SBR-Authors Podcast: Finding True Happiness Through Acts of Kindness: A Conversation with Karen Olson
Creative Housing Solutions Pop Up Across Oregon
Affordable Housing on the Front Range: Inclusionary Housing Ordinances and the New Middle Income Housing Authority
Office-to-Apartment Conversions – A Good Idea, but Tricky to Pull Off (Audio)
Episode 15 | Hot! Hot! Hot! Don't get Burned by the Perils of Buying and Selling Residential Real Estate
California CRE to Expand in 2022
HM Treasury has announced the launch of a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme, aimed at supporting first-time buyers and home movers across the UK. The scheme enables access to 91–95% loan-to-value mortgages, allowing buyers...more
The June 2025 Market Action Report for the Portland metropolitan area, published by RMLS, describes a residential real estate market that is steady, if subdued, with slight pricing increases and modest shifts in transactional...more
Recently the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rescinded various FHA mortgage loan requirements in a series of five Mortgagee Letters....more
Following the FCA’s May 2025 ‘first steps’ consultation on proposals to simplify its mortgage framework via a Mortgage Rule Review (MRR), it has now published a discussion paper on the future of the mortgage market. The...more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published discussion paper DP25/2 (DP) accompanied by an updated webpage and press release, on the future of the UK mortgage market, as part of its ongoing mortgage rule review....more
On June 25, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a directive ordering Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare proposals for treating cryptocurrency held on U.S.-regulated exchanges as assets for reserves in...more
Effective July 1, 2025, the realty transfer tax rate for properties or acquired real estate companies sold in the City and County of Philadelphia will increase to 3.578%, in addition to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania realty...more
Fannie Mae (1938) and Freddie Mac (1970) were created with the end goal of promoting homeownership across the United States. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both government-sponsored entities (“GSEs”), are publicly traded and...more
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has issued an opinion (dated 12 May) in response to a notification from the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, regarding its intention to recalibrate the risk weight floor for Norwegian retail...more
Following a March 2025 press release and letter to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury announcing plans to improve access to mortgages to support the government’s economic growth mission, the FCA has published a ‘first...more
On April 28, the governor of Tennessee signed into law HB 908 to amend the maximum effective interest rate for home loans originated in the state. The new law sets the rate at four percentage points above the average prime...more
Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued Mortgagee Letter 2025-13 to revise the exclusive listing period for certain parties in connection with HUD real estate owned (REO) properties, and...more
Mayor Cherelle Parker unveiled details about the programs to be funded by her signature Housing Opportunities Made Easy (HOME) Initiative on Monday. More than 75% of the $800 million bond amount will be allocated to seven key...more
On April 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will end the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program on May 1, 2025. This decision comes just shy of one year since the program’s...more
In a significant policy shift under the Trump administration, the new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte issued an order on March 25, 2025 terminating special purpose credit programs (SPCPs) supported...more
On March 14, the FHFA announced that Director William Pulte was sworn in as its fifth director in a ceremony held in Washington, D.C., on March 14. Pulte was appointed by President Trump and will serve a five-year term...more
On February 26, several U.S. Senators sent a letter to HUD Secretary, Scott Turner, raising concerns about the Secretary’s role in the potential reprivatization of government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and...more
On February 19, a complaint was filed by the Massachusetts State Attorney General (AG) alleging that a real estate investment services company and its affiliate engaged in “systematic and pervasive unfair or deceptive acts...more
In our latest roundup, Southern California wildfires impact supply chain, higher material prices threaten future project demand, commercial real estate distress strains regional banks, and more!...more
In our latest roundup, construction technology funding stabilizes, office vacancies hit new high, builders outline recommendations to Trump, and more!...more
January 14, 2025- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chair Martin Gruenberg gave a speech entitled “Three Financial Crises and Lessons for the Future,” at the Brookings Institution....more
As previously reported, this summer the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) filed a housing discrimination charge under the Fair Housing Act against an appraisal company, individual appraiser, appraisal...more
In our latest roundup, infrastructure-related ballot initiatives, U.S. Green Building Council’s success stories, support for sustainable building, and more!...more
In our latest roundup, nonresidential spending drops, realtor payment structure changes, office vacancy rates soar, and more!...more
The Cozen Lens - While it’s becoming ever clearer Vice President Harris is likely to be the Democratic nominee following President Biden’s decision to step aside, it’s less clear what the impact will be on the presidential...more