Builders started 2026 with margin pressure, then came Iran war risk

Making less money but making steady headway may be a crude way to boil down what early 2026 was looking like for many homebuilding business leaders. Public homebuilder execs were not discussing a plain-and-simple “recovery trade.” The most consistent post-earnings themes – across demand, pricing, ma

Better launches ChatGPT-based credit decision engine for mortgage and HELOC lenders

Better.com has launched a conversational credit decision engine that lets mortgage and home equity lenders run underwriting through ChatGPT using the company’s Tinman AI platform, the company announced Thursday. The integration, built with OpenAI using a Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector, allow

Study finds 65-year-olds need $135K for long-term care

A new report from consulting firm Milliman concludes that the average 65-year-old should set aside $135,000 to cover high-intensity long-term care in the future. But averages can mask wide variation depending on gender, location and health.   Women face significantly higher costs than men — an avera

NAR speaks out on “coming soon” listings

The National Association of Realtors said it does not set a national policy for “coming soon” listing statuses and leaves those decisions to local multiple listing services. “NAR respects the rights of individual brokers to make their own business decisions and does not comment on specific brokerage