Mortgage & Economy
Mortgage rates, Federal Reserve policy, employment, inflation, and what they mean for Bay Area affordability.
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Mortgage critical defect rate rises to 1.71% in Q1 2026
ACES data shows legal and compliance defects at 26.02% of findings
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Cash buyer market share falling from pandemic highs
Total home sales fell 8.5% year-over-year, while the number of cash transactions dropped 11.2%
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The old Texas map may show where growth goes next
Outer-ring county seats around DFW are outpacing core suburbs; Decatur is up 38.1% since 2020
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Ishbia family’s UWM equity, NBA assets back billions in credit: Bloomberg
Bloomberg report details how UWM equity, tax rebates and NBA assets back billions in credit from JPMorgan
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When a real estate brokerage grows fast, cash flow and controls still matter
The Fathom filing included going concern language, a remediation plan and criticism of former leadership’s tone and ethics support.
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J&W Gold Institute launches real estate agent Historic Home Specialist credential
Curriculum covers preservation standards, valuation methods, incentives and design review processes for landmark transactions.
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Wells Fargo funds rural housing with $1.5M Habitat partnership
The $1.5 million investment aims to expand modular homebuilding in rural areas
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CHLA wants IMBs to be eligible for FHLBank membership
Group warns against expanded mortgage purchases while urging modernized membership and annual lending reviews
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Keller Williams launches KW Modular agent community
New community offers training, certification and builder connections for KW agents across North America.
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Social Security’s COLA increase in 2027 could be its largest in 4 years
The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce the official 2027 COLA Oct. 14







