Tough advice for property owners is key to being a successful adviser
Real estate professionals who stay in this business long enough eventually realize we are not simply negotiating leases and sales.
Housing
Featured
VantageScore, a FICO competitor, launches pilot with 21 mortgage lenders
Renters with just one month of credit may now be able to qualify for a...
How Powell’s Fed whipsawed Southern California homebuying
Local real estate was whipsawed over Jerome Powell's eight years as fed chairman.
Mortgage rates could hit 7% if Iran war doesn’t end soon
Rates are going crazy. And not in a good way.
When to go principal to principal in commercial real estate
Transactions can collapse over comments that had nothing to do with price, timing or terms.
Los Angeles reaches $1.2 million settlement with Blueground
The rental startup accused of price gouging in Los Angeles during the January 2025 wildfires...
HOA Homefront: When must the board reduce assessments?
Even in an emergency assessment situation, the HOA cannot require payment sooner than 30 days...
California FAIR Plan rates going up 29.1% in late 2026
A consumer advocate called the hike 'a real blow for consumers.'
Fed minutes show more officials warned of rate-hike scenario
"Many” officials during last month’s policy meeting called for the Fed to drop its easing...
Big Bear pivots to luxury as pandemic’s short-term rental push slows
A buying spree five years ago has settled with property owners courting high-end visitors.
Consumers struggle to pay debts in California, nationwide
2.1% of California debts were 90 days or more late, highest since 2020's first quarter...
Did Southern California homebuying hit bottom with sales at 3-year high?
Southern California had 14,538 sales in March, a 2% boost from a year ago –...
As enrollment falls, old schools find new life as apartments
The 74 reports that old schools in Atlanta are being converted to apartments as enrollment...
This law aims to prevent investors from flipping distressed homes. They’re managing to anyway — and going unpunished
The law, one cleanup bill says, has been 'undermined by fraudulent actors exploiting loose eligibility...
Rents drop in 63% of Southern California
Rents fell in the past year in 34 or 63% of the region's 54 cities...
Will the industrial real estate market recover in Orange County?
Companies are carefully analyzing labor costs, tariffs, supply chains, interest rates, inventory levels and broader...
14,000 apply for California’s housing down payment program
The program's third round, which will go to between 1,500 and 3,000 applicants, could be...
County reveals master plan to turn LA General Hospital campus into mixed-use ‘Healthy Village’
The 19-story Art Deco structure that opened in 1934 has largely has remained vacant since...
HOA Homefront: Are monthly assessments fair?
Not all assessments for an Homeowners Association are created equal.
Young adults own just 11% of Los Angeles-OC homes, a national low
Instead of buying, a new survey says, they are choosing to either rent or live...
Cash-out home loans on the rise for debt reduction, renovations
Home improvements, credit card consolidation and buying more real estate are among the reasons homeowners...
Falling mortgage rates signal economic distress
Jobs were falling at a 0.6% annual rate across California and 0.2% nationwide as rates...
Are job losses nudging homeowners to sell?
Rising unemployment usually translates to more homes on the market – and fewer homes are...
Why did California home-price gains shrink?
California's gains in home prices shrank by 73% – that's a 1.9% increase last year...
Why Orange County is out of industrial outdoor storage
If you own a piece of industrial land with yard space, you may be sitting...
Topanga home designed by Norton Simon Museum architects seeks $1.8M
The house features wood paneling, tongue-and-groove ceilings, skylights and walls of glass with views of...
Strangers to family: Southern California senior citizens lean into home-sharing
Programs matching senior homeowners and renters are rising in popularity, chipping away at a shortage...
California insurance commissioner candidates want tough industry sanctions
Four of the 11 candidates running in the state insurance commissioner's race gathered for a...
If conventional mortgage financing fails you, try the exotic avenue
Today’s exotic mortgage avenue is defined by borrowers with limited income documentation, streams or documentation.
Why Trump’s affordability push is stalling ahead of midterm elections
Two executive orders aimed at mortgage credit and streamlining rules for builders would only help...
What’s next for California home prices? Watch the job market
Jobs and home prices share an oddly painful relationship for anyone seeking a housing bargain.
Fed’s Musalem says risks shifting from jobs to inflation
“There are very plausible scenarios under which the economy would require us to keep the...
Two California home insurers to raise rates, expand coverage by late 2026
Travelers Insurance and the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club will use the state's new...
Tom Petty’s former Encino estate, now linked to Selena Gomez, seeks $6.5M
Fans of the HBO Max series "Selena + Chef" will recognize the kitchen as the...
California seeks up to $4 million from State Farm over alleged mishandling of wildfire claims
A seven-month investigation by the Department of Insurance found hundreds of instances of policy violations....
Renting or buying? California is hotbed for looking at both options
LA-Orange County had the nation's highest share of dual search at 12%. Then San Diego...
Affordability rises for California homebuyers but gaps remain for Blacks, Hispanics
Realtors survey finds only 11% of Black and Hispanic households could afford a home compared...
How Southern California churches are turning unused land into affordable housing
Land-rich churches are bringing affordable housing into their spiritual agendas at a time of declining...
Where has all the urgency in industrial real estate gone?
What we are dealing with is a market where both sides, seller and buyer, believe...
CSUF economists raise inflation forecasts for Southern California
"Housing prices are under stress. We see only moderate improvement in 2026," says economist Anil...
Habitat for Humanity is developing a new Atlanta community with help from the Carters’ initiative
Two years after his death, Carter is still inspiring Habitat for Humanity's efforts.
HOA Homefront: Things to consider before installing security cameras
The Business Judgment Rule requires that boards seek competent expert advice on a decision to...
1 in 5 reverse mortgage borrowers reports money shortfalls at home
A survey found that 21% of reverse mortgage holders seeking financial counseling in 2025 carried...
Here’s a curious way to say ‘California homes are wildly expensive’
In six California metros, home values equal 27 years of rent vs. only 16 years...
Could this $400 million Bel-Air estate set a new US price record?
If it sells near the asking price, it could shatter the $238 million U.S. residential...
14% of LA-Orange County homes sold in 7 days
In six California metros, 18% of homes went to escrow within seven days of hitting...
Window closing soon for $19,000 in rent assistance for LA City’s low-income seniors and disabled
Rent-burdened residents have a few more days to apply for a maximum of $19,000 with...
California governor candidates race to claim pro-housing mantle
California governor candidates are leaning into pro-housing policies as YIMBY influence grows, even as they...
Southern California condo prices fall 6%, biggest drop in 14 years
February's price also represents a 6% drop from the local condo price peak of $699,000...
When cannabis cultural and CRE collide
Indulge me while I share a story about cannabis and my one and only experience...
HOA compliance rating system coming to California home sales
HOASnapshot, an AI-powered tool to summarize HOA quality, will be available to homebuyers in escrow...
HOA Homefront: Are personal security cameras OK?
Homeowners in condo complexes need to seek HOA permission before installing security cameras.
California is No. 3 in US for housing permits despite construction hurdles
Builders had 1.1 million housing unit permits approved between 2016 and 2025, the third-highest total...
How to make your home loan process go as smoothly as possible
The most important thing a buyer can control is their actions and behavior during the...
California home prices dip for 3 straight months
California's $725,000 February median represented a 1% year-over-year drop, according to real estate tracker Attom.
Southern California home prices take biggest dip since 2023
February's $800,000 median sales price for six-county region was down 2% compared with a year...
TinyFest brings supersmall living to Southern California house hunters
The Costa Mesa event this weekend showcases all kinds of tiny homes for anyone seeking...
What a fishing lesson says about commercial real estate
At their core, both demand consistency and a willingness to keep going when results are...
Fed’s Waller signals caution on rate cuts
He cautioned that oil futures prices and securities markets in general are underpricing the risk...
HOA Homefront: Nonfunctional turf will require irrigation with reclaimed water
In 2029, a new California law will ban the watering of certain unused 'mowed grass'...
Gio Helou’s ‘sassy’ new AI assistant tasked with cutting agent costs
With 'Selling the OC' on pause, Helou and his neighbor Ryan Burke are launching a...
Consumer poll: What’s important to today’s homebuyers?
75% of prospective borrowers said finding a low interest rate was the most important thing...
California homeowners rebuilding after disasters can tap $50M program for all-electric systems
The grant program offers property owners between $5,000 and $15,000 to install all-electric energy systems...
LA home-repair costs up 8% since wildfires, biggest jump in state
California's largest repair cost hikes over the past year were found in communities near the...
Woodland Hills home by architect R.M. Schindler lists for $4.5M
The 3,756-square-foot Van Dekker House originally built for actor Albert Dekker is a Los Angeles...
The US is short 10 million houses. A new White House report lays out a blueprint to fix that
The analysis notes home prices have risen 82% since 2000, while incomes are up 12%.
California’s immigrant community could see evictions pause under state proposal
Sen. María Elena Durazo in Los Angeles introduced a bill that would suspend evictions for...
War, rates, inflation: More headwinds ahead for homebuyers
Words like stagflation and recession are being tossed around by experts
AI emerges throughout Southern California’s real estate industry
Artificial intelligence has finally landed in the real estate industry to help with handwriting hundreds...
HOA Homefront: Can HOAs hold virtual board meetings all the time?
Ballots cannot be counted virtually at board meetings held by a homeowners association - though...
The cost of FICO mortgage credit reports has soared for borrowers
One way to lower homeownership barriers for first-time buyers, is to require all creditors to...
Rents drop in 85% of Los Angeles County cities
Across the 53 Southern California cities in ApartmentList's study, rents dropped in 33 of them...
California, U.S. homeownership run below 40-year average
California's 55.3% ownership rate last year ranked only as the state's 20th best level since...
Southern California’s foreign immigration cut in half in past year
Last year's foreign immigration to the region of 46,700 was a 53,700 decline from the...
This new home community in Winchester is renting the American dream
Blackstone's Tricon Residential opened a new build-to-rent community at a moment when investor-owned homes are...
What makes a real estate tour great?
In my experience, it’s not just unlocking doors and walking through space.
California insurance commissioner candidates vow reform, fixes for FAIR Plan
At a Pacific Palisades forum, several candidates discussed wildfire risks and more transparency on rate...
HOA Homefront: Can our association ban political flags?
California law protects the rights of residents in common interest developments to display noncommercial signs...
Can Southern California house hunters handle mortgage rates at 6-month high?
So the conflict's initial hit to house hunters' budgets is only a 2% increase.
Crypto enters the mortgage market via Fannie Mae-eligible loans
Better Home & Finance and Coinbase Global are launching a product that links digital assets...
More rules coming for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac condo approvals
As of July 1, the condo cash reserves requirement is rising to 15% of the...
Zillow changes course, allowing posting of homes not yet on MLS
Two online real estate rivals seem to be inching closer to finding common ground.
Are investors nudging Californians out of homebuying opportunities?
Consider that in five housing markets, 59,400 of last year's 150,300 purchases were tied to...
Fannie, Freddie placing large bids for mortgage-backed bonds
They are stepping into a market roiled by widening bond spreads and a surge in...
How a dream home in Wildomar was dashed by California’s steep impact fees
Marine veteran Francisco Sanchez walked away from his dream home in Wildomar, disheartened by the...
Why purposeful building matters in commercial real estate
Walking through Oklahoma City's bombing memorial reminds us that land and buildings often become far...
HOA Homefront: Is it a rule? What’s allowed and what isn’t
Some HOAs have “rules,” which are simply board pronouncements and are not enforceable.
Californians are nation’s top users of adjustable-rate loans
At 31%, California had the nation's largest share of adjustable-rate mortgages in 2025.
Surprise costs bite homebuyers by nearly $24,000
The average buyer spent four times more than expected on homebuying related costs.
Roof insurance rules easing for government-backed mortgages on homes, condos
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac say accepting "at cash value" coverage will help to lower...
New Santa Clarita homes from $800Ks with no Mello-Roos
Tour three furnished models at the March 28 grand opening within walking distance of the...
'Now, it's a pocketbook issue': What's behind California's high-stakes race for insurance commissioner?
The state's property insurance crisis, deepened by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, is bringing renewed...
Southern California’s 59% jump in house payments chills homebuying
January's 10,584 sales were the second-lowest count to start a year since 2005. Only January...
Home insurance prices, especially in California, to keep rising with severe weather
In 2025, premiums jumped by more than 20% in six states.
US economy’s strength hinges on how much the rich spend
Consumers spend $21 trillion a year, and figuring out where that comes from helps gauge...
How oil prices affect commercial real estate
When the price of oil rises sharply, the effects ripple outward through transportation, manufacturing, consumer...
30 tons of steel: Inside a $3.5M Palisades fire-resistant house
After losing projects to the Palisades fire, the developer is ditching 'wood boxes' for steel.
Trump signs executive orders aimed at addressing home affordability concerns ahead of midterms
It’s unclear how quickly federal efforts can meaningfully reduce mortgage costs.