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.
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.
Why the American Dream is Getting Priced Out — and What Might Actually Fix It
If you’re a homeowner, or hope to be one, you’re likely feeling the pinch of rising home prices and shrinking inventory. But according to Colin Allen, Executive Director of the American Property Owners Alliance, there’s a very clear reason behind this mess: supply.
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.
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.
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: