Freddie Mac appoints Kenny Smith as new CEO

Freddie Mac announced Tuesday that its board of directors has selected Kenny M. Smith as the company’s CEO. The move is effective Wednesday and Smith will also serve as a member of the board. Michael Hutchins, who assumed the interim CEO role in March 2025 following the departure of Diana Reid, will

Home improvement contractors remain cautiously optimistic

Even as higher material costs, labor constraints, economic uncertainty, and spottier consumer spending trends weigh on current renovation and remodeling projects, home improvement contractors remain optimistic. The Q4 Contractor Activity Tracker, released by The Farnsworth Group and Home Improvement

Shared housing reforms gain traction as cities address affordability

Boarding and lodging houses played an important role during American industrialization. Could they make a come-back? Rural people and immigrants relied on them when they sought jobs in rapidly urbanizing cities and affordable housing was scarce. Cities zoned them largely out of existence over the pa

PadSplit expands co-living services to 4 new cities

Co-living marketplace PadSplit is expanding into four new U.S. markets: Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Sacramento and Nashville. Founded in 2017, PadSplit operates in more than 35 markets and has listed more than 28,000 rooms, housing 65,000-plus people. The company said it focuses on access and flexibi