REI Lense Blog – page 5
Case-Shiller and FHFA Show Home Prices Still Rising in May — But Cooling Is Getting More Local
May home-price indexes stayed positive nationally, but higher mortgage rates are widening differences by metro as affordability and inventory drive local outcomes.
7 min read
Homebuilders Cut Prices and Offer Incentives, but Buyers Still Pull Back
Homebuilders are cutting prices and offering incentives, but elevated mortgage rates keep payments high and buyer demand remains uneven.
6 min read
Local Housing Shortages: How Zoning Tweaks, Adaptive Reuse, and Infill Builds Add Units City by City
Local housing shortages are pushing zoning tweaks, adaptive reuse, supportive affordable housing financing, and infill projects that add units city by city.
7 min read
Diverging new-home market: sales edge higher while builders cut prices to clear inventory
June new-home sales rose, but builders are still cutting prices and offering incentives as inventory remains elevated and buyers stay payment-sensitive.
7 min read
AI wealth is reshaping San Francisco housing again: prices near $1.725M and the affordability gap widens
San Francisco home prices are rising again as AI-driven demand meets tight inventory. Redfin data shows June 2026 median prices around $1.725M, widening the affordability gap.
7 min read
Record Home Prices Are Pushing Buyers Toward New Builds and Alternative Paths to Ownership
Record-high home prices and mid-6% mortgage rates are pushing buyers toward smaller new builds, co-buying, shared equity, and home-sharing arrangements.
7 min read
States tighten rules on large single-family investors while expanding affordable and workforce housing tools
Michigan created a state low-income housing tax credit and limited additional purchases by very large single-family landlords, while Colorado expands local tools for affordable and workforce housing effective Aug. 12, 2026.
7 min read
Institutional Landlords Pull Back From Single-Family Rentals: What the Selloff Means for Buyers
Institutional landlords are listing more single-family rentals as purchase caps limit future acquisitions, with impacts likely concentrated in investor-heavy markets.
7 min read
Tiny Homes and Modular Housing Are Back in Focus — What Actually Drives Affordability
Tiny homes and modular housing are gaining momentum as affordability tools, but zoning, permitting, and mortgage rates still determine real monthly costs.
7 min read
Why Housing Affordability Is Getting Harder for Younger Buyers in 2026
Affordability tightened in 2026 as qualifying income rose and pending sales softened. Here’s how concessions and local market splits are emerging.
7 min read
Active Listings Hit a Post-Pandemic High as Single-Family Permits Slide: What It Means for Supply
Active listings rose to a post-pandemic high, boosting buyer leverage, while single-family starts and permits fell—raising questions about longer-term supply relief even if supply improves now.
7 min read
Record Home Prices, Slight Affordability Relief: What’s Improving (and What Isn’t) in Summer 2026
Home prices are at record highs, but affordability is modestly better than last year as incomes rise, inventory improves, and builders offer incentives.
6 min read
Pending Home Sales Drop 5.4% in June: What It Signals for Late-Summer Closings
June pending home sales fell 5.4% as high rates and record prices strained affordability. Builder sentiment stayed weak and incentives remained widespread.
7 min read
Home Insurance Costs Are Emerging as a Major Driver of US Housing Affordability
Rising homeowners insurance premiums are taking a larger share of monthly housing costs, compounding high prices and shifting buyer behavior across U.S. markets.
7 min read
New federal housing law caps corporate home buying at 350 homes — and bets on more supply
A new federal law caps corporate ownership of single-family homes at 350 and adds supply measures like manufactured housing updates and conversion support.
6 min read
Luxury buyers helped push U.S. home prices to a June record — and the market is fragmenting
Redfin’s June data show a record national median home price, driven by luxury demand in select metros, while other markets cool and affordability stays tight.
7 min read
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: Investor Purchase Limits, Supply Tools, and What Comes Next
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act pairs supply tools with limits on the largest institutional buyers. Here’s what it could mean for affordability.
7 min read
How the new federal housing law is playing out locally: permits, fee deferrals, and faster rebuilding
Local implementation of the new federal housing law is taking shape through permits, fee deferrals, manufactured housing expansion, and faster disaster rebuilding.
7 min read
Record $440,600 Existing-Home Price Meets a New Federal Housing Law: What Changes (and What Won’t)
Existing-home prices hit a record $440,600 as a new federal housing law takes effect. Here’s what the supply-focused provisions could change over time.
7 min read
Existing-Home Prices Hit a Record While Sales Slow: What June 2026 Signals for Buyers and Sellers
June existing-home data show record prices alongside softer sales, tight inventory, and mortgage rates near 6.5%—a high-price, low-transaction housing market.
6 min read
Housing affordability policy is converging on three levers: supply, mobile-home rent caps, and regulation costs
Affordability efforts are converging on supply programs, mobile home park rent caps, and new estimates of regulation and permitting costs baked into new-home prices.
7 min read
Introducing the REI Lense API: Rental Analysis for Your Own Product
The REI Lense analysis engine is now a public API. Send a property address or GPS coordinates and get instant long-term rental metrics — rent, cap rate, cash-on-cash, cash flow, and comparables.
3 min read
Cooling home price growth could improve affordability in 2026—but payments are still high
Home prices are still rising in 2026, but forecasts show slower growth ahead. Here’s what that means for affordability, mortgage payments, and negotiations.
6 min read
Dallas Fed Working Paper: How Unauthorized Immigration Moved Rents and Home Prices in 2021–2024
Dallas Fed working paper estimates 2021–2024 unauthorized immigration inflows raised local home prices and rents, especially where supply is constrained.
6 min read