The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis in September. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.7% before seasonal adjustment. The index for gasoline rose 9.1% in September, accounting for over half of the monthly all items increase and the shelter index rose 0.4.%. Click here to read the full release at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Author: Brad Beckett
Brad Beckett
Director of Education & Outreach, National Real Estate Investors Association
According to the latest ICE Mortgage Monitor, foreclosure activity continues to trend higher as the recent rise in serious delinquencies progresses down the foreclosure pipeline. Lenders initiated 37,300 foreclosures in August, down 6% from July and down 14% from June’s six-year high, though still up 29% year over year. The national delinquency rate rose 14 basis points to 3.53% in August, reversing nearly all of July’s 16-basis-point decline. They say the rise in August mortgage delinquencies was largely calendar (not credit) related, with the growth of serious delinquencies and foreclosures beginning to slow in recent months. Click here to read the…
The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing home sales increased 1.5% in September, 2026 to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 3.99 million. Total housing inventory at the end of September was 1.60 million units, up 1.9% from August and up 4.6% from one year ago. Unsold inventory sits at a 4.8-month supply at the current sales rate. The median existing-home price for all housing types in September was $417,500 – the 39th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases. The NAR says inventory has improved: “Higher inventory and lengthening days on market give buyers improved negotiating power. Home sellers…
According to the latest Yardi Matrix Multifamily Report, average multifamily advertised rents dropped $1 to $1,775 in September, with year-over-year growth increasing 0.7%. Yardi says the national occupancy has risen 50 basis points since January, which they say is a sign that new units in the lease-up phase are getting filled. Although multifamily advertised rents fell slightly in September, third-quarter performance is showing signs of improvement. Matrix’s monthly multifamily national report contains a new measure of occupancy, which has risen in recent months as new deliveries increasingly get filled. Click here to read the full report at Yardi.
Back in early 2016 we ran a post about saying that by the end of 2016 over half of Americans will have some smart home technology in place. Fast forward 10 years and Statista says that only 20% does not have any smart home devices present…..As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! “In recent years, the United States has witnessed a significant increase in the adoption of smart home devices, marking a major shift in the way Americans interact with their living spaces.” Hat tip to Statista.
Each month we post the existing home sales data from the National Association of Realtors. With that in mind, a recent “chart of the day” from HousingWire gives us a snapshot of existing home sales going all the way back to January,1965….for all of you late-night data-crunchers out there.
According to ATTOM’s latest home flipping report, there were 77,991 single-family homes and condominiums flipped in the second quarter of 2026, accounting for 6.2% of all home sales. In addition, ATTOM says the typical profit margin for a home flipped in Q2 2026 was 21.5%, down from 25.7% in Q1 and 27.6% at the same time last year. “Flippers are still making money in most markets, but the typical return continues to narrow…The second-quarter numbers continue the general downward trend in profit margins and gross profits we have seen over the past two years.” Said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. …
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 29k jobs in September, 2026. September’s unemployment rate came in at 4.2%, with 7.1 million people unemployed. The BLS noted that the unemployment rate has remained in a narrow range of 4.1% to 4.3% since March. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Tax Foundation says wireless service prices have fallen significantly over the past two decades, but rising government taxes and fees have offset some of those savings. In fact, in 2026 a typical four-phone household paying $100 monthly will pay about $345 annually in wireless taxes and surcharges, up from $330 in 2025. They say taxes now equal 28.8% of wireless bills, up from 16.2%, driven largely by higher Universal Service Fund and state/local taxes. Indeed…how much are the wireless taxes in your state? Take a look at the interactive chart below. “There are nearly 600 million wireless subscriber connections…
The latest S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has reported a 1.9% annual increase for July, 2026. Their 10-City Composite posted 3.4% increase year-over-year and their 20-City Composite posted a 2.5% year-over-year increase. They say for the 14th consecutive month, U.S. home values fell in real terms, as July’s 3.4% inflation rate ran roughly 1.5 percentage points above the 1.9% home price gain. “While home prices continued to decline in real terms in July 2026, marking the 14th consecutive month of real declines, slightly lower inflation and stronger nominal home price appreciation helped narrow the gap.” Said…
