The ALTA Elite Provider Program recognizes service providers that demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting the title insurance industry and the professionals who serve consumers every day, ALTA CEO Chris Morton said in the announcement.
Ginsburg stated that treating builder business as a core pillar rather than a side channel reflects a broader industry shift. He believes a healthy balance of builders should be around 15% to 20% of the overall retail book of business.
HousingWire's 2026 Rising Stars honor industry leaders age 40 and under who are making an impact across mortgage, real estate and homebuilding. The honorees represent a range of roles and are recognized for driving innovation, supporting their organizations and contributing to broader industry progress.
I don't want the closers and processors to have to get into the weeds with this. I don't want there to be any negative shadowing of our title offices, because we're having to ask for this. It's really not a title role, as far as the title insurance product that we provide. It definitely has been tasked to us, but it's not something that I want to be viewed as, 'Title requires this.' This is a governmental requirement.
Refinance applications increased for the fourth straight week to the strongest pace since 2022, with conventional refinances up 20%. The increase in the average loan size for refinances indicates that more borrowers with larger loan sizes are seeking to lower their monthly payments.
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is deeply entrenched in the U.S. system. It benefits from decades of investor demand, a robust securitization framework and established insurance support. Once loan terms extend beyond 30 years, those structural advantages begin to erode. There is also a cost that often gets overlooked. A 50-year mortgage dramatically increases the total interest paid over the life of the loan. While monthly payments may appear more manageable, borrowers can end up paying nearly double the interest compared to a traditional 30-year mortgage.
Is it time to think about rent-to-own homes? After all, 2026 is shaping up to be a chaotic year, with an uncertain economy, political pandemonium roiling every market, and a falling dollar. And in real estate, everyone seems to be hurting. For the first time in over a decade, it's seemingly a buyer's market, with housing stock finally exceeding those looking to make a purchase.
"Today, an increasing number of consumers include crypto in their investment portfolios, while major financial institutions are deepening their involvement in crypto assets, supported by key regulatory developments," Newrez President Baron Silverstein said in the announcement, adding that now is the "right time" to weave crypto into the mortgage lending business.
APOR is baked into not only Dodd-Frank as a safe harbor against litigation which many lenders want to comply with and use for their business and pricing and risk but also there are a litany of 40 other statutes that are tied to APOR as it's described in Dodd Frank, over 27 states. Lenders frequently move ahead of formal rulemaking, Dunn added. You don't have to wait for the regulation to comply either, she said.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs), private equity firms and other large institutional investors have expanded their single-family rental portfolios in recent years, drawing criticism from housing advocates and lawmakers who argue that investor activity has constrained supply and pushed home prices higher. Markets reacted swiftly to Trump's comments. Shares of Invitation Homes the nation's largest owner of single-family rental homes fell more than 7% Wednesday afternoon. Blackstone, a major player in the space that acquired Home Partners of America for $6 billion in 2021 and Tricon Residential for $3.5 billion in 2024, was down about 5%.
