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• Judge clears way for federal layoffs, including at the CFPB and VA Feb. 20th 2025
  A judge cleared the path for mass layoffs of federal workers, including at the CFPB, by ruling against a Treasury Employees Union lawsuit.

• Gen Z seeking inventive homeownership paths Feb. 20th 2025
  Gen Z is carving a variety of paths to homeownership, seeking to overcome continued uncertainty with affordability and inventory.

• Fewer first-time homebuyers emerged in 2024, but Black Americans bucked the trend Feb. 20th 2025
  While the share of first-time homebuyers has declined across the country, Black homebuyers are bucking the trend and showing resilience in an increasingly difficult housing market.

• Milwaukee housing authority owes $5M to the city, officials say Feb. 20th 2025
  HACM owes $5 million to the city of Milwaukee for salaries, benefits, a tax program and other services, city officials said.

• NAHB to Congress: Ease regulatory burdens for builders Feb. 20th 2025
  Across the housing industry, it is widely acknowledged that there is not much the federal government can do to bring down housing costs, as many of the regulatory burdens that exist are on the state and local levels. But trade groups are getting creative in coming up with possible solutions that are within the scope of the federal government. 

• What should homebuilders and investors do as Trump tariffs loom? Feb. 20th 2025
  President Donald Trump’s chaotic style of governing and use of tariffs is causing uncertainty for real estate investors and homebuilders, according to a report by John Burns Research and Consulting (JBREC). But there are things they can do to improve their positions.

• Trump makes move to control independent regulatory agencies Feb. 20th 2025
  A new executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday gives him unprecedented control over independent regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

• Fannie Mae economists say that tariffs will negatively impact GDP growth, inflation Feb. 20th 2025
  Despite gross domestic product (GDP), labor market and inflation data that points to a strong economy to kick off 2025, the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group now expects bleaker measures of inflation and economic growth as the year goes on.

• White House will reportedly cut most of HUD’s disaster recovery office Feb. 20th 2025
  An office inside HUD tasked with providing disaster recovery could be poised to receive an 84% reduction in staff, according to The New York Times.

• Bright MLS debunks DC housing market social media posts Feb. 19th 2025
  A viral Instagram post this week claims that a wave of new inventory is hitting the Washington, D.C., housing market after large numbers of federal employee layoffs were announced. Bright MLS has addressed these claims this week with relevant data.