Mortgage Insights

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

Housing Industry News

Unlock MLS redefines participants, adds data licensing

Aug 20, 2026 · 7:24 PM Brooklee Han HousingWire

Starting Sept. 15, platform brokerages must commercially license listing data feeds and pay a fee

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Housing Industry News

FHFA says GSE foreclosure prevention actions fell in May

Aug 20, 2026 · 7:05 PM Sarah Wolak HousingWire

Refi volume fell 29.9% as the average 30-year fixed rate rose to 6.44%, FHFA data revealed

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Housing Industry News

Zillow layoffs included longtime exec Sara Bonert

Aug 20, 2026 · 5:31 PM Brooklee Han HousingWire

Bonert said she may be the most tenured employee impacted, as Zillow cut 500-plus roles in early August

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Housing Industry News

Point favors deliberate growth with new HEI wholesale channel

Aug 20, 2026 · 4:31 PM Flávia Furlan Nunes HousingWire

Point is betting that broker distribution can scale the product

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Housing Industry News

MLS critics call it anti-competitive. These brokers say it helps them compete

Aug 20, 2026 · 4:30 PM Brooklee Han HousingWire

CMLS 2023 papers frame MLS as an information sharing system with network effects that lower search costs.

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Housing Industry News

Is Zillow having its AOL moment?

Aug 20, 2026 · 4:04 PM Hans Wydler, Steve Wydler HousingWire

Listing creators and direct channels may capture more value as private networks expand and buyers search beyond portals.

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Housing Industry News

The 2026 halftime report: Four ways to win the second half

Aug 20, 2026 · 3:46 PM Dave Savage, Kristin Messerli HousingWire

With pull-through gaps and shifting buyer trust, the fastest wins were pipeline conversion and equity reviews

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Housing Industry News

New home purchase applications down 5.7% annually in July

Aug 20, 2026 · 3:11 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

MBA estimated sales at a 647,000 annual pace, down 3% from June

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Housing Industry News

New American Funding partners with Kastle to deploy AI agents

Aug 20, 2026 · 3:05 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

NAF says the platform will handle end-to-end customer interactions and add a self-service channel while supporting compliance

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Housing Industry News

Better rolls out a poison pill as Garg fights for control

Aug 20, 2026 · 2:52 PM Flávia Furlan Nunes HousingWire

Plan triggers at 15% ownership or voting power and runs through 2027

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