Stacker-Real Estate

There’s a predictable cycle to the real estate market that happens every September: As the school year kicks off, family buyers pack up and head for the sidelines, leaving listed properties sitting quietly with the falling leaves. Peak summer real estate is noisy, expensive, and packed with emotional buyers overpaying for houses. For everyday retail

Deciding where to teach is important. Along with finding the right school or district, there’s the matter of finding an apartment to call home. It may seem simple at first: Look for an apartment with a manageable commute, space to unwind after the final bell, and perhaps a balcony where you can work on lesson

Tenants now shop for landlords like they’re hunting for their next property. They browse neighborhood groups, sort listings by owner rather than by management companies, and ignore listings that mention stopping by a leasing office. These renters are searching for a private landlord. Fortunately for tenants, that search offers plenty of opportunity. Nearly half of

When Kelsey Brown and her husband were searching for a house to buy in 2021, every offer they put in was above the asking price. Five years later, they’re both in their 30s with a second child on the way but aren’t sure when — or where — they’ll be able to afford to move

Twelve months ago, most states were still competing to land the next hyperscale data center. That’s no longer true. In 2026, Ohio and Illinois paused their data center tax breaks. Texas paused new data center grid connections pending a statewide audit. Virginia, home to the world’s largest data center market, imposed a new tax on data center electricity

In a single month, America’s biggest landlords cut their share of home purchases nearly in half. Firms that own more than 1,000 houses bought 2.5% of the single-family homes sold in December 2025 and 1.3% in January 2026, according to Cotality, as Congress moved to restrict institutional buying. Small investors barely flinched. Purchases by buyers

Buying a manufactured home can be a more affordable path to homeownership, and an FHA loan may make that path even more accessible. These loans, backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), are designed to help more people qualify with lower down payment requirements, flexible credit standards, and competitive interest rates. Below, Neighbors Bank explains

Sending a student off to college comes with plenty of big decisions, including one that families may not expect: Is it better to pay rent for four years, or buy a home near campus? On a monthly basis, renting is usually the less expensive option. But the monthly payment is only part of the equation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In today’s increasingly data-driven world, real estate investors are searching in earnest for every competitive edge they can exploit. If you’re an investor whose livelihood depends on reaching motivated sellers before your competitors do, identifying absentee owners is one of the most important things you can do. Absentee ownership is an often-overlooked indicator of a

AI is already becoming part of how people research financial decisions. But when it comes to getting a mortgage, consumers appear willing to let it go much further than answering questions or comparing rates. To understand how far consumers are comfortable letting AI into the mortgage process, Lower surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers about how they

Conforming mortgages accounted for nearly three-quarters of Optimal Blue’s rate-lock volume in July 2020. Six years later, they no longer make up half of it. Conforming mortgages fell below half of Optimal Blue rate-lock volume in April, the first time that had happened since at least January 2018. Conforming share was 47% in July and remained

The regional differences between cost per square foot are an important metric for any real estate agent to understand. This information helps agents properly price properties while advocating for and advising their clients. Without having the data to back their decisions, agents will find themselves losing potential sales. Some U.S. metro areas give buyers access

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Sept. 16 for the first time since 2023. For rental property investors, the bigger issue is how long borrowing costs stay elevated while rents grow slowly. A Griffin Funding scenario analysis shows how small changes in mortgage pricing can outpace years of rent growth. On a $300,000 loan,

The national vacancy rate for multifamily properties currently sits at 7.9%, while asking rents have increased by 1.3% over the past year. As renters continue to search for affordable apartments across the country, understanding where they have the most negotiating power is more important than ever. After analyzing vacancy rates, absorption rates, rent concessions, and

Rising home prices, combined with limited housing supply, have made it challenging for young adults to enter the housing market. According to a May 2026 Pew Research Center survey, nearly 9 in 10 younger Americans say it is harder for them to buy a home than it was for their parents. Nonetheless, younger buyers continue

Real estate investors must always think one step ahead of the competition. A state, metro area, or city that’s a top choice for transplants could see its popularity wane in a matter of weeks. Does that mean, however, that past is not prologue? Not necessarily. Areas with positive real estate trends that have stretched over

Home sellers across the country are facing more price-sensitive buyers. Century 21 CEO Mike Miedler recently said that about 42% of homes on the market were taking a price cut. And in June, homes sold below asking price in 38 of the 50 largest U.S. housing markets, CNBC reported. If your home isn’t attracting offers,

  What makes a great football city depends more on just the final score. So much can set the mood: crowd noise, tailgating scene, traditions, and weather conditions that only hometown fans seem emotionally prepared to endure. It’s even more complicated for renters. After all, monthly rent, ticket prices and whether getting to the stadium

  When rental owners consider how to manage a growing portfolio, the answer often comes back as a choice between two options: do it yourself, or hire a property manager. The DIY landlord path gets painted as chaotic: late-night maintenance calls, slow rent collection, the risk of something falling through the cracks. The professional property

  The best time to move is mid-September through mid-October. Movers are more available, the weather is comfortable for heavy lifting, and you are not competing with half the country for the same weekend. Most guides get there by a different route. Nearly every “best time to move” article tells you to move in January

  In the increasingly cutthroat world of real estate investing, both large and small firms are continually searching for ways to find potentially profitable deals before the competition. One answer, seemingly, has come in the form of property data APIs, or application programming interfaces. You may have heard of APIs if you listen to tech

  For millions of Americans, the home they already own has become one of their strongest financial assets. U.S. mortgage holders collectively held a record $18 trillion in home equity in the second quarter of 2026, according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s August 2026 Mortgage Monitor. Within that total, ICE classified $11.7 trillion as tappable equity,

  In states with rent control, the law limits how much a landlord can raise rent. Those legal caps typically reset every year (and vary by location), but cities and counties within the same state may still have vastly different rent control laws. Landlords who operate rental properties in areas with these laws can face

  Renters have spent the better part of two years with unusual leverage, but the data now suggests that period is coming to an end. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national rental vacancy rate was 7.3% in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 5.6% four years earlier, when competition for apartments was

  In a new survey of 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by Independent Lending, 70% said housing costs have forced them to delay or change at least one major life decision. Marriage, children, careers and even pets are being rescheduled around a purchase that keeps sliding further away. The finding lands in a market where the typical

  Affordability pressures are driving aspiring homebuyers to make significant tradeoffs on their path to purchase, according to an annual TD survey of Americans planning to buy their first home in 2026. With elevated interest rates, broader economic uncertainty, and limited inventory, first-time buyers are increasingly open to non-traditional financing and finding alternative funding sources

  The property investment market is going through a period of uncertainty, with Q1 of 2026 being the quietest period since the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic brought house sales to a halt, according to data from Redfin cited by Newsweek. The previous low point for the market in terms of investor activity, discounting

  When searching for an apartment in New York, renters know they’re going to pay a premium. New York consistently logs the highest rents in the country, and prices can range by thousands of dollars depending on where you look. From a solo three-bedroom in parts of Brooklyn and the Bronx to a small studio

  Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or have been around the real estate block before, asking the right questions during your house hunt can help you find the right type of home for your needs and avoid problems later, Ally Financial reports. Questions to ask before starting your home search 1. What is my homebuying

  Real estate investors who want to scale multi-unit real estate portfolios face two issues. Tax optimization strategies and income constraints cause them to hit a wall when they reach 3-5 properties if they don’t understand how DSCR loans and cash-flow underwriting work. However, as Griffin Funding, a mortgage and home loan lender, explains below,

  Rising home prices and housing costs have pushed some buyers to consider homes that can serve two purposes: a place to live and a source of rental income. Here, Neighbors Bank breaks down how FHA financing can make that possible in more ways than many buyers realize. FHA loans are often associated with first-time

  Property tax exemptions are a vital way for homeowners to reduce their annual tax burdens. By lowering the taxable or assessed value of a primary residence, homestead exemptions can save taxpayers significantly.  However, these relief programs vary wildly across the United States. Some states provide robust percentage-based exclusions, while others cap annual assessment increases

  For years, the common understanding in the rent vs. buy debate was that buying was “building wealth.” Renting was “throwing money away.” In 2026, that script no longer matches the numbers. Mortgage rates sit near 6.6%. The median home costs more than $400,000. And on a monthly basis, renting now costs less than buying

  American homeowners are pulling money out of their homes at the fastest first-quarter pace in years. But the way they’re doing it has reversed, which reveals how much wealth is sitting in the country’s houses and how carefully owners are choosing to reach it. In the first quarter of 2026, homeowners withdrew roughly $47

  When buying a house, you’re probably doing a walk-through and dreaming about a new life in a new space. Often, buyers are sold on a freshly painted house with brand-new appliances. But beyond cosmetics, there is critical information in property records that seasoned real estate investors appreciate. Public property records can be used to

  It’s back-to-school season, and if you just wrote a check for your kid’s off-campus rent, you may have had the thought a lot of parents have around move-in weekend: Why am I paying someone else’s mortgage when I could be paying down my own? Housing is already locked in for this school year, so

  Non-QM lending reached $239 billion in 2025, roughly 10% of all U.S. mortgage originations by dollar volume, according to a Griffin Funding analysis of Polygon Research’s loan-level HMDA data. A separate measure from Optimal Blue shows the trend continuing, with non-QM surpassing 10% of monthly rate-lock volume in July 2026. That growth continued through

  Scroll through social media or turn on the news, and you’ll see a story about a landlord being charged for negligence. You might even know someone who calls their landlord a “slumlord,” whether jokingly or not. The “slumlord” label isn’t an official legal accusation, but a landlord who has crossed into this territory may

  Today, homeowners have more financial opportunities than ever before. Rising property values are creating a powerful source—home equity. Tapping into that value, you’re likely to find two options—a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit (HELOC). You can use both to borrow against your home, but they work in different ways.

  Sellers at the top of the market are conceding six figures to find a buyer, according to an analysis of listings data on real estate portal Movoto by Lower. Cheaper homes get cut more often, but the deepest discounts, in dollars and in percentage terms, are landing on the most expensive listings. Movoto by

  Property owners who skip estate planning are walking into a financial trap. Tangled titles pile up. Fractional ownership disputes multiply. Forced partition auctions drain equity. Family assets fragment across generations, and there’s no easy way back. Without clear documentation—without wills, without trusts, without written agreement on ownership—properties get locked down. Owners can’t refinance. They

  Although homeowners insurance rates have been rising significantly across the nation, new Insurance.com data shows that 16 states saw average annual premiums fall from 2025 to 2026. There’s no single reason for these decreases. In some states, targeted resilience grants, insurance discounts, and a slower-than-normal storm season in 2025 may have helped, while others

  Lead generation, along with cold-calling qualified leads, is not the most enjoyable part of any sales job. Real estate, an intensely competitive industry, is no different. However, there’s no way to eliminate the need for real estate lead generation. If you are new to the industry or don’t have many personal connections in your

  A change in circumstances—a divorce, the death of a spouse, a job loss, a growing family—can turn a two-income household into a one-income household overnight. For homeowners, that shift raises a difficult question: Can the house be maintained on a single paycheck? The answer depends on far more than the monthly mortgage payment, Hometap

  A bigger house usually means a bigger price tag. But the difference buyers actually feel is the monthly payment. In some cities, another bedroom increases an estimated monthly housing payment by just $16. In others, it could add more than $20,000. To understand what an extra bedroom really costs, Lower analyzed more than 1

  In the last few years, something remarkable has been happening in American neighborhoods. More people are staying put. In 2024, just 11.2% of U.S. households relocated, the lowest mobility rate since the Census Bureau began tracking the measure in 1948. That works out to about 14.8 million households changing addresses, which is a fraction

  It appears America may be falling in love with heat pumps, which is a tall order for an appliance. Heat pumps extract warmth from wintry air and bring it inside, a far more efficient way of staying toasty than with gas furnaces. It’s better to move heat from one place to another, instead of

  If you asked a room full of 20-somethings where they’d love to plant roots, a lot of them would point straight to a city. The version of young adulthood many Gen Zers are picturing right now includes walkable streets, coffee shops around the corner, friends a short train ride away, and a commute measured

  For years, home-flipping shows and success stories have made real estate investing feel like a new gold rush. The best investment opportunities were now diamonds in the rough: homes that needed serious renovations, but also had serious profit potential. The thought of finding a property that’s rough around the edges, renovating it into something

  Homeownership seems to promise stability, with predictable monthly mortgage payments and protected assets. But in recent years, insurance changes — including withdrawals from high-risk states, policy nonrenewals, and premium spikes — have put many households on shakier ground. To learn more about how policyholders are handling this financial pressure, SoFi surveyed 520 homeowners around

  Homeowners across the country are feeling the squeeze of rising tax bills, are largely unaware of their legal right to push back, and are increasingly skeptical of the system setting their assessments, according to an Ownwell survey of 2,500 U.S. homeowners. The March 2026 survey asked homeowners about their property tax bills, appeal and

  Every neighborhood has at least one house with an overgrown lawn, boarded-up windows that give you the heebie jeebies, or a stack of clutter piling up on the porch. To the average passerby, it’s simply an eyesore. But to a real estate investor it can be an opportunity for an off-market, distressed property waiting

  Housing shortages have forced American developers to prioritize volume over design. The U.S. currently faces a deficit of approximately 1.2 million housing units compared to pre-2008 levels, pushing builders toward standardized, cost-efficient models that maximize density. Yet this volume-first approach creates a secondary problem: Neighborhoods increasingly lack character, walkability, and community infrastructure. Triple Crown

  Short-term rental investors confront a dual threat: cooling returns and tightening regulations that squeeze profitability while raising loan qualification hurdles. Platforms like Airbnb have democratized vacation rental investing, but they’ve also triggered state and local crackdowns on tax compliance, licensing, and occupancy caps. For investors already holding properties or considering new purchases, miscalculating revenue

  Families face mounting pressure to consolidate wealth across generations while estate planning remains fragmented and vulnerable to legal disputes. Multigenerational living arrangements create immediate practical demands—but they also offer landowners a strategic path to preserve and compound family wealth through property improvement. The challenge: knowing which investments deliver legacy value versus those that drain

  If your rental property is generating income but still feels like it’s costing more than it should, you’re not alone. Many landlords focus on collecting rent without regularly reviewing the dozens of smaller decisions that affect long-term profitability. The good news? Improving rental property cash flow usually isn’t about making one dramatic change. It’s

  Short-term vacation rentals remain a solid investment for many landlords and property managers—as long as you know where to buy. As the market has matured and become saturated in some places, owners have also had to contend with more statewide and municipal-level regulations. These conditions have forced STR investors to analyze more data than

  Owning a home is still a big part of the American dream. Getting there, however, looks very different from what it did for previous generations. People still buy homes today (sales increased by 3.2% in May 2026, according to the National Association of Realtors), but they face higher hurdles, such as the exorbitant cost

  A New York homeowner walked into a house she owned and was left in handcuffs. A stranger had changed her locks, and when she changed them back, the police arrested her for an illegal eviction; meanwhile, the stranger leaned on local tenant and squatter protections to stay put. While her story is unsettling and

  Summer is the season for a fresh start. Between school breaks and peak real estate weather, millions of Americans pack up moving trucks between June and September to start new chapters. Relocating these days involves more than just the logistical challenge of boxes and heavy lifting. In a hyperconnected digital landscape, changing your address

  Homeownership has long carried a certain weight in the United States. It has been described as a foundation for stability, a path to wealth, a rite of passage, and — most durably — a cornerstone of the American Dream. As the country marked its 250th birthday in the summer of 2026, one survey set

  Although the median sales price of a U.S. single-family home has continued to slide since its peak in late 2022, real estate investors are still contending with a seller’s market in many parts of the U.S. In a competitive environment, the most successful investors are, more often than not, able to identify favorable properties

  Buying a home in San Jose, California, requires nearly $200,000 in annual income. In Pittsburgh, it’s under $65,000. These aren’t minor differences—they reveal a market fracturing along geographic lines, where location increasingly determines whether homeownership remains accessible. The housing market generates extensive data on what annual salary is necessary to secure a property in

  Each year, July is one of the peak times for moving. In recent years, moving in July has typically involved some sticker shock. High home prices and equally lofty rental costs have left young adults between a rock and a hard place as they try to find a place to launch out on their

  You can spend weeks researching European cities, comparing neighborhoods, and building a spreadsheet of living costs before you book a flight. None of that prepares you for the moment you actually have to rent an apartment from another continent. You cannot walk through the place. You cannot meet the landlord. You cannot tell from

  Saving for a home down payment has become a moving target. As rising home prices outstrip wage growth, the amount of time buyers may need to set aside enough money has changed sharply in many parts of the country. In some states, rising incomes have helped offset higher home values. In others, buyers may

  Watch nearly any classic movie from the early 2000s, and you’ll always find one family in a picture-perfect home. It’s the never-changing white picket fence, the nicely mowed grass, and three different generations under one roof every holiday season. For decades, the starter home has been the entry point to that picture. Today, for

  Rent increases get most of the attention when landlords talk about improving cash flow. If the income isn’t where you want it to be, raise the rent. That’s the natural first instinct, but the market doesn’t always support that decision. Nationally, rent grew just 2.9% over the 12 months ending in May 2026, according

  National housing prices are flat in 2026, and rising mortgage rates have put homeownership out of reach for many. But regional data shows equity-rich markets still exist—and wealth creation remains possible for those positioned to capitalize on it. Offerpad, a real estate technology company, has compiled an investigation of the latest available data that

  The cost of landlord insurance for a small office building in a quiet suburb could look very different from a mixed-use property downtown. There’s no single price tag for landlord insurance costs because of the numerous factors insurers use to calculate a policy premium based on your rental property’s specific age, construction, location and

  Buy the same property at the same price with the same tenant in two different states, and you’ll end up with two completely different investments. Property taxes, insurance costs, eviction timelines, and rent control laws vary enough from state to state that location alone can determine whether a deal makes money or bleeds it.

  Elevated home prices and mortgage rates have a growing number of buyers looking for a different strategy for unlocking homeownership: house hacking. The concept of house hacking is straightforward. Instead of buying a single-family home, a buyer purchases a small multifamily property, a duplex, triplex, or fourplex, lives in one unit, and rents out

  Most Americans searching for housing in Europe start by avoiding platform fees. It feels like the smart move. Why pay to search when expat Facebook groups, local classifieds, and free listing sites are a Google search away? What that calculation consistently underestimates is the cost of the alternative. Illegal broker fees, deposits well above

  Your mortgage loan is secured, the keys are in hand, and you’ve closed on that dream home you’re excited to move into. After clearing all these obstacles, the path ahead looks free and clear. But not so fast, eager new homeowner. Are you prepared for the hidden price of ownership that many first-time buyers

Leaf Home reports that unfiltered hard water leads to costly appliance damage, plumbing issues, and higher energy bills, impacting homeowners’ finances.

TurboTenant reports that the short-term rental tax loophole allows property owners to offset income with losses, reducing taxes significantly.

NewHomeSource reports rising builder demand and mortgage incentives in early 2026, but buyer confidence remains weak amid economic uncertainty.

TurboTenant reports landlords face tough choices after missed rent payments. This guide outlines rent debt collection processes and tenant rights.

moveBuddha reports South Carolina leads in migration searches for 2025, with Myrtle Beach attracting the most interest; Alaska is emerging as a new hotspot.

NewHomeSource reports consumer confidence, mortgage rates, and federal policies as key factors shaping the 2026 housing market after a volatile 2025.

NewHomeSource reports that 2026 tax changes for homeowners include increased SALT deductions, revived PMI deductions, and a permanent $750,000 mortgage limit.