Housing payments drop to the lowest level in 2 years

☕ Friday! Congrats on getting the first week of 2026 in the books. Today’s newsletter is 639 words—a 2.5-minute read. Let’s dive in…

1. Compass-Anywhere merger deal 'expected' to close today, Friday

Stockholders of Compass and Anywhere Real Estate approved the proposed merger between the two real estate giants, clearing the way for the $1.6 billion deal to close as early as Friday, Jan. 9.

Compass reported that around 99% of its shareholders’ votes supported the merger, while investors representing 72% of Anywhere shares also voted in favor.

Once the transaction closes, combining owned and franchised operations, Compass will lead an organization with roughly 340,000 real estate professionals across the U.S. and nearly 120 countries.

2. Trump proposes $200bn mortgage-bond buying plan

President Trump on Thursday called for the purchase of $200 billion in mortgage bonds in an effort to lower home loan costs.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he is “instructing [his] Representatives to BUY $200 BILLION DOLLARS IN MORTGAGE BONDS” to address the national housing affordability crisis.

Housing finance director Bill Pulte told the Financial Times that the purchases would be made by a “mixture” of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored enterprises responsible for buying lenders’ mortgage loans and repackaging them as mortgage-backed securities.

📰 Related news: Trump wants to ban large investors from buying houses. (Truth)

3. More Nuggets

🤝 Guild Mortgage selects LoanBeam to automate income analysis for its Non-QM business. (NMP)

🚀 Newrez invests in HomeVision, partners on AI underwriting platform. (Newrez)

🏠 The best markets for first-time homebuyers in 2026. (Realtor.com)

4. Housing payments drop to the lowest level in 2 years

According to a report from Redfin, the median monthly housing payment fell to $2,365 during the four weeks ending January 4, down 4.7% from a year earlier and the lowest level since the start of 2024.

The decline in housing payments is tied directly to falling mortgage rates, with the weekly average 30-year fixed rate dropping to 6.15%, the lowest in more than a year. That marks a notable decline from rates near 7% at the beginning of 2025.

Lower monthly payments haven’t yet brought many homebuyers or sellers back to the market. Pending home sales are down 6.7% year over year, and new listings are down 8.3%. Redfin economists say they wouldn’t expect a pickup in sales or listings this early in the year.

5. UWM offers 40-bps incentive for 40th anniversary

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) announced Wednesday that in honor of its 40th year in business, it will offer a 40-basis-point (bps) pricing incentive to broker partners for the next six weeks.

UWM mortgage broker partners can receive 40 bps on all new locked loans through Feb. 27. While all loan officers are eligible to access the incentive in January, those who want to retain access in February must achieve PRO Elite status with the lender in December or January.

The incentive applies to conventional, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans. It is available for purchase loans, rate-and-term refinances, and cash-out refinances.

☀️ You’re all caught up. See you on Monday!

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