Wade Huie, Real Estate Consultant, Power Brokers International

09/28/2026

Example of an article that straddles both sides of the fence to the point that it says nothing: Living near a Costco makes your house worth more in some cases, but in some cases living too close to Costco makes it not. Duh.

New research finds Costco proximity can lift home values in some markets, but agents should verify the premium with local comps before pricing.

09/09/2026

There are going to be some some major changes for condo buyers--some good, some not so good. Read the attached article for the pros and cons. Overall, though, it's going to make the process more complicated, time-consuming, and of course costlier. But what else is new?

Develop the skills and knowledge necessary to help clients and customers with a purchase or sale in residential property.

08/26/2026

Today's real estate story for California: You have to pay more for a house these days (duh).

First-time buyers were desperately slapping down-payments on modest ranch homes in far-flung desert communities, enduring long commutes just to escape the rental market.

08/18/2026

For you Number Crunchers, I got 'em for you here: California Association of Realtors just released the most recent numbers for the state. California current real estate market. In short, prices have leveled out, ar,e in fact, down a tdad Then again, everything is so high here to begin with. Anyway, happy reading and come up with your own conclusions:

Aug. 17, 2026

Home sales pull back in July as California’s median price slips below $900,000

Existing, single-family home sales totaled 263,170 in July on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 6.0 percent from June and up 1.1 percent from July 2025.
The statewide median home price declined to $887,680, down 1.9 percent from $904,640 in June and up 0.3 percent from $885,180 in July 2025.
Year-to-date sales increased 1.8 percent.
SACRAMENTO (Aug. 17, 2026) – California home sales retreated in July after a solid rebound in June but remained above their year-ago level for the fourth consecutive month as the market continues to search for sustained momentum and lower interest rates, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.

Infographic: https://www.car.org/Global/Infographics/2026-07-Sales-and-Price

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes remained above their year-ago level for the fourth straight month in July, even as sales retreated to their lowest level in six months. California home sales reached a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 263,170 in July, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2026 if sales maintained the July pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

July sales declined 6.0 percent from the revised 279,880 homes sold in June and edged up 1.1 percent from a downwardly revised 260,250-unit pace recorded in July 2025. Statewide sales remained below the 300,000 benchmark for the 46th consecutive month, underscoring the market’s continued struggle to build sustainable momentum. Year-to-date sales were 1.8 percent above last year’s pace through the first seven months of 2026, a small dip from the 1.9 percent growth pace recorded in June. Sales remained above year-ago levels in five of the seven price segments tracked by C.A.R. — led by homes priced at $2 million and above, which rose 8.9 percent from a year earlier — and homes priced below $300,000 which posted a 5.2 percent annual gain.

“California’s housing market pulled back last month as mortgage rates remained elevated and briefly reached a 12-month high in recent weeks,” said C.A.R. President Tamara Suminski, a Southern California broker and REALTOR®. “Despite a slower start to the second half of 2026, improved supply conditions in July, combined with the recent decline in mortgage rates, could provide some relief to buyers and give them more options to choose from as the market transitions into the off-peak season.”

Pending home sales also slowed in July, declining 6.8 percent from the previous month but remaining 1.0 percent above the same month last year, the second consecutive year-over-year gain following a brief dip in May. Mortgage rates continued to trend higher throughout July, averaging 6.54 percent for the month and briefly reaching a 12-month high later in the month before pulling back. Rates have since retreated to a three-week low but remain elevated near the upper 6-percent range, and high borrowing costs will likely remain a headwind for housing demand as the market moves beyond the peak homebuying season.

California’s statewide median home price softened again in July, falling below the $900,000 benchmark for the first time in four months. The statewide median price declined 1.9 percent from $904,640 in June to $887,680 in July, a steeper drop than the average decrease of 0.7 percent observed between June and July in the past 10 years. On a year-over-year basis, the median price edged up 0.3 percent, marking the third consecutive annual increase, although price growth remained modest after slowing from the 3.1 percent gain recorded in May.

Continued moderation in the statewide median price reflected both a further shift in the mix of homes sold and persistent softness in underlying price growth. The share of million-dollar home sales declined from 36.9 percent in June to 35.5 percent in July, down three percentage points from the record 38.5 percent reached in May, as sales activity became less concentrated in higher-priced properties. At the same time, the statewide median price per square foot declined 0.5 percent from a year earlier, following mild annual gains of 1.8 percent in May and 0.2 percent in June. Together, the normalization in the sales mix and the renewed softness in price per square foot suggest that July’s moderation reflected relatively weak price growth in recent months.

“July’s housing market performance reflected the ongoing challenges under the current economic and lending environment, but the market continues to show signs of resilience,” said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “Higher mortgage rates and financial market volatility in the past two months weighed on buyer demand, resulting in softer sales activity and subdued price growth in July. While broader economic concerns and affordability constraints will remain headwinds in the near-term, moderations in rates could help stabilize demand, and market conditions could improve in the months ahead if geopolitical tensions ease further.”

Other key points from C.A.R.’s July 2026 resale housing report include:

At the regional level, home sales remained above year-ago levels in four of California’s five major regions in July, although the pace of growth moderated considerably from June. The Central Coast led all regions with a solid 11.1 percent increase from a year earlier, while the Central Valley posted a more modest gain of 2.9 percent. Sales in the Far North (0.8 percent) ticked up slightly year-over-year, while Southern California (0.1 percent) and the San Francisco Bay Area (-0.1 percent) were essentially unchanged from their year-ago levels.

At the county level, 28 of the 53 counties tracked by C.A.R. recorded year-over-year sales gains in July, with 13 posting double-digit increases from a year earlier. Merced led all counties with a 39.5 percent surge in sales, followed by Lake (37.5 percent) and Del Norte (33.3 percent). In contrast, 22 counties posted annual sales declines — including eight that fell by more than 10 percent — while sales in Plumas, Mono and Napa were unchanged from a year ago. Trinity experienced the steepest decline (-62.5 percent), followed by Glenn (-35.3 percent) and Mariposa (-34.8 percent). As is often the case in smaller counties, many of the outsized gains and losses were likely driven by low transaction volumes, rather than broad changes in underlying market conditions.

Three of California’s five major regions posted year-over-year gains in their median home price in July, although price growth moderated across much of the state. Southern California led all regions with a 2.7 percent increase from a year earlier, while the Far North (0.5 percent) and the Central Valley (0.2 percent) recorded only mild price gains. The Central Coast posted the largest annual price decline at 4.1 percent, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area, where the median price slipped 1.2 percent from July 2025. All five regions recorded month-to-month price declines.

Thirty-four of the 53 counties tracked by C.A.R. recorded year-over-year median price gains in July. San Francisco led all counties with a 25.2 percent increase, followed by Calaveras (18.8 percent) and Mendocino (16.7 percent). San Francisco’s continued price strength has been supported by exceptionally tight housing inventory and strong demand, particularly at the higher end of the market, as the city’s robust artificial intelligence sector continues to generate high-income employment and wealth among technology workers. Meanwhile, 19 counties recorded annual price declines, with Mariposa posting the steepest drop (-16.7 percent), followed by Lassen (-16.4 percent) and Tehama (-16.3 percent). As is often the case in smaller counties, some of the outsized gains and declines likely reflected limited transaction volumes and shifts in the mix of homes sold rather than broad changes in underlying home values.

Housing inventory loosened from the prior month in July, but supply conditions remained tighter than a year ago. The Unsold Inventory Index (UII) increased from 3.1 months in June to 3.4 months in July but remained below the 3.7 months recorded in July 2025. The Index measures the number of months needed to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate. Total active listings increased 2.9 percent from June but slipped 9.3 percent from their year-ago level, the sixth consecutive month of annual declines. Housing supply remained tighter than a year ago in all five major regions, with the San Francisco Bay Area leading the way again as the tightest market in the state at 2.3 months, and the Far North as the highest at 5.1 months.

Active listings declined on a year-over-year basis in 42 of the 53 counties tracked by C.A.R. in July, highlighting the widespread inventory constraints that persisted across much of the state. San Francisco recorded the steepest decline, with active listings falling 41.5 percent from a year earlier, followed by Marin (-28.9 percent) and Mono (-26.5 percent). Meanwhile, 11 counties recorded year-over-year increases in active listings, led by Calaveras (29.3 percent), Imperial (23.6 percent) and Kings (21.7 percent).

The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 26 in July 2026, down from 28 days in July 2025.

C.A.R.’s statewide sales-price-to-list-price ratio* was 99.3 percent in July 2026 and 98.5 percent in July 2025.

The statewide median price per square foot** for an existing single-family home was $434 this July, down from $436 in July 2025.

The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 6.54 percent in July, down from 6.72 percent in July 2025, according to C.A.R.’s calculations based on Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage survey data.
Note: The County MLS median price and sales data in the tables are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state and represent statistics of existing single-family detached homes only. County sales data is not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home. The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical than average prices, which are skewed by a relatively small share of transactions at either the lower end or the upper end. Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost, as well as changes in the characteristics and the size of homes sold. The change in median prices should not be construed as actual price changes in specific homes.

Realtor® Secure Transaction is your place to discover, access and master the essential tools for a modern, efficient and secure transaction.

07/23/2026

🏠 Los Angeles Real Estate in Mid 2026

Well, the median price for a single family home is still under a million bucks. (SEE CHART BELOW) Aren't we lucky?

While the double-digit price explosions and crazy bidding wars of past years have passed (for now), LA’s real estate landscape remains remarkably strong, for smart buyers and sellers alike.

Here are SOME key changes shaping our local market right now:

Price: Median single-family home prices across Los Angeles County continue to demonstrate modest, steady growth—hovering around the $910,000–$980,000 mark. Industry forecasts expect price appreciation to remain in a healthy 2% to 4% range over the coming year. But what do they really know, eh?

Mortgage Ratesg: Rates floating in the mid 6% range have given buyers increased confidence and predictability. However, talk seems to lean towards rates increasing shortly. But who really knows these days?

Pricing is Everything. In today’s environment, homes that are priced strategically from day one attract strong interest and sell quickly—sometimes even with competitive offers. On the other side of the coin, "aspirational" --i.e. what you fantasize your property is worth--pricing is taking longer to adjust. Take your pick.

With single-family inventory tight due to limited new construction, rental demand remains relatively strong. Multifamily properties—especially entry-level to mid-tier units—are seeing a surge in interest from invetors.

Bottom Line: Success in today's LA real estate market is about hyper-local strategy, clear value, and timing. But frankly, that's almost always the case.

Making a move in LA sooner or later? Send me a message to chat about your neighborhood's specific market values.

06/18/2026

Rent Trends in California: IN a nutshell, the poorer ares have gone down; the richer areas, up.

How SoCal rents moved in May 2026
1-YEAR RENT CHANGE IN 56 CITIES
Jonathan Lansnerfor the Southern California News Group.

Rents are dropping in about two-thirds of Southern California cities, and the biggest breaks are showing up where prices were already on the lower side.

These stats come from May’s rent report from ApartmentList, which tracks what landlords charge in 56 cities across the region. These price estimates, a combination of government statistics and ApartmentList’s listing data for apartments and houses, tracked the overall one-year change in rents for one- and two-bedroom units.

In the past year, rents dropped in 35 cities, climbed in 30, and held steady in just one. That equals 63% of all cities down in a region where typical rents slipped by 1 percent. Monthly costs run $1,934 for a one-bedroom unit and $2,365 for a two-bedroom.

When the 56 cities were ranked by how much rents changed and then split into three groups, it was clear where renters were most likely to see landlords trim what they charge.

In the cities with the steepest rent cuts, a typical one-bedroom went for $1,734. In the places with the biggest hikes, that same apartment costs $2,253. That’s a 23% gap.

For two-bedrooms, the median was $2,173 in the cities with the biggest drops, while it hit $2,673 where rents jumped the most. That’s 19% cheaper.

This price gap hints that higher-income areas are still flexing more economic muscle.

Landlords across the region are finding it tougher to hike rents. The job market feels shaky, and all those new homes mean more empty rentals to fill.

These stats show the challenge gets even harder in places where both rents and paychecks are on the smaller side.

Only Orange County – Southern California’s priciest rental market – saw typical rents go up.

Here is how rents moved, geographically speaking, ranked by share of cities wth declining prices:

– San Diego County: 88% cities with declines, 7 of 8, to a 1% median decline with median pricing of $1,864 for one-bedroom units and $2,247 for two.

– Los Angeles County: 86% declines, 12 of 14 cities to a 2% median decline with $1,846 one-bedroom units and $2,365 for two.

– Ventura County: 80% declines, 4 of 5 cities to a 1% median decline with $2,158 one-bedroom units and $2,597 for two.

– Inland Empire: 62% declines, 8 of 13 cities to a 1% median decline with $1,707 one-bedroom units and $1,951 for two.

– Orange County: 25% declines, 4 of 16 cities to a 1% median increase with $2,270 one-bedroom units and $2,698 for two.

Counting cities
Look at where prices swung the most, by city.

Three of the five largest rent drops occurred near the areas where the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires hit. It looks like the rush for rentals from displaced families has faded.

– Pomona: 6.7% median decline with $1,489 one-bedroom units and $1,879 for two.

– Santa Monica: 6.7% median decline with $2,212 one-bedroom units and $2,651 for two.

– Pasadena: 5.3% median decline with $2,100 one-bedroom units and $2,702 for two.

– Chula Vista: 4.2% median decline with $1,712 one-bedroom units and $2,240 for two.

– Glendale: 3.4% median decline with $1,841 one-bedroom units and $2,369 for two.

On the flip side, three of the five biggest rent hikes this year showed up in Orange County.

– Aliso Viejo: 7% increase with $2,797 one-bedroom units and $3,303 for two.

– Newport Beach: 4% increase with $2,846 one-bedroom units and $3,535 for two.

– Colton: 4% increase with $1,411 one-bedroom units and $1,742 for two.

– Mission Viejo: 3% increase with $2,410 one-bedroom units and $2,898 for two.

– Chino: 2% increase with $1,707 for one-bedroom units and $2,187 for two.

05/29/2026

Thousands are leaving Los Angeles year after year. This is why we still have a housing crunch

By Jack Flemming
Staff Writer, LA Times

Los Angeles is shrinking — nearly 10,000 city residents and 62,000 countywide left last year — yet home prices and rents remain among the nation’s highest.
Experts say the paradox stems from smaller households, decades of underbuilding and owners reluctant to sell, so even population loss hasn’t eased L.A.’s longstanding housing shortage.
Lower-income renters are being priced out and replaced by wealthier newcomers, widening inequality and raising questions about who gets to stay — and what kind of city L.A. becomes.
The City of Angels lost nearly 10,000 residents last year. L.A. County lost 62,000.

It’s not exactly a mass exodus, but L.A.’s shrinking population is enough to leave a few economists shuddering at the long-term implications of so many people skipping town: less political influence, a smaller tax base, etc.

But amid the Southland’s sea of change, one thing seems to always stay the same: Housing is still expensive.

Typically, population declines and aging housing stock conjure visions of Rust Belt decay, where land loses value and abandoned homes sell for next to nothing. But in L.A. — despite vanishing Hollywood jobs and immigration crackdowns — housing costs remain sky-high.

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This year, the region has seen a slight dip in home values and a slight uptick in vacancy rates. But L.A. County’s population has been whittling down for the last decade, with 400,000 people leaving since 2016. During that stretch, home prices and rents have nearly doubled.

What gives?

Experts say a few factors are at play, but there’s one sneaky trend that’s often overlooked: household composition.

“People are moving out of L.A., but households are becoming smaller, so the number of households that require housing is actually rising,” said Stephanie Hawke, associate research director of land use and supply at the Terner Center.

Hawke said the number of one- to two-person households is rising while three-plus-person households are falling. A single-family home that once held a family of four now holds a couple with no kids. An apartment that once held a couple with no kids now holds a single person.

In 2010, the average household size in L.A. County was 2.98, according to U.S. Census Data. In 2024, it was 2.81. That might seem a marginal difference, but it actually represents hundreds of thousands of people.

“A growing housing stock is accommodating fewer people,” said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California.

Johnson said the shifting demographics are coming from both the young and the old. Declining marriage rates among people in their 20s and 30s is leading to lower birth rates, while older people tend to live alone after their spouse dies. Both lead to smaller average households.

Another element keeping housing prices high is the classic law of supply and demand.

“We build less than we need,” Hawke said.

State housing goals say L.A. County needs to add more than 800,000 housing units by 2029 to keep up with demand, including more than 450,000 in L.A. But despite laws meant to boost housing production, including duplex-focused Senate Bill 9 and density-focused SB 79, the city appears well short of that goal.

“California has long had a housing shortage,” Johnson said. “So even though we’ve been building new housing over the last five years at a time of negative population growth, there’s an outstanding stock of undersupply that means markets are stressed, and prices remain higher in L.A. than the rest of the country.”

Real estate agent Bret Parsons said in many cases, it doesn’t make sense for homeowners to sell even if they want to, which exacerbates the supply shortage.

“People sit on homes because they don’t want to pay capital gains taxes or the ‘Mansion tax,’” he said. “They refuse to sell because they don’t want to give that money to the government, so there are few houses available.”

Another factor? The types of people leaving vs. the ones replacing them.

“Remember who’s moving out and moving in,” Hawke said. “Lower-income folks are being forced out, and higher-income folks who can afford higher rents are moving in.”

A report from the Public Policy Institute of California showed that housing costs have become the biggest reason people leave the state. Lower-income workers without college degrees are often moving out, and they’re generally replaced by higher-income workers who can pay more for housing. As a result, the market doesn’t adjust, and rents stay high.

Parsons said the dynamic is widening the wealth gap in L.A. Homeowners stay put, enjoying ever-rising property values, while renters are forced to leave the city and start over elsewhere with no equity built up.

The mini exodus also brings a more existential question: Is it such a bad thing if people leave? In Southern California — a car-jammed, smog-choked metropolis that serves as the face of suburban sprawl, where rush hour is actually four hours and the hip new bagel joint always has a line down the block — is it the worst thing in the world to get a little breathing room?

From a political perspective, perhaps. The American Redistricting Project forecasts California losing four congressional seats in the 2030 apportionment due to population loss, the most of any state by far.

But Hawke sees the issue through a different lens.

“You have to think about what, and who, makes L.A.” she said. “Are you forcing those folks out? And will it be the same city if everybody leaves?”

Johnson said historically, population growth is a reflection of how desirable a place is, but declines aren’t necessarily negative. He said L.A. County, and California as a whole, have embraced a slow-growth mindset for a few years now, and the state already lost a congressional seat as a result of the 2020 census.

“It’s about following the right examples,” he said. “The Northeast has embraced slow growth while still doing well economically, but there are other places in the world struggling with stagnant economies, poverty, and cheap-but-low-quality housing. That’s a model you won’t want to repeat.”

Should the departure continue, or even increase, experts say it’s still not likely L.A. will ever be overbuilt like some of its Rust Belt counterparts due to pent-up demand that has never quite been met. Johnson said there is market elasticity tied to migration; as we build more housing and it impacts prices and rents, then fewer people will leave, and the ones who were priced out could return.

“California is a desirable place to live. Weather, oceans, mountains,” he said. “It’s hard to envision it ever being overbuilt.”

05/11/2026

EASY $$$ OVER! (for now)

Concise & informative article by Consumer Advocate Clark Howard on the current state of House-flipping:

HOUSE FLIPPING OVER (for now) Clark Howard

If you’ve spent any time in a doctor’s waiting room lately, you’ve probably seen them: those home-flipping shows that play on a loop because they’re the kind of “safe” TV nobody objects to. They make it look so easy — you buy a wreck, spend a few weeks picking out subway tile, and walk away with a massive check.

And for a long time, that wasn’t just TV magic; it was reality. About 12 or 15 years ago — even as recently as seven years ago — flipping houses was incredibly lucrative.

But today? If you jump into the flipping market without knowing exactly what you’re doing, you’re likely to get burned.

The Math Problem
We talk all the time on the podcast and our YouTube show about how difficult it is for first-time homebuyers to break into the market. The same factors making life miserable for those buyers are the same ones killing the profit margins for investors and flippers.
Starting at the beginning of COVID, we saw home prices escalate at a rate that far exceeded income growth. That period of “crazy” inflation in the housing market changed the math.

The traditional flipper’s formula is simple: Buy a home that’s a mess, fix it up, and put it back on the market. That works beautifully when home prices are depressed or even just “affordable.” But when the baseline price of a “fixer-upper” is already sky-high, there isn’t enough meat left on the bone to cover the cost of materials, labor, and carrying costs.

Is the “Easy Money” Gone?

I’m not saying it’s impossible to make money in real estate right now, but the “easy days” are definitely over.
There are still people who can spot a diamond in the rough — perhaps in a “down and out” neighborhood that is in the very early stages of gentrification. However, to make that work today, you usually have to meet two criteria:
• You have to do the work yourself. If you’re hiring out every contractor, your profit will likely vanish. You need the skills to put in the “sweat equity” personally.
• You have to be flexible. You might need to turn that property into a long-term rental rather than a quick flip, and even then, making the cash flow work is much tougher than it used to be.

When Will It Get Better?
People ask me when the real estate market will return to “normal” for investors and flippers. My answer is simple: You’ll know the time has come back when first-time homebuyers are able to buy again.
The housing market is currently so skewed that the median age of a first-time homebuyer has jumped to 40 years old. It used to be around 28.

Until we see that age start to come back down — meaning homes have become affordable relative to incomes again — the math for flipping just isn’t going to make sense for most people. For now, don’t let those TV shows fool you. Real estate is a tough place to park your money right now.

05/10/2026

https://newsletter.smartbrief.com/sharedSummary/index.jsp?copyId=82576460-2E42-45F6-9954-2A1BD754DF68&issueId=23BAAEC1-200E-46A1-85F6-7431CF5EAE4B&briefId=34FB1440-92D5-42F6-A71E-28B6B1CB1AB4

Your home still not selling? Try these tips.

Curated by Smartbrief. After a period of winter delistings, many homes are relisting this spring. Agents say successful relaunches require honest post-mortems, realistic repricing, refreshed photos and staging, and perhaps offering buyer incentives. "A relaunch should feel like a premiere, no...

05/01/2026

America's Most Expensive Home Ever...Only $400M.
Now on our Multiple Lising Service!
39 Bedrooms, 59 Bathrooms,

The home is located at 11201 Chalon Road, near the Bel Air Country Club. Listing agents -- Unfortunately, I'm not one of them-- call it "The Crown Jewel of LA." It consists of 70,000 square feet across multiple structures and is perched on an 8-acre hilltop lot offering expansive views of the Pacific Ocean, Bel Air Country Club, downtown Los Angeles and beyond,

The main home features 10 family bedrooms and 13 staff bedrooms. The guest house includes six guest bedrooms and 10 staff bedrooms. If you don't like the main swimming pool, there are two others to float in .

There's also a hammam — a kind of steam bath — an x-ray room--why who knows?-- tennis court and pavilion, salon, theater, safe room, restaurant-style kitchen and art storage space. I'm not sure if there's a putt-putt course as well, but I bet if you pay full price, they would add it.

Who's the current owner? Of course, a family in the Middle East, who paid $35 Million for the 7.8 acrre site back in 2010.

By the way, few homes have sold for above $200 million in the U.S. — let alone $400 million.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the record is currently held by a $240 million New York City condo bought in 2019 by a hedge-fund manager. Jay-Z and Beyoncé set California's record in 2023 when they paid $200 million for a Malibu estate perched right above the beach, but then got beat out by a mystery buyer of another Malibu property the next year for $210 Million.

Do I have any takers?