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:
Trump Vows To Make Housing Affordable While Keeping Values Up as He Praises the ‘Golden Age of America’ in State...
President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to pledge affordable housing while insisting home values must stay high. He highlighted falling mortgage rates, citing a drop from 7.04% to 6.01%, and urged Congress to make permanent an executive order banning institutional investors from buying single‑family homes. Trump also directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase an additional $200 billion in mortgage‑backed securities to further lower rates. Critics noted discrepancies between his job‑creation claims and independent data on construction employment.
Vermont's Statewide Pre‑approval Needed; Local Opt‑in Hampers Scaling
This effort in Vermont to establish statewide pre-approved plans is a step in the right direction—key to the scalability needed for affordable infill housing, especially modular/manufactured housing. But making it a local "opt in" kind of undermines that. https://t.co/RxlmZXG3iY
Trump’s Investor Ban Reveals Bipartisan Hypocrisy on Housing
Trump's call to ban large investors from buying houses is rare case of bipartisan unity -- and hypocrisy. For GOP, it's anti free market. For Democrats, it's anti diversity-- blocking families from nicer neighborhoods unless they're wealthy enough to qualify for a...
Conveyancing Costs Surge – What’s Driving the Jump?
The Property Solvers study reveals conveyancing fees in the UK climbing well above inflation, with freehold sale costs hitting £1,317 in 2026—a 10.6% rise year‑on‑year. Leasehold and remortgage fees also posted double‑digit increases, outpacing the 3% CPI. Regulatory, AML, and...
Home Prices Stay Resilient Across 2.75%-18% Rates
The history of home prices when rates ranged from 2.75% to 18% during this period. https://t.co/I0aE7X40Jt
Chicago's Migration Reverses: In
Migration patterns for the Chicago MSA in the past few years really illustrate what I've called "The Great Stay." Q2 2025 was the first period in many years where inbound migration exceeded outbound migration. Over the last 8 years, total moves...
Homeowners Gain Equity, Entry-Level Buyers Still Struggle
UK homeowners have amassed roughly £677 bn of equity since the 2008 crisis, driving the average loan‑to‑value ratio down to 59%, well below the 70% peak in 2012. By 2024, only 42% of private homes retain a mortgage, indicating a shift...
St Joe Co (JOE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
St. Joe Company posted a 63% revenue jump and a 130% surge in net income for 2025, driven by a 94% rise in residential revenue and higher home‑site pricing. Residential gross margins climbed to 53% from 39%, while leasing and...
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (PEB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Brookdale Senior Living reported full‑year 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $458 million, a 19% increase and the fourth straight year of double‑digit growth. Occupancy rose to an 82.5‑83.5% weighted average, the highest level since early 2020, while RevPAR grew 5.7% and adjusted...
Hovnanian Enterprises Inc (HOV) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Hovnanian Enterprises reported third‑quarter fiscal 2025 revenue of $801 million, an 11% year‑over‑year increase driven by higher deliveries. Adjusted EBITDA reached $77 million, topping the high end of management guidance, while adjusted gross margin slipped to 17.3% due to a rise in...
SmartStop Self Storage REIT Inc (STSFF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
STAG Industrial reported Q4 2025 core FFO of $0.66 per share and $2.55 for the year, a 6.3% increase YoY, driven by 5.4% same‑store cash NOI growth and record leasing activity. The company added 31 leases covering 3 million square feet,...
Kennedy-Wilson Holdings Inc (KW) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Kennedy-Wilson Holdings reported a record $30 billion in assets under management, a 70% increase since 2021, and deployed $1.7 billion of new capital in Q2, bringing year‑to‑date deployment to $2.6 billion. The firm generated $250 million in cash from non‑core asset sales, exceeding its...
Energy Recovery Inc (ERII) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
FrontView REIT reported Q4 2025 results with occupancy approaching 99% and annualized base rent (ABR) rising to $62.9 million, up $1.6 million from the prior quarter. The REIT completed seven acquisitions at an average 7.5% cap rate and funded its 2026 net‑acquisition...
Circle Internet Group Inc (CRCL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Centerspace reported solid Q4 2025 results, with same‑store NOI up 3.5% and revenue rising 1% despite a modest occupancy dip. The company completed $493 million of portfolio transactions, entered Salt Lake City, expanded Fort Collins, and trimmed exposure in Minneapolis. Guidance...
EPR Properties (EPR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
EPR Properties reported Q4 2025 adjusted FFO of $1.37 per share, a 5.4% year‑over‑year increase, and AFFO of $1.39, up 7.8%. Total revenue rose to $182.3 million and the company’s investment base reached $6.9 billion across 330 properties, with 99% occupancy. Management...
Why New Rules Boosting Bank Mortgage Lending Could Be Good for Brokers
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman hinted at regulatory tweaks that could pull banks back into mortgage lending, reversing a decline from 60% of originations in 2008 to roughly 35% today. By reconsidering how mortgage‑servicing rights are accounted for, the...
How Brokers Can Use HELOCs to Give Homeowners Protection in a Volatile Economy
Brokers are promoting home‑equity lines of credit (HELOCs) as a financial safety net for homeowners facing job uncertainty in a volatile economy. Matt Stahl of Edge Home Finance highlights that first‑position HELOCs give borrowers unrestricted access to equity for up...
January 2026 Erdmann Housing Tracker
The Erdmann Housing Tracker notes that core inflation—excluding rent—has now been tracking a 2% trend for roughly three and a half years. This prolonged alignment suggests price pressures are stabilizing outside the rental sector. The brief also hints at deeper...
Episode 2 of Multipliers – Cuby: Building More With Less (Plus Sourcing Construction Materials)
Cuby Technologies, led by COO Aleks Gampel, is tackling the chronic housing shortage by deploying Mobile Micro‑Factories (MMFs) that produce components on‑site, slashing construction time to about 60 days at roughly $103 per square foot. The startup also built a...
Cap Rates, Supply, and the 2026 Multifamily Market
Neal Bawa warns that 2025‑2026 will be a muddle year for multifamily as the final wave of new supply overwhelms demand, pushing concessions to over a third of units and flattening rent growth. Cap rates have already fallen about 30%...
Dream For A Few
A new down‑payment assistance program lets homebuyers receive funds in exchange for sharing future equity. Buyers who qualify for an FHA loan with 3.5% down keep all appreciation, while others must surrender a portion of future gains. Critics ask what...
Aven Review for 2026: Terms, Access and Customer Feedback
Aven’s 2026 offering blends a home‑equity‑backed revolving line of credit with a credit‑card interface, letting homeowners draw only what they need and pay interest on the outstanding balance. The fintech’s digital‑first application speeds pre‑qualification and eliminates many in‑person appraisals, positioning...
Hanley Investment Group Arranges $1.9 Million Sale of Ground Lease in Indianapolis
Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors arranged the sale of a new single‑tenant ground lease for a McDonald’s restaurant at Southern Dunes Commons in Indianapolis for $1.9 million. The lease is a 20‑year absolute triple‑net agreement backed by McDonald’s corporate guarantee....
Chase Rolls Out Another Mortgage Rate Sale as Rates Fall Below 6%
JPMorgan Chase has launched a limited‑time mortgage rate promotion that applies to both home‑purchase and refinance loans. The program offers an automatic 0.25 percentage‑point discount, with rates potentially dropping from 5.50 % to 5.25 %, and is available until March 8 2026 with a 60‑day...
Bank Holdings of Residential MBS Seesaw Down in 4Q
Bank holdings of residential mortgage‑backed securities (MBS) fell sharply in the fourth quarter, registering a net outflow of roughly $12.4 billion, the lowest level since early 2021. The decline was uneven, with large banks cutting positions more aggressively than regional lenders,...
Strong Demand for GSE-Eligible Loans in Non-Agency MBS
Investors are showing strong appetite for GSE‑eligible loans embedded in non‑agency mortgage‑backed securities, tightening spreads and lifting prices across the segment. The surge reflects limited agency supply and the premium investors assign to loans that meet Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac eligibility...
Share of Complaints to CFPB Receiving Relief Drops
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported a sharp decline in the share of consumer complaints that receive relief, dropping to 38% in the most recent quarter. Complaint filings rose 12% year‑over‑year, driven largely by mortgage‑related issues. Mortgage lenders now account...
Better Turns to Stablecoin for Warehouse Funding Alternative
Better.com announced it will use a US‑backed stablecoin to finance its mortgage warehouse line, marking a first for a major U.S. mortgage originator. The company plans to tap USDC on a public blockchain to raise short‑term capital, bypassing traditional bank...
Short Takes: Home Prices Tick Up / Chase Offering Rate Discount / Bed Bath & Beyond Getting Into Mortgages /...
Home prices edged higher in the latest quarter, while Chase announced a modest rate discount to spur loan demand. Retail giant Bed Bath & Beyond entered the mortgage origination space, signaling non‑traditional players’ interest in housing finance. Bayview Capital began stocking GSE‑eligible loans...
Higher Landlord Costs Raise Rents, Hurting Families
Crazy how both parties are racing to be more anti-science than the other one on housing policy. It ain't complicated: If you drive up the cost of managing rental homes, you drive up the costs for renters -- exacerbating challenges for...
ICE Spends $158M Turning Warehouses Into Detention Centers
Genuinely curious to see how ICE converts large warehouses into detention centers. A report stated it would cost $158M to retrofit one in particular, not to mention the cost of buying it in the first place. Why buy a building not intended...
5 Tips for Scaling Smart Building Across Large CRE Portfolios
Large CRE owners face rising energy costs, volatile pricing and tightening regulations that pressure NOI. Smart building technologies—IoT sensors, AI analytics and automated controls—promise 15‑25% energy savings when deployed at scale. The article outlines five actionable steps: thorough assessments with...
U.S. Home Prices Show Modest Year‑Over‑Year Gains in December
Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 1.3% year-over-year in December FHFA House Prices up 1.8% YoY in December https://calculatedrisk.substack.com/p/case-shiller-national-house-price-129
9 Underappreciated Real Estate Asset Classes to Explore
Interested in real estate but don't know where to start? Here's a list of 9 under appreciated RE asset classes that I love: https://t.co/kyH2JAGQuH
Could the Current Cold Snap Pummel the Eastern Housing Market?
A severe Arctic blast swept the Eastern United States in February, halting in‑person real‑estate transactions and delaying listings, contracts, and closings across major metros. Mortgage applications fell 8.9% that week, with purchase requests down 14%, despite a modest dip in...
Medical Office Rent Growth Returns to 1.9
🏥 Medical Office Update: Rent growth is settling back to historical norms (1.9% YoY) as the inflation wave passes. Individual metros still vary widely. Despite the normalization, occupancy remains at a healthy 92.5%. High construction costs are keeping supply in check....
Yoda Targets Transamerica Pyramid Amid German Investor Pressure
#Yoda to buy #TransamericaPyramid, #SanFran icon. as seller #Shvo faces mounting tension w/#German investors. #BVK #DeutscheFinance #realestate #CRE #BayArea #mortgage #foreclosure #MandarinOriental #Egypt https://t.co/7oosJbQTvE
Commentary: Case-Shiller Home Price Index Price Growth Slowing Through December
The S&P CoreLogic Case‑Shiller National Home Price Index rose 1.3% year‑over‑year in December, a slight dip from 1.4% in November, indicating a slowdown in price growth. Existing‑home sales fell to a 1995 low while national inventory more than doubled since...
Amazon Invests $12B in Shreveport Data Centers, Boosting LA Jobs
#Amazon in $12B love affair w/#LA as it plans series of #datacenters near #Shreveport. 'Puts LA at center of operations relied on acx country+connects our community to jobs' #ecommerce #infrastructure #realestate #CRE #AI #electricity #GovLandry https://t.co/27YgUCMaNa
Blaming Boogeymen Masks Need for Housing Deregulation
There's always another boogeyman waiting around the corner to explain high home prices without admitting we need to deregulate It was Airbnb - banned in NY Then it was rent algorithms - banned in NY Now it's private equity Meanwhile rents just keep...
Asia-Pacific Commercial Real Estate Extends Rebound in 2026
Asia‑Pacific commercial real estate is set for a 5‑10% investment boost in 2026, extending the rebound that began in 2025. Full‑year transaction activity hit $157 billion, up 22% from 2024, as net buying intentions climb to 17%. Office properties have reclaimed...
Prioritize Family Support Over Demonizing Businesses
Hot take: We should care more about helping families (particularly those who can't qualify for a mortgage) than about demonizing businesses, and more cognizant of collateral damage caused by the latter.
SCOTUS Decision Adds
For #CRE investors who crave stability, Fridays' #SCOTUS ruling w/a big 'huh?' W/#Trump moving for alternatives to impose #tariffs. 'This is a very convoluted system. The devil's always in the details.' #realestate #IEEPA #supplychains #warehouse https://t.co/aIdO8aeSdM
Young Adult Headship Rates in 2024: Cyclical Slip or New Equilibrium?
Young adult headship rates slipped to 43.7% in 2024, reversing the post‑pandemic rise that peaked at 44.2% in 2023. While this figure still exceeds the 40.2% level recorded in 2017, it remains below the roughly 46% benchmark of the 1990s‑early...
NYC Real Estate Stumped by Roosevelt Hotel
#NYC #realestate scratches its head over future of #RooseveltHotel as owner #Pakistan embraces redev under a #JV, an idea that's only been kicking around for 5 years. #DC baffled. #hotel #GrandCentral #CRE #Trump #GSA https://t.co/quNa74iZS1
Austin Rents Poised to Rebound Despite Current Oversupply
Still feels a bit too early to declare a rent rebound in Austin, but it'll happen eventually. The demand drivers are still stronger than other headlines have suggested, and massive supply remains the big headwind... until it isn't anymore. https://t.co/gMblq6btg0
Does Supply Explain DC’s Low Rent Growth?
Washington D.C. rents have risen 27% since January 2019, trailing the national 39% gain. The conventional view blames excess multifamily supply, yet rent performance mirrors the city’s job market more closely than building permits or completions. During the pandemic D.C....
Half of Americans Struggle to Pay Rent or Mortgage, With Gen Z Hit Hardest
A Redfin‑Ipsos survey of 4,000 U.S. adults finds that 49% of Americans now struggle to afford their rent or mortgage, up from 44% last spring. The burden falls hardest on Gen Z, with 67% reporting payment stress versus roughly 53% of...
Costco Broadens Audience While Tightening Membership – Placer.ai Blog
Costco raised membership fees and tightened access rules, yet foot traffic kept rising through late 2025 and early 2026. Same‑store and total visits posted year‑over‑year gains, supporting mid‑single‑digit comparable‑sales growth reported in 2025. The higher cost of commitment appears to...
Continued Improvement in the Home Improvement Space – Placer.ai Blog
Foot‑traffic analysis from Placer.ai shows The Home Depot and Lowe’s each posted roughly 3% year‑over‑year visit growth in November 2025, with a rebound in January 2026 driven by storm‑prep shopping. Both retailers reported sales expansion and higher big‑ticket purchases in Q3 2025, indicating...