What the Compass-Anywhere merger could mean for your local housing market A major real estate headline is drawing attention from regulators and consumers alike: the proposed merger between Compass and Anywhere (the parent company behind well-known brands like Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and Sotheby’s International Realty). According to recent market-share analysis, the combined company could … Read more
Mortgage Rates Are Holding Steady—Even When the Headlines Feel Confusing If you’ve been watching the news expecting mortgage rates to drop after a softer inflation report and a slightly weaker jobs report, you’re not alone. Normally, lower inflation and signs of a cooling labor market can relieve pressure on interest rates. But this week’s takeaway … Read more
What’s happening between Compass and NWMLS—and why it matters If you’ve followed recent real estate headlines, you’ve likely noticed a growing number of lawsuits challenging how homes are marketed and how real estate services are priced. A new update in that trend involves Compass (a national real estate brokerage) and the Northwest Multiple Listing Service … Read more
What NAR’s 2026 legislative priorities mean for your housing plans If you’ve felt like the housing market has been playing keep-away—too few homes for sale, prices staying stubborn, and monthly payments jumping with rate changes—you’re not alone. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently outlined its 2026 legislative priorities, with a clear theme: bipartisan solutions … Read more
What the DOJ is saying about real estate commissions The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) just weighed in on a major real estate commission lawsuit (the Davis case), arguing that agent commissions may still be artificially high because of industry rules and practices. In plain English: even after recent settlements and policy changes, the DOJ … Read more
What Happened in November: Sellers Hit Pause New data from Redfin shows the housing market cooled further in November, and not just on the buyer side. Active listings fell 1.4% month over month—the biggest supply drop since 2023—as many homeowners decided to wait rather than list into a slower market. At the same time, pending … Read more
Mortgage applications dipped—even as rates eased. Here’s what that means for you. Mortgage applications fell about 5% recently, even though rates didn’t spike and actually edged down. At first glance, that may sound confusing—lower rates usually bring more buyers and more refinances into the market. But the latest data points to a more complicated reality: … Read more
A rare shift: More sellers than buyers (by a lot) New data from Redfin shows the U.S. housing market now has 37% more home sellers than homebuyers—more than double the gap from this time last year. In records going back to 2013, only summer 2025 saw an even larger imbalance. Translation: many markets are behaving … Read more
Western New York just became the nation’s hottest battleground for homebuyers If you’ve been thinking the most cutthroat housing markets are always in coastal cities, new data may surprise you. According to Redfin’s latest ranking of the most competitive housing markets in the U.S., Irondequoit, NY—a lakeside suburb of Rochester—now sits at the top. Homes … Read more
Mortgage rates have cooled—but don’t expect a dramatic drop in 2026 If you’ve been watching mortgage rates like a hawk, 2025 has delivered a welcome shift. Rates began the year a bit above 7% and are now heading into the holiday season closer to 6.2%. That’s meaningful improvement for affordability and monthly payments. But the … Read more
