Housing Market Weakness Extends Into 2026 Sales of previously owned U.S. homes fell sharply in January 2026, declining 8.4 percent from December 2025 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.91 million units, the National Association of Realtors reported this week. The drop marked the steepest monthly decline in nearly four years and pushed sales to their lowest level since late 2023. The January figure...

Image Chin says CRE transaction activity is likely to rise about 16% this...

With Traditional Banks in the Crosshairs of Digital Disintermediation Digital currencies -- long synonymous with crypto speculation and day-trading volatility, as seen with Bitcoin, whose price has effectively been cut in half over the past four months -- are quietly finding a new purpose in one of the world's most analog sectors: real estate. What began as an alternative form of money is now being...

U.S. foreclosure activity climbed on an annual basis for the 11th consecutive month in January 2026, underscoring mounting strain in pockets of the housing market even as overall distress levels remain far below post-financial-crisis highs. A total of 40,534 properties nationwide recorded foreclosure filings -- including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions -- according to data...

U.S. commercial real estate lending surged at the end of 2025, signaling renewed momentum across large segments of the property finance market as interest-rate volatility eased and banks re-entered the arena with greater conviction. Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations jumped 30% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier and climbed 25% from the prior three months, according to the Mortgage...

For builders, particularly in the Sun Belt, the challenge from the get-go in 2026 will be to work through surplus entry-level inventory. As monthly-payment affordability pressures from high mortgage rates and home prices plague first-time buyers, solving this supply imbalance will only occur gradually.  The wait, however long, will be both a test of patience and financial tolerance. Builders are...

A proposal to replace the longstanding tri-merge credit report with a single-file model has reignited debate over borrower costs and systemic risk, placing trade associations on opposing sides. Supporters argue a single pull would encourage more predictive credit data and reduce systemwide costs without materially increasing risk in some cases, noting that mortgage servicing rights (MSR) investors...

Rate and Alianza have entered a multi-year collaboration that names Rate the official mortgage lending partner of Alianza, a grassroots soccer platform serving Latino communities across the United States. The agreement follows a pilot partnership in 2025 and will run through the 2026 and 2027 seasons, a release from Rate confirmed. Activations are planned across eight U.S. markets, with Rate engaging...

NEXA Lending CEO Mike Kortas is in the process of acquiring several shell companies to build joint ventures, he said in an exclusive interview with HousingWire on Monday.  “They are for multiple JVs with large teams, agencies, builders and strategic partnerships,” Kortas said without providing details on each transaction, which he said will be announced separately. “The main goal is more volume...

Blend’s Rapid Home Equity Blend’s Rapid Home Equity is an automated digital origination solution that leverages real-time data to accelerate the home equity lending cycle. It features instant pre-approvals, pre-filled applications, and integrated debt consolidation tools, enabling lenders to close loans in days rather than weeks with significantly higher pull-through and operational...