Housing

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged skepticism around the central banks large-scale asset purchases during the pandemic, noting the Fed likely "should have stopped" sooner, but fell short of admitting that the purchase of MBS' contributed to housing disparities.

In a letter Friday, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., called on Pulte to address housing unaffordability instead of concentrating on efforts to destabilize the Federal Reserve.

The Senate Banking Committee passed a housing package that includes funding for manufactured and other kinds of housing, but also includes an appraisal provision that mortgage bankers oppose.

A forthcoming bill from Sens. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., would allow the Federal Housing Finance Agency director to set limits on executive pay at the Federal Home Loan banks.

Scott Turner, President Trump's pick to head the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, faced opposition from Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee, but his nomination was nonetheless approved by a vote of 13-11.

The president-elect had billed his hardline stance on the border and promised deportations as a solution to tight housing markets. Experts say those policies, at least in terms of housing, could do more harm than good.

Mortgage professionals are focusing on housing policies and the Federal Reserve this November.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a proposed rule for the Federal Home Loan Bank System that allows the FHFA director to set "reasonable" board compensation.

The introduction of quarterly price data for the segment arrives as a certain type of factory-built home attracts favorable attention from consumers.

In their only vice presidential debate, Democratic nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz talked about how housing should not be considered a "commodity," while Republican Sen. J.D. Vance tied housing shortages to illegal immigration and government regulation.

The Federal Home Loans Bank System is under pressure to fund more affordable housing and has several proposals that may work in tandem with Vice President Kamala Harris' goal of building three million new units in her first term.

Melody Taylor, the executive director of the Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity task force, said the interagency group went above and beyond expectations. She also defended it against common attacks from working appraisers.

The possibility of moving stalled housing bills forward combined with promises of down payment assistance is offering hope to housing advocates.

Vice President Kamala Harris outlined a raft of populist economic proposals in her first major economic speech since securing the Democratic presidential nomination, including some aimed at lowering housing costs and boosting supply.

Sellers of contract-for-deed home financing deals must provide disclosures, financing terms and assess a borrower's ability to repay, the CFPB said in an advisory opinion.

Democrats Ritchie Torres and Gregory Meeks called on the New York Home Loan bank to follow the lead of its peers and use alternative credit scoring models for collateral to improve consumers' access to homeownership.

Despite being a top concern for a wide swath of voters, housing affordability has largely been absent from presidential politics.

The guidance is largely unchanged from what the agencies proposed last year. It directs institutions to craft policies that consider a wide array of potential shortcomings.

The Federal Reserve's struggle in bringing inflation down from its current level to its 2% target may come down to how the government measures shelter costs in the U.S., leading some experts to question whether the problem is in the economy or in how it is measured.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says crushing inflation is the most important thing the Fed can do to reduce costs in the housing market. Some economists and policy specialists say higher rates are not the only tool at its disposal.