HousingWire

What I love about the job The Builder's Daily/HousingWire reporter Tyler Williams did on this story is that he pursued the whole story, beyond the flare-up of a provocative think-tank headline. Instead of stopping at the AEI claim that mortgage buydowns are artificially inflating new-home prices, Tyler dug into the data, the incentives, the mechanics of forward commitments, the builders’ strategic rationale — and the risks buyers and smaller private builders actually face. He also surfaced something essential: this isn’t a simple “good or bad” debate. It’s a structural change in how affordability gets engineered, how builders deploy capital, and how competitive advantage is being reshaped in real time. 🔍 Critics warn: buydowns may inflate prices 10–12%, exposing recent buyers to short-term resale risk. 🏗️ Large builders counter: buydowns are the only tool that meaningfully lowers monthly payments and accelerates equity growth. ⚖️ Private builders worry: they can’t match forward-commitment economics — and market share continues to consolidate at the top. Tyler’s piece lays out both sides with clarity, no shortcuts, and no agenda — exactly what housing leaders need in a moment when affordability tools are becoming competitive weapons. 👉 Highly recommended read for anyone navigating pricing strategy, incentives, buyer risk, or competitive positioning heading into 2026.

Bayview has completed its acquisition of Guild Holdings, taking the company private while keeping its operations, leadership, and brand intact. Guild will continue expanding its distributed retail origination and servicing platform within Bayview’s ecosystem, which CEO Terry Schmidt says strengthens Guild’s nationwide growth strategy and supports its customer-for-life model. With the close, Guild becomes a privately held company under Bayview’s ownership and will continue to operate in partnership with Lakeview. The 8-K confirms no immediate operational shifts are planned and senior leadership will remain. The acquisition gives Bayview deeper vertical integration across origination and servicing, a strategy that has become more common in the current high rate and margin compressed environment. It also reflects continued consolidation among nonbank lenders and the ongoing move of major originators out of the public markets. https://lnkd.in/geFgGzrP

🚨Black Friday flash deal: Register for the Housing Economic Summit today and get $100 off your ticket + a $100 Amazon Gift Card. This offer ends tonight. Use code BlackFriday at checkout.

🚨 Today only: Get $100 off your Housing Economic Summit ticket plus a $100 Amazon Gift Card when you register. If you want to be in the room with the leaders who shape the housing market — this is your moment. Hear directly from operators and economists like Barry Habib, Logan Mohtashami, Dr. Jessica Lautz, Mike Simonsen and more. One day. Best price of the year. Don’t miss it. Register today and use code BlackFriday to redeem https://lnkd.in/gkW2_JdF

Some terrific housing executives booked their ticket to HousingWire's Housing Economic Summit this week, including: John Giordano, CEO of First Heritage Mortgage, LLC Keith Robinson, Co-CEO of NextHome, Inc. Tim Herriage, CEO of Ternus Lending, LLC Gabriel Gillen, EVP of Divisional Sales at AnnieMac Home Mortgage Jeremy Bowling, CMB, SVP of Strategy at Huntington National Bank Rafael Goldberg, Head of Sapiens Decision So far, 86 housing professionals representing 50 companies are in. Over 80% of our event attendees have an executive title, over 60% are in the c-suite. More info about the Housing Economic Summit: https://lnkd.in/eE9mFCk8

🦃📉 Homebuyers hunt for Black Friday bargains as price cuts spread About 41% of active single-family listings have taken a haircut

Mark your calendar for December 10 at 1 p.m. CT: HousingWire presents “UAD 3.6: The next evolution in appraisal data – what lenders need to know now.” Get the inside scoop on the latest UAD updates and learn what lenders need to do now to stay ahead. This session is essential for anyone involved in appraisal data, loan origination, or QC. Register today: https://lnkd.in/gFqPPxd5

A 53% close ratio is inefficient. It’s dangerous too. The industry was built around a 65% submit-to-close benchmark. Today? It’s far lower. That 12% drop means massive profit leakage. This webinar with Randy Senzig reveals the front-end problem at the root of back-end bloat. Learn how to reverse the trend. December 3rd | 1 PM CT Register now: https://lnkd.in/gW4Ax5Mg

📈🏡Total pending home sales reach multiyear high with mortgage rates near 6% Mortgage rates have remained below 6.64% for the last 16 weeks