Mortgage Insights

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

Housing Industry News

FirstClose launches Lender Portal for home equity leads

Sep 17, 2026 · 4:37 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

Workspace unifies lead intake, soft pull eligibility checks and borrower engagement tracking for XpressEquity users

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Housing Industry News

Rechat launches private user community

Sep 17, 2026 · 4:23 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

Leaders say the group is adding roughly 175 members each week

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Housing Industry News

Senate banking committee advances Brian Johnson’s nomination as CFPB director

Sep 17, 2026 · 4:11 PM Sarah Wolak HousingWire

Johnson's nomination advanced out of the committee on a 13-11 vote

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Housing Industry News

Mutual of Omaha explores potential mortgage division sale

Sep 17, 2026 · 3:46 PM Neil Pierson HousingWire

Bloomberg reports Houlihan Lokey was hired to help the insurance giant assess its options

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Housing Industry News

NAR pending home sales index down 4.7% year over year

Sep 17, 2026 · 3:32 PM Brooklee Han HousingWire

August’s index reading of 71.2 was about 30% below pre-pandemic years, with monthly declines concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest

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Housing Industry News

Zillow Preview listings to appear on RealScout later this year

Sep 17, 2026 · 1:52 PM HousingWire Automation HousingWire

Integration expands pre-MLS exposure to 100,000-plus agents and buyers across hundreds of U.S. markets

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Housing Industry News

Can empowering small investors strengthen America’s housing supply?

Sep 17, 2026 · 7:00 AM Julie Baird HousingWire

Federal data show individuals own 59% of rental properties, even as LLCs hold 43% of rental units

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Housing Industry News

The wrong levers

Sep 17, 2026 · 7:00 AM Mark Milam HousingWire

Four years of a frozen housing market won't thaw from the three levers everyone keeps pulling

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Housing Industry News

Who owns the customer? That depends on whom you ask.

Sep 17, 2026 · 7:00 AM Rick Roque, Jim Deitch HousingWire

With 30-year rates near 7%, retention and permissioned access may decide the next refi wave

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Housing Industry News

The Fed rate-hike cycle has started. What’s next?

Sep 16, 2026 · 11:23 PM Logan Mohtashami HousingWire

Key factors for mortgage rates will be the Iran conflict and trade war, not just the economy

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