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.
Across most states, it takes 18 to 36 months to raise an average FICO score to the 760 prime threshold, assuming an improvement of about 20 points per year. Mississippi and Louisiana require the longest timelines, with borrowers needing 4 years and 3.5 years of consistent progress, respectively. At the opposite end, Minnesota offers the fastest path, with an average timeline of just 0.9 years, due to a high statewide average score of 742.
Many buyers assume homeownership is out of reach if they earn less than the area's median income - but that's not always true. From FHA and USDA loans to down payment assistance programs, there are real pathways to homeownership - even if you have little savings.
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.
Realtor Todd Luong of REMAX DFW Associates in Frisco said his recent experience reflects meaningful improvement for buyers, even if affordability remains strained. Here in the Dallas real estate market that I serve, affordability remains a challenge, he says. However, there is a significant amount of data showing that buyer conditions have improved over the past year and that buyers are gaining affordability ground. This should eventually increase housing demand to some degree as we head into the busy spring buying season.
Introductory period: The initial fixed-rate phase before adjustments begin. Adjustment period: How frequently the rate can change after the intro period ends. Index: The benchmark interest rate used to calculate future rate changes. Margin: The lender's fixed markup added to the index. Initial cap: Limits how much the rate can increase at the first adjustment. Periodic cap: Limits how much the rate can change at each adjustment. Lifetime cap: The maximum interest rate allowed over the entire loan term.
Sales of new single-family houses in October 2025 were at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 737,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 0.1 percent (14.2 percent)* below the September 2025 rate of 738,000, and is 18.7 percent (21.7 percent)* above the October 2024 rate of 621,000. There were some negative revisions to the past three months, but the trend still stayed positive.
"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.
