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:
NACA Program | Income Requirements 2026
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) offers a mortgage program that eliminates down payments, closing costs, and private mortgage insurance, while forgoing traditional credit‑score requirements. Prospective borrowers must complete workshops, one‑on‑one counseling, and pay a modest $25 annual membership fee, after which they receive below‑market fixed rates. Income level determines priority status, with lower‑income households receiving the most favorable terms, and the program imposes strict debt‑to‑income limits and geographic restrictions. Although the process can take several months, NACA aims to expand affordable homeownership for low‑ and moderate‑income families.
M&T Bank Deploys $138M for Philly Affordable Housing Project
M&T Bank is providing a $62.1 million construction loan and a $30.2 million tax‑credit equity investment as part of a $137.5 million financing package for the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Westpark Redevelopment. The project will deliver 327 mixed‑income units, including 190 affordable apartments for...
This Florida City Is Offering a $10K Incentive To Build an ADU
Orlando City Council approved an ADU Incentive Program offering up to $10,000 in rebates and full refunds on impact and permit fees for homeowners who construct accessory dwelling units and rent them at affordable rates. The program covers impact fees...
How Misconceptions About VA Loans Are Hurting the Mortgage Industry
VA loans, backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, offer veterans zero‑down, no‑PMI financing and competitive rates, yet many mortgage professionals avoid them due to lingering myths. Loan officer Nguyen Mai of Edge Home Finance highlights that misconceptions—such as...
Evri Fulfilment Invest £4m to Expand Network in Barnsley
Evri Fulfilment is investing over £4 million (≈$5.1 million) to open a 265,000‑square‑foot fulfillment centre in Barnsley, slated for July 2026. The site will feature advanced sorting and packing automation, allowing parcels to move from order to network entry within an hour...
How Lowe’s Creator Network Is Winning over the Next Generation of Shoppers
Lowe’s has rolled out a Creator Network, partnering with top influencers such as YouTuber MrBeast to reach Generation Alpha before they become homeowners. The program, launched in June 2025, offers creators personalized storefronts on Lowe’s site and commissions on sales,...
Median Age of Owner-Occupied Homes Hits 42 Years, Revealing Regional Divide
The median age of owner‑occupied homes in the United States has risen to 42 years, according to the 2024 American Community Survey and NAHB analysis. New York leads with a median home age of 64 years, while the District of Columbia’s median exceeds...
State Proposal Aims to Fast-Track Mall, Office-to-Resi Projects
A new state bill seeks to accelerate the conversion of struggling malls and vacant office towers into residential units. The legislation shortens permitting timelines, offers tax credits, and creates a streamlined review process for adaptive‑reuse projects. Lawmakers anticipate the measure...
Office Pain Eases as Builders Pause and Conversions Pick Up
US office market shows early stabilization as new construction slows and adaptive‑reuse conversions rise. Vacancy fell to 17.6% in February, a 200‑basis‑point improvement, while average asking rents slipped to $32.79 per square foot. Manhattan topped sales with nearly $1.6 billion year‑to‑date,...
Green Light for Two-Tower Housing Scheme at Pop Brixton Site
Lambeth Council and developer London Square have secured planning permission for a 228‑home scheme in Brixton, featuring an 18‑storey and a 20‑storey tower. Forty percent of the units will be social‑rent, and the project will replace the Pop Brixton and...
MISMO, ALTA Issue New Title, Settlement Document Guidelines
The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) and the American Land Title Association (ALTA) have released two new digital datasets covering ALTA title policies and settlement statements. These standards convert traditional paper forms into structured data, enabling seamless exchange across...
Ziff Real Estate Partners Acquires Charleston Shopping Center for $22.6 Million
Ziff Real Estate Partners (ZRP) has sold the West Ashley Shoppes shopping center in Charleston, South Carolina, to Continental Realty Corp. for approximately $22.6 million. The 136,327‑square‑foot property sits across from Citadel Mall and was 90 percent leased to anchors such as...
Marcus & Millichap Arranges $7 Million Sale of Bootheel Plaza in Kennett, Missouri
Marcus & Millichap facilitated the $7 million sale of Bootheel Plaza, a 126,193‑square‑foot shopping center in Kennett, Missouri. Built in 1973 on roughly 11.3 acres, the center hosts 23 retail suites anchored by Tractor Supply, with tenants including Bealls, Dollar Tree,...
One Beverly Hills Secures $4.3 Billion to Finish Luxury Tower and Hotel
Developer One Beverly Hills has closed a $4.3 billion financing package to complete its mixed‑use luxury residential and hotel complex in Los Angeles. The deal, among the biggest single‑project raises in the U.S. this year, underscores persistent investor appetite for high‑end...
US Rent Growth Slows to Weakest Pace in Years, Easing Housing Inflation
A MarketWatch analysis shows U.S. rent growth has slowed to its weakest pace in years, reducing pressure on the consumer‑price index. The deceleration comes as other inflation gauges, such as unit labor costs, remain elevated, leaving the Federal Reserve with...
Rappaport to Manage Reisterstown Shopping Center in Metro Baltimore
Rappaport, a McLean‑based real‑estate firm, has been hired to lease and manage the 160,000‑square‑foot Reisterstown Shopping Center north of Baltimore. The assignment includes overseeing $2 million in property upgrades. The center, built in 1964, is anchored by a 29,000‑sq‑ft Lidl and...
NextEra Secures Land for $16 Billion, 5 GW Gas Plant to Power Texas Data Centers
NextEra Energy has secured land in East Texas for a more than 5‑gigawatt, $16 billion gas‑fired power plant aimed at feeding the region’s booming data‑center load. The project, backed by a U.S.–Japan agreement and cleared by the Trump administration, highlights the...
Pension Funds, Life Insurers Increase MBS Holdings in 4Q
Pension funds and life insurers significantly increased their holdings of mortgage‑backed securities in the fourth quarter. The shift reflects a search for higher yields as Treasury rates stay low and the MBS market offers relatively attractive risk‑adjusted returns. Meanwhile, policy...
Kylie Jenner Lists Hidden Hills Estate for $20.3 Million Nearly a Decade After Buying It
Kylie Jenner has put her Hidden Hills estate on the market for $20.25 million, a property she bought for more than $12 million in 2016 during a four‑home buying spree. The 13,200‑sq‑ft residence, featuring a resort‑style pool and home cinema, was her...
Stop Guessing: Master Seller Motivation, Condition, Value, Rent
If you’re guessing on deals… you’re already losing them Every deal comes down to 4 things: - seller motivation - condition - value - rent Miss one, and you’re just hoping it works Comment “DEAL” if you’re trying to get your first one #realestateinvesting #wholesalinghouses #offmarketdeals #realestatetips #realestatebeginner
Geopolitical Tensions Hit European Real Estate Sentiment Despite Q4 Gains
European commercial‑real‑estate markets posted solid Q4 performance, with total asset values rising and transaction volumes up, according to INREV data. However, the INREV sentiment index fell for the first time this year, reflecting heightened geopolitical risk from the Ukraine war,...
4 Lessons From the Mass Timber Movement
The mass‑timber movement is reshaping construction by replacing carbon‑intensive concrete and steel with engineered wood that cuts embodied emissions up to 26.5% per square foot. Beyond climate benefits, timber accelerates schedules through off‑site prefabrication and improves occupant wellbeing with natural...
Jay Group Scores $300M Refi for DoBro Project
The Jay Group secured a $300 million refinancing loan from Affinius Capital for its 102 Fleet Place development in Downtown Brooklyn. The debt will fund the completion of the 30‑story, 495‑unit luxury multifamily tower and support lease‑up activities. The project, located near...
Khan and Government Confirm Emergency Measures to Kickstart London Housebuilding
The UK government and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have unveiled an emergency package to revive stalled affordable‑housing projects in the capital. Housing starts have collapsed from 26,386 in 2022‑23 to just 4,522 in 2024‑25, prompting fast‑track planning for schemes delivering at...
GLP-1 Users Are Changing Apparel Trends
GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs now reach roughly 23% of U.S. households, prompting shoppers to downsize and revamp wardrobes. Eighty percent of users expect to buy new clothing and 55% have already done so, shifting demand toward smaller‑size bras, active shorts and...
Aging Independently, by Design
The United States is aging rapidly, with longer lifespans and lower birth rates prompting older adults to seek ways to stay in their own homes. Harvard urban‑planning professor Ann Forsyth explains that aging in place involves not just physical housing...
Co-Living ‘Microapartments’ Cost Half as Much to Build as Typical Studios
A Pew and Gensler study finds converting office buildings into small co‑living microapartments costs between $123,300 and $238,700 per unit, roughly half the $400,000 price of a new studio in high‑cost U.S. cities. The design places private units along exterior...
Mortgage Applications Up YoY, Weekly Demand Drops
#Mortgage purchase application data remains positive year over year, but weekly demand declined last week. @housingwire @sarahteresa6 #realestate #economics #mortgagerstes #chartdaddy
HST Cut Won’t Revive Ontario Construction, Despite Tax Relief
Will Removing The HST From All New Construction Homes In Ontario Kick Start The Residential Construction Industry: ABSOLUTELY NOT Since politicians mainly know nothing about the Industries for which they invent policies this should be expected BTW every Tax Removed is GOOD I...
War Dashes Spring Home Hopes For American Renters
The escalating war with Iran is hitting the U.S. rental market just as spring home‑buying optimism waned. Higher energy prices and supply‑chain disruptions are pushing landlords to raise rents, while prospective buyers face tighter credit and lingering mortgage‑rate uncertainty. The...
Garry Marr: In Canada's Great Downsizing Debate, Staying Put Still Has the Upper Hand
Fitzrovia, a Canadian rental giant with $11 billion in assets, is targeting the growing senior‑down‑sizer segment by offering resort‑style apartments that blend larger units with upscale amenities. Toronto’s 55‑74‑year‑old household count has risen 65 % over two decades, yet many older owners...
Retailers Report Shrink Levels Down From Pandemic Highs
Retail giants including Kroger, Target, Dollar General and TJX disclosed that inventory shrink has fallen to levels not seen since before the pandemic, turning shrink into a "nonevent" for many. The decline is credited to operational tweaks, better staffing and...
Puravankara Lines up 33 M Sq Ft Launches Amid Demand Tailwinds
Puravankara plans to launch roughly 33 million sq ft of residential projects over the next two to two‑and‑a‑half years, part of a broader 51 million sq ft pipeline valued at over ₹55,000 crore (≈ $6.6 billion). The launches will focus on South India and Mumbai, where the developer has...
Homebuilders Face Critical Shift Despite Stable Housing Market
Everyone’s asking if the housing market is crashing. It’s not. But something important is happening with homebuilders right now that every investor needs to understand.
Sky‑High Rates Stall Existing Home Sales, New Sales Flat
Rates getting to 18% made is less affordable back then, different ways to measure this, but prices & rates exploded. A big variable on why existing home sales haven't finished a year under 4,000,000 the last 3 with with new...
U.S. Buyer’s‑Market Pressured by Surplus Inventory and Rising Home‑Improvement Costs
Analysts say the U.S. housing market has turned into a buyer’s‑market, with inventory outpacing demand and home‑buying costs climbing. A 3.2% construction inflation forecast in Ireland and record‑high participation in Lowe’s spring promotions highlight broader cost pressures on buyers.
1970s Rates Spiked, yet Home Prices Outpaced COVID Era
From 1977 to 1979, mortgage rates rose from 8% to 13%, yet home prices still grew faster than during the sub-4% COVID years. Rates peaked around 18%, with spreads being quite large at nearly 6%. The spread market today is...
High Search Interest, Low Buyer Volume in Sacramento
These stats represent search queries. Not actual buyers. Ironically, buyer volume is incredibly low in Sacramento, yet here we are at the very top of this list. Nothing but love for Redfin, but there is a disconnect between search queries...
Steel‑Framed Eichler ‘House of Tomorrow’ Hits Market for $4.5 Million
Compass listing agent Eric Boyenga announced the 1950s steel‑framed Eichler X‑100 is on the market for $4.5 million. The iconic “House of Tomorrow” drew 150,000 visitors in 1956 and now symbolizes a surge in demand for architecturally innovative, technology‑laden luxury homes.
Past Home Price Booms Surpassed Covid, No Crash
The hottest home price growth period was 1943-1947, with no bubble crash afterward, and 1977-1979 had even hotter price increases than during Covid, also without a bubble crash. If people bothered to read books instead of burning them, they would...
Sacramento’s Top 10 $2M+ Sales Hotspots Revealed
Here are the top 10 locations for 2M and above sales in the Sacramento region over the past five years. What stands out to you? And what are you seeing at the high-end right now? I’d love to hear your...
Tracey Emin’s Old London Studio Is Getting Redeveloped Into Homes and Commercial Units
British artist Tracey Emin’s former Spitalfields studio at 1‑5 Tenter Ground is set for conversion after Chris Dyson Architects secured planning permission. The family that bought the property in 2020 will develop a large residence, two one‑bedroom flats, and a...
Fixed‑rate 30‑year Loans Stabilize Debt as Wages Climb
30-year fixed loan. Fixed debt cost and rising wages, even with more people with 6% plus mortgage rates vs 3% and lower. https://t.co/fLDxpBRw15
Separate Land and Home Sales Simplify Taxation, Japan Shows
The way you do this is by allowing land and houses to be sold separately, like Japan does. Incidentally, this also makes it easy to do a land tax.
New 200-Berth Marina, Clubhouse Planned in Hong Kong Revamp of Aberdeen Site
The Hong Kong Development Bureau announced a 1.16‑hectare redevelopment of Aberdeen’s waterfront into a new marina with 200 berths, a clubhouse and about 250 residential units, targeting completion by 2032. A tender for the project is expected in the first...
Mortgage Help Searches Hit 2008 Highs, Defaults Stay Low
Like rubbing a magic lamp, folks flock to #Google for help w/their #mortgage. Searches 'help w/mortgage' surge past 08 #GFC high. Though delinquency+#foreclosure activity remain low. #realestate #CRE #interestrates #tax #insurance https://t.co/AhoET2F9v7 https://t.co/vu2NMxs7ev
Housing Bubble Persists Since 2012, Now Worse than 2008
Since 2012 housing has always been in a bubble and it's housing 2008 or worse ☺️😏😁🫡 https://t.co/l2fykhXDfn
Arkade Developers Launches ₹230 Crore Luxury Project in Goregaon West, Stock Closes up 1.93%
Arkade Developers Limited unveiled Arkade Evoke, a luxury residential project in Goregaon West valued at roughly $27.5 million (₹230 crore). The 1.09‑acre development will feature premium 2‑ and 3‑BHK apartments with balconies, surface parking and cross‑ventilation, and is positioned near Bangur Nagar metro station. The...
Purchase Applications Dip 5% Weekly, YoY Growth Slows
Purchase application data, although still positive year over year, showed a week-to-week decline of 5% and the YoY growth slowed down. https://t.co/1ZaOtoeLuN
Factory Construction Falls 15% Despite Trump's $18T Promise
Factory construction was down 15% over the last year, even before adjusting for inflation https://t.co/YNFjjiLWfV Reality hasn't heard about Trump's $18 trillion in investment coming into the country. Trump always says, "no one has seen anything like it," which is...