Housing Finance Reform (China): China’s State Council amended housing provident fund rules, effective Sept. 20, letting savers use funds for more housing-related costs (including renovations and property management fees) and enabling flexible workers to participate, aiming to boost demand and stabilize the housing market. Mortgage & Affordability (US): Mortgage applications dipped as affordability pressure persists; the MBA reported a 0.4% weekly drop in its composite index while the average 30-year rate hovered around 6.77%. Rates Watch (US): Fed minutes showed three governors backed a 25-point hike, but the committee stayed in “wait and see,” with oil and Middle East tensions cited as inflation influences. Brokerage Antitrust (US): A federal appeals court upheld a $1B+ antitrust settlement tied to commission practices, rejecting class objections and backing NAR and major brokerage contributions. Commercial-to-Residential (US): Los Angeles is pushing adaptive reuse, with one landlord’s office portfolio in Koreatown/Westlake positioned to convert into thousands of apartments as rules loosen. Market Signals (Singapore Retail): Orchard Road prime retail vacancy edged to 7.2% in Q2, while rents rose 0.3% QoQ, supported by luxury and experiential concepts. Industry Moves (Real Estate Tech): MoxiWorks named Shaun Harkley senior VP of Sales to lead global growth, and Leobit unveiled an AI-native software delivery model.