Number of Down Payment Assistance Programs in Q4 2025 Up 6% Year-Over-Year

by Phil Hall | Jan 26, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

A total of 2,619 down payment programs were active during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a new data report from Down Payment Resource (DPR). While the total count is five programs fewer than during the third quarter, it is also 6% greater than the 2,466...

Fraudster Attempts to Sell Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed Home on Zillow

by Phil Hall | Jan 26, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, WRE News Exclusive

Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to dream big. Case in point: a fraudster was caught attempting to sell a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home on Zillow. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, which maintains the legacy of the iconic architect, reported that a Jan. 15...

National Mortgage Delinquency Rate Dropped to 3.68%

by Phil Hall | Jan 26, 2026 | Mortgage Information

The national mortgage delinquency rate fell by 16 basis points (bps) in December to 3.68% following November’s calendar related high, according to data from ICE Mortgage Technology. This marked a 3 bps dip from December 2024 and a 26 bps decline from the December 2019...

Report: FHFA’s Pulte Quietly Changed GSE Portfolio Limits to Aid Trump’s $200 Billion Mortgage Bond Purchase

by Phil Hall | Jan 26, 2026 | Current News & Events, Mortgage Information, Real Estate News, WRE News Exclusive

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte accommodated President Trump’s announcement of a federal purchase of $200 billion in mortgage bonds by making a unilateral and unpublicized policy change that enabled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to raise the...

HUD Directs Public Housing Authorities to Verify Citizenship of Tenants

by Phil Hall | Jan 26, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is now requiring all Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and owners participating in HUD-funded housing to immediately begin verifying the citizenship of their tenants. The new directive follows an audit that found...