FinCEN anti-money laundering rule struck down in court

A federal judge in Texas has vacated the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) nationwide anti-money laundering rule requiring title insurance companies to report details of millions of residential real estate transactions. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle of the Eastern District of Tex

Austin housing reforms could influence Michigan legislation

Michigan housing advocates are pointing to Austin, Texas, as they try to build support for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “grand bargain” housing affordability agenda in the state Legislature. Advocates say a multi-year set of zoning, permitting and code reforms in Austin helped drive a surge in homebuildi

Why policy looks different from the business side — And why advocacy is strategy

If you work in mortgage banking long enough, you learn to watch the signals. Rates move. Consumers react. The agencies adjust. And the industry pivots. We watch these indicators because they tell us where the market is going. But there’s one signal the industry often overlooks — and ironically, it m

Lower rates aren’t enough: What mortgage lenders and servicers must do to set spring homebuyers up for long-term success

As the spring homebuying season approaches, mortgage lenders and servicers are watching closely for signs of a long‑awaited inflection point. Interest rates have begun to ease, buyer sentiment is improving, and some sidelined demand is cautiously reentering the market. Lower rates will matter. But t