Real Estate From The Trenches

Why Energy-Efficient Homes Still Don’t Get the Credit They Deserve

October 8, 2025

Energy Efficient homes dont get the credit they deserve

The market seems to be pushing for sustainability, but the system still hasn’t caught up. That disconnect is creating real issues for buyers, sellers, and agents.

According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Residential Sustainability Report, nearly half of the agents surveyed said they’ve worked with a green-featured home in the past year. Yet, 73% aren’t even sure whether local appraisers know how to value those features properly. If solar panels, high-efficiency systems, or smart home upgrades don’t show up in the valuation, the seller doesn’t benefit and the buyer may not realize what they’re getting.

Inflation Expectations Rise While Job Confidence Slips, Housing Holds Steady

October 7, 2025

There’s a growing disconnect between how consumers feel about inflation and how they feel about the job market, and it matters whether you’re a homeowner, investor, or a real estate agent trying to read the room. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest consumer expectations survey for September 2025, Americans are bracing for higher short-term inflation while confidence in job security continues to slide.

Inflation expectations ticked up to 3.4 percent over the next year, up from 3.2 percent in August, and even five-year expectations inched higher. That’s a sign that consumers aren’t fully buying into the idea that inflation is under control. Interestingly, the largest jump in short-term inflation expectations came from households earning under $50,000 and those with no more than a high school education. These are the same households most exposed to rising prices, and often the ones fueling demand in the rental market.

What Uber, Amazon, and Zillow All Have in Common (and Why It Should Worry Real Estate Agents)

September 16, 2025

Corporate squeeze on agents real estate commission

There’s a familiar pattern playing out across industries right now, and real estate agents are right in the thick of it, whether we realize it or not.

The research on Amazon and Uber’s fee evolution is eye-opening. Both platforms started by offering their users, sellers and drivers, low-cost access and the promise of big opportunities. Amazon took less than 10% from sellers back in 2006. Uber’s original commission rate was a flat 20%. Fast forward to 2025, and Amazon is taking roughly 45% of third-party sellers’ revenue. Uber drivers are seeing 30 to 40% of their fares siphoned off in fees.

Nevada, Florida, and South Carolina Lead Nation in Foreclosure Rates

September 12, 2025

U.S. Foreclosures Jump 18% in August, Sixth Straight Monthly Gain Foreclosure Completions Surge 41% as High Costs Squeeze Homeowners Nevada, Florida, and South Carolina Lead Nation in Foreclosure Rates

Foreclosure Activity Rises Again in August

Foreclosures ticked higher for the sixth straight month in August, according to ATTOM’s latest U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. Nearly 35,700 properties had a filing last month — up 18% from a year ago — even though filings dipped 1% from July.

Not a Crash, Not a Boom — Just a Market That’s Stuck

September 9, 2025

The national housing market is getting more complicated, not less. After nearly two years of steady inventory gains, many buyers and sellers expected more balance heading into fall — maybe even a little momentum. But what’s actually happening is more nuanced, and more telling: sellers are quietly backing off.

Delistings — homes pulled off the market without a sale — surged 57% year-over-year. In plain terms, a growing number of homeowners are giving up midstream. They’re not just lowering prices or sitting tight — they’re removing listings altogether, often because offers aren’t coming in, or the ones that do aren’t even close to expectations. In some metros, like Miami and Phoenix, more than one in every three or four listings is now ending in a delisting.

Split Market: Why Home Prices Are Rising in Some Cities but Falling in Others

August 18, 2025

Why Home Prices Are Rising in Some Cities but Dropping in Others

Depending on where you live, the housing market might feel hot, cold, or somewhere in between—and that’s not your imagination. According to Zillow’s latest data, home values are now rising in about half of the country’s major metros and falling in the other half. What’s behind this split? Mostly, it’s a mix of affordability, supply, and the ability—or inability—to build.

June Housing Trends Show More Listings, But Sellers Aren’t Backing Down

July 25, 2025

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.

When Sellers Become Landlords: A Shift That’s Reshaping Sunbelt Real Estate

July 3, 2025

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.

New Home Sales Fall Hard, But Tax Breaks Could Heat Things Back Up

July 3, 2025

New Home Construction Sinks, Office Conversions on the rise

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.

Home Prices Hit Historic High—Why 78% of America’s Counties Are Now Unaffordable

June 26, 2025

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%.