Trump administration

Is the real estate industry getting its antitrust enforcement wish? 

Many in the real estate industry lauded President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election as they anticipated his win would usher in a new wave of weaker antitrust scrutiny on an industry that had spent the past four years battling its fair share of antitrust suits.  However, these hopes and dreams were put […]

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Lisa Cook

Trump says he will fire Fed Gov. Cook ‘if she doesn’t resign’

Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook.Bloomberg News President Donald Trump said Friday morning that he would terminate Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook from her post “if she doesn’t resign” over allegations that she claimed a secondary home was her primary residence in a 2021 mortgage application. “Yeah, I’ll fire her if she doesn’t resign, yeah,” Trump

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Former DOJ official blames lobbyist for weaker antitrust scrutiny

Roger Alford’s time at the Department of Justice (DOJ) may have been brief — much to the relief of the real estate industry — but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have thoughts on his time there.  Alford, a law professor at Notre Dame who served as an expert witness testifying against the real estate industry

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VA loan homebuyers navigate NAR settlement with ease

As the real estate industry prepared for the business practice changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement agreement, one of the biggest questions was how the changes would impact veteran homebuyers wishing to use their loan benefit from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  The NAR settlement requires

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MBA opposes GSE merger, supports explicit government guarantee

In the debate over whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should merge, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) has remained consistent: “We don’t think that would be a good idea,” chief economist Mike Fratantoni said. The trade group supports a stock offering that preserves stability in the secondary mortgage market while advocating for privatization with an

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CFPB cleared to fire 90% of staff by appeals court decision

The CFPB can go ahead with plans — announced in April — to fire 90% of its staff, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that “the district court lacked jurisdiction to consider the claims predicated on loss of employment, which must proceed through

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Russell Vought

DC Circuit panel lets Trump administration fire CFPB staff

Russ Vought, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is also the director of the Office of Management and Budget.Al Drago/Bloomberg In a major win for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court on Friday ruled against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s union, allowing the bureau’s acting Director Russel Vought to fire up to

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Shareholder Edge One Capital proposes Fannie-Freddie exit without higher rates

Edge One Capital has disclosed its stake in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, calling the government’s prolonged control of the mortgage giants the “largest shareholder rights violation in U.S. history.” It’s also proposing a road map to return them to private ownership without the consequence of higher mortgage rates. The Raleigh, North Carolina–based investment firm’s

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Fannie, Freddie merger buzz draws mixed market response

On Saturday, President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social showing himself at the New York Stock Exchange with the phrases “MAGA LISTED NYSE” and “The Great American Mortgage Corporation,” dated November 2025. The post appeared to reference a Wall Street Journal report from Friday outlining Trump’s plan to make a stock offering

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Trump’s GSE stock offering plan challenged by analysts

Analysts are tempering expectations after reports that the Trump administration aims to sell shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the end of 2025 at a combined valuation of $500 billion — more than double some market estimates. They’re concerned about the feasibility of completing all necessary steps by year’s end. Meanwhile, the federal

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