The 1.8 Million ‘Missing’ Households: Why Gen Z and Millennials Vanished From the Housing Market in 2025
The U.S. housing supply gap widened to 4.03 million units in 2025 as new construction fell short, leaving nearly 2 million Gen Z and millennial households unformed. Affordability constraints—requiring roughly $86 k income and a 14.4% down payment—forced many young adults to stay with parents or share housing. The median age of first‑time buyers hit a record 40, underscoring the depth of the affordability crisis. Regional analysis shows the South bearing the brunt of missing households, while the Northeast made modest gains.
Big-Box Boom: The Clues That Signal Your Community Is About To Grow
Big‑box retailers such as Home Depot, Target, and BJ’s are increasingly opening stores in fast‑growing suburbs, a pattern that signals rising population and new residential construction. Recent data shows Home Depot will add 15 locations in 2026 after 12 in...
‘I Left New York City and Invested $47K Upgrading a Tuff Shed Into a Tiny House in Kentucky’
Sophie Goldie left her Manhattan consulting job, spent three years living in a Sprinter van, and ultimately bought a $23,000 Tuff Shed on Kentucky land. She renovated the 12 × 40‑foot shed into a 480‑sq‑ft tiny house, spending a total of $47,000...
‘Dementia Village’ in Wisconsin Will House Patients in ‘Main Street USA’ Setting
Agrace Hospice is developing a $40 million, six‑acre Dementia Village in Madison, Wisconsin, modeled after the Dutch Hogeweyk community. The project will feature eight one‑level homes, each housing eight residents, plus a day‑club for 40‑50 non‑resident participants and on‑site housing for...
Larry Ellison Makes $173 Million Palm Beach Estate Near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago His Official Residence
Oracle co‑founder Larry Ellison officially shifted his primary residence to a $173 million oceanfront estate in Manalapan, Palm Beach County, filing a Declaration of Domicile in May 2023. The 16‑acre property places him just an 18‑minute drive from President Donald Trump’s...
Michigan Boosts Home Construction—But Whitmer Says Red Tape Still Blocks Affordability
Michigan reported adding almost 87,000 new or rehabilitated housing units, completing its 2022 statewide housing plan a year early. Governor Gretchen Whitmer set a new target of 115,000 units for 2024 and called for zoning reforms and a state affordable‑housing...
The Secret Fire Threat Lurking in Almost Every Room in Your Home
Lithium‑ion batteries now power phones, laptops, e‑bikes and countless household gadgets, turning them into a fast‑growing residential fire hazard. Experts warn that thermal runaway—where a cell overheats and can reach temperatures above 1,000°F within seconds—can ignite silently while devices charge...
High-Yield Account or CD: Which Is the Better Option Right Now for Your Down Payment Savings?
Prospective homebuyers need to maximize returns on down‑payment savings while preserving liquidity. High‑yield savings accounts (HYSA) currently offer 3.3‑4.5% APY, whereas six‑month certificates of deposit (CD) provide slightly higher fixed rates around 4.0‑4.1%. The choice hinges on the buyer’s timeline:...
WeWork’s Adam Neumann Sparks Fury in Florida After Tearing Down Historical Church To Build His Wife’s New School
Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann’s real‑estate firm Flow purchased the 75‑year‑old Rader Memorial United Methodist Church in El Portal, Florida for $13.72 million and demolished it to make way for his wife Rebekah’s new private Jewish school, Student of Life, for Life...
Trump’s Plan To Lower Home Prices for Buyers and Raise Them for Sellers Draws Skepticism: ‘He Must Be a Magician’
President Trump argued that lower mortgage rates will simultaneously make homes cheaper for buyers and preserve homeowner wealth, a claim that has drawn sharp criticism from housing economists. Current 30‑year rates hover around 6%, far above the 2.65% level needed...
Summer Hot Spot Eyes Transfer Tax on $1 Million Sales To Fund Local Housing
Barnstable County’s Assembly of Delegates approved a home‑rule petition to impose a real‑estate transfer tax on sales exceeding $1 million, lowering the original $2 million threshold and allowing municipalities to set rates between 0.5% and 4% on the amount above the threshold....
Trump Vows To Make Housing Affordable While Keeping Values Up as He Praises the ‘Golden Age of America’ in State...
President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to pledge affordable housing while insisting home values must stay high. He highlighted falling mortgage rates, citing a drop from 7.04% to 6.01%, and urged Congress to make permanent an...
The ‘Affordability Trap’: Why Moving to a Cheaper City Is Costing Renters More
Early 2026 saw a 1.5% year‑over‑year decline in U.S. median rent, falling to $1,672, yet several traditionally affordable metros are experiencing the opposite. In Richmond, VA, vacancy plunged from 8.2% to 5.2% while median asking rent rose 1.9% to $1,509,...
Credit Card Debt Hits a Record $1.28 Trillion—Why This Is a Problem for First-Time Homebuyers
The Federal Reserve’s latest household‑debt report shows U.S. credit‑card balances surged to a record $1.28 trillion in Q4 2025, up $44 billion from the prior quarter. This rise tightens the financial picture for first‑time homebuyers, who already face limited savings and tighter credit...
This Desert Metro Has One of the Largest Drops in Household Size
The National Association of Realtors identified the Lake Havasu City‑Kingman, AZ metro as having the steepest decline in average household size over the past decade, dropping from 2.47 in 2014 to 1.96 in 2024—a 20.6% reduction. Median home prices hover...
Smaller, Smarter, and Outdoor-Oriented: How Builders Are Adapting to Changing Buyer Tastes
Builders are responding to affordability pressures and shifting demographics by delivering smaller, more efficient homes. The average new‑home size dropped to about 2,155 square feet in 2025, roughly 300 square feet less than a decade ago. Buyers now favor three‑bedroom...