Today's Real Estate Pulse
Berkshire Hathaway to Acquire U.S. Homebuilder in $6.8B Deal
Berkshire Hathaway, now led by CEO Greg Abel, announced a $6.8 billion acquisition of a U.S. homebuilder, marking the conglomerate’s first major entry into residential construction. The purchase is intended to add stable, long‑term cash flow from the housing sector to Berkshire’s portfolio.
Also developing:
ARS Celebrates Third Supermarket In Philadelphia
Allegiance Retail Services (ARS) celebrated the launch of its third Compare & Save supermarket in Northeast Philadelphia, a 20,000‑square‑foot site that replaced a former Rite Aid. The store, owned by independent grocer Carlos Batista, offers a curated mix of fresh, organic, and international products designed for the neighborhood’s diverse cultural palate. Features include a full‑service bakery, deli, meat and seafood counters, and a farmers‑market‑style sidewalk produce display. City officials highlighted the project’s role in filling a food‑desert gap and generating local jobs.
Ally Bridge Relocates U.S. Headquarters to Rudin’s 560 Lexington
Ally Bridge Group, a global investment‑management firm specializing in healthcare and life‑science innovation, will relocate its U.S. headquarters to Rudin’s 560 Lexington in Manhattan. The firm signed a 10‑year, 10‑month lease for 6,440 square feet on the building’s 18th floor,...
AI Marketing Platform Hightouch Takes 18K SF at 275 Seventh Avenue
Hightouch, a data‑and‑AI marketing platform, signed an 18,000‑square‑foot lease for the entire 21st floor of 275 Seventh Avenue in Midtown South. The deal, brokered by Tishman Real Estate Services and CBRE, replaces the company’s smaller offices and places it among other...
Gould Property Co., Konterra Realty Break Ground on 400-Acre MD Project
Konterra Realty, the development arm of Gould Property Co., broke ground on the first phase of the Konterra Town Center East project in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The initial phase includes 220 townhomes called The Marais, built by Caruso Homes, and two...
Hawaii County Council Proposes Property‑Tax Hike to Bridge $15 M Deficit
The Hawaii County Council is set to hear a proposal that would raise property‑tax rates for non‑resident and high‑value second homes, aiming to generate revenue for a $15 million budget gap. Tiered rates would increase for homes over $2 million and introduce...
More than 200 Affordable Homes Move Forward in 4 Developments
Invest Atlanta approved $3.84 million in Tax Allocation District (TAD) grant funding and a $13.5 million tax‑exempt loan to advance four affordable‑housing projects west and southwest of Atlanta’s intown core. The projects will deliver 209 below‑market‑rate units, ranging from single‑family homes to...
Fixing Federal Transit Finance for Housing
The bipartisan Build HUBS Act seeks to unlock underused USDOT loan programs—TIFIA and RRIF—by making them practical for transit‑oriented real‑estate deals. These tools provide low‑interest, long‑term financing for projects within half a mile of a fixed‑guideway station, but developers have...
Rocket, Redfin Roll Out Buyer Incentives and New Products
Rocket Companies and Redfin announced a joint incentive that can save eligible homebuyers and sellers up to $20,000 when they use a Redfin agent and finance through Rocket Mortgage. New buyers receive a 0.75% loan credit (up to $12,000) while...
The Homeownership Dream Is Dying for Gen Z, New Data Shows
New analysis by Clever Real Estate shows only 4.5% of Gen Z adults own a home, creating a 68.6‑point gap with baby boomers who own 73.1%. Ownership among under‑30s fell from 18.5% in 2005 to 11.8% today, while the overall U.S....
NAHB Unveils State‑by‑State Remodeling Spending Estimates, California Leads with 8% Share
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) launched its State Projections of Remodeling (SPR), a quarterly model that estimates market share and dollar volume of remodeling spending by state. The first edition places California at the top with almost 8%...
ChargePoint and OBE Power Partner to Expand EV Charging at Multifamily Residences
ChargePoint and OBE Power announced a partnership to install about 2,500 electric‑vehicle charging ports at multifamily residential properties across the United States, with deployments slated to begin in 2026. ChargePoint will serve as the exclusive provider of its hardware, software,...
Non‑QM Mortgages Reach 9% of U.S. Home Loans, Expanding Options for Self‑Employed Buyers
Non‑qualified (non‑QM) mortgages comprised about 9% of all U.S. home loan volume in December 2025, up from 6.5% a year earlier and under 4% in 2023. The growth is driven by flexible underwriting that serves self‑employed borrowers and real‑estate investors,...
U.S. Office Construction Hits 14‑Year Low as Tenant Concessions Surge
Newmark’s Q1 2026 report shows U.S. office construction shrank to 17.2 million square feet, the smallest pipeline in 14 years, even as leasing volume rose 7.5% YoY and tenant concessions surged to 75% above pre‑pandemic levels. The data signals a market...
Planning Inspector Rejects Berkeley’s Appeal for 867-Home Peckham Redevelopment
A UK planning inspector has rejected Berkeley’s appeal to proceed with a 867‑home redevelopment in Peckham. The inspector ruled that the proposed building’s height and design would damage the surrounding townscape and threaten nearby heritage assets. Berkeley’s plans now face...
Does Your Insurance Protect You From Climate Risk?
Wharton professors Parinitha Sastry, Ishita Sen and Ana‑Maria Tenekedjieva won the 2025 Marshall Blume Prize for their paper on how climate‑risk mispricing in property insurance and mortgages creates hidden taxpayer liabilities and excess credit to vulnerable areas. The study finds...
JLL Negotiates Sale of Whole Foods Market-Anchored Shopping Center in Metro Atlanta
JLL Capital Markets has negotiated the sale of Peachtree Station, a 106,388‑square‑foot shopping center in Chamblee, Georgia, anchored by a 45,136‑square‑foot Whole Foods Market. The seller, Harrison Street Asset Management, is transferring the fully leased property to Boston‑based TA Realty....
Smart Home AV Integration in Luxury Real Estate
In 2026 integrated audio‑visual systems have moved from a premium add‑on to a baseline feature in luxury homes, listed alongside smart wiring and HVAC. High‑net‑worth buyers now expect whole‑home distributed speakers, reference‑grade home theaters, 4K/8K displays and outdoor sound zones,...
Pending Home Sales Climb for Third Straight Month
The National Association of Realtors reported that the Pending Home Sales Index rose 1.4% in April to 74.8, surpassing analysts’ 1.0% expectation, while contracts were up 3.2% year‑over‑year. The gain marks the third consecutive month of stronger demand, suggesting a...
Hope Floats As Home Contract Signings Rise Third Month
Pending home sales in the United States posted a third straight monthly gain in April, with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) gauge climbing to 74.8. The rise comes despite mortgage rates edging up roughly 50 basis points since pre‑war...
MPA Weekly Poll: Where Will the 30-Year Fixed Rate Land by Year's End?
Mortgage rates have surged as the 10‑year Treasury yield jumped 19 basis points this week, pushing the 30‑year fixed rate to nearly 6.7%, its highest level in months. The spike is tied to heightened Middle East tensions that lifted oil...
New Home Purchase Applications Slip as Rates and Uncertainty Weigh on Buyers
New‑home purchase mortgage applications fell 2.4 % year‑over‑year in April, the first decline since October 2025, and dropped 10 % month‑over‑month as buyers react to 30‑year rates near 6.36 %. The slowdown follows a brief surge in March sales, which rose 7.4 % to a...
Pending Home Sales Pick Up 1.4% in April as Inventory Grows
Pending home sales climbed 1.4% in April, reflecting a modest rebound as buyers took advantage of a broader inventory and softer price growth. Mortgage rates eased to around 6.3%, roughly half a percentage point lower than a year ago, preserving...
Rising Food Prices and Mortgage Rates Squeeze Average Canadians
Inflation Up / Fixed Mortgage Rates Up: 2026 May Be Turning Into A Bad Year For Average Canadians Food Inflation is 3.8% in Canada & all Fixed Rate Mortgages will take another leg up by the end of the week The truth...
April Pending Home Sales Rise Modestly, Below Expectations
NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 1.4% Increase in April https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-pending-home-sales-report-shows-1-4-increase-in-april "Pending home sales in April increased by 1.4% month over month and rose 3.2% year over year" Slightly below expectations. This is for closed sales in May and June.
Who Drives Remodeling Spending?
In 2024 U.S. homeowners poured roughly $670 billion into remodeling, with 20 million households participating. Married‑couple families drove the bulk of activity, spending $458 billion and representing 60% of projects, while baby boomers contributed the largest generational share at $254 billion. Spending peaks among...
Fund Housing Trust by Taxing Upzoned Parcel Gains
This is the way. Get out of taxing new housing construction by ending unfunded inclusionary. Give the housing trust fund a larger increment of property tax revenue, unlocked by repricing on upzoned parcels.
Reftop Homes and Agrofield Unveil Integrated Real‑Estate‑Agriculture Platform in Nigeria
Reftop Homes Ltd and its agricultural arm, Reftop Agrofield Ltd, have launched a combined real‑estate and agricultural investment platform in Nigeria, offering investors simultaneous land‑value appreciation and palm‑plantation income. The initiative, led by Dr. David Assogba, targets high‑growth corridors and...
Mortgage Rates Top 6% as Middle East Conflict Sends Shockwaves Through Housing Markets
U.S. 30‑year fixed mortgage rates climbed to 6.36% and German 10‑year home‑loan rates rose to 3.6% as the Iran‑Israel war fuels higher borrowing costs and oil price worries. The surge threatens to tighten financing for residential investors across the United...
Former IBM Offices at 3424 Wilshire to Become Housing
Jamison Services announced the adaptive reuse of the former IBM headquarters at 3424 Wilshire Boulevard into a residential complex. The 13‑story, 250,000‑sq‑ft building will be converted into 260 apartments while preserving 13,000 sq ft of retail space and adding amenities such as...
Tommy Beadel on Why Los Angeles Is the Easiest Place to Develop Real Estate
Tommy Beadel, former CEO of Thomas James Homes, now leads HVN Development, a fast‑growing affordable‑housing builder focused exclusively on the City of Los Angeles. By leveraging recent California statutes such as AB 2334 and AB 2097, HVN secures by‑right entitlements that eliminate...
Affordable Housing Slated for 1756 N. Serrano Ave. In Los Feliz
A single‑family home at 1756 N. Serrano Avenue in Los Feliz will be replaced by a six‑story, fully affordable housing complex. The development will contain 40 studio and one‑bedroom units and will not include on‑site parking, emphasizing transit‑oriented design near the...
CDC Approves $5 Million in TIF for Morgan Park Commons
The Chicago Development Commission approved a $5 million Tax Increment Financing (TIF) award and a land sale for Phase 1 of Morgan Park Commons, a mixed‑use redevelopment on a 12‑acre former Jewel‑Osco site. The first phase will feature two five‑story buildings with...
Three-Quarters of Westminster Offices Risk Becoming Unlettable Under New Energy Rules
Research by Robert Irving Burns shows 78% of Westminster offices and 71% of City of London offices fall short of the forthcoming Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), which will bar leasing of properties rated C or lower. More than 12,000...
U.S. Home Prices Rose 0.2% in April
U.S. home prices rose 0.2% month‑over‑month and 2.1% year‑over‑year in April, according to Redfin’s Home Price Index, which tracks repeat‑sale prices and reports a month ahead of the S&P/Case‑Shiller index. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania posted the strongest monthly gain at 2.5%,...
Homes England Exceeds Delivery Targets as Completions Hit Six-Year High
Homes England reported 40,200 completed homes in the 2025/26 fiscal year, a 9% increase over the previous period. This achievement pushes completions to the highest level seen in six years and exceeds the agency’s delivery targets. The surge reflects intensified...
Broker Fees Still Charged to Massachusetts Renters a Year After Ban
Boston renters are still being asked to pay broker fees despite a 2023 state law that was billed as a ban. Investigations found dozens of listings still charging tenants up to a month’s rent, exposing enforcement weaknesses that keep the...
Down Payments Drop to 4-Year Low of $23K
Realtor.com reports the median U.S. home down payment slipped to $23,400 in Q1 2026, the lowest since 2021 and 19% lower than a year earlier. The decline marks the fourth straight quarterly drop as inventory rises and home‑price competition eases. Seller...
Just Look Up — Mid-Rise Surge Marks Timber Frame’s Inflection Point
Mid‑rise approvals surged more than 70% in 2025, adding 7,800 units—equivalent to the combined growth of detached houses and townhouses. The sector now accounts for the bulk of Australia’s housing pipeline as the nation chases 225,000 dwellings per year to...
Rockwell Loses Appeal over 28-Storey Battersea Bridge Resi Plan
Rockwell’s appeal to build a 28‑storey residential tower on Battersea Bridge was dismissed by a planning inspector. The inspector found the scheme breached both the London Plan and Wandsworth’s local plan, citing adverse effects on the area’s character and appearance....
South Ribble Rejects Story Homes’ 1,300-Property Green-Belt Scheme in Lancaster
South Ribble Council has rejected Story Homes' proposal to build the 1,300‑home Cuerdale Garden Village on green‑belt land near Lancaster. The council cited the development's scale and its potential impact on the surrounding countryside as key reasons for the veto....
Rapid Growth for Wibra in Belgium: New Locations to Open at Seven Shopping Cora Sites
Dutch discount chain Wibra announced plans to open roughly 20 additional stores in Belgium in 2026, including seven locations in former Shopping Cora sites across Brussels and Wallonia. The retailer started the year with 71 stores and aims to exceed...
Letting Agent Sees Near 80% Jump in New Rentals
Partridge Homes, a family‑run letting agent in south Birmingham, recorded 129 new lettings from January to April 2026 – a 79 percent increase over its previous four‑month record. This surge comes despite a 20 percent national decline in rental demand and the...
New Build Prices Suffer Slump, Propertymark Warns
Propertymark reports a modest decline in average new‑build asking prices across the UK between April 2025 and April 2026, with Wales seeing the steepest drop from £385,488 (≈$493k) to £365,789 (≈$468k). The South West experienced the smallest reduction, falling to...
No Long-Term Rentals but 200 Short-Stay Listings in WA Towns
Shelter WA’s six‑month snapshot reveals short‑stay rentals dwarf long‑term rentals in regional Western Australia, with ratios as high as 90‑to‑0 in Nannup and 40‑to‑1 in Busselton. The nonprofit identified 45 “pain zones” where Airbnb‑type listings outnumber traditional rentals, prompting a...
Adam America and Stellar Communities Launch 266-Unit Build‑to‑Rent Community in Palm Bay
Adam America Real Estate and Stellar Communities delivered the first 266 single‑family rental homes at Havens at Palm Bay Reserve, kicking off leasing for a 266‑unit build‑to‑rent community in Palm Bay, Florida. The development offers 1‑ to 3‑bedroom casitas ranging...
Google Home Listings Are Back in 8 Major Markets
Google has revived its home‑listing pilot, now live on mobile in eight major U.S. markets—including Chicago, Miami, Austin, and the San Francisco Bay Area—through a partnership with data provider HouseCanary. The program is designed to give consumers a simpler search experience...
Toll Brothers Inc (TOL) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Toll Brothers delivered 1,899 homes in Q1, generating $1.85 billion of revenue, slightly above the guidance midpoint. Adjusted gross margin reached 26.5%, beating expectations by 25 basis points, while EPS rose 25% to $2.19. Net contracts totaled $2.4 billion with an average...
Estate Agents Report Steady Gains in Sales and Lettings Activity
UK estate agents reported modest gains in March 2026 across both sales and lettings. The average agreed sales per branch rose to 8.14 and buyer registrations climbed to 78 per branch, while viewings increased to 2.8 per listed property. In...
New Build Prices Fall in Several UK Regions as Market Splits
New‑build home prices in the UK showed a split pattern between April 2025 and April 2026. Prices fell in Wales (from £385,488 to £365,789, about $480,000 to $457,000) and other regions, while London rose to £685,677 (~$857,000) and the East of England...
Number of Housing Completions Enabled by Homes England Rises to 40,200
Homes England reported that housing completions it enabled reached 40,200, an 11% year‑on‑year increase in construction starts. The agency also identified land capable of delivering another 61,700 homes, expanding its pipeline. These figures reflect the government’s push to meet the...