Home equity cap tied to Medicaid eligibility is set to change

A new federal Medicaid rule will place a nationwide cap of $1 million cap on home equity for older adults who seek long-term care coverage, a change advocates say could increasingly affect middle-class homeowners in expensive housing markets. The provision, included in the Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025 — otherwise known as President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” — takes effect...

CMLS, this one is for you: Build the alliance now or watch Compass build it instead

In the next four months, CMLS leadership has the opportunity to convene the MLS-controlled national alliance the industry needs. The 2026 Board of Directors is in place under Chair Nicole Jensen of realMLS and Vice Chair Justin Haag of Northwest MLS, taking the helm at what WAV Group described as one of the most consequential periods in its history. The forum already exists. The members are already paying...

This $90M NYC apartment at 432 Park Avenue was built like a billionaire fantasy

Most billionaires buying at 432 Park Avenue were purchasing apartments. Bennett LeBow, the founder and longtime chairman of Vector Group, and his wife Jacqueline LeBow, principal of real estate investment firm JSF Capital, essentially built a private operating system in the sky. When the billionaire couple acquired the entire 64th floor of the supertall Manhattan tower years ago, they didn’t...

Opportunity Zones Surge as Investors Chase U.S. Affordable Growth

Home-price appreciation in many of America's federally designated Opportunity Zones continued to track closely with the broader U.S. housing market in early 2026, even as the low-income redevelopment districts remained significantly more affordable than surrounding communities. A new first-quarter analysis from ATTOM found that median prices for single-family homes and condominiums increased annually in...

What happens to mortgage rates if the Iran conflict is over?

Though there is still a lot of uncertainty, it looks like we could have an actual end to the Iran conflict as tankers are starting to move through the Strait of Hormuz. If we don’t have to worry about oil prices getting much higher for longer, what are the implications for mortgage rates? And what have we learned during this conflict about the housing market and how to look at the future now? First,...

Atlas VMS’s Erik Morin on HECM second appraisals, AIM-Port acquisition

Like other segments of the broader housing industry, the appraisal space is rapidly evolving through consolidation, technology adoption and federal policy shifts. Reverse mortgage professionals should be mindful of these factors as they work with appraisers to close deals. Erik Morin, CEO of Miami-based Atlas VMS, a Miami-based appraisal management company (AMC) and technology platform, recently sat...

Clients are interviewing real estate agents differently. Here’s what they’re really looking for

There’s been a noticeable shift in how clients approach this business. Buyers and sellers aren’t just hiring agents anymore. They’re vetting them more carefully, asking sharper questions and paying closer attention to how you show up before, during, and after the transaction. The dynamic has flipped. The agent isn’t just evaluating the client. The client is evaluating the agent just as much, if...

New federal funding a mixed bag for housing programs

U.S. House appropriators unveiled a fiscal 2027 spending bill that includes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with proposed cuts drawing criticism from housing advocates. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations (THUD) Act, 2027, approved by the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee, provides a total of approximately $71.377...

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