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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 Nathan Fitts, The Leading Name in Real Estate in North Georgia
(Nathan Fitts & Team )
Top 10 Properties for Sale in North Georgia with Short-Term Rental and Investment PotentialNorth Georgia continues to attract buyers looking for mountain homes, vacation properties, and real estate with potential for short-term rental (STR) use. From wooded mountain retreats to spacious homes in scenic communities, the region offers a variety of property types for buyers exploring different ownership and investment goals.For some buyers, a mountain property may serve as a personal getaway. Others may be interested in exploring whether a property could also accommodate vacation guests when not in personal use. In either case, choosing the right property requires careful consideration of location, condition, amenities, operating expenses, and local short-term rental regulations.If you are...
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By Nathan Fitts, The Leading Name in Real Estate in North Georgia
(Nathan Fitts & Team )
Top 3 Best Vacation Rentals in Blue Ridge, GeorgiaBlue Ridge, Georgia, is a favorite destination for travelers looking to experience the beauty of the North Georgia mountains. From charming downtown streets and scenic lake settings to peaceful mountain surroundings and outdoor adventures, this mountain town offers something for a wide range of vacation styles.Whether you are planning a relaxing weekend getaway, a family vacation, or an adventure-filled escape, choosing the right place to stay can make your trip even more memorable. The best vacation rentals in Blue Ridge offer more than a place to sleep. They provide a setting that complements the experience you want to enjoy.If you are planning your next North Georgia getaway, here are three vacation rentals worth exploring: The Pentho...
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By Nathan Fitts, The Leading Name in Real Estate in North Georgia
(Nathan Fitts & Team )
Top 3 Best Vacation Rentals in Blue Ridge, GeorgiaBlue Ridge, Georgia, is a favorite destination for travelers looking to experience the beauty of the North Georgia mountains. From charming downtown streets and scenic lake settings to peaceful mountain surroundings and outdoor adventures, this mountain town offers something for a wide range of vacation styles.Whether you are planning a relaxing weekend getaway, a family vacation, or an adventure-filled escape, choosing the right place to stay can make your trip even more memorable. The best vacation rentals in Blue Ridge offer more than a place to sleep. They provide a setting that complements the experience you want to enjoy.If you are planning your next North Georgia getaway, here are three vacation rentals worth exploring: The Pentho...
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By William Piotrowski, Just Call William 630-881-8655
(Diamond Residential Mortgage Corporation )
🏡📈 WHY ARE THERE MORE HOMES FOR SALE RIGHT NOW? AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?Mortgage rates moving back above 7% isn’t exactly what buyers wanted to hear. 😬But here’s something homeowners and future buyers need to understand…INVENTORY IS GROWING — AND IT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE MORE HOMES ARE HITTING THE MARKET.It’s also because homes are taking LONGER to sell.Let’s break it down. 👇📊 1️⃣ INVENTORY IS PICKING UP STEAMWhen mortgage rates rise, some buyers hit pause.Fewer buyers shopping means fewer homes selling. Meanwhile, new listings continue coming onto the market.The result? More homes sitting on the market and a growing number of choices for buyers.According to the HousingWire data referenced in the report, inventory has increased by roughly 25,000 homes this year, compared with a decli...
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By Gwen Fowler SC Lakes & Mountains 864-710-4518, Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.
(Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc)
The Information Buyers Will Want Before Making an OfferYou have lived in your home for years. You know which door sticks in humid weather, when you replaced the roof, and which company services your heating and cooling system. But how much of that information will the next owner need?When preparing a home for sale, I ask sellers to gather information about improvements, repairs, utilities, and the property's general condition.A buyer may love the kitchen and the screened porch, but they are also thinking about insurance, maintenance, and future expenses.Let's Start With the Major SystemsHere is a simple checklist: ☐ Roof age and replacement records. ☐ Heating and cooling system age and maintenance history. ☐ Electrical and plumbing improvements. ☐ Water heater age. ☐ Well or public wate...
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By Nicky Dean, Nicky Dean | Northwest Arkansas REALTOR
(Collier & Associates)
Should You Sell Your Northwest Arkansas Home This Fall—or Wait Until Spring?“Should I list now, or wait until spring?”My answer? It depends on your home.After 25 years of selling real estate in Northwest Arkansas, I don’t think every seller should follow the same calendar. Some homes are worth putting on the market now. Others may benefit from waiting.If your home is in an area where buyers consistently want to be, I would consider listing now. If there are fewer competing homes available, that can work in your favor. A desirable location, the right price, and a home that shows well can still attract a buyer in the fall. You don’t necessarily need to wait for spring just because that’s when people traditionally think about selling.I’d look closely at what’s available around you. If buye...
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On October 13, 2026, National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported that nationwide existing home sales higher 1.5% to annual rate of 3.99 million homes in September of 2026 from August of 2026, but lower 2.2% from from September of 2025.There were approximately 1.60 million homes supplies of available inventory in September of 2026, gained 1.9% from August of 2026, and increased 4.6% from 1.16 million homes in September of 2025.There were 4.8 months available inventory in September of 2026 unchanged from 0.0% from 4.6 months in August of 2026, but increased from 4.5 months of inventory from September of 2025.On average it took 33 days to sell a home in September of 2026, grew from 31 days in August of 2026, but same as from 33 days in September 2025.First time buyers acquired 31.0% o...
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By Linda Edelwich, Serving Glastonbury & Beyond | 218 New London Trnk
(William Raveis Real Estate)
The renovation-before-listing conversation in Hebron follows a consistent pattern once you understand what buyers in this market are actually rewarding. Here is the framework that produces the strongest return on seller preparation investment.Condition as the primary buyer filterBuyers in Hebron evaluate condition before they evaluate features. A home that reads as functional, well maintained, and ready to occupy without a significant work list generates more confident buyer behavior than one that feels like it requires immediate attention. The improvements that most reliably produce that condition signal are targeted rather than comprehensive.Kitchen and bath: refresh versus renovationTargeted kitchen refreshes, painted cabinets, updated hardware, new faucet, fresh backsplash, convert ...
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By Marie-Noelle Metseye, Reward Trust with Excellence
(RE/MAX Northwest)
If you're thinking about selling your home in Bothell or Mill Creek, one of your first questions may be: Who pays the real estate agent commissions?You've probably heard about the 2024 National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement and changes to buyer-agent compensation. You may have even heard that sellers can no longer offer compensation through the MLS.But here's something important for Washington homeowners:Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) operates differently from many MLS systems nationwide.NWMLS is independently owned by its member real estate firms, is not affiliated with NAR, and did not opt into the national settlement. It continues to allow seller-offered buyer-agent compensation to be published in its listings.More importantly, Washington sellers have had the f...
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By Joe Jackson, Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert
(Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty)
First impressions matter when selling your home! Buyers notice more than beautiful décor—they pay attention to odors, lighting, maintenance, storage, and overall comfort. Small details sellers overlook can influence big decisions. Discover what catches buyers’ attention and how simple improvements can make your home more appealing and memorable! When sellers prepare their home for the market, they often focus on the obvious. They repaint the walls. They clean the floors. They organize the kitchen. They may even update furniture or add fresh décor. But buyers don't see a home the same way the seller does. Sellers have lived in the property long enough to stop noticing certain details. What feels completely normal to them can stand out immediately to someone walking through the front door...
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By Kerri Naslund-Monday, Savvy Bay Area CA Real Estate Team Leader
(Keller Williams/ The Monday Team)
Sellers keep telling me the same thing right now… “My neighbor said we missed the window.”No. Respectfully, no. What your neighbor missed is that the market changed, not that it closed.Here’s the situation. Rates just crossed 7%, the Fed raised in September, and the next meeting is October 27 and 28. Buyers are doing math they’ve never had to do before. A buyer who qualified for $1.2M a year ago might qualify for meaningfully less today with the same income. That’s not a mood. That’s arithmetic.What does that mean for a seller in Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Alameda or San Leandro? Three things.One: price to the payment, not to last spring. Your comp from April is a nice memory. A buyer’s monthly payment at today’s rate is the real comp.Two: condition is a bigger d...
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By Kerri Naslund-Monday, Savvy Bay Area CA Real Estate Team Leader
(Keller Williams/ The Monday Team)
Here’s the advice I hear at every dinner party, every school pickup, every Costco line… “Just wait until spring.”And I get it. October feels like the moment the market packs up and goes home. The pumpkins are out, the holidays are coming, and now rates are over 7% for the first time since January 2025. Nobody wants to start a mortgage conversation in that weather.But here’s what I see from the other side of the table… the buyers who are out there right now are serious. Not “I’ll just browse on a Sunday for fun” serious. Calendar-cleared, pre-approved, I-know-my-number serious. That changes everything about how a house sells.Think about spring. Spring is the whole neighborhood showing up to the same open house in matching puffer vests. Spring is five offers on a house in Albany and a sel...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Team at Xcellence Realty)
Pricing a home strategically from the start can make all the difference. Setting expectations with sellers early and backing up the recommended price with market data helps build trust and avoid costly adjustments later. 🏡 MYTH-BUSTING TUESDAY—Price High So There’s Room to Negotiate? Welcome to Myth-Busting Tuesday, where we’ll take on commonly repeated real estate advice and separate fact from fiction.Between online advice, national headlines and the ever-popular “Well, my neighbor said…”, we certainly won’t run out of material! THE MYTH “You should price your home high so there’s room to negotiate.” It sounds reasonable: Start higher than the home is worth, leave yourself a cushion and allow buyers to negotiate you down to the price you wanted. Unfortunately, buyers don’t always respo...
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By Linda Edelwich, Serving Glastonbury & Beyond | 218 New London Trnk
(William Raveis Real Estate)
The privacy versus neighborhood living comparison in East Hampton comes up consistently in buyer conversations, and the buyers who arrive at the most confident decisions are the ones who tested both settings in person before narrowing their search. Here is how the comparison plays out in practice and what is useful to surface early.What private settings actually deliverHomes set back from the road in East Hampton with natural buffers offer genuine separation from neighboring activity and traffic. For buyers who spend significant time at home, who value outdoor space as a private retreat, and who came to East Hampton specifically for a quieter daily experience, that separation is the primary feature rather than a secondary one.The trade-offs worth discussing early: longer driveways requi...
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By Carla Goddard, Founder & CEO, Vicinity
(vicinity)
 There’s a conversation happening around new construction right now that I think deserves more attention.We talk a lot about affordability. Interest rates, incentives, price points, monthly payments. Builders are working to keep homes attainable, buyers are stretching budgets, and agents are trying to help people make the numbers work.But I keep coming back to a different question.When buyers can no longer afford the home they originally wanted, what are they actually giving up to get into one?A report published by Homes.com on October 7, drawing on Zonda data, offers a glimpse into how much the market has changed. In master-planned communities, homes priced below $400,000 accounted for 64% of sales in early 2018. By the second quarter of 2026, that share had fallen to 29%. Meanwhile, h...
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By Gwen Fowler SC Lakes & Mountains 864-710-4518, Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.
(Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc)
Two Small Homes, Two Very Different QuestionsI have noticed more interest in smaller homes, backyard cottages, and additional living spaces on family property. Some people want a place for aging parents. Others want a separate home for adult children, a guest cottage, or something smaller to enjoy in retirement.Two terms that often come up are ADU and tiny home.They may look similar, but they aren't necessarily the same.  If you own acreage in Upstate South Carolina, understanding the difference matters before you spend money.What Is an ADU?ADU stands for Accessory Dwelling Unit. It is a secondary living space located on the same property as a primary residence. An ADU generally provides independent living facilities, including a place to sleep, a bathroom, and cooking facilities.Exampl...
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By Coral Amelia, Professional Real Estate Services You Can Trust
(https://keenanhowardrealty.com/)
A robot vacuum can move across most flat floors with ease. However, a raised doorway threshold can bring its cleaning route to a stop. A narrow strip of wood, stone, or metal may look insignificant, but even a small step can challenge a robot's wheels, chassis clearance, and traction.When comparing models, consider threshold height alongside the shape, surface, and approach angle. A lower threshold with a sharp edge may be harder to cross than a slightly taller one with a gradual slope. Measuring the doorway and understanding these factors can help you choose a robot vacuum that moves reliably between rooms.How to Measure Robot Vacuum Threshold HeightBefore comparing a robot vacuum's climbing capability, measure the doorway it needs to cross. Threshold height is the vertical distance fr...
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By Gwen Fowler SC Lakes & Mountains 864-710-4518, Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.
(Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc)
Driving down an old country road makes me want to slow down. Maybe it is the old barn sitting in a pasture, the little country church with a cemetery beside it, or the farmhouse surrounded by trees that were planted generations ago.Sometimes it is a country store that has served the same community for years, where people still stop to visit as much as they stop to buy something. These are what make our mountain communities special.And you may never discover them by looking at real estate listings on a computer.Every Country Road Has a StoryGrowing up in Oconee County, I remember when many of our roads were lined with family farms. People knew their neighbors, and you could often identify a property by the family that had lived there for generations.Some of those farms are still here. Ot...
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By Gwen Fowler SC Lakes & Mountains 864-710-4518, Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.
(Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc)
Putting a property on the market is different from being ready to sell it.  I have learned that signing a listing agreement doesn't always mean someone is prepared for what comes next.Selling Is Sometimes an Emotional DecisionA house can hold 40 years of memories. Children grew up there. Holidays were celebrated. Trees were planted. Grandchildren learned to ride bicycles in the driveway. To a buyer, it is a property they are evaluating. To the seller, it may represent an entire chapter of life. That difference can make negotiations difficult.What Happens When an Offer Arrives?I have seen sellers become uncomfortable when an offer comes sooner than expected. Suddenly, the discussion changes from what the house might sell for to where they will live, how quickly they must move, and what p...
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By Linda Edelwich, Serving Glastonbury & Beyond | 218 New London Trnk
(William Raveis Real Estate)
The assumptions sellers bring into listing conversations in Hebron tend to cluster around a few consistent themes, and the ones that are inaccurate are often the ones that cost the most when sellers act on them. Here is how those myths play out in practice and what the market data actually shows.Myth one: limited inventory automatically supports higher pricingThe reasoning is intuitive. Fewer homes available should mean buyers pay more for what exists. What actually happens in Hebron is that buyers compare every active listing against recent closed comparable sales regardless of how many alternatives are available. A home priced above what comparable properties have recently sold for in similar parts of town does not benefit from limited inventory. It accumulates days on market while bu...
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