What's happening: Mortgage rates climb above 6% after Iran attack
The 30‑year fixed mortgage rate jumped 13 basis points to 6.12% following geopolitical tensions, while 10‑year Treasury yields rose nine basis points. The increase was fueled by higher oil prices after a Saudi refinery shutdown and the Strait of Hormuz closure.
Also developing:
Compass reported a 25.9% year‑over‑year revenue increase in Q4 2024 and generated $16.7 million of adjusted EBITDA, rising to $20.9 million when excluding Christie's acquisition costs. The broker added 669 principal agents in the quarter, boosting its net principal agent count by 21% to 22,138 and lifting market share to 5.06%. Title and escrow attach rates climbed over 800 basis points, and the company reaffirmed guidance for more than 25% revenue growth in Q1 2025. Management highlighted a structural industry shift after the NAR settlement that could accelerate Compass’s market‑share gains.

Former state champion athlete Waseem Limbada turned down a professional basketball contract to pursue finance and entrepreneurship. He now leads consulting firms and a rapidly growing Airbnb portfolio, having scaled 100 short‑term‑rental properties in under three years and helped launch...
UtahRealEstate.com has transformed its homegrown MLS into a commercial product called reData MLS. The New Mexico Multiple Listing Service (NMMLS) selected this platform for its roughly 1,200 member brokers, citing speed and innovation. reData MLS also bundles the AlignedShowings scheduling...

Mortgage brokers are confronting a growing language gap as Hispanic homebuyers surge. Industry veteran Ashlin Endter notes that 70 % of new buyers will be Hispanic, yet less than 1 % of loan officers are Hispanic and 38 % cannot find a Spanish‑speaking...

QuikTrip celebrated the opening of its 1,200th store at 6459 Jonesboro Road in Morrow, Georgia, marking the retailer’s 181st location in the state. The new outlet features QT Kitchens, an expanded coffee menu, and creates roughly 24 local jobs with...
The Urban Land Institute’s new report highlights sustainable mobility as a core driver of real‑estate value, showing how transit‑oriented development and mobility amenities can lift asset performance and resilience. Case studies such as Miami’s Underline illustrate how integrating bike lanes,...

Invitation Homes, the nation’s largest single-family rental REIT, reported its lowest market valuation since the COVID‑19 lockdowns. The decline follows a 30% year‑over‑year drop in its stock price, driven by rising interest rates and softer rental demand. The company disclosed...
SmartAsset’s 2026 study applies a Pew‑based definition—two‑thirds to twice the median household income—to rank every U.S. state and the nation’s 100 largest cities by their middle‑class income bounds. The analysis shows the highest upper‑class threshold in Massachusetts ($209,656) and the...

U.S. mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest levels since September 2022, yet home sales remain stagnant. A roughly 50% imbalance between sellers and buyers underscores a deep‑seated market freeze. Inventory shortages and lingering affordability concerns continue to suppress demand...

The Charlotte Ledger’s Real Estate Whispers newsletter highlighted several pivotal developments in the Queen City’s commercial real estate scene. A new steakhouse is set to challenge the long‑standing dominance of SouthPark’s Steak 48, while the Second Ward Medical High School project...

President Trump argued that lower mortgage rates will simultaneously make homes cheaper for buyers and preserve homeowner wealth, a claim that has drawn sharp criticism from housing economists. Current 30‑year rates hover around 6%, far above the 2.65% level needed...
Private mortgage insurers collectively wrote 12% more new insurance in 2025, driven by a sharp rate‑cut‑induced surge in fourth‑quarter originations. While MGIC remained the top writer for the sixth straight quarter, the sector’s share continues to slip to the FHA...

Onity Group announced the appointment of Aulene Wessel, a former executive vice president at Truist, as its new chief accounting officer. Wessel replaces Francois Grunenwald, who will exit after a transition period. Her résumé includes senior roles at SoFi, Silicon...
Redfin reports the median age of first‑time homebuyers fell to 35 in 2025, down from 36 the year before and from a 2018 peak of 38. Repeat buyers now have a median age of 47, a drop from the 52‑year...
GlobalWafers has launched Phase II production at its Sherman, Texas silicon‑wafer fab, a $4 billion expansion that brings total regional investment to $7.5 billion. The 12‑inch wafer line will supply Texas Instruments, TSMC and other partners producing chips for Apple. The project receives...

Trade tool retailer ITS has signed an eight‑year lease for a 17,700 sq ft unit at Padrock’s Dagenham Logistics Hub, slated to open in April as London’s largest tool superstore. The hub comprises 14 industrial units ranging from 6,550 sq ft to 34,825 sq ft, all...
Lineage reported flat Q4 revenue of $1.34 billion and a modest $6 million net profit as the cold‑storage market works through a 10% oversupply. New refrigerated space expanded 14.5% from 2021‑2025, while demand rose only 5%, creating a capacity gap that is...
U.S. mortgage rates slipped last week to roughly 6.5%, the lowest level recorded since 2022, igniting a wave of refinancing activity. The decline aligns with the Federal Reserve’s recent pause on interest‑rate hikes and softer inflation readings that have eased...

Jimmy John’s opened its first Saskatchewan restaurant in Saskatoon on February 24, marking the brand’s entry into the province and extending its Canadian footprint. The location at 120‑225 Payne Bend offered the first 100 guests a free 6‑inch sandwich and drink,...
Stellar Energy, a data‑center cooling equipment maker, is planning a 1.1‑million‑square‑foot plant in Fort Worth’s AllianceTexas development, with a total investment of roughly $80 million. The project includes $34 million in property improvements and $45.5 million in equipment, and could break ground this...

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther unveiled a $500 million affordable‑housing bond framework dividing funds into four buckets: $150 million for new construction and preservation, $125 million for transitional shelters, homeowner upgrades and supportive housing, $175 million for land acquisition linked to transit‑oriented and mixed‑use development,...
Planet Fitness announced plans to open between 180 and 190 new clubs in 2026, mirroring its 2025 expansion of 181 locations. The chain ended 2025 with 2,896 clubs worldwide and expects most of the 2026 openings to occur in the...

Citigroup announced its Blueprint for Housing Opportunity, a five‑year plan committing more than $60 billion to increase affordable housing supply in the United States. The initiative targets the creation or preservation of at least 250,000 units and includes $50 million in philanthropic...
Kroger is constructing a 99,000‑square‑foot Marketplace anchored store with a fuel station at the Custer Frontier site in McKinney, Texas. The development will be part of a 170,000‑square‑foot mixed‑use complex that adds 54,000 sq ft of small‑shop and freestanding retail space plus...
Walmart’s CEO John Furner said the retailer’s supply‑chain capital spending will likely peak this year and next, as automation projects accelerate. Twenty‑three of its 42 U.S. distribution centers are being retrofitted with robotics, and similar initiatives are beginning abroad. About...

The December Case‑Shiller report shows nominal house prices reaching fresh all‑time highs, while inflation‑adjusted (real) values sit slightly below their 2022 peak—2.2% for the national index and 2.4% for the composite 20. Despite the recent dip, real prices remain 10.3%...
Intermountain MLS announced Richard Gibbens as its new chief executive officer. Gibbens comes from Bluegrass REALTORS®, where he drove strategic modernization, strengthened broker collaboration, and expanded data and technology capabilities. His appointment signals a push to sharpen operational focus and...

John Lewis Partnership announced it will abandon its build‑to‑rent (BTR) venture, which began in 2020 and includes four schemes in Reading, Bromley, Stratford and West Ealing. The decision stems from a “fundamental shift” in economic conditions – higher interest rates,...
Hope’s Windows announced its Old World Suite ultra‑luxury steel and bronze windows and doors have achieved certification under the Florida Building Code, including the high‑velocity hurricane zone (HVHZ) standards. The products underwent rigorous testing for wind load, impact resistance, air...

United Wholesale Mortgage’s parent, UWM Holdings, posted 2025 revenue of $3.16 billion, up from the prior year, driven by a record $163.4 billion in loan originations and higher gain‑on‑sale margins. Net income fell to $244 million, reflecting a $435 million mortgage‑servicing‑rights markdown and a...

Rents in Miami have surged 53% since 2019, while San Francisco’s increase is only 13%. The analysis shows that the share of workers operating from home is the strongest predictor of these divergent trends. Metros with high work‑from‑home (WFH) adoption (above...

Lipton Rogers, on behalf of LaSalle, has submitted a revised plan for the 1 Silk Street office project at London’s Barbican Estate, trimming the western tower from 20 to 17 storeys after more than 1,000 objections. The redesign cuts total office space...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) plans to adopt VantageScore 4.0 alongside FICO’s 10T score as part of a mandated modernization effort. A Deep Future Analytics study projects that competitive use of VantageScore could cut mortgage credit‑score fees by more than...
Achieve’s 2026 review highlights its hybrid lending model that blends unsecured personal loans with secured home‑equity products such as HELOCs and fixed‑rate home‑equity loans. The platform targets borrowers with mid‑600s credit scores, offering flexible credit requirements and a digital‑first application...

In June 2020 DQ Dream Properties purchased a Butler County commercial building after the seller asserted the property was vacant and free of tenant rights. A youth football league, the Lakota Tomahawks, had been leasing part of the site since...

Atenor has obtained planning permission for a deep‑retrofit of its Fleet House office at 10 New Bridge Street in the City of London. The scheme will preserve roughly 73% of the 1960s‑era structure while adding a ninth floor and a...
The article outlines six essential numbers investors must calculate before purchasing a rental property: current market value, equity, after‑repair value (ARV), rent comparables, holding costs, and cash flow with cash‑on‑cash return. It explains how each metric is derived, from appraisals...

Barnstable County’s Assembly of Delegates approved a home‑rule petition to impose a real‑estate transfer tax on sales exceeding $1 million, lowering the original $2 million threshold and allowing municipalities to set rates between 0.5% and 4% on the amount above the threshold....

U.S. data‑center operators are confronting a surge in extreme weather events, from floods and wildfires to record heat and cold spells. Scenario analyses from S&P Global and the World Economic Forum estimate climate‑driven costs could equal 9.5% of total data‑center...

StayAssist, launched in 2025, is reshaping Nigeria’s short‑let market by offering a unified, tech‑driven platform that verifies listings, streamlines communication, and automates bookings. The service tackles chronic fraud, fragmented discovery channels, and informal payments that have plagued the sector. Rapid...

Tenants are increasingly filing Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reports to contest rent and holding‑deposit payments, treating the banking route as a quicker, less adversarial alternative to traditional tenancy dispute mechanisms. Letting agents are left to defend these claims through...

Korean brands are rapidly entering Western retail spaces, with beauty giants like Laneige, COSRX and Amorepacific securing shelf space in Sephora, Boots and Douglas across Europe, while fashion labels such as Ader Error and Gentle Monster open flagship stores in...

Zoopla reports a strong rebound in the UK housing market, with February listings on track for the highest level in a decade and 6% more homes for sale than a year ago. The surge is driven by the lowest mortgage...

The article breaks down exactly what appraisers focus on during a home appraisal and separates essential tasks from cosmetic concerns. Size, floor‑plan functionality, construction quality, visible repairs, recent updates, and site characteristics drive the valuation more than staging or a...

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...

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...

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...
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,...
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...
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...