MBA Education announces first-of-its-kind compliance certificate
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced today it would begin to offer Level I of the new Certified Mortgage Compliance Professional (CMCP) designation, the only certification and designation program geared exclusively towards compliance professionals...
Remodeling confidence remains in strong territory despite three point slip
The National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 57 in the first quarter of 2018, down three points from the previous quarter and back to the same level as the...
HUD and Census Bureau report residential construction activity in March 2018
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for March 2018. Building Permits: Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits...
MASCO’s KraftMaid supports skilled labor fund
The National Housing Endowment (NHE), the philanthropic arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), announced today that MASCO's KraftMaid has donated to the group's Skilled Labor Fund. The Skilled Labor Fund is an industry-wide effort...
Tax Day: Hoteliers call for more transparency and oversight in taxing Airbnb
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) called on state and local government leaders on National Tax Day, to start taxing Airbnb and other short-term rental sites with the same oversight and transparency as...
Housing starts rise 1.9 percent on multifamily surge
Gains in multifamily production pushed overall housing starts up 1.9 percent in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.32 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development...
Builder confidence slips one point, remains in solid territory
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes edged down one point to a level of 69 in April on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) but remains on firm...
ClosetMaid enhances its popular ExpressShelf pre-finished shelf and rod system
ClosetMaid has responded to high demand for its ExpressShelf pre-finished shelf and rod system by launching additional hardware options that enable more configurations and applications. The new ExpressShelf hardware makes full walk-in and wall-to-open shelving...
2018 NMHC 50 demonstrates strong and continued apartment growth
The apartment sector continued its strong economic run last year, reflected in the National Multifamily Housing Council’s (NMHC) newly released 2018 NMHC 50—the authoritative ranking of the nation’s largest apartment owners, manager, developers, builders...
Facebook and Helen Keller
I'm rarely away from the office during work hours but I recently found myself in a line of about 8 people waiting for the dealer to price a handful of collectibles for a friend. We...
HUD joins Justice Department in nationwide initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing
Today, as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Secretary Carson and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the...
Ginnie Mae MBS outstanding increases to $1.942 trillion
Ginnie Mae today announced that issuance of its mortgage back securities (MBS) totaled $30.31 billion in March. A breakdown of March's issuance includes $28.659 billion of Ginnie Mae II MBS and $1.651 billion of Ginnie...
Four secrets to lowering your commercial insurance premiums
Based on the recent hurricane activities and other coastal disasters over the past couple years, it is no secret that an increase in 2018 insurance premium is coming. These disasters have also led to...
Assurant partners with sharing economy startup ApartmentJet to provide multifamily housing owners with risk...
When thinking of a short-term home rental, most people envision a vacation home near a tourist attraction. But actually, the newest ‘sharing economy’ trend is multifamily housing owners listing their units on short-term rental...
New study: Apartment renters value smart home tech above traditional amenities
A new study out by property management company Entrata shows the vast majority of the country’s renters value new and evolving smart home amenities over traditional benefits offered to apartment dwellers. The survey found that most important...
