I don’t usually do weekly housing news.

But 2026 is not playing around when it comes to real estate, and this week alone had enough headlines that I felt like we needed to slow things down and actually talk through what’s happening, without the clickbait.

If you prefer to watch or listen, I break this down in more detail in the video below.
Watch the video

There are two stories this week that matter the most:

1. The headline claiming the president wants housing prices to go up

2. A new class action lawsuit involving Rocket Mortgage

Let’s talk about both, because neither story is as simple as the headlines make them sound.

The “Housing Prices Should Go Up” Headline (What Was Actually Said)

When I first saw this headline, I laughed. Not because housing affordability isn’t serious, it is, but because clickbait in housing news has officially gone off the rails.

The idea that any president would come out and say they want to send housing prices “to the moon” should immediately raise red flags. Housing is one of the most sensitive economic issues in America. Millions of people want to buy homes and already feel like they can’t. No serious policymaker is trying to destabilize the housing market.

So I watched the press conference.

Here’s what was actually said:
Millions of Americans already own homes. Those homeowners have built significant wealth, especially since 2020. In many areas of the country, home values have doubled or even tripled. The goal is not to destroy that wealth.

That’s it.

What’s being pushed back against is the idea that fixing housing affordability requires crashing home values. We’ve seen what happens when housing collapses. Look at 2008–2011. It devastated families, retirement accounts, and the broader economy.

Are we anywhere near 2008 right now?
No. Not even close.

The message was simple: fixing housing doesn’t mean wiping out homeowners. And that’s actually good news for both current homeowners and future buyers.

How Do We Actually Get More People Into Homes?

Lower mortgage rates matter. A lot.

Right now, as I’m filming this, mortgage rates are at their lowest point in about three and a half years. And no, this didn’t happen because the Fed suddenly did something dramatic.

The Fed didn’t change the Fed Funds rate.

Mortgage rates don’t move in a straight line with the Fed. What really helped rates come down was renewed government involvement in buying mortgage-backed securities. I talked about this in detail in my January housing update, but here’s the short version:

When there are strong buyers for mortgage-backed securities, lenders don’t need to charge higher interest rates to attract investors. More buyers = lower rates.

That’s exactly what we’re seeing now.

And the impact is real. At the moment, our business is roughly split:

• About 50% purchase loans

• About 50% refinances

That hasn’t been the case in years. From 2023 through most of 2025, refinancing barely made sense for most homeowners. That’s changed.

Lower rates are helping homeowners save money and helping buyers get into homes.

More Government Loan Programs Are Being Discussed

Another thing mentioned in the housing discussion is expanding and refining government loan programs, especially in specific “impact areas” where affordability is a bigger issue.

Nothing is finalized yet, but the focus is clearly on accessibility. That’s a good thing. More tools mean more paths to homeownership.

The Rocket Mortgage Class Action Lawsuit

Now let’s talk about the lawsuit.

If you bought a home using Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Homes, or Redfin in the past few years, you should at least be aware of this.

To be very clear: I’m not a lawyer. I’m not saying anyone is guilty. That will be decided by the courts. What I can do is explain what the lawsuit is about and why it matters.

This lawsuit is being brought by the same legal team that handled:

• The NAR lawsuit in 2024

• The Zillow lawsuit in 2025

Now, in 2026, Rocket has been added.

At the heart of this case is RESPA, a federal law that exists to prevent steering.

What Is Steering (and Why It’s a Big Deal)?

RESPA is simple in theory:
A lender cannot give anything of value to a real estate agent in exchange for referrals.

That means:

• No paying for leads in exchange for clients

• No “you send me yours, I’ll send you mine” arrangements

• No pressure on buyers to use a specific lender because someone else benefits financially

The lawsuit alleges that:

• Some Redfin agents may have required buyers to use Rocket Mortgage

• Rocket Homes previously required agents to “preserve and protect” the Rocket relationship

• Rocket took a significant portion of agent commissions (around 35%) in exchange for leads

If those relationships led buyers to be pushed toward a lender by financial incentives, that’s steering. And that’s exactly why these laws exist.

Buyers deserve transparency. If someone is recommending a lender, it should be because that lender is good, not because someone else is getting paid.

Why This Matters to You

This behavior is not isolated. It’s widespread. And it’s one of the reasons buyers often feel confused about who to trust.

You assume recommendations are being made in your best interest. Sometimes, they’re not.

That’s why I always tell people:
Choose your real estate agent. Choose your lender. Don’t let those decisions be made for you behind the scenes.

Final Thoughts on 2026 So Far

2026 is already shining a lot of light into some dark corners of the real estate industry, and honestly, that’s good for consumers.

Here’s what I’m seeing:

• Mortgage rates are helping buyers and homeowners again

• Refinances are back in a meaningful way

• Business is already up about 20%, and it’s January (usually the slowest month)

• Buyers want to buy

• Homeowners want to optimize

Momentum is building.

And we’re here for all of it.

We Are Here For You! 🙂

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