REI Lense Blog – page 10
Affordability policy shifts: public-housing conversions, city frameworks, and zoning changes
San Antonio weighs a RAD-style public-housing shift, Dallas proposes a “Dallas is Home” framework, and Washington enacts a commercial-to-residential zoning law.
6 min read
Record Stale Listings Show a Stagnant—Still Pricey—U.S. Housing Market
U.S. home prices are still inching higher, but rising stale listings and long days on market show buyers gaining leverage as mortgage rates stay elevated.
6 min read
Record $347B in ‘stale’ inventory: what it means for 2026 homebuyers and sellers
February data show a record $347B in stale listings and a higher share of homes sitting 60+ days, expanding negotiation leverage for buyers in many markets.
6 min read
Record 630,000 Seller-Buyer Gap: What Redfin’s Data Says About Spring 2026 Housing
Redfin shows a record 630,000 seller-buyer gap in Feb. 2026, giving buyers more leverage in many metros and cooling price growth in oversupplied areas.
6 min read
Where Home Prices Are Falling in 2026: The Local-Market Correction Gets Patchier
More U.S. markets are seeing home-price declines as inventory improves and buyer demand stays rate-sensitive, creating a patchier spring 2026 market.
7 min read
Crypto-Collateral Down Payments Are Coming to Conforming Mortgages: How the New Structure Works
Better and Coinbase describe a two-loan structure that lets buyers pledge bitcoin or USDC for a down payment while keeping the primary mortgage conforming.
7 min read
Crypto-Backed Down Payments in Conforming Mortgages: What Better + Coinbase Changed
Better and Coinbase outlined a way to pledge bitcoin or USDC for a down payment while keeping the primary mortgage conventional in form.
6 min read
Who gets to build housing? New rules target public land, nonprofits, and manufactured homes
New housing rules are targeting land, approvals, and factory-built options—reshaping who can build affordable homes and how fast supply can grow.
7 min read
Manufactured Homes Are Getting Cheaper—Why Entry-Level Buyers Are Taking a Fresh Look
Manufactured and mobile homes are getting cheaper in 2026, but land ownership, lot rent, and chattel-loan financing determine true affordability.
6 min read
2026 Home Price Outlook: Why Some U.S. Cities May Dip While Others Keep Rising
Home price forecasts for 2026 look modest nationally, but relistings, uneven inventory recovery, and local incomes are pushing very different outcomes by metro.
7 min read
Home Prices Are Diverging Across U.S. Counties: What’s Driving the Local Split in 2026
U.S. home prices are diverging by county and neighborhood in 2026. Here’s what’s driving hot pockets vs. soft spots and the local metrics to watch.
6 min read
Spring 2026 Housing Market: Mortgage Rates Rose Again—Here’s Where Demand Is Holding Up
Spring 2026 housing is splitting by region as mortgage rates rise again: modest inventory gains, elevated price cuts, and uneven demand across U.S. metros.
7 min read
Mortgage Rates Are Rising Again—Why Some Early Spring Housing Markets Are Still Rebounding
Mortgage rates are rising again, but early spring housing activity is rebounding in select U.S. markets as inventory improves and winter slowdowns fade.
7 min read
Zillow’s +0.5% Price Forecast: Why 2026 Looks Like a Local, Negotiated Housing Market
Zillow now expects U.S. home values to rise just 0.5% over the next year, signaling a cooler, more negotiated 2026 housing market with big regional differences.
7 min read
January new-home sales sank 17.6%: mortgage rates, winter weather, and rising months’ supply
January new-home sales fell 17.6% as winter weather and higher mortgage rates hit demand. Months’ supply rose, keeping builders incentive-heavy.
7 min read
Why January 2026 new-home sales fell so fast: weather, rates, and a rising months’ supply
January 2026 new-home sales fell 17.6% as weather disruptions and rate volatility hit demand, while months’ supply rose to 9.7—keeping builder incentives in play.
7 min read
A Cooler Housing Market Is Emerging: Longer Days on Market, More Inventory, and Uneven Spring Demand
U.S. housing is shifting cooler: longer days on market, improving inventory, and a sharp January dip in new-home sales, with conditions varying by region.
6 min read
Affordable Housing Supply: What New Permitting, Manufactured-Home Financing, and State Programs Could Change
New housing-supply efforts target permitting delays, zoning constraints, and financing for manufactured homes and ADUs, alongside state funding for income-restricted apartments.
7 min read
Pending Home Sales Rose 1.8% in February—Why the Spring Market Still Feels Fragile
Pending home sales rose 1.8% in February, but affordability and thin inventory keep the U.S. housing market fragile heading into spring.
7 min read
State and local housing policy races to unlock supply: modular builds, faster permits, more multifamily
Cities and states are using modular builds, faster permits, and more multifamily construction to boost supply, while infrastructure costs still cap affordability gains.
7 min read
Income Needed to Buy a Typical U.S. Home Rose ~79% Since 2020: What’s Driving the Affordability Crunch
Affordability estimates show the income needed to buy a typical U.S. home is far higher than in 2020, and local price snapshots explain why buyers still feel squeezed.
6 min read
What’s in the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act—and what it could mean for supply
The Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act targets faster homebuilding, manufactured housing flexibility, FHA multifamily limits, and small-dollar mortgage barriers.
7 min read
What’s in the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: Supply Reforms, Manufactured Housing, and Investor Limits
The Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act boosts housing supply tools and manufactured housing, while adding a 350-home investor purchase cap and a debated 7-year sale rule.
7 min read
Investor limits in the ROAD to Housing Act: how 350-home rules could reshape build-for-rent and SFR
The ROAD to Housing Act pairs pro-supply reforms with proposed limits on large single-family rental and build-for-rent investors—raising key tradeoffs for buyers, renters, and builders.
7 min read