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:
Migration’s Shocking Impact on Adelaide House Prices Exposed
Kent Lardner, head of research at FoundIt, argues that migration has been a primary driver of Adelaide's soaring house prices, outweighing the traditionally emphasized supply constraints. He suggests that curbing net migration could reduce annual price growth from around 5% to 2%, delivering a faster impact than building more homes. The analysis highlights five suburbs—Elizabeth, Christie Downs, Hackham West, Salisbury and Smithfield—where values have risen 12%‑20% over the past year. Lardner calls for policy that links migration volumes to housing supply to ease affordability pressures.
Spring Median Signals Potential Home Price Rise
Will we see a price uptick this spring? This is what the rhythm looks like. The median isn't a perfect metric (there is no perfect metric), but it gives a helpful shape for the market. Remember, larger homes start selling...
Rentify Launches UAE’s First AI-Native Rent Infrastructure with ‘Rentify Pay’
Dubai fintech Rentify unveiled Rentify Pay, the UAE’s first AI‑native rent‑infrastructure platform. The service expands beyond its original "Rent Now, Pay Later" model to digitise the entire rental lifecycle for tenants, landlords and property managers. Leveraging AI automation, the platform...
Rates Slip Even as Inflation Heat Rises
Why did rates and bond yields drop today despite a hot inflation report? #Labor over #inflation. #mortgagerates #realestate #chartdaddy
Construction Boom Fades; Electricians, Plumbers Face Oversupply
My opinion: There are plenty of electricians and plumbers. It isn’t a great market right now to be one. 2021-2023 was an unprecedented construction boom. It has since slowed way down. Hungry contractors in almost every city in America.
Understanding the I-77 Toll Debate
In this episode, Tony Messia talks with WFAE political reporter Steve Harrison about the contentious plan to add toll lanes to I‑77 between Uptown Charlotte and the South Carolina line. They explore the traffic woes that motivate the project, the...
Mortgage Rates Mirror 10‑year Yield Plus Spread
The slow dance with the 10-year yield and mortgage rates has been happening for decades. You just add the mortgage spread variable here, too https://t.co/gavjysTwDz
Industrial Rebound Boosts Nonresidential Construction Stocks 15% YTD
GS: The nascent signs of rebounding industrial activity have lifted our list of stocks exposed to nonresidential construction activity by 15% YTD. Nonresidential construction stocks have sharply rallied recently https://t.co/F8JnFVqvAV
RXR Closes on Financing for FiDi Office-to-Resi Conversion
RXR and One Investment Management have closed a $500‑million‑plus financing package to convert the historic 61 Broadway office building in Manhattan’s Financial District into a 796‑unit residential tower. Construction is slated to begin this month with the first apartments expected in...
Strategic Low Pricing Sparks 94 Offers in Sacramento
There is a property with 94 offers in Sacramento County. This is an insane amount, but this isn't about the market. It's about pricing strategically low. The list price was $199K, the very lowest sales are $300K, and similar-sized flips...
Betches Media Relocates Headquarters to Park Avenue South
Savills brokered a 23,038‑square‑foot lease for Betches Media, securing the entire sixth floor of the newly renovated 360 Park Ave South building. The digital media company, known for its women‑focused content across social, video, podcasts and events, is moving from its 43 W. 24th St location...
What Does Universal Service Fund Reform Mean for Rental Housing?
The Federal Communications Commission has reconstituted the Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group, tasking it with modernizing the nation’s broadband subsidy programs. Rental‑housing advocates argue that current eligibility rules, especially for bulk‑billed or managed‑Wi‑Fi arrangements, unintentionally bar many renters from...
GSA, CBRE Put Laguna Niguel’s Ziggurat Building on the Sale Block
The U.S. General Services Administration announced it will sell the former Chet Holifield Federal Building, known as the Ziggurat, in Laguna Niguel, partnering with CBRE to market the property. The 90‑acre, one‑million‑square‑foot, 1971‑era landmark sits on a prime Southern California...
Former San Francisco Building Inspector Gets One-Year Sentence in Bribery Case
Former San Francisco Department of Building Inspection plan‑checker Rodolfo “Rudy” Pada was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for accepting more than $40,000 in bribes over a 14‑year span, plus additional payments while working for a...
Greenstone Partners Closes Sale of 225K-SF Lake Forest Office Complex
Greenstone Partners has closed the sale of Conway Park, a 225,000‑square‑foot office complex in Lake Forest, Illinois, for $8.9 million. The transaction emerged from a competitive auction that attracted 15 qualified bidders, with The STG Group acting as the buyer. The property is currently 43%...
Marcus & Millichap Closes Sale of Apartments Near MBTA Station
Marcus & Millichap closed a $4 million sale of the Pine Street Apartments in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The 19‑unit, mixed‑size complex sits less than half a mile from the Attleboro MBTA commuter rail station, offering transit‑oriented appeal. The seller’s diligent upkeep and...
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac's Total Portfolio at Multiyear High
Government‑sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pushed their combined retained portfolio to a multiyear high of $278.45 billion in January, up from $271.69 billion the month before. Fannie’s retained assets rose to $141.64 billion, while Freddie’s mortgage‑backed securities holdings increased to $49.46 billion despite...
Learn Where AI Is Creating Demand, Risk and Opportunity in Commercial Real Estate, with Cushman & Wakefield’s Data-Driven Tool
Cushman & Wakefield has launched the AI Impact Barometer, a data‑driven platform that quantifies how artificial intelligence is reshaping commercial real estate. The tool aggregates economic, capital‑market and property indicators into “AI momentum scores” that reveal demand trends across data...
Home Depot Launches Real-Time Delivery Tracking for Large Items
Home Depot has introduced real‑time delivery tracking for all large‑item orders, expanding a feature previously limited to small parcels. The rollout leverages handheld devices used by drivers to log checkpoints, giving customers live visibility into the status of bulky shipments...
A Condo Surge? As Rates Enter 5s, Veteran Investor Reveals the Hottest Markets for Brokers
Mortgage brokers targeting investors are scouting hot markets as rates dip below 6%. Veteran investor Danny Fishman highlights South Florida’s condo boom, driven by international buyers, as the top opportunity. He also points to strong fundamentals in Nashville, West Palm...
Two Mortgage Veterans Boost Business Growth with Proactive Referral Partnerships
Mortgage veterans Craig Andriulli and Michael LiPari launched Fortress Mortgage Advisors to transform traditional referral relationships into true partnerships. They argue that sharing marketing expenses alone does not create a bond; instead, they train real‑estate agents, CPAs and financial advisors...
Sprouts Coming To Vacant Highland Park 99 Cents Only Store
Sprouts Farmers Market has signed a lease for the former 99 Cents Only store at 6235 York Blvd. in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with plans to open a new grocery outlet in 2027. The existing 21,000‑square‑foot building will be demolished and...
Tax Implications of Adding a Spouse to a Deed: Rules and Tips
Adding a spouse to a property deed is a common estate‑planning move that changes legal ownership without necessarily triggering immediate federal income tax. The transfer is generally treated as a gift, but the unlimited marital deduction shields U.S. citizen spouses...
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...
Multifamily Lender Says Texas ICE Raids Taking Bite Out Of Occupancy
Arbor Realty Trust, a major multifamily bridge lender, reported that ICE immigration raids have sharply reduced occupancy in its REO apartment assets, now averaging 45% occupancy. The enforcement actions have hit properties in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Atlanta and parts...
Chicago Industrial Is Having A Moment — Some Investors Want In
Chicago’s industrial market is demonstrating steady fundamentals, with vacancy holding at 4.6% in 2025 and leasing activity climbing to 40.5 million sq ft, while rents rose 4.6% to $8.97 per sq ft. Mid‑market investors Matterhorn and SparrowHawk each secured $300 million in equity, giving Matterhorn...
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? | 2026 Guide
The 2026 kitchen remodel guide estimates average costs at $150 per square foot, with typical projects ranging from $25,000 to $70,000 and major renovations exceeding $100,000. Homeowners can expect a return on investment of roughly 60‑75 % depending on scope, especially...
U.S. Home Prices Stagnate, Punta Gorda & Austin Plunge
Freddie Mac House Price Index Decreased in January; Up only 0.4% Year-over-year Punta Gorda House Prices Down 22% from Recent Peak, Austin Down 18% https://calculatedrisk.substack.com/p/freddie-mac-house-price-index-decreased
What Lenders Should Consider when Evaluating Small Landlords
Small landlords are an expanding segment of the rental market, but their limited scale creates underwriting challenges for lenders. To gauge creditworthiness, lenders must scrutinize the borrower’s financial stability, including cash flow, tax returns, and debt ratios. Portfolio performance—occupancy rates,...
Coliving Developers Are Finding Funders — But They May Have To Wait For Profits
Institutional investors are increasingly financing UK coliving projects, especially in London, with typical deal sizes of £50‑150 million. Developers are now required to contribute meaningful equity, pushing any profit upside to the back‑end and tying returns to IRR hurdles. The funding...
Walker & Dunlop Dismisses A Banking Team After Fraud Investigation
Walker & Dunlop dismissed members of its banking staff after an internal investigation revealed approximately $134 million in Freddie Mac multifamily loans were affected by borrower fraud, leading to a $29 million loss expense in Q4. The review also uncovered an additional $34 million...
Gains for Student Housing Construction in the Last Quarter of 2025
Private fixed investment in student dormitories rose 1.5% in Q4 2025, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $3.9 billion. The gain follows three quarters of decline but remains 1.3% below the same quarter a year earlier. Pandemic‑induced drops had pushed investment...
Mercatto Expands with New Location in Port Credit
Toronto‑born Italian chain Mercatto is opening its first location outside the city core, Mercatto Centrale, in Mississauga’s Brightwater waterfront community on March 13, 2026. The 8,500‑square‑foot restaurant offers over 290 seats, including a 90‑seat patio, and introduces an exclusive brunch menu. Operated by...
Building Broker–Lender Partnerships That Actually Work
Tom Ahles, a mortgage broker, outlines how effective broker‑lender partnerships require consistency, transparency, and direct access to decision‑makers. He highlights the use of AI to decode lender guidelines, service‑level agreements for communication, and technology integrations that accelerate loan processing. The...
AI-Driven Recession Threatens Benefits of Lower Mortgage Rates
Cheering for lower mortgage rates has always been a delicate balance of hoping for payment relief w/o a wider economic downturn. In other words, getting a cheaper 30-year fixed without a big increase in unemployment or a stock market crash. The fact...
NewMark Merrill Building Retail Center: The Los Angeles Deal Sheet
NewMark Merrill, World Premier Investments and R.Y. Properties secured entitlements for Desert Sky Plaza II, a 30‑acre, 297,000‑sq‑ft retail center in Victorville anchored by Target and Burlington. The project, slated to break ground in Q2 2026 and open in fall...
Marx Realty Underway on 58,000-Square-Foot Retail Expansion at Cross County Center in Yonkers, New York
Marx Realty has broken ground on a 58,000‑square‑foot retail expansion at Cross County Center in Yonkers, New York. The project consists of two new buildings—14,000 sq ft on a single floor and 44,000 sq ft over two floors—plus a 4‑acre park and adjacent boardwalk...
Automation, Reshoring Trends Expected to Boost Industrial Real Estate Activity
Industrial real‑estate activity is rebounding after pandemic‑induced vacancies as reshoring, automation and third‑party logistics (3PL) demand drive a flight to higher‑quality space. Vacancy absorption has accelerated, and CBRE projects renewals to exceed 35% of total leasing volume, well above the...
New York Solar Project Addresses Energy, Housing Affordability
Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens, with Crauderueff Solar, installed 17 rooftop photovoltaic projects totaling 1.3 MW across its regulated affordable‑housing portfolio. The projects are structured as behind‑the‑meter net‑metered systems owned by a newly formed Special Purpose Entity, allowing the nonprofit...
Justices Appear Dubious of Challenge to Constitutionality of Foreclosure Sales
The Supreme Court heard Pung v. Isabella County, where taxpayer Michael Pung argues that a tax‑foreclosure auction sold his property below fair‑market value and thus violates the Fifth Amendment takings clause. The justices appeared convinced they will reject the takings...
Brian Montgomery Joins Newday Advisory Board as Vice Chair
Former Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Montgomery has been appointed vice chair of Newday USA’s advisory board. Montgomery, the only person to lead the FHA twice and a former HUD deputy secretary, brings extensive federal housing finance experience. Newday, a VA‑focused...
Canada's Red Tape Stalls Projects for Decades
Canada Is Being Destroyed By Bureaucracy & Over Regulation It takes an average of 19 years to get an approval to build a new Mine Australia's shipping Liquid Natural Gas to Canada's East Coast: Canada has 300 years of Gas Reserves Let's look...
Lawmakers Push Tax Reforms to Curb Investor Housing Advantage
Lawmakers eye tax changes to tackle institutional investors in housing: Semafor "this is not a free market for the American family, because investors… have special tax write-offs… that aren’t available to single families" -Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind. https://t.co/4JRvuFhZMv
Fairway Moves Into Home Insurance at Origination
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. announced a partnership with The Baldwin Group to launch Fairway Home Insurance Agency, offering homeowners insurance at loan origination. The collaboration embeds Baldwin’s proprietary technology into Fairway’s workflow, allowing real‑time policy quotes during the mortgage application....
Named CoStar Power Broker After Sharing All My Comps
The CoStar power broker awards have been announced. Do I dare open my LinkedIn timeline? " I am thrilled and humbled to be named a CoStar Power Broker because I gave them all my comps"
Medical Office Starts Plunge 26%, Prompting Conversion Challenges
Medical office building starts are set to drop 26% in 2026 ... the lowest level in ten years. Developers are turning their attention to office conversions. But even then, the building's design and the math have to be spot on...
Housing Market Trends Outpace Presidential Influence
Home prices were already slowing down before Trump took office, and many markets went negative last year. I don’t think any president can really control the direction of the housing market. https://t.co/LoaiFTlI85
MBS Spread Re
After the White House confirmed that Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac would increase their retained MBS by $200B, the 'spread'—which had already been compressing—slipped sub 200 bps for the first time in more than 3 years Today is first +200 bps spread since...
Luxury Builds Reduce Affordable Housing, Not Trickle‑down
As Max and others often point out: The more apartments you build for the wealthy, the fewer wealthy people living in moderate- and lower-priced apartments... thereby creating more affordable supply. It's not "trickle down economics." (Different thing.) It's just common sense.
Buyers Favor Fresh Listings Over Last Year's Inventory
Buyers are liking new supply. So many of the stats right now are showing spring vibes as crusty listings from last year expired, and buyers are focusing on the new stuff. https://t.co/OoyH4E4hAI