Origination

Contract closings in January decreased 4.9% to an annualized rate of 4.08 million, data released Friday by the National Association of Realtors show.

As homeowners insurance becomes expensive and hard to find, mortgage loan officers should work closely with insurance agents, said Travis Hodges of Viu by Hub.

The potential impacts of import tariffs cloud the outlook, though, and could lead mortgage rates to surge and fall throughout the coming year.

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of 6.85% is just five basis points lower than the same time last year, following wider swings in the past 12 months.

Ice storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes occur more frequently than hurricanes and earthquakes and those insurance claims can stack substantially.

Howard Lutnick's influence in housing today is primarily tied to tariffs but his firm also had a storied past in mortgages and was hit hard by the 9/11 attacks.

The $300 million strong team brings with it two top producers in the state.

Reality TV contributed to heightened demand for fixer-uppers and DIY projects, but today's economics are altering consumers' home buying considerations.

Shares of all 18 members in the S&P Composite 1500 Homebuilding Index fell, sending the gauge to the lowest intraday level since December 2023, after results from luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. and key construction data Wednesday indicated the residential real estate market may be in store for more turbulence.