Author: Brad Beckett

Realtor.com says that In June 2026, U.S. median rent recorded its 35th consecutive year-over-year decline. Rent for 0-2 bedroom properties across the 50 largest metropolitan areas dropped by 1.5% compared to the previous year, with the median asking rent at $1,692—$25 lower than the prior year.  They say while the median asking rent remains $238 (16.4%) above pre-pandemic levels recorded in June 2019, it has fallen $72 (-4.1%) from its August 2022 peak. This persistent softness is increasingly translating into real savings for renters navigating a market that once felt out of reach. Some key points: June 2026 marks the…

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), home prices rose 0.3% in May, 2026 and were up 2.2% year-over-year.  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.

Redfin says home prices are surging in several affordable college towns, far outpacing the national market. According to the report, prices in cities such as Morgantown, WV, Syracuse, NY, and Tuscaloosa, AL, are posting double-digit annual gains – more than five times the 2% nationwide increase in May 2026. State College, PA, also stands out, with median prices up 10.6% to $459,050 and homes selling in just five days – which Redfin says highlights strong demand in university-centered housing markets.  Interestingly, the most expensive college towns- Santa Barbara, CA, Boca Raton, FL and Flagstaff, AZ are seeing home prices fall.…

The latest S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has reported a 1.1% annual increase for May, 2026.  Their 10-City Composite posted 2.4% increase year-over-year and their 20-City Composite posted a 1.6% year-over-year increase.  They say for the 12th consecutive month, U.S. home values fell in real terms, as May’s 4.2% inflation ran roughly 3 percentage points above the 1.1% home price gain. ““The geographic dispersion of home price trends continues to persist…While major metropolitan areas in the Northeast and Midwest recorded year-over-year gains exceeding the national average, many metropolitan areas in the West and Sunbelt regions remain…

The U.S. government is reporting that the national vacancy rates for Q2 2026 were 7.3% for rental housing and 1.2% for homeowner housing.  The national homeownership rate for Q2 2026 was 65%.  In addition, approximately 89.5% of the housing units in the United States in Q2 were occupied and 10.5% were vacant. Owner-occupied housing units made up 58.2% of total housing units, while renter-occupied units made up 31.3% of the inventory.  Vacant year-round units comprised 8.2% of total housing units, while 2.3% were vacant for seasonal use.  All of these numbers were pretty close to previous quarters. Click here to…

Realtor.com says although short sales remain relatively rare, they’ve been gradually creeping up as underwater homeowners seek ways to avoid foreclosure, with a handful of mid-priced markets seeing the highest concentration of these deals.  Today’s infographic takes a look at short sale top 10 hot spots across the nation.  As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! “Although short sales make up a minuscule share of the national housing market, 10 midsized and midpriced U.S. markets stand out for having the highest concentration of short-sale listings.” Click here to read the full report at Realtor.com.

A recent report from Redfin found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of U.S. homeowners would rather be at home than anywhere else.  Their recent survey of 4k U.S. resident (2,280 homeowners & 1,431 renters) asked how Americans feel about their homes and their neighborhoods.  Redfin says homeowners were about as likely to agree that their home is a reflection of who they are (74%), and that they feel a sense of belonging in their neighborhood (72%).  Indeed…take a look: Click here to read the full report at Redfin.

We love hearing it….and it doesn’t get old;  Citing recent data from Gallup, Keeping Current Matters is reporting that more Americans prefer real estate over other long-term investment vehicles for growing wealth – for the 14th year in a row!  Overall, when the numbers are broken down, the numbers show that 38% prefer real estate, 20% prefer stocks & bonds, 18% prefer gold, 12% prefer CDs/bank accounts, 4% prefer bonds, 2% prefer crypto and 6% said other. “Think about everything that’s happened in that stretch – rising rates, market swings, election years, you name it. Through all of it, Americans…

On a recent episode of Real Estate News for Investors, Kathy Fettke says AI is creating new opportunities in real estate, but it’s also creating new risks. She breaks down a recent report that shows deepfake fraud and seller impersonation are becoming growing threats in mortgage transactions, and what every real estate investor should do to protect themselves at closing. Click here to listen

Regular readers will know that we cover foreclosure activity on here quite a bit.  Citing data from ATTOM, a recent Daily Download from HousingWire listed out 18 years’ worth (2008-2026) of first-half foreclosure data.