Author: josh

Housing costs are frightful and economic jitters are in the air, leading some buyers to leave sellers in the lurch. Just over 53,000 home-purchase agreements nationwide were canceled in September, equal to 15% of homes that went under contract that month. That’s up from 13.6% a year earlier.    This is based on a Redfin analysis of MLS pending-sales data. The data is seasonal, which is why we compare this September to past Septembers. Please note that homes that fell out of contract during a given month didn’t necessarily go under contract the same month. For example, a home that…

The U.S. government shutdown has halted federal economic data collection, leaving investors without official employment or inflation figures. Despite flying blind, markets remain upbeat as stocks near record highs. Gold fell sharply. And Q3 earnings estimates look strong, boosted by AI investment. S&P 500 futures were up marginally this morning after the index closed flat yesterday, near its all-time high. Markets in both Europe and Asia were up or flat this morning, too. Gold, the traditional safe-haven asset which has gained 55% year to date, lost 5.3% yesterday—its biggest decline in five years. In other words, investors appear to be…

Senate Democrats sent Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, a letter Wednesday calling for more details about his personal crypto interests. Led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), eight senators demanded Witkoff explain why his latest ethics disclosure showed he still owned stakes in a Trump-linked cryptocurrency as well as other crypto business entities. “Your failure to divest your ownership in these assets raises serious questions about your compliance with federal ethics laws and, more importantly, ability to serve the American people over your own financial interests,” wrote the senators.  World Liberty Financial, the crypto business…

The next time you’re stuck in a career rut, or wondering how to process the economy around you, why not ask Ray Dalio? The wealth of experience accumulated by the billionaire hedge fund founder will soon be at the fingertips of users thanks to his new AI clone, Digital Ray, which will provide consumers with coaching, guidance, and mentorship. Writing on X, the Bridgewater Associates founder said he was excited by the prospect of his clone because it will allow him “to have unlimited conversations with people I previously didn’t have the time to have exchanges with.” Announcing the clone—which…

When you’re buying a home, the last thing you want in an inspection report is a potential structural or foundation problem. Some buyers may decide to walk away, but if you’re serious about the home, a structural inspection is the next step. A structural engineer will look at the foundation, framing, and other load-bearing elements that keep a house safe and stable. Most of the time, the inspection can put buyers at ease and verify whether the issue is just normal settling or if further attention is needed. Whether you’re buying in areas prone to foundation problems, like Philadelphia or…

With more than $173 million lost in real estate-related cyberattacks in 2024, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great time to remind real estate agents about the steps they can take to protect their sensitive information.  The real estate industry is a goldmine for hackers, due to the amount of personal information that’s included on contracts, bank wiring details, and the large sums of money that are transferred between parties every day. Real estate agents can shield themselves from cyberattacks by taking a few simple steps. These include creating different passwords for all of their accounts, setting up multi-factor authentication, and…

U.S. home prices increased 0.2% from a month earlier in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. On a year-over-year basis, home prices rose 3%, the slowest rate recorded in Redfin Home Price Index (RHPI) data going back to 2012. San Diego (+1.7%) recorded the highest month-over-month price growth of the 50 most populous U.S. metros, while San Antonio posted the biggest drop (-0.6%). U.S. home prices rose 0.2% from a month earlier in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Matching August’s 0.2% gain, it was the second consecutive month of positive monthly growth after prices were flat in July (0.0%).…

Dave:More buyers are canceling their contracts right now, which is a little bit scary for sellers, but presents a big opportunity for buyers. Moody’s Analytics just released their long range housing price forecast and we’ve got frauds on the rise in real estate that you need to keep an eye out for this and more on today’s episode of On the Market. Hey everyone, welcome to On the Market. I’m Dave Meyer. Joined today by Kathy Fettke, Henry Washington and James Dainard back together after all being together in person at BP. K. It was so nice to see all…

In This Article Tenant scammers are taking rental fraud to new heights, dipping in and out of false identities as easily as Ethan Hunt swaps masks in Mission: Impossible. However, in the rental scenario, the only thing about to self-destruct is a landlord’s bank account. Gone are the days of forged pay stubs and embellished credit histories. Now, an entire web of fraudulent information, supported by tech-savvy perpetrators, is forcing landlords to adapt by using enhanced screening techniques. These techniques could make some innocent tenants wonder if they were applying to join the CIA instead of moving into a new…

In This Article Single-family rent growth is down, while built-to-rent communities—comprising single-family houses and often funded by Wall Street giants—are up. Is there a connection? Many mom-and-pop real estate investors have long favored single-family homes because they occupy much of America’s real estate landscape and often provide greater financing opportunities and long-term stability. After the housing crash of 2008, investors started to buy single-family houses en masse due to low interest rates and the ease of financing.  In the first quarter of 2021, investor purchases of single-family homes peaked at 28% of all investor sales, according to Harvard University’s Joint…