The Pandemic Windfall, Mapped: Where Affordability Opened the Door to New Wealth

From 2020 to 2024, U.S. home values surged, creating a major windfall for homeowners. Yet the metros that generated the biggest gains were not just the ones where prices climbed the highest—they were also the places where households could still afford to get in, according to a new report from Realto

The senior housing bottleneck is a mortgage market issue hiding in plain sight

For years, the housing industry anticipated that the aging demographic would steadily release inventory into the resale market. Instead, many older homeowners are remaining in place longer than expected — and the reasons go far beyond sentiment. As someone who began my career building a mortgage len

The ‘Costco Economy’: How Nervous Buyers and E-Shaped Trends Might Reshape Property Values

The "E-shaped economy" has arrived, top economists say. More than ever, people are being smarter about their spending, looking closely at every dollar, from the weekly grocery bill to a huge purchase like a house. The “E-shape” comes from the emergence of three tiers of consumers. The top tier is co

Meghan Markle’s Baby Shower Planner Lists Her ‘Gracious’ New York Apartment for $4 Million

A celebrity event planner who has worked with everyone from Meghan Markle to Serena Williams is now trying to lure an elite crowd of house hunters seeking a picture-perfect perch on Manhattan's Upper East Side—where she has just listed her own prewar apartment for $3.99 million. Jennifer Zabinski of