago-based title insurance underwriter Advocusannounced today the launch of GO Live, a cutting-edge, first-of-its-kind virtual closing system designed to provide attorneys and their clients unparalleled convenience, connectivity and security. GO Live launches in Chicago and will be rolled out in additional markets during the coming months.
|
|
Housing Starts Up in February as Builders Still Contend with Rising Costs
March 18 2025 | |
“While solid demand and a lack of existing inventory provided a boost to single-family production in February, our latest builder survey shows that builders remain concerned about challenging housing affordability conditions, most notably elevated financing and construction costs as well as tariffs on key building materials,” said Buddy Hughes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder and developer from Lexington, N.C.
|
|
|
NAR Supports New Federal Task Force Aimed to Address Housing Shortage
March 17 2025 | |
“Lack of inventory remains one of the biggest barriers to affordability, driving up home prices and putting the dream of homeownership out of reach for too many Americans. HUD and DOI’s formation of this task force recognizes that housing is a foundational part of economic stability, and smart policy solutions such as streamlining regulatory and permitting processes can help alleviate the supply crisis.
|
|
Builder Confidence Falls on Cost Uncertainty
March 17 2025 | |
“Construction firms are facing added cost pressures from tariffs,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Data from the HMI March survey reveals that builders estimate a typical cost effect from recent tariff actions at $9,200 per home. Uncertainty on policy is also having a negative impact on home buyers and development decisions.”
|
|
IMBs Report Production Losses in Fourth Quarter of 2024
March 14 2025 | |
Independent mortgage banks (IMBs) and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks reported a pre-tax net loss of $40 on each loan they originated in the fourth quarter of 2024, a decrease from the reported net profit of $701 per loan in the third quarter of 2024, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) newly released Quarterly Mortgage Bankers Performance Report.
|
|
February New Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Decreased 6.9 Percent
March 13 2025 | |
“New home purchase activity strengthened in February, in line with seasonal patterns, as higher housing inventory and declining rates supported growth,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “However, applications to purchase newly built homes were lower than a year ago for the second straight month."
|
|
NAHB's Best in American Living Awards Highlight Top Design Trends for 2025
March 13 2025 | |
More than 600 projects and professionals in all sectors of the residential housing industry—including single-family production, multifamily development, remodeling and offsite construction—were honored at the 2024 Best in American Living™ Awards (BALA) ceremony during the 2025 International Builders’ Show, hosted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in Las Vegas.
|
|
Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
March 12 2025 | |
"Mortgage rates declined for the sixth consecutive week, with the 30-year fixed rate dropping to 6.67 percent, the lowest level since October 2024. As a result, applications increased over the week and were up 31 percent from a year ago,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “As we enter the spring homebuying season, the purchase index was more than 4 percent higher than a year ago, and activity was up across all loan categories."
|
|
NAR Commends Vice President Vance on Zoning Reform Remarks
March 11 2025 | |
"Zoning reform is essential to addressing the housing affordability crisis, and we welcome Vice President Vance's remarks today. Reducing regulatory barriers will encourage investment, increase supply, and help millions of Americans achieve homeownership. NAR has long supported efforts to make housing development easier and more cost-effective."
|
|
Rocket Companies to Acquire Redfin, Accelerating Purchase Mortgage Strategy
March 10 2025 | |
"Rocket and Redfin have a unified vision of a better way to buy and sell homes," said Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies. "Together, we will improve the experience by connecting traditionally disparate steps of the search and financing process with leading technology that removes friction, reduces costs and increases value to American homebuyers."
|
|
|
|
5 Key Supply-Side Headwinds Hurt Housing Supply, NAHB Tells Congress
March 04 2025 | |
Testifying before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes, a home builder and developer from Lexington, N.C., said the “United States is facing a fever-pitched housing affordability crisis. Nearly 77% of U.S. households cannot afford a median-priced new home.”
|
|