Pending Home Sales Sink to 5-Month Low As Mortgage Rates Rise
The number of homes going under contract fell 3.7% week over week nationwide—the steepest decline since 2022—as would-be buyers pressed pause amid high mortgage rates. New listings ticked up. Leading indicators Indicators of homebuying demand and activity Value (if applicable) Recent change Year-over-year change Source Daily average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 6.82% (Aug. 3) Near highest level in over a year Up from 6.5...
The Income Needed to Afford Typical American Home Holds Steady Near Record High of $110,000
Homebuying affordability is essentially flat from a year ago because monthly housing costs are increasing—and incomes are increasing at a similar rate: The median U.S. home sale price rose 2.2% year over year in June, and the average mortgage rate came down slightly but was still elevated in the mid-6% range. The median household income was an estimated $87,599, up 4% year over year. The income required to afford a home soared in 2022 and 2023: Home prices skyrocketed amid the pand...
What Renters Want From Landlords: Trust, Transparency, and Better Communication
Study Finds Renters are Prioritizing Trust Over Price In a competitive rental market, tenants are increasingly selective, not just about properties, but about landlords themselves. From poor communication to hidden fees, certain warning signs can quickly turn renters away from a lease. We surveyed over 900 American renters to find out what their biggest landlord red flags are in 2026, along with their rental preferences, past histories with landlords, and what landlords could do to earn their ...
Market Costing - July Housing Report
The housing market is settling into its expected summer slowdown, with sellers increasingly adjusting prices while buyer demand continues to hold up, according to the Realtor.com® July 2026 Monthly Housing Trends Report released today. The national median list price was $428,950 in July, essentially unchanged from June but down 2.4% from a year ago — the ninth consecutive month of annual price declines. At the same time, the share of listings with a price reduction rose to 20.0%, just 0.6 pe...
Negotiating Tip 44: The Fall Back Plan
It’s been said that the three keys to successful negotiating are preparation, preparation and preparation. Those that tinker and struggle at negotiations tend to take stabs at getting a good deal without building a strategy up front. Good negotiators prepare in advance and have a 'fall back plan' that often provides that win-win result that others never enjoy. Don't get to a spot in negotiating where you just have to take a deal. Unrealistic expectations are the downfall of too many when bar...
Homebuying Demand Slows As Mortgage Rates Hit Highest Level in a Year
U.S. pending home sales fell to their lowest level since early April during the four weeks ending July 26, dropping 1.7% in the last week alone. That’s according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. Tours of home listings are up 15% since the start of the year, compared with a 31% increase at this time last year, according to data from ShowingTime. Homebuying demand is declining partly because mortgage rates are rising: The daily average rate rose to 6.85...
Why Embedding Sustainability from Day One is Transformational in Hospitality and Residential Development
In hospitality and residential development, sustainability is most effective when it’s not treated as an add-on feature but as a foundational design principle established at the very beginning of a project. When sustainability is integrated from day one, it influences architecture, infrastructure, operations, and the guest experience in a way that is cohesive and cost-effective. By contrast, when it is introduced after core design decisions have been made, it often becomes expensive, visually ...
Negotiating Tip 43: The Forgotten Trade-Off
This technique always works. Always! Time to Trade-Off I agree with all the good negotiators who believe that there is no more effective tactic than the Trade-0ff. You know, that's the technique where you tie your concession to receiving one back from your opponent. It's the "I'll do ____ for you if you'll do _____ for me." The benefits of the Trade-Off are many, but I'll highlight just two. First: demanding something in return adds value and worth to any concession we might make. Second: ...
Pros and Cons of a Virtual Assistant
If you’re ready for your first assistant, or maybe your fifth, have you considered the pros and cons of a Virtual Assistant? There are clear advantages and disadvantages to both. Let’s take a look at what they are! Have you ever sat down and thought about which of your admin tasks have to be done locally versus being able to be done remotely? Fortunately, the vast majority of processes and tasks that need to be done can be done from anywhere in the world. Pretty much anything you can think ...