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, January 30, 2026
Top Stories
President Trump says he wants to keep home prices high, lower borrowing costs
JONATHAN DELOZIER, HousingWire (Subscription)
President Donald Trump said his administration will keep home values high while expanding ownership, arguing rising prices build household wealth. He warned making housing too cheap could depress values, favored lower rates to balance affordability and opposed low-income housing in wealthy areas.
Rocket, owner of Seattle’s Redfin, accused of mortgage steering
ALEXIS WEISEND, Seattle Times
Rocket Companies, which acquired Seattle-based Redfin last year, allegedly pressured agents to steer buyers toward its loans — even if the loan terms were unfavorable for their clients, a lawsuit claims.
National News
Average US long-term mortgage rate ticks higher, holding near lowest point in more than 3 years
ALEX VIEGA, Associated Press
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged up for the second week in a row, but remains just above its lowest level in more than three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.1% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.95%.
Apartment rents just dropped to the lowest level in 4 years
DIANA OLICK, CNBC
The national median rent in January was $1,353, a drop of 1.4% compared with one year ago, according to Apartment List. This is now the fourth consecutive winter with a “pronounced” offseason dip, and is the largest annual drop since September 2023 and the lowest January rent since 2022. Rents are now 6.2% lower than their last peak in the summer of 2022.
Rate Relief Drawing Sellers Off The Sidelines
National Mortgage Professional
New Redfin data shows a modest rise in home listings and easing affordability pressures, as lower mortgage rates begin drawing cautious buyers and sellers back into the market.
California News
San Francisco rents surge at fastest pace in the nation
KASIA PAWLOWSKA, SFGate
In January, the city’s median rent hit $3,156 for a one-bedroom apartment and $3,741 for a two-bedroom, placing year-over-year growth at 13.3%, per Apartment List. Zumper, a real estate rental platform that tracks data differently, reports even steeper increases — and the largest growth since the platform began tracking data.
New California law requires deed notifications to combat property fraud
JEFF LAZERSON, Orange County Register (Subscription)
How hard do you think it is for someone to remove and replace your name from your own property title by submitting a fraudulent document to the county recorder’s office? After all, there’s no such thing as a property title lock or freeze similar to how we lock up our credit reports.
Industry News
Agent confidence up as market approaches ‘healthier balance’
MEGHAN ROOS, Real Estate News
A Real Brokerage survey found agent optimism at an 11-month high amid improving affordability and signs that the housing market may be starting to recover.
Mortgage defects stabilize as lenders face new quality control challenges
SARAH WOLAK, HousingWire (Subscription)
Mortgage lenders are seeing loan defects stabilize after several volatile years, but shifts in interest rates and loan volumes continue to expose weaknesses in quality control (QC), according to ACES Quality Management CEO Trevor Gauthier and chief operating officer Phil McCall.
Real Estate Technology
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