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, February 27, 2026
Top Stories
For the first time since 2022, average US long-term mortgage rate dips below 6%
ALEX VEIGA, San Diego Union-Tribune (Subscription)
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week below 6% for the first time since late 2022, good news for home shoppers as the spring home-buying season gets rolling. The average rate has been hovering close to 6% this year. This latest dip, its third decline in a row, brings it to its lowest level since Sept. 8, 2022, when it was 5.89%.
More Homeowners Have a Rate Above 6% Than a Rate Below 3% For the First Time in 5 Years
DANA ANDERSON, Redfin News
More than one in five (21.2%) mortgaged U.S. homeowners had a 6%-plus rate in the third quarter, up from 17.1% a year earlier and the highest share since 2015. A slightly lower share (20%) of mortgaged homeowners have a rate under 3%, the smallest share since the end of 2021.
National News
Artificial voice cold calls spark class action against mortgage lender
TEZ ROMERO, Mortgage Professional America
Mortgage One Funding LLC, based in Clawson, Michigan, was sued in federal court on February 24, 2026, over allegations that it conducted a wide-scale telemarketing campaign using artificial voice technology to cold-call consumers on their cellphones — without ever securing their permission.
Massachusetts bill would mandate fair housing education for real estate licensees
BROOKLEE HAN, HousingWire (Subscriptin)
Massachusetts Senate Bill 2959 would add mandatory fair housing education for new and renewing real estate licensees. It also increases suspension penalties, allows more direct referrals, and requires annual public reporting.
Mortgage Credit Score Reform Could Yield $648M In Annual Savings
National Mortgage Professional
A new analysis finds the FHFA’s decision to allow VantageScore in conforming mortgages could save lenders and borrowers approximately $650 million annually while expanding credit access to millions of additional consumers.
California News
Factory-built housing hasn’t taken off in California yet, but this year might be different
BEN CHRISTOPHER, Chico News and Review
For decades engineers, architects, futurists, industrialists, investors and politicians have been pining for a better, faster and cheaper way to build homes. Now, amid a national housing shortage, the question felt as pressing as ever: What if construction could harness the speed, efficiency, quality control and cost-savings of the assembly line?
Industry News
From relief to rebuilding: Rethinking forbearance in an era of climate disruption
PAUL GIGLIOTTI, HousingWire (Subscription)
Across the country, lenders and servicers are navigating an era defined by increasing climate-related disasters, insurance market volatility, extended rebuilding timelines driven by labor and material shortages, and growing pressure from policymakers to mandate borrower relief measures.
Redfin Will Display Compass’s Exclusive Home Listings
NICOLE FRIEDMAN, Wall Street Journal (Subscription)
Broker Redfin will now display information about Compass’s exclusive home listings on its website, offering buyers their first chance to view these listings on a major real estate portal.
Real Estate Technology
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Property News
How one Tahoe renter is adjusting to unusual roommates: Mama bear and 3 cubs
GRACE TOOHEY, Los Angeles Times (Subscription)
When a renter moved into a Lake Tahoe cabin this winter, he expected to have the place to himself. But a well-known black bear in the area, known as Rose, had other plans for the home, having already settled into her new den in the home’s crawl space.
Palisades Recovery Offers Rare Chance To Rebuild Differently
JEFFREY STEELE, Forbes
The wildfires that tore through Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other Los Angeles-area communities in early 2025 wreaked unprecedented disaster. If an upside exists in such a catastrophe, it may be the opportunity to explore how homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure might be rebuilt differently to avoid a future disaster.
In Case You Missed It
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Resources, Webinars, and Other Items of Interest
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