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3 charts that show why renters struggle to become homeowners

Affordable housing, Data & Visuals, Homeownership, Housing Market, HWmember, National Low Income Housing Coaltion, Rent Prices, Renters /

Record-high home prices and persistently elevated mortgage rates have made the housing market difficult for homebuyers and the industry alike — and not even this year’s significant growth in supply seems to be helping. It’s been particularly difficult for prospective buyers who are currently renters, as renters are dealing with an affordability crisis of their […]

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Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate adds Tennessee affiliate

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Brokerage, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Tennessee /

A west Tennessee firm has joined the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate network — marking the brand’s continued expansion in the region. Conner Real Estate LLC, founded in 2011 by Joey Conner, is now operating under the name Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Conner. The firm serves a wide swath of western Tennessee

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Younger homebuyers turn to social media, AI and each other

Affordability, Artificial Intelligence, First-Time Homebuyers, Gen Z, Housing Market, HWmember, Millennials, Social Media, Technology /

Faced with high housing costs, economic instability and declining trust in traditional lending institutions, younger generations are redefining how they approach homeownership. A newly released NextGen Homebuyer Report — compiled by National Mortgage Insurance and financial literacy nonprofit FirstHome IQ — highlights how Gen Z and millennials are creatively navigating a changing real estate landscape.

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Which is better for mortgage — FICO or VantageScore?

Credit Score, Fannie Mae, FHFA, FICO, Freddie Mac, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Regulatory, VantageScore /

VantageScore and FICO have escalated their rivalry in the mortgage space following the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase loans underwritten with VantageScore 4.0 as an alternative to the Classic FICO score.  Both companies published analyses this week from their data scientists. Naturally, each claims their score more

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Mutual of Omaha expands proprietary reverse mortgage offering

HECM, Home Equity, HWmember, Lenders, Mortgage, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, Reverse /

After launching a new proprietary loan product this spring, one of the nation’s leading reverse mortgage lenders has expanded the offering this week to more states. Mutual of Omaha Mortgage announced on Friday that its SecureEquity+ product, which became available in April to eligible California and Florida residents, is now available in 12 additional states.

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Single-family home construction declines are accelerating

Construction, Data & Visuals, Homebuilder Confidence, Homebuilders, Housing Market, HWmember, New Home Sales, U.S. Census Bureau /

New-home sales have been a relative bright spot in an otherwise stagnant housing market. But that’s changing and homebuilders recognize it. According to June 2025 data released Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau, single-family home construction is down year over year at every stage of the process. This includes permits (-8.4%), starts (-10%), completions (-15.5%)

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Real Brokerage adds Coastline, a top San Diego team

Brokerage, California, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, San Diego, The Real Brokerage /

Coastline Real Estate Group, a 13-agent real estate team based in San Diego County, California, has joined The Real Brokerage. The team is led by Raymond Fraser and Shaylie Gilliland, who previously worked together on one of California’s top-ranked real estate teams. Since founding Coastline in late 2020, the group has closed more than $200

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Judge dismisses Maryland appraisal discrimination case and defamation countersuit

Appraisals, Appraisals and Valuations, Discrimination, HWmember, Lawsuit, Legal, loanDepot, Maryland, Mortgage /

A federal judge has dismissed the claims of both the plaintiffs and defendants in an appraisal discrimination lawsuit that garnered national attention when it was filed in 2022. Nathan Connolly and Shani Mott — Maryland homeowners who are Black — sued appraiser Shane Lanham, his company 20/20 Valuations and mortgage lender loanDepot for allegedly undervaluing

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Realtors Relief Foundation sends $500K to Texas flood victims

Disaster Relief, Flood, HWmember, National Association of Realtors, Natural Disaster, Real Estate, Texas /

The nonprofit Realtors Relief Foundation (RRF) has allocated $500,000 to assist residents in south central Texas following recent floods that took the lives of more than 130 people and displaced families across the region. The funding — distributed through Texas Realtors and eight local associations — will be used to help affected residents cover housing

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Phillip Cantrell’s book offers blueprint for real estate entrepreneurship

Affordability, Brokerage, First-Time Homebuyers, Housing Inventory, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, United Real Estate /

Veteran entrepreneur Phillip Cantrell distills four decades of hard-won business wisdom into his newly released book, “Failing My Way to Success: Lessons from 42 Years of Winning (and Losing) in Business,” which officially launched July 15. The founder and CEO of Benchmark Realty — who sold the company to United Real Estate in 2020 —

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