Author: Brad Beckett

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that pending home sales were up 1.8% in February and down 0.8% year over year.  The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings) came in at 72.1 in February.  They say improved affordability conditions may have driven the slight gain: “The slight gain in pending contracts appears to be driven by improved affordability conditions. However, those conditions could reverse if higher oil prices lead to an uptick in mortgage rates…”  Said the NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun. Click here to read the full report at the NAR.

Today, March 20th, is the first day of Spring!  That means now is a good time to start thinking about your property’s landscaping.  Whether it’s a rental or a new flip, a good-looking lawn will always add value and improve curb appeal!  The folks over at The Home Depot put together this handy infographic with some Spring fertilization tips to help make your lawn look great…..As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Did you know….Members of National REIA can receive a 2% biannual rebate, 20% off interior & exterior paints & primers, volume pricing, access to an exclusive…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced a new proposed rule to provide all public housing authorities (PHAs) and Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA) owners flexibility to implement work requirements and time limits for non-elderly, non-disabled work-capable adults in HUD-funded housing. The proposed rule will allow for the following: Given the success of MTW PHAs in implementing work requirements, time limits, or both, HUD’s proposed rule gives direct flexibility to all PHAs and Owners to implement a work requirement of up to 40 hours per week and/or time limits of two years or more for non-disabled, non-elderly…

PetScreening recently released their 2026 State of Pets in Rental Housing Report, examining pet-related trends in the rental housing industry. The report is based on responses from 673 property managers and leasing professionals across multifamily and single-family housing. While 71% of U.S. households own a pet, only 43% of renters report having one, highlighting a gap the report seeks to explain.  Interestingly, the report also suggests that the difference between national pet ownership rates and reported renter pet ownership may be partly due to unreported or unauthorized pets in rental properties. The findings show that 81% of housing operators have…

According to the latest Yardi Matrix Multifamily Report, multifamily rents remained flat in February, 2026 with the average U.S. advertised coming in at $1,740 and year-over-year rent growth came in at 0.1%.  They say February is usually a slow month, but the signals do not point to a strong bump in rents in the spring.  In addition, they say that multifamily market is anticipating another year of slow growth. The economic backdrop presents more challenges to demand. Job growth has been underwhelming. The economy shed 92,000 jobs in February after weak gains in 2025. Escalating geopolitical tensions—including the military action…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis in February.  Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.4% before seasonal adjustment.  The index for shelter rose 0.2% in February and was the largest factor in the all items monthly increase. Click here to read the full release at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to Cotality’s (formerly CoreLogic) latest Loan Performance Indicators report, in December 2025, the share of mortgages in some stage of delinquency (30 or more days past due, including foreclosures) was 3.2%, which was unchanged from 2024.  However, in December 2025, 184 out of 384 U.S. metropolitan areas posted an annual increase in their overall delinquency rate. “Delinquency activity ended 2025 on a remarkably even footing, with the national rate showing very little directional movement over the past several months…What stands out this quarter are the differences emerging at the local level. While the national picture appears calm, nearly half…

The U.S. government is reporting that privately‐owned housing starts in January, 2026 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,487,000, which is 7.2% higher than December’s revised number and is 9.5% higher than one year ago.  January’s rate for buildings with five units or more was 524k.  Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,376,000, which is 5.4% below than December’s revised number and is 5.8% lower than one year ago.  Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 453k in January.Click…

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing home sales were up 1.7% in February, 2026 to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million.  Total housing inventory at the end of February was 1.29 million units, up 2.4% from January and up 4.9% from one year ago.  Unsold inventory sits at a 3.8-month supply at the current sales rate.  The median existing-home price for all housing types in February was $398k – the 32nd consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.  The NAR says inventory growth remains sluggish: “Inventory is growing, but sluggishly…If demand picks up notably in the coming…

In mid-March, the U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a vote of 89-10.  According to Yahoo!news (and various news outlets), the bill contains more than three dozen provisions aimed at spurring new home and apartment construction by easing zoning, increasing the supply of modular and manufactured homes and banning institutional investors. In addition, the bill regulates corporate investors and expands how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. National REIA’s President Anish Dave and Executive Director Rebecca McLean weighed-in on the legislation during committee hearings via a prepared statement.   Below are…