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Real Estate Industry

“All the news that's fit to print,” or to click, as the case may be, can be found right here at your favorite real estate social networking site, ActiveRain. And here you thought it was merely a great place to chat with colleagues and slap up a blog post or two.


We know you're busy – whether it's trying to fill your pipeline or following up on what's already popped out of the bottom of it. Who has time to read? And, while real estate market news geared toward consumers is easy to round up on the Internet, news for brokers and Realtors is a bit harder to come by.


Your friends at ActiveRain understand how important each of those 168 hours in every week is so we've made it easy for you by consolidating everything you need to know to keep up-to-date with the real estate industry right here, in one place.


How are housing starts looking? Has the FHFA launched any new efforts? How's that Fannie and Freddie loan limit rollercoaster doing?


You've got the questions and your colleagues here at AR have the answers. It's at your fingertips – finally.

Recent blogs on Real Estate Industry
By Charles Stallions, 850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.
(Charles Stallions Real Estate Services )
If you are considering buying a condo in Escambia or Santa Rosa County, here are a few things to keep in mind. Be sure to read the HOA docs no matter where you buy. Take your time and know the facts.  🚨 CONDO BUYERS: THE HOA PROBLEM MAY BE MUCH BIGGER THAN YOU THINK. 🏢⚠️ If you’re thinking about buying a condo, there’s something you need to understand BEFORE you fall in love with the unit. It’s not just about the purchase price. It’s not just about your mortgage rate. And it’s definitely not just about whether you can afford the monthly HOA payment. The financial health of the entire association matters. A recent report is raising concerns about a perfect storm hitting older condo communities: 🏢 Aging buildings💰 Underfunded reserves🏠 Deferred maintenance🔥 Rising insurance costs📈 Higher ...
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By William Piotrowski, Just Call William 630-881-8655
(Diamond Residential Mortgage Corporation )
🚨 CONDO BUYERS: THE HOA PROBLEM MAY BE MUCH BIGGER THAN YOU THINK. 🏢⚠️If you’re thinking about buying a condo, there’s something you need to understand BEFORE you fall in love with the unit.It’s not just about the purchase price.It’s not just about your mortgage rate.And it’s definitely not just about whether you can afford the monthly HOA payment.The financial health of the entire association matters.A recent report is raising concerns about a perfect storm hitting older condo communities:🏢 Aging buildings💰 Underfunded reserves🏠 Deferred maintenance🔥 Rising insurance costs📈 Higher HOA dues💸 Special assessments⚠️ Stricter condo lending requirements🚨 Owners falling behind on HOA paymentsAnd here's where things can get really ugly…Imagine buying a $200,000 condo and then discovering the a...
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By Nathan Fitts, The Leading Name in Real Estate in North Georgia
(Nathan Fitts & Team )
Buying a Mountain Home in McCaysville? Your Essential Due Diligence ChecklistWhat every buyer should know about access, utilities, land, inspections, and other important considerations before purchasing a mountain property.Buying a mountain home can be an exciting opportunity, especially in a scenic community like McCaysville, Georgia. Whether you're searching for a private cabin, a full-time residence, or an investment property, mountain real estate can offer beautiful surroundings and a unique lifestyle. At the same time, these properties often come with considerations that buyers should understand before moving forward.If you're exploring McCaysville GA real estate, taking time to complete thorough due diligence can help you understand the property, identify potential concerns, and m...
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By Carla Goddard, Founder & CEO, Vicinity
(vicinity)
Maybe the problem isn't the homes. Maybe it's what the real estate industry thinks a home is.I live in a 2,000-square-foot modular home.Not a manufactured home.A modular home.Mine sits on an engineered foundation with four-foot piers because flooding is a consideration where I live. It is permanently affixed to the property.And it has always been taxed as real property.In fact, Fannie Mae's own guidance says modular, prefabricated, panelized and sectional homes can receive the same treatment as site-built housing when they meet the applicable requirements. Its current guidance specifically says modular homes are built to local building codes, placed on permanent foundations, and afforded the same treatment as site-built housing.Florida law says a qualifying modular or prefabricated hous...
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By Joe Jackson, Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty)
  I do think Central Ohio will have a fall market in 2026—but I’d expect a short, selective fall market rather than a big September boom. The underlying Central Ohio numbers are actually better than August may have felt on the street. July closed sales were up 6.3% year over year, year-to-date sales were up 3%, and the median price was $350,000, up 2.3%. At the same time, inventory reached 6,193 homes—the highest July inventory in more than a decade. Even with that increase, Central Ohio had only 2.4 months of supply, which Columbus REALTORS® still characterizes as a seller's market. The catch is that buyers have become much more selective. Columbus inventory was up about 10.8% year over year in July, median market time had stretched to about 40 days, and roughly 26% of listings had a p...
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By Joe Jackson, Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty)
The first few weeks after buying a home are all about turning a property into a functioning household. From moving and utilities to security, maintenance, records, and learning your neighborhood, having a plan makes the transition smoother. Read the blog for practical tips to get settled!     Closing on a property is treated as an arrival, and in a legal sense it is. In practical terms, it is closer to a starting line. The keys change hands, and a long list of decisions immediately opens up, most of which nobody warned the buyer about during the transaction. How those first weeks are handled shapes whether the property becomes a functioning household quickly or stays half assembled for months while the people living in it work around boxes. The difficulty is that the purchase process tr...
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By Coral Amelia, Professional Real Estate Services You Can Trust
(https://keenanhowardrealty.com/)
  Closing on a property is treated as an arrival, and in a legal sense it is. In practical terms, it is closer to a starting line. The keys change hands, and a long list of decisions immediately opens up, most of which nobody warned the buyer about during the transaction. How those first weeks are handled shapes whether the property becomes a functioning household quickly or stays half assembled for months while the people living in it work around boxes.The difficulty is that the purchase process trains buyers to think in terms of a single date. Everything builds toward closing, and once that date passes, the structure disappears. There is no lender pushing for documents, no agent chasing signatures, no deadline organizing the week. Buyers who do not replace that structure with one of t...
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If you're considering buying a home on St. George Island, you're probably asking: is the water actually safe here, both from the tap and in the Gulf?The short answer is yes, with a few smart precautions. St. George Island's tap water is supplied by a utility required to meet federal drinking water standards, and beach water is monitored year-round by the Florida Department of Health, though occasional advisories do occur after storms.Why Water Safety on St. George Island Matters Right NowIf you're an eco-conscious buyer looking at St. George Island real estate, water safety isn't just an abstract environmental question. It directly affects your daily quality of life, your property's long-term value, and the health of the Apalachicola Bay ecosystem that makes this place so extraordinary....
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By Coral Amelia, Professional Real Estate Services You Can Trust
(https://keenanhowardrealty.com/)
 There was a time when the listing appointment was where sellers learned what their home was worth. You brought the comps, walked them through absorption rates, and explained why the neighbor's asking price was a fantasy. That version of the conversation is mostly gone. Today the seller has pulled up a market trends page on their phone before you ring the doorbell, and they have opinions.This is not a complaint. It is a change in the job.Take Tampa, where I have been watching the pricing conversation get more complicated all summer. The current Tampa market trends data shows a median list price of $450,000, a median of 66 days on the market, and roughly 4,300 active listings. That days-on-market figure is flat year over year, which on its own sounds like stability. But list prices in th...
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By Linda Edelwich, Serving Glastonbury & Beyond | 218 New London Trnk
(William Raveis Real Estate)
The new construction versus established home comparison in East Hampton comes up regularly with buyers, and the agents who help buyers resolve it most efficiently are the ones who move the conversation from price to lifestyle priorities early. Here is how that conversation tends to develop in this market.What draws buyers to new constructionThe appeal of new construction in East Hampton is consistent and practical: modern layouts, energy efficiency, new systems, and a predictable near-term maintenance picture. Buyers who have managed aging homes through capital improvement cycles respond to the clean starting point as a genuine value, not marketing language. The ability to make design choices during the build process is a related draw for buyers who want that kind of ownership experienc...
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By Chris Dunham, The Real Estate Guy™
(Brokers Hub Realty)
There's an interesting group of homeowners sitting on the sidelines right now.They already own a home.They may have substantial equity.They'd like something larger.And they're terrified of giving up their current mortgage.I understand why.A low interest rate has value.But somewhere along the way, some homeowners started treating that rate as though it means they can never move again.Life Doesn't Care About Your Mortgage Rate The couple who purchased a three-bedroom starter home may now have three children.The spare bedroom became an office.The office became a nursery.The garage became storage.The dining room became homework headquarters.Eventually the house simply doesn't function the way it once did.That doesn't automatically mean they should sell.But it does mean the conversation dese...
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By GilbertRealtor BillSalvatore, Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net
(Arizona Elite Properties )
Bill Salvatore of Arizona Elite Properties featured a post toRe-Blog today on Active Rain. Good post by Karla today, andworthy of our daily Re-B. Gilbert AZ  GILBERT ARIZONA HOMES FOR SALE, Bill Salvatore, AZVHV / HelpingArizona Heroes, New-Construction Advantage, Realtor, sell my house, 2026Market, Chandler  #Sellmyhouse #whatsmyhomeworth #homevalues#2026market #ArizonaEliteProperties #ChandlerAZ#yourValleyProperty #GilbertRealtor #AZVHV There is a question I think we need to ask more often about new construction: Who is actually controlling the transaction? In a resale transaction, the answer feels straightforward. The seller has a home to sell. The buyer has a home to buy. The agents help bring the two sides together, negotiate terms, manage the process, and keep the transaction movi...
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By Doug Dawes, Your Personal Realtor®
(Keller Williams Evolution - 447 Boston Street, Suite #5, Topsfield, MA)
When prices skyrocket, talk of a market crash inevitably follows. I used to react the same way. My perspective changed when I accepted a foundational truth: all markets go up, and all markets go down. Media headlines love to use words like 'crash' or 'plummet.' In my opinion, this is often just a psychological ploy to stoke reader emotion and drive clicks. Success comes from ignoring the noise and focusing on the cycle.If you want to take the next step, I can help you find highly ranked real estate brokerages in your area or provide data on current housing market trends. Which would you like to explore?Meanwhile, enjoy the article.Worried About a Housing Crash? The Numbers Tell a Calmer Story. A recent survey from Talker Research asked Americans to pick one word to describe how 2026 has...
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By Nathan Fitts, The Leading Name in Real Estate in North Georgia
(Nathan Fitts & Team )
Buying a home in the North Georgia Mountains is about more than comparing photos, prices, and square footage. A listing can provide important details about a property, but it doesn't always show what it's like to live there or what makes one location different from another.For buyers exploring North Georgia real estate, understanding the area beyond the listing can help you find a property that fits your lifestyle, priorities, and long-term plans.Key Takeaways North Georgia offers a wide variety of mountain communities and property types. Location can be just as important as the home itself. Terrain, access, views, and surrounding properties deserve careful consideration. Local knowledge can help buyers compare communities and properties. Understanding how you plan to use the property c...
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By Nathan Fitts, The Leading Name in Real Estate in North Georgia
(Nathan Fitts & Team )
A mountain home can look perfect on paper—a beautiful cabin, a peaceful wooded setting, or a view stretching across the North Georgia mountains. But before making an offer, there is another side of the purchase worth understanding: how the property itself can affect financing and overall ownership costs.For buyers exploring Mineral Bluff GA real estate, understanding these details early can help you make a more confident decision and avoid surprises later.Key Takeaways Mountain properties can have financing considerations that differ from conventional homes. Property type, location, condition, and intended use can all matter. The purchase price is only one part of your total ownership budget. Pre-approval can help you understand your buying range before touring properties. A local real ...
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By Nick Good, www.TheGoodHomeTeam.com
(The Good Home Team with eXp Realty)
Every year, thousands of agents weigh a brokerage move, and most of them decide it on the wrong thing. They read the commission split off a flyer, compare two numbers, and sign. I have watched hundreds of agents make this move well and badly over 22 years in Dallas-Fort Worth, and I will tell you what I recently told a national business outlet: the split is the last question that matters, not the first.The question that should actually decide your move is simpler, and almost nobody asks it: what does that split actually buy me?A high split attached to no leads, no systems, and no mentorship is not a good deal. It is a license and a desk. A slightly lower split attached to real lead flow, proven follow-up systems, and a mentor who still produces can put far more money in your pocket at t...
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By Debe Maxwell, CRS, The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!
(Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310)
Charlotte Broker Brief — August 31, 2026The newest complete market statistics are for July and were released Monday, August 31.More inventory—but not a true buyer’s marketThe Charlotte region finished July with approximately 3.8 months of supply, compared with 3.6 months in June. The regional median sales price was approximately $410,000, 4,142 homes closed and properties averaged 47 days on market. Sellers received roughly 95.9% of their original list price.What changed: Inventory continued climbing while prices remained relatively stable.Why it matters: Buyers have more choices, more time for careful evaluation and greater negotiating leverage—especially on stale or overly ambitious listings. But 3.8 months of supply remains below the roughly six months generally associated with a bal...
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By Christopher Webster, Columbia South Carolina Real Estate For Sale
(Epique Realty)
Why I Joined EPIQUE Realty After 23 Years as a Licensed BrokerBy Christopher Webster | South Carolina Broker | Columbia, SC Real Estate | August 31, 2026After almost 23 years as a licensed real estate broker in South Carolina, I don't make moves lightly. I've seen brokerages come and go. I've seen the promises, the fine print, and the fees that eat away at an agent's commission.Before joining EPIQUE Realty, I did months of research. I compared splits, caps, technology, training, culture, and real-world costs. What I found is not just a brokerage — it's Brokerage 2.0.SEO: EPIQUE Realty South Carolina, best brokerage to join in SC, Columbia SC real estate broker, Lexington SC realtor, Pontiac SC homes for saleThe Decision Was About Value, Not Just CommissionEPIQUE Realty is agent-owned, t...
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By Matthew Gromadzki
(Gromadzki Real Estate LLC)
Search for Miami penthouses for sale and you'll find hundreds of results — but here's what most buyers don't realize until they're deep into the process: a large share of those "penthouses" aren't penthouses at all. They're high-floor units marketed with the word. After years of working the top of Miami's condo market, I've learned the segment plays by its own rules, and knowing them before you start touring saves months.This post covers how the real penthouse market in Miami actually works in 2026 — what qualifies, where the inventory is, what it costs, and why the best deals often never hit the public market. If you want to see every genuine, building-designated penthouse currently listed, I maintain a live MLS-fed page of Miami penthouses for sale that updates the moment new inventor...
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By Dorie Dillard Austin TX, Educating. Encouraging. Serving.
(Coldwell Banker Apex Realtors, LLC ~ 512.750.6899)
I recently attended the Austin PT50 Education Symposium, and one of the speakers made a comment that really resonated with me.She talked about “building a bigger table,” creating a place where people feel they belong, where their contributions are recognized, and where there is room for everyone to participate.It got me thinking about real estate.We often look at the scoreboard, the number of transactions, sales volume, listings, and closings, and it can be easy to forget just how many people are sitting around that table helping make each transaction successful.There’s the other agent. The title company. The lender. The inspector. The contractors and repair people. And, of course, the clients who put their trust in us.Most of us have had mentors along the way, people who opened a door ...
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