News
Housing Notes Weekly Roundup
1+ day, 21+ hour ago (572+ words) China's housing market has shifted away from new development (primary) as buyer confidence collapsed after developer distress and unfinished presale projects; households now favor certainty over buying off-plan. Existing homes (secondary market) are gaining share, with resale activity holding near…...
Chinese Consumers Prefer Existing Housing Over New Development
2+ day, 15+ hour ago (377+ words) Time to read [6 minutes] China's housing market has shifted away from new development (primary) as buyer confidence collapsed after developer distress and unfinished presale projects; households now favor certainty over buying off-plan. Existing homes (secondary market) are gaining share, with…...
It's A Townhouse Facade: Bubbles Versus Cinder Blocks
3+ day, 17+ hour ago (605+ words) Time to read [5 minutes] The Upper East Side "Bubble House," a 1901 townhouse redesigned in 1969 with space-age oval windows and pink stucco, sold for $4. 99 M after being listed at $5. 75 M for the first time in about 50 years. The property isn't landmarked,…...
Why Restricted Marketing Undermines Market Pricing
3+ day, 17+ hour ago (344+ words) Time to read [4 minutes] Prices from private or restricted listings reflect negotiated outcomes within a limited pool, not true market value, which requires broad exposure and competition (per USPAP AO1). Limited marketing reduces buyer participation, weakens competition, and distorts price discovery,…...
FICO And Mortgages: Rent History Now Matters More Than Your Plastic
5+ day, 17+ hour ago (615+ words) Time to read [7 minutes] New models (Vantage Score 4. 0, FICO 10 T) incorporate rent payment history and trended credit data over 24 months, potentially qualifying 510 million previously excluded borrowers. Vantage Score costs 99 cents per pull versus FICO's $9. 99 and produces higher average scores, creating strong…...
The Open Listing Revolution: Why Private Rental Deals Are a Trap for Tenants and Landlords Alike
5+ day, 23+ hour ago (767+ words) Time to read [10 minutes] True open rental listings publicly disclose rent, deposits, square footage, utilities, fees, voucher eligibility, and management info'like the Lane County Homesfor Good PDF model, giving all qualified renters equal, benchmarkable access to units. As transparency regulations…...
The Whining Meant It Wasn't About The Pied-A-Terre Tax
1+ week, 2+ day ago (398+ words) Time to read [7 minutes] Mayor Mamdani's Tax Day pied--terre video, filmed in front of Ken Griffin's $238 M condo, turned a technical second-home tax into a highly personal, high-profile fight with the real estate industry. Griffin's outsized backlash and threats…...
The Homebuyer Vibe: Record 55% Say Their Finances Are Getting Worse. The Other 45% Don't Check.
1+ week, 5+ day ago (213+ words) Time to read [4 minutes] 55% say finances are worsening, driven by the cost of living and energy prices. Weak financial sentiment is dragging down homebuying intentions. In an April Gallup poll, 30% of non-homeowners expect to buy a home in the next…...
Finding Yet Another Way To Make Mortgage Rates Higher: The Fannie & Freddie IPO
1+ week, 6+ day ago (636+ words) Time to read [10 minutes] The Trump administration's 2025 push to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has stalled until at least 2027, with the GSEs $200 billion short of required capital. Taxpayers and borrowers are fortunate, for now. Privatization would raise both mortgage…...
Nothing Makes Sense! But Local Versus Macro Explains It.
2+ week, 2+ day ago (583+ words) Time to read [5 minutes] Stocks are at all-time highs while consumer sentiment is at record lows. This isn't a paradox because markets reflect future corporate profits, not how people feel day to day. There's a growing disconnect between Wall Street…...