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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Thursday, April 23, 2026
Top Stories
FHFA Opens Door To Credit Score Competition As Fannie, Freddie Move Forward With VantageScore 4.0
CZARINNA ANDRES, National Mortgage Professional
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is pushing the mortgage industry into a new phase of credit score competition, with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac taking steps to operationalize the use of alternative scoring models alongside traditional FICO. The move marks one of the most significant structural shifts in mortgage underwriting in decades, introducing lender choice in credit scoring while setting the stage for broader borrower access.
Inventory rises as pricing lags in the spring housing market
RACHEL BADER, HousingWire (Subscription)
The spring housing market is adding supply, but pricing hasn’t caught up. Inventory is rising, while more sellers are resorting to price cuts and relistings rather than pricing in line with current market conditions — a timing mismatch driven by pricing that remains anchored to earlier expectations. Here’s what that means for agents, buyers and investors right now.
National News
Nearly 1 in 5 Homes Sell Within a Week
ORPHE DIVOUNGUY, Zillow Research
After years of lightning-fast home sales during the pandemic, the U.S. housing market is back to operating on two distinct tracks. Desirable, well-priced homes continue to sell quickly, though this group is shrinking. Other homes are lingering longer than they have in years. These numbers look similar to conditions before the pandemic, pointing to a housing market that is settling into its new normal.
Congress is finally tackling the housing crisis. What will it mean for California?
ALEXEI KOSOFF, San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
Though Democrats, Republicans and President Donald Trump are all on board with tackling a housing affordability crisis that has gone national in recent years, the effort is hung up on key differences in the Senate and House versions — including how much to restrict large investors from owning single-family homes.
California News
California home sales hit 42-month slump
LIEZEL ONCE, Mortgage Professional America
California’s housing market stayed muted in March as the war in Iran, rising energy costs and renewed financial-market volatility pushed mortgage rates higher and kept would‑be buyers cautious. March’s total marked the 42nd straight month that sales stayed below the 300,000 annualized benchmark.
What a $200,000 salary can actually buy you in the Bay Area housing market
JESSICA ROY, San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
In America, a $200,000 salary is pretty good. In the U.S., the median household income is $84,000, according to census data; it’s about $100,000 here in California. A $200K salary puts you well above twice that average. Still, in the Bay Area, it won’t go far when you’re shopping for a house.
Should San Diego tax big investors buying up houses? Voters might get to decide this fall
DAVID GARRICK, San Diego Union-Tribune (Subscription)
that would levy a new tax on companies that own and rent out more than 10 single-family homes or homes in small buildings like duplexes. The goal is making it easier for ordinary San Diegans to buy a home by discouraging corporations from buying up large numbers of houses and renting them out as part of an investment strategy.
Industry News
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Real Estate Technology
How fraud gets stopped in its tracks by real estate and title pros
JONATHAN DELOZIER, HousingWire (Subscription)
Real estate fraud has evolved rapidly, and professionals across the industry already recognize that today’s schemes are more complex and convincing than ever. What has changed most is the scale — driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that can generate realistic emails, cloned voices and even live deepfake video impersonations of buyers, sellers or agents.
Property News
How Many Homes Do Corporate Landlords Really Own?
VINCE DIXON, New York Times (Subscription)
While real estate analysts typically define large institutional landlords as those who own at least 1,000 properties, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act aims to place purchasing restrictions on landlords with at least 350 properties. But even with the lowered threshold, only about 140 institutional investors in the U.S. meet the criteria, accounting for 0.59 percent of single-family homes.
The new amenity luring California homebuyers
TESSA MCLEAN, SFGate
As a new generation of aspirational homeowners looks to amenity-focused living, traditional luxuries like golf courses have gone by the wayside in favor of open space, trails and even farms. These agriculturally minded, master-planned developments have been gaining popularity, attracting new residents seeking community along with a life closer to the land.
In Case You Missed It
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Resources, Webinars, and Other Items of Interest
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