Welcome to real estate insights born from many years “in the trenches.” This site cuts through the theory to deliver down-to-earth, field-tested advice for homeowners, buyers, and industry pros—covering everything from buying and selling to investing and development. It’s all practical knowledge for making smarter property decisions.
Think the American housing market is a mess? Try buying a home in Europe.
In a recent Business Insider article, James Rodriguez recapped real estate executive Brian Boero’s frustrating experience buying a second home in Italy, a process that felt like, in Boero’s words, “feeling around in the dark.” No reliable listing portal, no pricing consistency, and no central database. Just window shopping (literally) and chasing down agents who may or may not know what’s actually for sale.
In the second quarter of 2025, household debt across the U.S. soared to an eye-opening $18.39 trillion—up by $185 billion in just three months. What’s driving this surge? A couple of key areas stand out, and homeowners and buyers alike should take notice.
Mortgages led the charge, climbing by $131 billion, pushing total mortgage debt to a hefty $12.94 trillion. Interestingly, despite rising rates and affordability challenges, new mortgage originations ticked slightly upward, signaling that buyer demand remains resilient.
Right now, mortgage debt across the U.S. is climbing, with homeowners owing a total of almost $13 trillion by mid-2025. While that might sound concerning, the reality is that today’s lending standards are far stricter compared to the shaky practices that led to the housing crisis in 2008.
Over half of this mortgage debt is backed by government-sponsored loans, primarily through agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, making them safer bets. However, loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) account for nearly one-fifth of all mortgages. These FHA loans, popular with first-time buyers because of lower down payment requirements, have shown significantly higher delinquency rates. In fact, FHA loans alone make up nearly 40% of all overdue payments, despite representing just 12% of total mortgage balances.
Zillow vs. CoStar: Why This Battle Over Photos Matters to You
A major copyright lawsuit filed this week by CoStar against Zillow might sound like a corporate turf war—and on the surface, that’s exactly what it is. But behind the headlines, this one hits closer to home for agents, landlords, and property owners than most people realize.
Buyers Are Getting the Edge—but Sellers Aren’t Giving In Just Yet
According to the Realtor.com June 2025 Monthly Housing Trends Report, buyers have more to look at this summer than they’ve had in years. Active inventory is up 28.9% from a year ago, marking the 20th straight month of gains and the second month in a row with over 1 million listings on the market. The report calls this a “new post-pandemic high”—but inventory is still 12.9% below pre-COVID levels, so it’s not exactly a buyer’s market yet.
Buried in Zillow’s opposition to a preliminary injunction was a candid acknowledgment of how their platform actually works — and where its limits lie.
But perhaps the most telling statement from Zillow’s filing is this:
When the “For Sale” Sign Becomes a “For Rent” Sign
A new report from Parcl Labs lays out a trend that some of us on the ground have seen firsthand: a growing number of “accidental landlords” popping up in markets where the big investors are most entrenched—and pulling back.
The real estate market just got a fresh dose of both reality and opportunity, according to a new June 2025 analysis from Chandan Economics. Their latest report flags two key developments that should be on every agent’s, investor’s, and savvy homeowner’s radar: a clear housing market slowdown and major pro-real estate wins tucked into federal tax legislation.
First, the red flag: new home sales in May dropped 13.7% from the month before, hitting their lowest level since October 2024. That’s not a minor blip. Inventory is rising, discounting is dragging on, and, according to Chandan, some builders are now “halting construction.” If you’re working with buyers waiting for prices to soften, or sellers expecting the frenzy of 2021-2022, this is the kind of shift that can reset expectations fast.
Here’s an update on the One Big Beautiful Bill, fresh from its tight Senate win and heading to the House.
Bottom line up front: The Senate kept almost all the real-estate perks from the original plan and added a few new benefits. If the House signs off, homeowners, landlords, sellers, investors and real estate agents will see more money in their pockets, clearer tax rules, and stronger support for affordable housing.
When it comes to housing affordability, location isn’t just important, it’s crucial. ATTOM Data Solutions’ latest U.S. Home Affordability Report reveals that in the second quarter of 2025, homeownership expenses were unaffordable for typical residents in 77.9% of counties across the country. Nationally, the median home price rose to a historic high of $369,000, requiring average earners to dedicate 33.7% of their income, well above the recommended maximum of 28%,towards housing expenses.
This increasing burden is especially pronounced in populous counties such as Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County, IL (Chicago); and Maricopa County, AZ (Phoenix), where affordability has sharply declined. The report highlights how wages have stagnated compared to rapidly rising home prices: since early 2020, the median home price in the U.S. increased by 55.7%, while average wages rose by just 26.6%.