May 2025

GoodLife Home Loans launches retail reverse mortgage division, says it is actively hiring

An existing reverse mortgage-backed securities issuer and wholesale lender is making a new play for the retail space, according to a new announcement. GoodLife Home Loans, dba of Bellevue, Wash.-based Traditional Mortgage Acceptance Corporation (TMAC), announced this week that it has launched a new retail reverse mortgage division to add to its existing efforts in […]

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This Georgia homeowner went to war with her HOA—and won

A Rockdale County, Ga., judge has approved a $40,000 settlement between the Channing Cove Homeowners Association (HOA) and Michelle Bernard — a longtime homeowner who sued the HOA over a disputed lien on her property. Bernard’s legal battle began after the HOA placed a lien on her home for a little under $3,000, citing unpaid

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HUD publishes new reverse mortgage counseling guidance

Counseling is an essential part of the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) origination process, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently refreshed some of its guidance documents for HECM counselors to offer essential information. HUD this month published a “toolkit” detailing how someone can become a HECM roster counselor. The

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Century 21 expands Colorado footprint

A long-standing central Colorado real estate firm has joined the Century 21 network, bringing more than five decades of local knowledge. First Colorado Land Office, Inc. — established in 1973 and now led by fifth-generation Salida, Colo., native Jeffrey Post — is now doing business as Century 21 Community First. The move, Post said, is

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Howard Hanna disavows NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and its parent company Hanna Holdings have made their feelings about the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) clear.  In a letter sent to NAR and over 70 MLSs on Wednesday evening, company CEO Hoby Hanna called CCP “misguided” and a “bad policy,” claiming that its adoption

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Why did we just see the highest new home sales print in years?

I know this is a crazy stat, given how much the builders’ confidence is falling, but new home sales just had the highest monthly sales print in years. Can this be revised lower in the future? Yes, just like the previous months have been. But there’s a bigger story here that I’ll address because this

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FEMA rescinds strategic agency plan ahead of hurricane season

Hurricane season is set to commence on June 1, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — which has been experiencing organizational challenges for the past several weeks — has reportedly rescinded its guiding plan for agency objectives and priorities, according to multiple FEMA employees and a memo obtained by news outlet Wired. On Wednesday,

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HUD names new CIO as judge pauses mass firings at the agency

Now a little more than four months into the second Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has appointed a new chief information officer (CIO), Eric Sidle, with experience in the electric vehicle space and with a former position at tech giant Apple, Inc. on his resume. The appointment coincides with

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Anywhere makes offer to buy Douglas Elliman: Bloomberg

Anywhere Real Estate has made an offer to acquire luxury brokerage firm Douglas Elliman. The offer was first reported by Bloomberg. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the bid would value Douglas Elliman at more than $4 a share. The firm’s stock ended Thursday at $2.14 a share, giving the firm a market value of roughly $190

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Buyers shrug off economic uncertainty as new-home sales rise

New-home sales continue to be a bright spot in a housing market that’s struggling with high mortgage rates and other economic headwinds. According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), new homes in April sold at seasonally adjusted annual rate of 743,000, which is a

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