Real estate

Real estate

Buyers in many areas have more options than they did during the pandemic-era frenzy, with inventory rebounding from historic lows and competition easing. At the same time, home prices remain high and renovation costs are elevated. With more homes available but at higher price points, the real question for buyers is: Do you buy a fixer-upper that needs work, or pay more for a move-in ready, turnkey home and skip the projects?

A house that sold for $4.5 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Saratoga in the past week. In total, six residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $3.2 million. The average price per square foot was $1,300. The prices in the list below include real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Dec. 29 even if the property may have been sold earlier.

Residents of One Hyde Park - which in the past included celebs like Kylie Minogue and various billionaire tycoons - have won a decade-long court case over piping issues that cost 35 million. However, it may take years for the issues to be fully resolved, which could mean more construction work and disruption to come. According to building experts who weighed in on the case, the building work is highly complex and focuses on faulty soldered joints and butterfly valves in the buildings.

A house that sold for $6.9 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Los Gatos in the past week. In total, nine residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2.7 million, or $1,202 per square foot. The prices in the list below include real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Dec. 29 even if the property may have been sold earlier.

ATTOM's report said Q4 2025 marked the lowest share of equity-rich properties since late 2021 while emphasizing that overall equity levels continue to compare favorably with historical benchmarks. In early 2020, only about one-quarter of mortgaged homes were considered equity rich. After years of rapid gains, homeowner equity is settling into a more sustainable range, and that's not a negative sign for the market, said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM.

"I'd been looking for probably six months," he tells AD. "There are not many unique options in Western New York. A lot of it is very cookie-cutter, traditional prefab homes." Then, while touring potential properties with his friend, interior designer Caryn Dujanovich, Milano got a call: an off-market tip-and a directive to drop everything and get over here now. The duo complied and were among the first to see a 3,700-square-foot, midcentury-modern-inspired hideaway surrounded by dense forest.

It had everything we wanted as twentysomethings in the city - convenience, charm, great views. Over time, however, our needs have changed, and it's no longer the right fit for us. The only problem? We bought it shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when rates had plummeted to historic lows. In fact, we locked in a 2.75% mortgage rate - so now we feel trapped in a house that no longer checks all our boxes.

Original, or first-participation, HMBS production totaled $382 million in January, $90 million more than December's $292 million and $49 million above November's $333 million, but $24 million below January 2025. Tail issuance totaled $179 million, down from $189 million in December. The 72 pools included 23 original pools, 46 tail pools, and three mixed pools. January also saw 21 pools with aggregate sizes under $1 million, totaling $12.1 million in unpaid principal balance (UPB), enabled by a Ginnie Mae rule allowing small pools.

A 57-year-old woman and her 68-year-old husband were doing everything right by conventional standards - investing 35% of their take-home pay into retirement accounts. But this aggressive retirement strategy created an unexpected problem: they couldn't save enough for a down payment on their first home. On a January 2026 episode of The Dave Ramsey Show, the couple received counterintuitive advice that challenged standard financial wisdom.

The relatively flat trajectory for rates reflects the market's belief that the federal funds rate won't change anytime soon. Federal Reserve policymakers didn't offer any surprises last week when they ended their rate-cutting cycle by holding the policy rate at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. And the CME Group's Fed Watch tool showed that the next rate cut isn't likely to materialize until June or July.

High profile real estate agent brothers Tal Alexander, Alon Alexander and Oren Alexander stand before Judge Valerie E. Caproni during jury selection at their federal sex trafficking trial in New York City, U.S. January 20, 2026 in a courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Much to the chagrin of their defense attorneys, accused sex traffickers, former real estate brokers and brothers Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander appeared in the U.S. Justice Department's most recent release of Epstein files this past weekend.

The Tech100 Mortgage Award recognizes the most innovative and influential organizations shaping the future of mortgage lending. Tech100 highlights companies delivering technology that meaningfully improves how mortgages are originated, processed, closed, and serviced driving greater efficiency, transparency, and confidence across the housing ecosystem. Now in its 14th year, the Tech100 program has become a trusted and vetted list for mortgage professionals seeking proven technology partners.

A leader in introducing new dairy techniques to Dartmouth, the Gulf Hill Dairy Farm dates started 1896 with a herd of about 50 cows and brought milk into New Bedford by horse-drawn wagons, according to the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Gulf Hill continued as a leader in the area's dairy industry through World War II and beyond, when the industry became more industrialized.

Interoperability is something the title industry needs now more than ever. Our clients consistently tell us that being able to work with the banks, the underwriters and the technology providers they trust most often on a file-by-file basis is critical to their success, he said. That usually means something different from business to business, market to market and order to order. One firm may need one combination of technologies and underwriters for their needs, while the next may want a completely different blend.

“fireball burning everything in its path”

Cedar Street just came out victorious in a multi-year saga with the city of La Canada Flintridge, winning the first successful builder's remedy case in California Superior Court for its 80-unit mixed-use project at 600 Foothill Boulevard and setting a path for other developers to build. But the fight may have left its scars, in time, stress and now soured relationships with some officials.

For years, analysts have held out hope that the aging Baby Boomer generation would trigger the "Silver Tsunami" - a massive wave of homes unlocked and returned to the open for sale market. However, in 2025, inherited homes reached a record 7% of all U.S. property transfers. Inheritance has always played a role in the real estate economy, and recently that role has grown.

By February 2025, the homeowner listed the property above for sale at $519,000. After 4 subsequent price cuts and a brief delisting, the home finally sold in December 2025 for $455,000-or -19.5% below its 2023 sales price. While that's certainly a material home price correction from its Pandemic Housing Boom peak, we should note that the December 2025 sales price ($455K) was still +38.7% above the $328,000 price the same property fetched in 2017.

Our top KW-affiliated agents tell me continually that real estate has always been a relationship business. What's changed is where those relationships are formed, nurtured and reinforced. Today, social media is one of the most powerful relationship platforms for building and sustaining relationships in real estate. But despite constant platform changes, algorithm updates and new tools, the agents and businesses seeing real growth aren't chasing shortcuts. They're building trust through each connection, which leads to scale.

Despite its proximity to one of London's busiest tourist attractions, its back street location is remarkably quiet and peaceful. Leading off Stafford Place, it was originally, and unsurprisingly, called Stafford Mews, as it was built as stabling for houses on Buckingham Gate, facing the palace. Constructed around 1860, the stables were simple two-storey houses, built initially with stables at the ground and accommodation above.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority filed a lawsuit in 2022 whereby it sought to seize ownership of the property, which occupies a prime spot near the anticipated entrance to BART's planned Downtown San Jose station. VTA at the time stated it required the property to build key components of a BART station planned for the corner of Santa Clara Street and First Street.

"When I think about the best cities for young adults, I start with what recent high school and college grads actually value: access to jobs, reasonable housing costs, walkable or active social scenes, and the ability to build independence without being financially stretched from day one," says Danielle Andrews, realtor with Realty One Group Next Generation. But where exactly are these young person-friendly spots?

when "off-market" listings transition from a niche luxury service to a default industry standard, the primary beneficiaries are large brokerages rather than the consumers.

While houseboat dwellers spend significantly less on monthly bills, upfront costs and regular maintenance have to be factored in