Industry professionals were full of optimism heading into the spring that the housing market could pick up after a sluggish start to 2025. But heading into the summer, that optimism has largely faded. Existing-home sales are hovering around 4 million and many markets that are typically fruitful for homebuilders have stalled. In its midyear housing market report, John Burns Research & Consulting...

In a move that’s designed to simplify prior policy, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Tuesday published a new Mortgagee Letter (ML) that targets borrower default engagement practices that were published in the waning days of the Biden administration. ML 2025-14 makes changes to final guidance first floated last summer to open up communications between mortgage lenders and defaulted borrowers...

While reverse mortgages in the U.S. have struggled to push beyond their current market penetration rate for the past several years, their international equivalents don’t always have the same challenges. Lenders in other countries who make use of home equity tapping in a similar way can have different perceptions and market activity in their territories — and some U.S.-based lenders have taken...

Brown Harris Stevens will soon be without its longtime president, Hall Willkie.  On Monday, the real estate firm announced that Willkie will be stepping down as New York City brokerage president, effective July 1. But Willkie’s journey with the firm is not over as he will serve as a full-time consultant. His consulting contract is for a six-year term. Willkie, who has been affiliated with Brown...

When you think about the best states for aging in place, the choice retirement destinations likely spring to the top of the list. After all, with high and growing populations of older residents, wouldn’t these states be an ideal place to call home in later life? Not according to a new report from Seniorly Resource Center. The senior living information outlet took a closer look at data from various...

Designer Christy Mancera envisioned a fairy tale when pulling together the look for a Nevada bathroom shared by two young girls. “We wanted to make this bathroom a sweet dream space for these little girls,” she says. Butterfly wallpaper, a pale pink vanity, scallop motifs and...

A huge reason many people don’t get around to tackling a decorating project is because they’re afraid to make a costly mistake. To give you the confidence to start your own dream design, here is a list of seven major design mistakes that can affect your entire project, along with photos of rooms...

Every May, one of London’s most creative neighborhoods hosts a week of innovation and design, and this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week (May 20-22) was the biggest yet. Visitors wandered the area to discover installations, new products, exhibitions and talks. Houzz visited the venues and showrooms to...

A new report from CBRE reveals that New York City is undergoing a dramatic surge in office-to-residential conversions, signaling a transformative shift in the city's real estate landscape. The trend is particularly pronounced in Midtown Manhattan, where underperforming office buildings are being rapidly acquired and repurposed into residential properties. According to the report, approximately 8.3 million...

The broader mortgage industry and the reverse mortgage subset have worked through a period of elevated interest rates for longer than anyone may have been expecting. Following a post-pandemic boom in volume fueled by Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) refinances, higher rates have served to restrict HECM volume, according to industry professionals and analysts. In response, many lenders have leaned...