Among the nation’s 50 largest metro areas, the Minneapolis, Buffalo, and Seattle housing markets had the most inventory growth in 2026. In all three of these markets, the number of active real estate listings rose by more than 25% over the past year—well above the national average of 3.6%. While these three housing markets remain […]
Top 10 Housing Markets Where Sellers Are Slashing Their Prices
According to a new report from Realtor.com, 20.4% of real estate listings nationwide had at least one price reduction during the month of August. Price reductions occur when a seller comes onto the market at one price but later reduces it, usually due to a lack of offers or buyer interest. Among the nation’s major […]
Home Prices Expected to Rise Modestly From 2026 to 2027
The general consensus among some housing analysts and researchers is that U.S. home prices will rise modestly during 2026, possibly by around 1%. Expert estimates for annual price growth during 2026 range from 0.7% to 1.2%. Realtor.com made a more bullish prediction that prices would rise 4% in 2026, but that’s the outlier. Most forecasters […]
How Can We Tell If the Housing Market Is Going to Crash?
Not every housing market slowdown is a crash. A true housing market crash involves more than falling sales or slower price growth. It includes major price declines, steady inventory growth, and wary buyers. Which begs the question: how do we know if a crash is coming? Five Things to Know About This Topic What Is a Housing […]
What Causes Home Prices to Rise? 7 Key Factors That Push Them Higher
“What causes home prices to go up over time?” It’s one of the most common questions among home buyers and homeowners alike. Here’s the short answer: home prices tend to rise when the demand for housing outpaces the available supply, leading to offers above the asking price and similar trends. That basic imbalance is behind […]
Why Entire Neighborhoods Are Being Built for Rent Instead of Sale
You drive past a brand-new neighborhood in town that looks like a typical for-sale subdivision. But then you notice something different. Instead of a model home and a sales office, there’s a leasing center. The entire neighborhood is for rent. You’ve just witnessed a growing trend. In many parts of the country (especially fast-growing Sun Belt markets), […]
How Institutional Investors Changed the Starter-Home Market
Over the past 15 years, the U.S. housing market has undergone a fundamental shift. Single-family homes, which were once the exclusive domain of individual homeowners, have become a formalized asset class for large-scale investment. While institutional investors only own about 3% of the nation’s single-family rental stock, their impact is disproportionately felt in specific high-growth markets. By […]
Why Entry-Level Starter Homes Are Harder to Find in 2026
This report examines the dramatic decline of entry-level housing in America—from 40% of new construction in the 1980s to just 7% today. You’ll learn what caused this shift, how it’s changing the path to homeownership, and what it means for first-time buyers and the broader housing market. Five Things to Know About This Trend Starter […]
Why Home Insurance Premiums in the U.S. Are Still Rising in 2026
Home insurance premiums have quietly become one of the biggest obstacles to housing affordability in America. After years of steady increases, insurance now accounts for 9% of the typical homeowner’s monthly payment—the highest share on record. And with premiums projected to rise another 8% in both 2026 and 2027, the crisis is far from over. […]
The Algorithmic Housing Market: How Data Models Influence Home Prices
For decades, individual home prices were estimated using a mix of comparable sales, local market knowledge, and human judgment. That process still exists—but it’s no longer the whole story. Today, housing prices are increasingly influenced by data models and algorithms. Automated valuation tools, investor pricing models, and listing platform software are shaping how homes are […]