Congress just passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a major housing bill aimed at improving supply, affordability, rural housing, manufactured housing, and financing access. But will it actually help homebuyers, homeowners, and builders — or is it mostly political window dressing? In this breakdown, I explain why I’m skeptical, why I give the bill a D, and what really needs to happen if America wants lower housing costs and better mortgage affordability.
New York’s billionaire exit risk is not just about one wealthy person changing residency — it is about what happens if future jobs, capital, office demand, and high-income tax revenue begin shifting to Florida, Texas, and other lower-tax states. With millionaire earners contributing a major share of New York City’s income tax base, even a slow leak of executives, finance firms, real estate investors, and business expansion could create serious long-term budget pressure. The question is no longer whether New York is still powerful — it is whether the next wave of wealth and growth chooses to stay.
Veterans earned their VA loan benefits through service — but too many are being targeted with confusing ads, too-good-to-be-true rate quotes, and alleged bait-and-switch tactics. Here’s what every veteran should know before buying, refinancing, or signing a VA loan offer.
What to do if rates drop after you locked your rate?
Mortgage rates are moving higher today as MBS prices weaken, and the pressure is not coming from a collapsing jobs market. Initial and continued jobless claims still point to a solid labor backdrop, which gives the Fed less reason to rush into rate cuts. The bigger problem is inflation — especially oil prices — while the latest housing starts and permits data shows a troubling split: multifamily construction is holding up, but single-family homebuilding is weakening. For homebuyers, that means future for-sale housing supply could stay tight just as financing costs remain under pressure.
Companies spent years blaming tariffs for higher prices. Now that some tariff money may be refunded, the big question is simple: will those dollars make their way back to consumers, or will they quietly boost corporate profits? Here’s how the tariff refund process works, who gets paid first, and why accountability may become the next major economic fight.
Inflation may have cooled since the 2022 spike, but that does not mean prices went back to normal. From 2018 through 2025, a $100 basket of everyday goods rose to roughly $128 — a real-world example of how inflation stacks year after year and quietly damages household purchasing power.
Mortgage rates have improved from the 2023 peak, but affordability has not meaningfully recovered. Higher home prices, rising property taxes, and surging homeowners insurance costs have absorbed much of the benefit from lower rates — leaving many buyers with nearly the same monthly payment as before.
Mortgage Insurance Has varieties
