August 2025

Have lower mortgage rates altered the dynamics of the housing market based on our data? Now that August has come to an end, it’s clear that they have — and the results have surprised me. In recent years, it has typically taken sustained mortgage rates of around 6% to impact housing data. However, I noticed a shift starting in mid-June, and this trend has remained consistent for over two months....

These Austin, Texas, homeowners have daughters in elementary and middle schools, and they wanted to create more usable space in their steeply sloped backyard to encourage outdoor play. They also wanted space for entertaining their friends. José Roberto Corea of Austin Outdoor Design...

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: The new smart home technology that’s helping seniors age in place With seniors now outnumbering children in many U.S. states, demand is growing for aging-in-place technology....

The sweeping tariffs President Trump implemented on April 2 have been ruled illegal by a federal appeals court that said Trump did not have the power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to levy tariffs. However, the court is allowing the tariffs to stay in place until a lower court rules on whether the ruling affects just those involved in the case or a larger group affected by the...

Investor housing market activity slipped in the second quarter of 2025 but remains above recent historical averages, according to a new report from Cotality. Investors accounted for 32% of single-family home purchases in January, the report said. By June, the share had fallen to 29%. A year earlier, investors represented 25% of the market. “Investors expanded their market presence...

Federal agents have disrupted a long-running fraud scheme targeting seniors, arresting 25 members of a Chinese criminal gang over the past week. The twist? The agents were assisted by YouTubers who set and sprang the trap on the fraudsters, who are charged with stealing $65 million from seniors nationwide. The criminal group, made up of Chinese nationals — many in the U.S. illegally — worked closely...

A long-awaited crackdown on trigger leads is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk, but not everyone in the mortgage world is celebrating. Nestled in the bill is a provision that’s leading professionals to raise doubts about whether the measure is a consumer safeguard or a competition killer.  “The act will require consumers to opt-in to receive these trigger leads or have an existing...

A 1,600-acre chapter of American history is on the market in the Catskills, where a sprawling estate that’s been owned by the same prominent family for more than 200 years just hit the market for $14 million. At the heart of the property stands The Lake House, built in 1787 by Gertrude Livingston and her husband, Col. Morgan Lewis — a Revolutionary War general, New York governor, and confidant of...

A newly listed Martha’s Vineyard retreat is giving a fresh face to East Chop’s historic shoreline. Priced at $9.9 million, the eight-bedroom estate on a private road combines the craftsmanship of renowned architect Mark Hutker with the meticulous construction of J.G. Early. Known as “Big Bluff,” the 8,560-square-foot home was completed in 2017 after a two-year build and still preserves details...

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