Mortgage Insights

Plain-English guidance on rates, home buying, and refinancing from the The Lending Stars team.

Housing Industry News

Zoning preemption’s ‘shadow effect’ speeds housing approvals

Sep 15, 2026 · 3:21 PM Richard Lawson HousingWire

State zoning laws alter housing outcomes and forestall pushback even when nobody invokes them

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Housing Industry News

Pressured by higher rates, hew home purchase applications fall for fifth straight month

Sep 15, 2026 · 3:18 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

MBA reported applications fell 6% from July while the average new home loan size dipped to $373,194

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Housing Industry News

CRA overhaul could put 85% of community development at risk, NCRC says

Sep 15, 2026 · 3:13 PM Sarah Wolak HousingWire

NCRC estimates yearly activity could fall from $102 billion to $14.8 billion if banks treat 0.625% of Tier 1 capital as a target

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Housing Industry News

Sellers want certainty, here’s how authority helps you win the listing

Sep 15, 2026 · 3:08 PM Derek Carlson HousingWire

Social proof, consistent publishing, and third-party credibility can compress the time it takes to earn seller trust

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Housing Industry News

Trump nominates Matt Jones as FHA commissioner, HUD assistant secretary

Sep 15, 2026 · 2:59 PM Flávia Furlan Nunes HousingWire

Appointment will depend upon Senate confirmation amid an active FHA policy agenda

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Housing Industry News

Scaffold raises $14.85 million, targets fragmented homebuilder data

Sep 15, 2026 · 2:18 PM Tyler Williams HousingWire

The seed funding raise is being led by Navitas Capital, with support from D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Builders FirstSource

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Housing Industry News

John Leonardi named CEO of RPCRA and FGC MLS

Sep 15, 2026 · 2:09 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

Board-approved hire takes effect Oct. 26, 2026, succeeding Sean O’Brien after nine years

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Housing Industry News

Howard Hanna appoints Gibbons, Brookshire to executive roles

Sep 15, 2026 · 2:07 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

New titles focus on planning, field execution, and acquisition integration across 18 states and 500-plus offices

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Housing Industry News

Survey finds 70% of homebuyers say the transaction is a hassle

Sep 15, 2026 · 1:00 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

HomeServices survey of 1,000 buyers finds 46% cite uncoordinated providers as the biggest pain point

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Housing Industry News

Lennar valuation near tangible book puts margins in spotlight

Sep 14, 2026 · 9:35 PM Dan Oppenheim HousingWire

The stock trades at about 1.05x tangible book after a 16% decline, with ROE most sensitive to margin shifts

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