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Should your mother-in-law be your real estate agent (or your mortgage broker, home inspector, etc.)?
Dave Ramsey says, “You’re gonna get screwed.”
But economics disagrees. I think the better question is:
What’s the cost of NOT working with your mother-in-law?
Whether or not you agree with the saying “time is money”, I believe that whatever you think you might be financially saving by going with a third-party real estate professional, you will likely breakeven or worse, be in a deficit hole, if you deduct the amount of time that is lost between hostility and all around bad blood if you decide to avoid working with a close family member (or friend) with whom you want regular contact. (This all can be waived for distant relatives/acquaintances whom you rarely see and no one will give you grief over.)
FTC revisits noncompete rules after Biden-era ban blocked
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday issued a public request for information on noncompete agreements as it seeks to identify practices it considers “unfair” and “anticompetitive.”
MTV host Nēv Schulman joins Coldwell Banker Warburg as agent
MTV reality show host Nev Schulman, son of RealTrends Verified top-producer Robert Schulman, joins Coldwell Banker Warburg.
Blue Sage Solutions adds rent payment data to Freddie Mac mortgage assessments
The moves comes as part of a broader effort to expand access to homeownership, particularly for renters with limited credit histories.
Mortgage originations dropped in early 2025 — but activity is still better than a year ago
The 1.4 million mortgage originations in Q1 2025 were up 9.4% from the same period last year — a sign that the housing market is warming up.
CFPB sends LO comp, servicing rules to OMB for review
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sent a list of rules under review to the Office of Management and Budget on Wednesday. Here’s what it all means.
Texas bill aimed at NAR speech code fails to advance
The Texas legislation was introduced in part as a response to NAR’s speech code, which was introduced in 2020.
DOJ withdraws objection to MLS PIN settlement, clearing the way for preliminary approval
The DOJ has withdrawn its objection to MLS PIN’s settlement of the Nosalek commission lawsuit, clearing the way for preliminary approval.
SERHANT. adds top agent in Florida expansion
Gary Pohrer has closed $2.5 billion-plus in career sales and brings more than two decades of experience in the luxury real estate market.
