DRE in the News

COVERAGE INFORMATION:

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) NEWS CLIPS service coverage:

Monday through Friday (except state holidays) each week includes electronic format articles retrieved from newspapers or news services that report real estate related news in California and some national services. Coverage is for California newspapers that are available electronically via the Internet - and any significant related breaking news.

Copyright © , California Department of Real Estate

Links to web sites do not constitute an endorsement from The California Department of Real Estate. These links are provided as an information service only. It is the responsibility of the user to evaluate the content and usefulness of information obtained from these sites. DRE does not provide full text articles - user must access expired articles via newspaper archives online or local public library.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

National News

Mortgage Applications Fall Across Loan Types in July

CATHERINE KOH, Eye on Housing
Mortgage application activity slowed in July amid continuation of the war in Iran. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 6.6% month-over-month in July on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications declined 1.5%, the first year-over-year decline in two years.

States sue OCC over mortgage escrow interest pre-emption

BRAD FINKELSTEIN, National Mortgage News
A group of state attorneys general, led by Oregon and New York, are suing the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency over its rule quashing laws requiring banks to pay interest on mortgage escrow accounts. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, seeking to prevent OCC from implementing its rules.

California News

Online real estate scams are increasing in California. What you should know

KEVINISHA WALKER, Los Angeles Times (Subscription)
The last thing anyone needs while searching California’s tight, pricey real estate market for someplace to live is to be scammed. But as more people turn to social media and online marketplaces to find rentals and homes for sale, some are finding fake listings posted by scammers trying to score payments for homes that aren’t actually available.

After controversy, Sacramento city panel moves Railyards financing plan forward

ANNIKA MERRILEES, Sacramento Bee (Subscription)
A city committee unanimously advanced a financing plan Tuesday morning to support development in Sacramento’s Railyards District, an effort that became a source of unexpected controversy last summer.

Industry News

Two Harbors calls UWM lawsuit ‘frivolous,’ slams management for $600M hedge loss

FLAVIA FURLAN NUNES, HousingWire (Subscription)
Two Harbors Investment Corp. is pushing back on a lawsuit filed this week by UWM Holdings Corp., calling the complaint “frivolous,” “meritless” and “illogical” while defending its decision to abandon a stock-for-stock merger with the wholesale lender in favor of an all-cash deal with rival CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM).

Real Estate Technology

Real estate leaders weigh buying vs building AI tools

BROOKLEE HAN, HousingWire (Subscription)
Incorporating artificial intelligence into workflows and businesses has become a non-negotiable for housing companies that want to succeed. But as many business leaders look to integrate and implement this technology they are faced with the question of whether it is better to buy it or build it on their own.

Property News

A California Home that Rotates 320 Degrees Takes a Spin on the Market

FRED A BERNSTEIN, Wall Street Journal (Subscription)
A circular house overlooking Highway 101 in Novato, Calif. is on the market for the first time ever. The house, which has fascinated generations of commuters, was built in 1963 by Sam Harkleroad, a tinkerer who dotted Marin County with unconventional dwellings before he died in 1993.

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