Morning Roundup (3/18/25) – Tariff Uncertainty
| Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, March 18. Israel launched a major attack on Gaza, breaking its ceasefire agreement. President Donald Trump says he will release thousands of files this afternoon related to the assassination of JFK. Harvard will offer free tuition for students whose families earn less than $200,000. Mortgage Note Reports Tariff Uncertainty: Questions about the potential impacts of tariffs have pushed builder sentiment down as it is now estimated they could raise costs by $7,500 to $10,000 per single-family home. Writer Chuck Green has the story. Up, Permits Down: Residential construction rebounded by more than expected in February, but the boom may not last. Major Move?: Leaders at HUD and the Department of the Interior announced a joint venture to release federal land for housing development. |
| Quote Of The Day “[Federal lands are] not where people actually want to live… Donald Trump said he’d protect single-family communities in the United States, but what the country needs is to push for more dense and more affordable housing.” Dan Hnatkovskyy, CEO of Jome (formerly NewHomesMate) |
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In other mortgage and housing news… Step Forward: The OCC terminated a 2021 consent order against Wells Fargo for deficiencies in its home lending loss mitigation practices, bringing it closer to ending near-decade-old regulatory woes. Getting Better: National house price growth slipped to its slowest pace since March 2012 last month amid ongoing affordability constraints and rising inventory. Resisting The Purge: The mortgage industry has emerged as an unexpected proponent of the CFPB despite historically bristling at its oversight. Define Affordable: Arizona lawmakers are proposing various housing bills aimed at reducing the costs of housing, but none can define “affordable.” “Divorce House”: Former reality star Kristin Cavallari has finally found a buyer for her expansive Nashville, TN, home after splitting from former NFL star Jay Cutler. |