Angel Oak’s Tom Hutchens on new growth path for non-QMs as rates ease

When mortgage rates stayed higher for longer over the past few years, originators increasingly turned their attention to nonqualified mortgages (non-QMs). But that resurgence may not lose momentum even if rates decline in 2026. “We traditionally have seen nonagency volumes represent about 10% of the

Ninja Selling’s Larry Kendall: Control the habits, not the headlines

Real estate agents and brokers are bombarded daily with headlines predicting the industry’s next upheaval. Let it go, says Larry Kendall, founder of Ninja Selling, because most of that noise sits firmly outside of your control. While it’s important you keep up with current headlines, Kendall believe

US loses 92,000 jobs in February as labor market continues to cool

In a sign of a still-softening labor market, U.S. employers eliminated 92,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Economists say the report is unlikely to change the Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates. Meanwhile, t

Builders started 2026 with margin pressure, then came Iran war risk

Making less money but making steady headway may be a crude way to boil down what early 2026 was looking like for many homebuilding business leaders. Public homebuilder execs were not discussing a plain-and-simple “recovery trade.” The most consistent post-earnings themes – across demand, pricing, ma