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.
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Copyright © , California Department of Real Estate
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Friday, March 6, 2026
Top Stories
Taxes, insurance eat 21% of mortgage payments
SPENCER LEE, National Mortgage News (Subscription)
Homeowners are feeling the weight of surging tax and insurance costs, and first-time buyers are sometimes waking up to unpleasant surprises when they see the bill, according to a new analysis. In markets where tax and insurance payments are the highest, their share can consume over one-third of the monthly amount due, leaving less available to reduce principal and interest.
Trigger Lead Restrictions Begin As Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act Takes Effect
ERIC C. PECK, National Mortgage Professional
The Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, a bipartisan measure introduced in the Senate by Sens. Jack Reed and Bill Hagerty, and in the House by Reps. John Rose and Ritchie Torres, officially takes effect Thursday, March 5. The bill, signed by President Trump on September 5, 2025, revises the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to sharply limit the use of mortgage trigger leads, marking a significant change in how mortgage-related consumer data can be used.
National News
U.S. Government Targets Dirty Money in Housing for the First Time
World Property Journal
The U.S. government has begun enforcing its first nationwide anti-money laundering safeguards targeting the residential real estate market, closing a long-criticized loophole that allowed illicit funds to flow into property purchases with limited scrutiny.
New legislation offers clarity on corporate home purchase ban
MEGHAN ROOS, Real Estate News
As the spring homebuying season gets underway — and high costs continue to strain Americans' wallets — lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are trying to address the nation's housing affordability crisis.
California News
Fate of hefty tax on empty second homes now up to San Diego voters
LORI WEISBERG, PHILLIP MOLNAR, San Diego Union-Tribune (Subscription)
In a near-unanimous decision, the San Diego City Council agreed Tuesday to let voters decide whether a hefty tax should be imposed on thousands of second homes that are sitting empty most of the year.
Industry News
NAR releases statement on coming soon listings and public marketing
TAYLOR ANDERSON, Inman (Subscription)
Just days after the announcement of a groundbreaking partnership between Compass and Rocket-Redfin regarding off-MLS listings, the National Association of Realtors has clarified its stance on coming soon listings and its support of the multiple listing service. Without commenting directly on the three-year exclusive partnership between the megabrokerage and the portal, NAR said that it “does not have a national policy regarding coming soon statuses.”
RESPA uncertainty turns referrals into new legal battleground
FLAVIA FURLAN NUNES, BROOKLEE HAN, HousingWire (Subscription)
Mortgage and real estate leaders argue that RESPA’s 1974 framework is colliding with modern digital lead generation and affiliated models. With the CFPB less active, private litigation is driving compliance caution, along with renewed calls for clearer standards and disclosures.
Real Estate Technology
Proptech investment hits $1B in February as investors place bigger, more selective bets
NICK PIPITONE, Inman (Subscription)
Proptech startups raised about $1.04 billion across 38 funding deals in February, according to new research from the Center for Real Estate Technology & Innovation (CRETI). The median deal size was roughly $6.6 million, suggesting that many transactions continue to occur at the seed and early-stage level, even as a handful of larger financings drive overall investment totals.
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