Housing markets

A headline-grabbing 2022 lawsuit alleging racial bias by home appraisers has been quietly dismissed for lack of evidence. At the same time, the Trump administration is rolling back many of the policy changes involving home appraisals that the Biden administration put in place.

President Trump and his administration have begun to scrap new mortgage lending guidelines that made it easier for home buyers and sellers to dispute property appraisals, finding that homes owned by racial minorities are routinely valued lower than comparable homes with white owners. But despite the promised regulatory relief, many mortgage lenders say the regulatory changes will not impact their lending practices.

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan granted the National Fair Housing Alliance a temporary restraining order which requires HUD to resume distribution of enforcement funds.

The agency has a proposed repeal in place, getting ready to be made public on July 28, which would rescind another Biden-era fair housing policy.

Rocket Mortgage's acquisition of Redfin has been mischaracterized as harming competition in the mortgage lending space. The truth is that it could be a major boon for mortgage borrowers.

The president should unwind the federal government's stake in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and direct the proceeds to a housing remainder trust designed to close critical gaps in real estate lending.

A recent letter addressed to the FHFA fueled a consumer advocacy group to look at salaries, which have been criticized as not aligned to the system's purpose.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expects the U.S. housing market to quickly pick up steam after recent indicators came in below forecasts.

A trio of blazes in SoCal have destroyed over 2,000 homes and structures in neighborhoods with average property values well above the national average.

Some lenders are once again hiring mortgage lenders, but memories of the painful staffing cuts they were forced to make over the past two years remain top of mind.