How are we halfway done with January already? Wasn’t it just New Year’s? Some lenders slow down in the winter, but I am hearing reports of great Decembers and Januarys. Wanna fire up your sales team? Here’s an article: “The golden handcuffs are slipping in the U.S. housing market.” As industry vets knew they would eventually, borrowers with “once-in-a-lifetime” rates are refinancing, or selling houses with those mortgages on them. There is a lot of news and change, both locally and globally, for originators to follow, and the current STRATMOR Group blog is titled, “Helping Borrowers in a Market Defined by Complexity and Change.” (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s are sponsored by Figure. Take advantage of Figure’s technology and products like its fixed HELOC, DSCR loan, piggyback loan, and direct debt paydown, helping you serve more of your existing network and expand into new markets. Hear an interview with FINOFR’s Keith Kelly on how to take the friction out of the loan process for everyone.) Products, Services, and Software for Brokers and Lenders After years of elevated mortgage rates, tight inventory, and stretched affordability, the housing market is beginning to show signs of a thaw. In 2026, the question isn’t whether conditions are improving. It’s how quickly momentum will build and what will sustain it. Join First American Data & Analytics for a 2026 Housing Market Outlook webinar featuring Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First American. We’ll break down the data shaping today’s market, from mortgage rates and Fed policy to affordability, labor market fundamentals, demographic demand, new-home construction, and regional performance, and highlight the signals pointing to a measured, gradual recovery. If the market is shifting from freeze to forward motion, this webinar is your roadmap for what comes next. Register now to gain the insights you need to navigate a year defined by progress, not a breakout, in 2026.