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:
Vietnam Building 27 Mega Real Estate Projects Worth over $115B: Report
Vietnam is undertaking 27 mega‑real‑estate projects valued at over $115 billion, according to a S&I Ratings report. The developments, spanning more than 30,000 hectares, are concentrated in the north, central and southern regions, with Vingroup and Sun Group accounting for the majority of investment. Projects range from a $35.6 billion Olympic sports city in Hanoi to large tourism hubs and sea‑reclamation sites near Ho Chi Minh City. Analysts caution that rapid supply growth could outpace demand amid soaring housing prices.
How Many Parking Permits?
Somerville’s 2019 zoning overhaul introduced a new class of “parking‑ineligible” residential units, exempting only disabled, affordable, and extenuating‑circumstance residents. A recent records request revealed that only seven of the 450 units in the Union Square development actually hold street‑parking permits....
UK Housing Demand Rebounds with London Leading the Charge
Buyer demand for UK homes rebounded in February, with new applicant registrations up 1.5% year‑on‑year, marking the strongest start since 2022. London led the surge, posting an 8% increase and a 35% rise versus February 2019, especially in Outer London where...
Mortgage Rates Surge to 2026 Highs Amid Buying Season
Mortgage rates are at fresh 2026 highs everyone. What's annoying is it's happening during peak home buying season. Doubly annoying b/c we had 5-handle mortgage rates about a week ago.
Industrial Space Transforms From Wire Assembly to Laundry
Industrial realestate comes in all shoes and sizes. This space was last used by a company that assembled wire harnesses for a variety of companies all over the US. Now it’s available for lease and the new owner is occupying...
Strong Tenant-Landlord Relationships Linked to Longer Tenancies
The LRG Winter 2025/26 Lettings Report finds that 68% of tenants cite a strong relationship with their landlord or agent as the top factor for staying long‑term, outpacing rent, location and property quality. The report also notes that 24% of renters...
Opendoor Simplifies Home Buying with Lower Costs, Speed
For a lot of Americans, it's never been harder to buy a home and never been harder to finance one. Opendoor is here to change that with lower costs, a faster process, and less friction at every step.
Flat Housing Inventory Persists Unless Rates Spike Dramatically
It's going to be a boring year for housing inventory, unless rates spike up big time However, now that we are in 2026 You can see the difference in the inventory channel When comparing sales crashing from 2005 to 2008, vs sales...
UK Housing Market Cools as RICS Price Gauge Falls to -12
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reported its February house‑price balance slipping to -12, missing both the January reading of -10 and analysts’ forecast of -9. New buyer enquiries plunged to a net -26, the lowest level since December,...
Self‑storage Rentals Surge 46% in Early March
The self storage rental market could finally be taking steps in the right direction. First 10 days of March last year: 206 rentals First 10 this year: 301 rentals
PROPTECH-X : TenderPRO Speeds Commercial Real Estate Procurement
TenderPRO, a new proptech platform, streamlines commercial‑real‑estate procurement by moving the entire tender workflow into a single, AI‑enabled system. The solution reduces the average 30‑plus hour manual process to a few minutes, standardizes contractor submissions, and automatically generates audit‑ready documentation....
Identiv Inc (INVE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
InvenTrust Properties Corp. reported a 5.3% rise in same‑property NOI for 2025, delivering NAREIT FFO of $1.89 per share and core FFO of $1.83 per share. The REIT completed $460 million of Sunbelt‑focused acquisitions while maintaining sector‑low leverage, with net debt...
Why AI-Fueled White-Collar Layoffs Could Devastate the Housing Market in 2026
AI‑driven automation is prompting a wave of white‑collar layoffs at major tech firms, boosting stock prices but raising concerns about long‑term employment. Mortgage broker Amir Nurani warns that the loss of high‑pay roles could suppress demand for homes as potential...
Rocket Pro's Niemiec Plans to Win Brokers with ‘True Partnership’
Rocket Pro’s chief revenue officer Austin Niemiec announced a partnership‑first strategy aimed at easing long‑standing tension between the two wholesale mortgage giants, United Wholesale Mortgage and Rocket. He highlighted the company’s new technology platform, which lets brokers retain full data ownership...
One Bad Provision Could Sink a Critical Bipartisan Housing Bill
Congress is on the brink of passing a critical bipartisan housing bill that aims to boost affordable housing construction. The legislation cleared a Senate committee unanimously, won a 390‑9 vote in the House, and secured White House backing, before a...
Canada’s Rental Bubble Moves East: Halifax Nears Toronto Prices
Statistics Canada data shows that while headline rents in Toronto and Vancouver cooled modestly in Q4 2025, the gap with traditionally affordable markets has narrowed dramatically. Halifax’s average asking rent for a two‑bedroom unit reached $2,260, about 84% of Toronto’s $2,670,...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: NY Nursing Home Sells for $75M; Selectis Selling 2 Facilities to Journey for $15.7M
The skilled‑nursing market saw several high‑profile transactions this week. Excelsior Group acquired the 280‑bed Union Plaza Care Center in Flushing, New York for $75 million, while Selectis Health agreed to sell its two Georgia facilities—Glen Eagle and Eastman Healthcare—totaling 201 beds...
Second Liens Appear on 16% of U.S. Mortgages
Approximately 16% of active first‑lien mortgages in the United States also carry second liens, representing $522 billion in outstanding balances, according to Experian’s Mortgage Loan Performance data. The new loan‑level visibility into these secondary claims gives agency MBS investors clearer insight...
How to Get Equity Out of Your Home Without Refinancing | 2026
Homeowners can tap their property’s equity without refinancing by using a range of products such as home equity loans, HELOCs, home equity agreements, sale‑lease‑back deals, second‑mortgage combos, reverse mortgages, and secured personal loans. Each option draws 80‑85 % of appraised value...
Existing Home Sales Lag, Yet Show 4% Post‑Storm Gain
NAR's existing home sales came out for February and it doesn't yet reflect what we're seeing in the weekly pending sales that we track. NAR is trying to publish this data earlier to keep up, but it still has...
27-Story Center City Building Refinanced For $145M: The Philadelphia Deal Sheet
Southern Land Co. has refinanced its 27‑story Josephine apartment tower in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square with a $145 million loan from Affinius Capital. The development, built at a total cost of $204.5 million—including a $24.5 million land purchase and $180 million construction—features 255 residential units...
Lower Mortgage Review 2026
Lower Mortgage, formerly AmeriHome, offers a wide array of loan products across 100 locations in 47 states, but many options are not listed online. In 2024 the lender posted a higher‑than‑median mortgage rate of 6.625 % and a total loan‑cost of...
Slow Home Sales Are Creating Accidental Landlords
Zillow data shows accidental landlords now represent 2.3% of listed rentals, the highest in its six‑year record aside from a 2.4% peak in November 2022. A surplus of sellers—about 44% more than buyers—combined with modestly lower mortgage rates is prompting...
These Housing Markets Face the Greatest Risk of Decline
Attom’s latest housing‑risk report finds Florida leading the nation with 16 counties among the 50 most vulnerable, overtaking California’s 11. The analysis flags rising foreclosures, stagnant wages, and historically high median home prices—now $365,185—as key stressors. Charlotte County, Florida, tops...
Radian Shuts Mortgage Conduit Instead of Selling
Radian Group announced it will wind down its mortgage conduit business rather than pursue a sale, halting new originations in early April. The non‑agency conduit, launched in July 2022, generated $2.2 billion in securitizations but posted a $16.4 million adjusted pre‑tax loss...
Mortgage Rates Near 2026 Highs as Bond Yields Climb
Bond yields are back near their highest levels of 2026. Mortgage rates are also close to their 2026-highs, with MND putting the 30-year fixed at 6.19% today, just 2 bps below its peak thus far this year. There's a decent chance mortgage...
STAKE Closes $8M Funding
Stake the Network for Renters closed an $8 million debt‑and‑equity round after reporting four‑fold revenue growth in 2025. The financing follows its acquisition of Lighthouse and UMoveFree, Texas’s largest apartment‑locating platform. Led by LAGO with participation from RET Ventures, Bluefield Capital, Hamilton...
Le Colonial Plans Manhattan Return With 10K-SF Restaurant at 50 West 57th Street
Le Colonial, the French‑Vietnamese restaurant that shuttered its New York flagship in 2019, has secured a 15‑year lease for roughly 9,600 sq ft at the base of 50 West 57th Street, slated to open in summer 2027. The new space will accommodate 215...
Andrew Russell on Strong Broker-Lender Partnerships
Mortgage broker Andrew Russell emphasizes that strong lender partnerships hinge on three pillars: product quality, speed, and service. He highlights that while rates matter, rapid turnaround and accessible, knowledgeable account executives are equally critical for client satisfaction. Russell points to...
Damon Germanides on Bank Statement Loans for Brokers
Damon Germanides explains how bank‑statement loans are becoming a mainstream tool for mortgage brokers serving self‑employed and non‑traditional borrowers. By validating income through deposit analysis rather than tax returns, these non‑QM products expand qualifying capacity and offset pressure on conventional...
Morningstar DBRS Assigns Provisional Credit Ratings to Freddie Mac MSCR Trust MN13
Morningstar DBRS has issued provisional credit ratings for Freddie Mac’s Multifamily Structured Credit Risk Notes, Series 2026‑MN13. Class M‑1 receives a (P) BBB‑low rating while Class M‑2 is assigned (P) BB‑low, both with a Stable trend. The trust will fund...
Sub‑6% Mortgage Rates Trigger Powerful Psychological Impact
Been saying this for a while... It's not about the ~$60 monthly payment difference. It's the intense human psychology of a sub-6% mortgage rate.
U.S. Home Sales Hit 2009 Low; Buyers on Historic Strike
Home sales just dropped to the lowest level since 2009. Down 35% from pandemic peak, and by 25% from pre-pandemic norms. This was the 2nd-worst February reading in the last 30 years. Traditional news outlets tried to claim there was...
Midtown Office Landlord Charles Cohen Gets Deadline to Repay $135M Debt or Face Forced Property Sales
Charles Cohen, a Midtown office landlord, was given a 45‑day deadline by a New York state Supreme Court judge to repay $135 million in outstanding debt or face forced sales of his properties. A Fortress Investment Group executive, David Moson, was...
Billionaires Plot 400K‑Resident City in Northern California
Today on Volts: perhaps you've heard that a group of billionaires is planning to build a big (400K residents) new city in Northern California. I talked to the ringleader Jan Sramek about it. And talked. And talked. The first half...
2026 Housing Trends: County Data Shows T
The housing market so far in 2026? Let's talk about it. Today, I have fresh stats for twelve counties and some new price visuals to help interpret what is happening. I also talk about my favorite phrase, "all ships rise...
9 Online Platforms That Make Home Hunting Easier
Home‑search platforms are rapidly adopting AI and collaborative tools to address buyer frustration. A Realtor.com survey shows 65% of buyers struggle to find homes based on personal priorities, prompting major sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Wahi to introduce natural‑language queries,...
Opponents Haven't Urged Fannie/Freddie to Ease Credit Standards
Have any of the people who oppose investors owning “build to rent” housing called on Fannie/Freddie to liberalize their lending standards to lower FICO buyers?
500K ADU Raises Questions on Property Value Impact
Working on a property with a $500,000 accessory dwelling added two years ago. It’ll be interesting to see how much this adds to value. That’s a big price tag for an ADU.
Ultra-Prime Mayfair Mixed-Use Property Leads Acuitus’s March Catalogue
Acuitus unveiled its 26 March auction catalogue, spotlighting an ultra‑prime Mayfair freehold at 33 Clarges Street with a guide price of £5.25 million, roughly £1,200 per square foot. The catalogue also lists a Clapham High Street freehold comprising two flats and a restaurant,...
Single-Family Rentals Decline, Challenging Neoliberal Housing Narrative
The problem with this view is that the number of single-family rental homes in the U.S. has been in decline for years, as research from Harvard, John Burns and Redfin have all shown.
Bulletproof Industrial Floorplan: Flexible, Small Office, Open Warehouse
Don't know what makes a bulletproof residential floorplan this is is pretty damn bulletproof for industrial. (spaces can be demised down to 6,000 sq ft, small office buildout in front, wide open warehouse space, dock & grade loading) https://t.co/091JUIUwdI
ChatGPT For Selling Your Home
A recent video shows a TV reporter touting ChatGPT as a tool for selling homes, despite lacking real‑estate expertise. The article challenges this claim, arguing that AI may not capture the nuances needed to secure full retail value. It warns...
LA Council Forms Committee to Revise Mansion Tax Amid Threat
For all the LA "mansion tax" watchers out there, the LA city council created a three-member committee today to recommend changes to the initiative for a possible new local vote on the Nov ballot. Comes as a potential Nov statewide...
Brokers Often Push Their Own Asset Focus Over Your Needs
Actual call with a broker today: Me: Great to meet you, would love to do a deal with you. What type of retail deals do you focus on? Broker: I actually wanted to convince you to buy industrial assets instead, which is what...
Senator Schatz Calls BTR Ban Arbitrary, Soviet‑style Policy
Great point from Senator Schatz: The BTR ban "is positively Soviet-like. It is arbitrary. We have decided owning a single-family home is good. Renting is bad."
Build-to-Rent Ban Distracts From Bill’s Regressive Provisions
Welp... And the crazy thing is the rightful focus on the build-to-rent ban is taking away from from the 1000 other zany regressive aspects of this bill.
Renting $1.2M Home for $4k Shows Overvaluation
It's even worse than this guy makes it seem. If someone rents out their "$1.2M" home for $4k/month, that's the all-in cost (property tax, insurance, maintenance, etc.) So, the mortgage would have to be even LESS than $4k/month, valuing the home even...
Schatz Calls 7‑Year Sale Clause Drafting Error, Bill Closed
WOAH Senator Brian Schatz says the provision that forces future build-to-rent development to be sold after 7 years is a "drafting error" But he added that: "But what we were told last week is: The bill is closed." via @Eleanor_Mueller
HeyBilt Faces Rent Payment Chaos, Customer Service Crisis
Forbes coverage of the ongoing rent/mortgage payment issues & customer service meltdown at @HeyBilt: https://t.co/cHSguZwiNL