White House Derails Signing of Bipartisan Housing Bill Backed by Real Estate and Title Industries
June 26 2026 | |
A bipartisan housing bill backed by builders, REALTORS® and the title insurance industry passed both chambers of Congress, but stalled when the White House canceled the planned signing. The delay leaves a major housing supply and affordability measure in limbo at a time when the real estate industry is looking for practical action on inventory, development costs and homeownership.
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Experienced REALTORS® Anchor the Industry as Housing Affordability Remains Top Hurdle, New NAR Report Finds
June 25 2026 | |
“The real estate market has been operating under suppressed conditions for more than three years, and yet the typical REALTOR® continues to gain experience and stay committed to the profession,” said Jessica Lautz, NAR Deputy Chief Economist. “What we are seeing is a more seasoned industry—professionals who are leaning on referrals, repeat clients and deep market knowledge to navigate one of the most challenging buyer environments in decades.”
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Affordability Concerns Push New Home Sales Lower in May
June 24 2026 | |
“The decline in builder sentiment is consistent with our latest builder surveys,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. “Many potential buyers remain on the sidelines as elevated mortgage rates, higher construction costs and limited purchasing power continue to reduce the pool of qualified buyers.”
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Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
June 24 2026 | |
“Mortgage rates changed little over the course of last week, despite the more hawkish tone from the FOMC at its June meeting,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist. “Purchase application volume edged slightly lower, while refinance activity posted modest gains. Despite the elevated mortgage rates and overall economic uncertainty, mortgage application volume is running 8 percent above year-ago levels.”
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MBA White Paper: Demographic Trends Could Reshape Future Housing Demand
June 22 2026 | |
Implications of a Persistent Slowing in Housing Demand examines how demographic, economic, and housing market trends have evolved since the financial crisis and assesses their implications for future housing demand. The report analyzes changes in household formation, housing construction, affordability, and population growth, and explores how slowing demographic growth may affect housing supply-demand balances, home prices, and mortgage market activity over the coming decade.
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CertifID Acquires CloseSimple to Transform the Real Estate Closing
June 18 2026 | |
With CloseSimple now part of CertifID, the combined platform will deepen integrations with title production systems, accelerate the use of AI across the closing workflow, and keep customers one step ahead of emerging fraud threats. The result is something the industry has never had before: closing automation that matches the pace of modern real estate, with protection built into every transaction.
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NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 3.8% Increase in May
June 17 2026 | |
“A late spring buyer rush—even with mortgage rates not budging—is an indication of pent-up housing demand and consumers’ acceptance of above-6% mortgage rates as the new normal,” said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun.
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Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
June 17 2026 | |
“Last week’s CPI data showed that inflation continued to move higher, putting upward pressure on rates early in the week, but growing optimism regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz brought rates down again by the end of the week,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist. “The net impact reduced mortgage application activity, with both purchase and refinance application volume down for the week by 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively."
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May Housing Starts Fall as Multifamily Construction Slows Sharply
June 16 2026 | |
“The decline in housing starts aligns with NAHB’s latest builder survey, which showed builder sentiment weakening further in June,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “Elevated mortgage rates, affordability challenges and cautious buyers continue to weigh on demand for new homes."
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Builder Sentiment Remains Weak Amid Affordability Concerns
June 15 2026 | |
“With the nation short about 1.2 million homes, builder sentiment will remain soft until barriers are eased and conditions improve for home building,” said NAHB Chairman Bill Owens, a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “Congress can help by passing the major housing package now before the Senate, along with the CONSTRUCTS Act to address the construction labor shortage and the Energy Choice Act to prevent state and local bans on natural gas in new homes.”
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ALTA Reports Q1 2026 Title Premium Volume and Market Share Data
June 15 2026 | |
The American Land Title Association, the national trade association of the land title insurance industry, today announced that the title insurance industry generated $4.5 billion in title insurance premiums during the first quarter of 2026, according to ALTA’s latest Market Share Analysis. This is up from $3.9 billion during the same period a year ago.
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Orange County Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Defrauded Bank Out of Nearly $100 Million
June 14 2026 | |
An Orange County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with defrauding a bank out of nearly $100 million by manipulating title policies to make collateral that had been pledged to the bank look more valuable than it truly was.
“When criminals are allowed to deceive lenders, the spillover effects can harm consumers and businesses,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Today’s arrest highlights our office’s continued determination to combat threats to our nation’s banking system.”
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MISMO Releases FRAME: Framework for AI Governance in Mortgage Lending
June 11 2026 | |
“FRAME is fundamentally a risk management tool,” said Rick Hill, a key contributor to the framework and MBA’s Vice President of Industry Technology. “The goal is not to create new regulations or additional bureaucracy, but to help mortgage companies understand where AI is being used, assess the risks associated with those use cases, document their decision-making, and establish a repeatable governance process."
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Over 1,100 Housing Advocates Call on Congress to Address Affordability
June 10 2026 | |
“Members of the housing community from across the country are in Washington for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2026 Legislative Conference to call on lawmakers to advance major housing legislation and enact policies that will let builders build,” said NAHB Chairman Bill Owens, a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio.
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Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
June 10 2026 | |
“Mortgage rates were volatile last week as news from the Middle East continues to drive markets,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist. “While the average rate was up slightly, with the 30-year fixed rate now at 6.60 percent, there were opportunities where borrowers were seeing somewhat lower rates."
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Title Resources Group Appoints Bradley Bliven as Regional Manager, Southeast
June 05 2026 | |
“Brad has been a driving force behind TRG’s growth in Florida, building strong relationships with our agents and consistently delivering results,” said Lynn Stillman, TRG executive vice president. “His deep industry knowledge, collaborative approach and commitment to agent success make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our Southeast region as we continue to expand our presence and strengthen partnerships across these key markets.”
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Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
June 03 2026 | |
“The prospect of easing energy prices given the evolving situation in the Middle East brought mortgage rates slightly lower last week. The retreat in rates, however, did not lead to an increase in mortgage applications,” said Joel Kan, CMB, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “Purchase applications remained ahead of 2025’s pace but were at its slowest weekly pace since April, and refinance activity was at its weakest since last June.”
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Builders Call Attention to 'Silver Tsunami' Supply Constraints During Homeownership Month
June 01 2026 | |
“As older Americans stay in their homes longer, the silver tsunami phenomenon won’t solve the housing shortage on its own; therefore, expanding the housing supply becomes more urgent, not less,” said NAHB Chairman Bill Owens, a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “We must create pathways for all generations who aspire to achieve homeownership by reducing barriers to housing attainability.”
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MBA Statement on the VA's Updated Loss Mitigation Policies
June 01 2026 | |
“We are pleased to see that veteran homeowners will have access to a key loss mitigation option available to other borrowers with government-backed mortgages, that can allow veterans to remain in their homes without increasing their monthly payments."
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