The Lower Sioux Indian Community in Morton, Minnesota, has become the first in the country to create a fully vertically integrated “seed-to-wall” program using industrial hemp — addressing a critical shortage of affordable housing on its reservation. Prompted by U.S. Census Bureau data indicating the need for 200 new homes by 2030, the Lower Sioux […]
Hemp spells affordable housing for Native American community Read More »
The Senate Banking Committee will hold its first bipartisan housing markup in more than a decade, Chairman Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced Thursday evening. The executive session, which will involve the consideration of the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, will also include the unveiling of a sweeping legislative package
Scott, Warren announce bipartisan housing bill markup Read More »
Five Senate Democrats are raising concerns about the potential risks of using unconverted cryptocurrency assets in mortgage underwriting, urging the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to tread carefully. In a letter addressed to FHFA Director Bill Pulte, the senators reacted to his social media post from late June, in which Pulte said the agency is
Senate Democrats press FHFA on crypto use in mortgages Read More »
The U.S. housing market is entering a new phase defined less by competitive bidding and more by financial stress and practical necessity, according to a second-quarter Bright MLS agent survey released Friday. The findings reveal a marked departure from previous years’ demand-driven trends, with both home buyers and sellers increasingly motivated — or discouraged —
Bright MLS: Housing market shifts toward necessity, balance Read More »
Nearly two-thirds of retirees are dissatisfied with Social Security benefits, according to a new survey conducted by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). The average monthly Social Security check reached north of $2,000 this year, according to the survey, with just 10% of the 1,920 respondents saying they were satisfied with that amount. Roughly 63% reported
Nearly two-thirds of seniors are unhappy with Social Security checks Read More »
Nearly two dozen members of Congress recently sent a letter to Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), that supports his decision to accept VantageScore 4.0 credit scores for mortgages purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The lawmakers, led by Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), said that the move will help President
Lawmakers voice support for FHFA’s adoption of VantageScore 4.0 Read More »
Another merger and acquisition deal has hit the housing industry. Real estate and mortgage intelligence provider InGenius announced Wednesday that it has acquired SIMPL, a recruitment platform designed to support retail mortgage branch managers, and it has incorporate it into its existing data tools. Built by Fobby Naghmi and John Perry, SIMPL stands for Strategic
InGenius acquires mortgage recruiting platform SIMPL Read More »
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has named Leslie Nettleford-Freeman as its new associate general counsel and vice president of legal affairs and brand protection. In her newly created role, she will focus on strengthening the organization’s trademark defense and intellectual property strategy. Nettleford-Freeman is a nationally recognized expert in trademark law with more than
NAR hires Nettleford-Freeman as VP of legal affairs Read More »
Barry Habib, the founder and CEO of MBS Highway and a go-to source for mortgage industry predictions, has been named to Fannie Mae‘s board of directors. A recent filing with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed that Habib had been appointed to the board effective July 21. “The appointment of Mr. Habib is until the
Mortgage prognosticator Barry Habib joins Fannie Mae’s board Read More »
Century 21 Real Estate has added a new affiliate in the Baltimore area. Advance Realty Bel Air is now operating as Century 21 Advance Realty. Founded in 2005 by Terry Berkeridge, the brokerage was acquired in 2020 by Patrick Campbell, who originally joined the company in 2009. Campbell, a longtime sales professional, now leads the
Century 21 grows its presence in Baltimore Read More »