Author: Brad Beckett

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was up 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis in December 2025.  Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.7% before seasonal adjustment.  The index for shelter rose 0.4% in December and was the largest factor in the all items monthly increase. The food index increased 0.7% over the month as did the food at home index and the food away from home index. The index for energy rose 0.3% in December. Click here to read the full release at…

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing home sales were up 5.1% in December, 2025 to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.35 million.  Total housing inventory at the end of December was 1.18 million units, down 18.1% from November but up 3.5% from one year ago.  Unsold inventory sits at a 3,3-month supply at the current sales rate.  The median existing-home price for all housing types in December was $405,400 – the 30th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.  The NAR says inventory is still an issue: “Inventory levels remain tight…With fewer sellers feeling eager to move, homeowners…

Earlier this week we shared an eye-opening post about those cities with the least sustainable credit card debt.  Today’s infographic from those wizards at the Visual Capitalist shows those states where Americans are falling behind on their credit card payments.  wow…  As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! A payment is considered delinquent once it’s 30 days or more past due. Lenders report these late payments to credit bureaus, which can lower credit scores and signal financial stress in the economy.  Credit card delinquency rates are highest in the Deep South, led by Mississippi (37%), Louisiana (32%), and…

Apparently the granddaddy of all squatters recently setup camp under a California home.  The unauthorized resident in question was a 550-lbs bear that eluded many weeks of failed attempts to be captured since late November.  According to FOX News, the large bear was wedging itself in and out of a small crawlspace beneath the house.   After many weeks of unsuccessful attempts to flush out the bear with the use of bait and noisemakers, the animal was finally caught in early January. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Click here to read the full story on FOX News.

According to the latest Cotality Home Price Insights (HPI) report, price growth in November rose 1%, continuing its downward trend.  However, Cotality experts anticipate 2026 will bring a fresh wave of activity, especially if mortgage rates continue to ease.  They say inventory levels and mortgage rate trends will play pivotal roles in shaping the landscape.  Indeed… “Looking ahead to 2026, regional differences will remain pronounced, with demand favoring areas that offer both economic opportunity and relative affordability.” Said Dr. Selma Hepp, Cotality’s Chief Economist. Click here to read the full report at Cotality.

Back in October we saw where 33% of Americans have more credit card debt than savings.  A recent report from WalletHub says that, as of Q3 2025, Americans are carrying over $1.3 trillion in credit card debt – which they say is a staggering figure that continues to climb.  In fact, the average U.S. household now owes more than $11,000 in credit card debt, marking a 0.5% decrease from the previous year.  Interestingly, they say credit card debt isn’t impacting everyone equally. “In the cities with the least sustainable credit card debt, residents tend to have low median incomes, which…

On a recent episode of the Planet Wealth podcast, Mary Katherine Johnson, CXO (chief experience officer), of Planet Wealth, sits down with NREIA’s Rebecca McLean to unpack how the JOBS Act and Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) opened a new lane for everyday investors and community focused entrepreneurs to fund real estate; legally, transparently, and at scale. Mary says this episode is a practical roadmap for raising community-first capital and doing deals that actually move neighborhoods forward. “Rebecca traces National REIA’s 40-year mission to promote, protect, and educate the industry, including advocacy that helped unlock today’s crowdfunding rules. They dig into…

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), home prices rose 0.4% in October, 2025.  In addition, prices were up 1.7% from October 2024 to October 2025.  The FHFA HPI is the nation’s only collection of public, freely available house price indexes that measure changes in single-family home values based on data from all 50 states and over 400 American cities that extend back to the mid-1970s. Click here to read the full report at the FHFA.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment changed little in December, 2025 and has shown little net change since April.  December’s unemployment rate came in at 4.4%.  In addition, the report says employment continued to trend up in food services and drinking places, health care, and social assistance while retail trade lost jobs. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. government is reporting that privately‐owned housing starts in October, 2025 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,246,000, which is 4.6% lower than September’s revised number and is 7.8% lower than one year ago.  October’s rate for buildings with five units or more was 481k.  Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,412,000, which is 0.2% below than September’s revised number and is 1.1% lower than one year ago.  Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 481k in October.…