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:
Better Lost $40M. Its CEO Has Never Been Bolder
Better Home & Finance reported a $40 million net loss for Q4, while revenue held steady at $44 million and loan volume surged 56% year‑over‑year to $1.5 billion. The AI‑native lender announced a partnership with a top‑5 non‑bank originator and reaffirmed its goal of $1 billion in monthly loan volume by the end of May, aiming for adjusted EBITDA break‑even in Q3. It also highlighted a new ChatGPT‑powered underwriting tool and a tokenized stablecoin credit facility intended to cut funding costs. Despite these initiatives, the stock slipped nearly 8% after earnings.
Developers Apply Lessons Learned From Biscayne 21 Fiasco
Developers at a Bisnow South Florida event dissected the Biscayne 21 condo‑tower debacle, where Two Roads’ attempt to lower the termination threshold sparked a lawsuit that forced a $65 million repair bill. The case highlighted how a minority of holdout owners can halt...
From Utility to Design Asset: Why Modern Radiators Are a Smart Investment in Property Upgrades
Modern radiators are transitioning from purely functional heating elements to design assets in residential renovations. UK Radiators, a direct‑to‑consumer UK retailer, emphasizes independently verified heat output and a broad aesthetic range, with column models accounting for 40% of sales. The...
Senate Passes Housing Bill, Challenges Remain
The Senate approved a sweeping housing package with an 89‑10 vote, featuring the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. A centerpiece is raising the public‑welfare investment (PWI) cap from 15% to 20%, a move expected to unlock new private‑activity bond...
Austin-Based REIT Stratus Properties To Liquidate
Austin‑based REIT Stratus Properties announced it will liquidate its portfolio, selling the remaining nine properties and returning cash to shareholders. The decision follows a strategic review launched in December and aims to maximize value in a tax‑efficient manner. At the...
Russell Glen To Bring Aspirational Community To Long-Overlooked Southern Dallas
Russell Glen Co. plans to break ground later this year on Rivulet, a 90‑acre master‑planned community in Southern Dallas. The development will deliver roughly 300 single‑family homes, hundreds of multifamily units and a 20‑acre retail district, aiming to address the...
Ruto Defends Affordable Housing as Key to Jobs and Kenya’s Economic Growth
Kenyan President William Ruto defended the Affordable Housing Programme, unveiling 1,165 new units in Chesumei and handing over 250 homes in Kapsabet. He announced a Sh15 billion allocation to build 10,000 houses in Nandi County and another Sh15 billion for road upgrades,...
Manufactured‑housing REITs Already Outnumber Single‑Family Rentals
Prediction: We'll eventually see a wave of articles (followed by policymakers fretting over it) about "Wall Street" investing in manufactured housing. It'll be positioned as a "loophole" and/or consequence of the ban on single-family rentals. But it's not new at all. There...
Quality Public Education Costs You a House
Everyone says public schools in the US are free, but a Google engineer revealed the hidden cost of paying for school indirectly. In the US, public schools don't charge tuition fees, but if you want quality education, that depends on the...
Burlington, Ross Bid To Take Over Saks Off 5th Leases
Discount retailers Burlington and Ross are competing for Saks Off 5th locations as the bankrupt chain auctions 59 leases. Burlington submitted a $22 million offer for 22 stores across 12 states, while Ross placed a $4 million bid on four sites in California...
Bipartisan Affordable Housing Legislation Just Cleared the Senate. Here’s What It Could Mean for Cities.
The Senate passed the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a policy‑oriented bill that revamps federal housing grants and reduces regulatory barriers without overriding local zoning. The legislation updates the HOME Investment Partnership Program, expands the Community Development Block...
Beeline’s Self-Service Mortgage Option One Step Closer to Loan Officer Extinction
Beeline has introduced a self‑service mortgage experience that lets borrowers complete applications, explore scenarios, lock rates and upload documents without a loan officer. The platform’s AI‑driven loan tracker processes data in seconds and offers real‑time assistance via a digital assistant...
Business Rates Revaluation 2026: Fashion Retail Faces a Fresh Cost Squeeze
The UK’s business rates revaluation takes effect on 1 April 2026, resetting the tax base for commercial properties. Andrea Barnes of Form Property warns that the new valuations will lift rates for many high‑street locations, hitting fashion retailers hard. Analysts expect cost...
H-E-B to Build Supermarket on Former Landfill Site
H‑E‑B announced plans to construct a new supermarket on a dormant landfill in Buda, Texas, backed by more than $20 million in public incentives. The retailer will fund land remediation and roadway upgrades, while the city and county cover up to...
Most Overlook Simple Rules: Save, Invest, Avoid Debt
Simple rules: save, invest, avoid bad debt, earn more, be patient—most ignore them. Follow @chasecalhoun.realestate for more on build-to-rent and real estate investing. #realestate #investmentproperty #buildtorent
Berkeley Flags Middle East Tensions as Risk to Housing Market Sentiment
Berkeley Group, a leading UK housebuilder, reaffirmed its profit outlook for the current fiscal year despite a backdrop of macro‑economic uncertainty. The company highlighted ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East as a potential risk to housing market sentiment. While...
Sustainability Success Stories: Green Buildings in Action
Two recent projects illustrate how purposeful design can deliver high‑performance, sustainable buildings. The East Seattle Partners office, a 15,000‑sq‑ft LEED Gold office, achieves a 47% energy reduction, 54% water cut and generates 25% of its power from rooftop solar. Newark...
The Great American Condo Crisis
The United States is experiencing a deepening condo crisis as construction of condominium units has failed to recover from the Great Recession, falling dramatically below pre‑2005 levels. Restrictive zoning, onerous parcel‑designation processes, higher income‑tax treatment, and aggressive defect‑law litigation have...
IKEA to Open 10 New Stores in 2026
IKEA announced plans to open ten new U.S. stores in 2026, adding four locations that were just revealed and confirming six previously announced sites. The new stores include a city‑center format in Culver City, the brand’s first outlet in Oklahoma...
Qualified Electronic Signatures in Conveyancing: Why QES Matters Now
HM Land Registry has officially embraced eIDAS Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), enabling fully digital conveyancing in the UK. Traditional wet‑ink signing can add 3‑7 days to completion, risking chain breaks and financial loss, whereas QES provides cryptographic identity verification and...
Press Release - Mortgage Loan
SAJA Real Estate SOCIMI announced the execution of a €200 million mortgage loan with a five‑year maturity and a fixed 3.2% interest rate. The financing is earmarked for strategic portfolio acquisitions and refinancing existing debt. By securing the loan, SAJA bolsters...
Custom Home Building Expanded in 2025
Despite a 6% decline in overall single‑family housing starts in 2025, custom home building posted growth. NAHB data show 186,000 custom starts for the year, a 3% increase over 2024, even though fourth‑quarter starts slipped 4% year‑over‑year. Custom homes now...
Kentucky Launches $5 Million Roof Grant Program
Kentucky has launched the Strengthen Kentucky Homes program, a $5 million grant initiative aimed at reinforcing residential roofs to the FORTIFIED standard. Authorized by House Bill 256, the scheme offers up to $10,000 per household and has already attracted more than 150...
New Core Fund Targets Berlin Tech Real Estate: Berlin Decks First Deal
Beos and Swiss Life have formed a joint venture to launch a premium core fund aimed at Berlin’s technology‑focused real estate sector. The fund’s inaugural transaction is the acquisition of the Berlin Deck property, marking its first deal. By targeting...
Retail Leasing in Midtown South Growing Faster Than Rest of Manhattan: Report
Midtown South’s retail market is rebounding sharply after pandemic‑induced closures, with storefront vacancy falling 19% over the past two years. The area’s leasing activity now outpaces Manhattan overall by 41%, driven largely by a mixed‑use rezoning that permits new residential...
Regenerating Stevenage: What Can New New Towns Learn From the Evolution of the Original?
Stevenage Borough Council, in partnership with developer Mace, is executing the SG1 regeneration programme to deliver 1,800 new homes and mixed‑use spaces in the town centre. The plan replaces surface car parks with multi‑storey facilities, expands residential capacity, and introduces...
US Senate Passes Housing Bill With Focus on Financing, Deregulation
The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan housing bill aimed at easing the nation’s affordability crisis. The legislation gives local governments greater authority, permits banks to invest more in affordable housing, and expands Section 8 private‑financing eligibility for public housing units. It...
From Donation Centers to Boutiques with Planet Aid - Where We Buy #373
In this episode James Cook talks with Uli Stoach of Planet Aid about the nonprofit’s model of collecting, reselling, and recycling used textiles to fund global sustainability projects. Stoach explains how Planet Aid places solar‑powered donation centers—refurbished shipping containers with...
Private Housing Dealt ‘Significant Blow’ as Construction Levels Drop 6.3%
The Office for National Statistics reports that private housing construction output in Britain fell 6.3% in the three months to January 2026, contributing to a 2% decline in total construction output. While repair and maintenance activity rose 3.3% in January,...
If I Had to Start Over in Real Estate in 2026, I’d Do This Now
Tim Yu, who grew a portfolio from zero to a dozen rentals in four years, now advises investors to restart in 2026 with a slower, cash‑flow‑focused strategy. He sold half of his single‑family homes after realizing they generated only $300‑$400...
How to Cancel a Home Equity Loan | 3-Day Rule
Federal law grants borrowers a three‑business‑day right of rescission for home‑equity loans and HELOCs on their primary residence. The rescission period begins only after the borrower signs the loan, receives the Truth‑in‑Lending disclosure, and gets two copies of the Notice...
Data on Lifts Usage Suggests Rising Office Attendance in London (but Not Elsewhere)
Lift traffic data from KONE shows an 11 percent rise in elevator journeys in London’s large office buildings in January 2025 versus a year earlier, indicating a notable return to physical workplaces. The upward trend has continued throughout the year, contrasting...
Glenveagh Hails a Strong 2025 as Profits and Completions Rise
Irish housebuilder Glenveagh Properties reported a strong 2025, with pre‑tax profit rising 10% to €125 m and housing completions up 11% to 2,568 units. Revenue reached a record €926 m, driven by a 61% surge in partnership income despite a 14% dip...
Place Tenaquip - Affordable Housing Units / L. McComber
Place Tenaquip converts a long‑abandoned tavern in Lachine into an 18‑unit affordable housing complex for people experiencing homelessness. Led by architect Laurent McComber and funded by the Tenaquip Foundation, CMHC, SHQ, the City of Montreal and Fonds de solidarité FTQ, the project...
Palisades Fire Recovery Tests L.A.’s Ability to Invest in Resilience
The 2025 Palisades fire razed 97% of the affluent coastal neighborhood, leaving residents like Allison Holdorff Polhill to rebuild from scratch. Homeowners are channeling retirement savings into fire‑resistant materials, while federal disaster assistance lags and insurers contest payouts. City officials are...
CLS Targets up to £150m in Property Sales in 2026
CLS, a UK commercial real estate manager, announced a 2026 property sales target of up to £150 million. The firm disposed of assets worth £144.2 million in 2025, indicating near‑term momentum. The new goal suggests a modest increase over last year’s performance....
Pets at Home Invests £3m in Four New UK Locations as It Expands Veterinary and Retail Network
Pets at Home is investing more than £3 million to open four new UK locations, adding over 20,000 sq ft of retail and veterinary space in Kew, Glossop, Stocksbridge and Giltbrook. The rollout includes two pet‑care centres and two Vets for Pets practices,...
Loft Conversion Guide: How to Add Space & Value to Your Home with a Loft Extension
A loft conversion can add about 30% more living space and increase a UK home’s market value by more than 20%, making it a popular extension option. The guide outlines key considerations such as headroom requirements, roof pitch, and whether...
Wealth Comes From Holding, Not Just Buying Better
The “Holding Power” Rule Why In Gurgaon, The Rich Don’t Always Buy Better — They Hold Longer Most people think wealth in real estate comes from: • better location • better builder • better timing But NCR history shows something else. The biggest fortunes were not made...
Spring Inflection Turns Median Prices Negative
Here’s a look at median price change since last year. We hit an inflection point in the spring where the trend went negative. Of course, the median isn’t a perfect price metric, but other price indexes are telling the same...
Orms Appointed to Lead Redevelopment of London’s BT Tower Into Hotel
London architecture firm Orms has been appointed to spearhead the conversion of the iconic BT Tower into a hotel for American hospitality group MCR Hotels. The Grade II‑listed 177‑metre tower, acquired in early 2024, will undergo public consultation in May,...
Lennar Targets Top U.S. Homebuilder Spot After Decade
Lennar making a run at #1 homebuilder in America. Would be the first time for $LEN in ~10 years. https://t.co/0gp2tHaQZv
Cut Rents, Not Vacancies, in a Slow Market
Unless you’re angling to sell or refinance your building in the short term: If the rental market is slow, better to lower your asking rents than to accept vacancy or fill your building with people who will dishonor their lease obligations.
TOWN AND CITY TRACKER: Property Prices Rising at Lower Rate
UK property price growth is decelerating, with many regions showing flat or falling values. Belfast and Liverpool remain outliers, posting year‑on‑year gains of 10.3% and 9.5% respectively, while cities such as Aberdeen are experiencing a 6.1% decline. Land Registry data...
Rent Burden Splits: <30k Earners Spend Half Income
If you want to understand America's renters, digest the implications of two charts from Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. 1) Rent affordability is a bifurcated issue. Making >$30k? More than half your income goes to rent.. Making >$75k? You're spending...
Bipartisan Housing Bill Passes Senate, House Remains Skeptical
Taking aim at #affordability: Bipartisan #Warren-#Scott bill aimed at speeding delivery of housing clears #USSenate. But #House has its own ideas. #realestate #CRE #multifamily #manufacturedhomes #Trump #POTUS #Dems #GOP #mortgage #NHC #SFrentals https://t.co/QKytaGiSA3
Fate of Housing Market ‘Depends on Trump’, Says Knight Frank
Knight Frank’s UK Residential Research head Tom Bill warned that the length of the Middle East conflict with Iran could shape Britain’s housing market and the upcoming autumn Budget. He suggested mortgage pricing committees should monitor US President Donald Trump’s...
Manhattan Apartment Supply Declines Two Years Straight
A sobering trend: #Manhattan apt inventory dropped every month for 2 years running. Building boom fails to stem tide of rising demand. 'Construction expanding but it's been uneven by boro' #NYC #realestate #CRE #multifamily #condo #mortgage https://t.co/a0FkHCJC3x
Government Policies, Not Investors, Drive Unaffordable Starter Homes
While Congress wrongly attacks institutional housing investors, my latest @opinion column explores several of the govt policies that actually increase US home prices and make building a "starter home" impossible today: /1
Factory-Built Homes Rise, yet Government Roadblocks Persist
"Bucking stigma, more places turn to factory-built for affordable housing" https://t.co/yeNauGByp5 As usual, governments stand in the way: https://t.co/MyFyCgTTjz