Affordability issues can be found across goods and services, and Americans have been hit especially hard with rising housing prices in recent years. According to the Urban Institute, the average sales price for a home is $486,000 in the U.S., while the average monthly rent is $1,890. But the real story behind those numbers depends on where
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Co-ownership of property is not a novel concept, and it is becoming more common among younger generations facing an uphill struggle to get onto the property ladder in the first place, according to a 2024 Bankrate survey cited by NPR. This is likely due in large part to house prices regularly setting records and incomes failing to
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There are many ways to create generational wealth, and real estate is among the most established ways families have built it. Urban Institute research has tied homeownership to financial security, with property making up an important part of household wealth for many families. And the amount set to move between generations is enormous, with Cerulli
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Gone are the days when sellers could list a home and sit back as buyers started bidding wars. Today’s buyers have more choices, tighter budgets, and less patience for overpriced homes, needed repairs, or unfavorable terms. HomeLight’s latest Top Agent Insights report asked top-rated real estate agents nationwide what housing market changes they think sellers are
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Small cities are gaining popularity as renters realize their budget can go further there. With lower rents than major metros, small cities boast a more favorable rent-to-income ratio for many renters. Yet, with thousands of these cities across the country, it can be tough to narrow them down. New Apartments.com data shows the 10 small
Continue ReadingWhen it comes to homeownership, baby boomers are the generation that won, so to speak. They bought homes when prices were a fraction of what they are today, watched their equity climb for decades, and now hold roughly half of all the home equity in the country. If any generation should feel like homeownership delivered on
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In rental real estate, “landlord-friendly” is not an official legal category. It is a shorthand investors often use for states where rental housing rules are predictable, rent setting is less restricted, and property owners have clearer pathways to handle lease violations, nonpayment, and turnover. That does not mean these states are free of regulation. Landlords
Continue ReadingBorrowers shopping for a 30-year fixed mortgage in the fall of 1981 saw rates peak at 18.63% in the week of Oct. 9. That still stands as the record in Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of mortgage rates, which began in 1971. On Oct. 1, 2026, the average stood at 7.28%. That looks mild next to
Continue ReadingA rising home value can mean two very different things on the same street. For an established homeowner, it can add to a financial cushion. For a renter hoping to buy, it can move the starting line further away. Griffin Funding ranked Cotality’s published state equity-gain data for the period from Q1 2020 to Q2
Continue ReadingThe debate over digital versus human customer service has produced no shortage of hot takes. Technology evangelists proclaim the end of the call center. Traditionalists warn against losing the personal touch. But both perspectives miss the more important truth emerging from actual customer behavior. New survey data in the 2026 Resident Experience Management Report from
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