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14 Years Running: Why Real Estate is Still America's Favorite Investment
It's real estate. And this year, that answer comes with even more conviction behind it. New data shows people aren't just saying homeownership is a smart move, they're feeling better about it than they have in years. Let's dig into why.
Real Estate Takes the Top Spot - Again
Every year, Gallup asks Americans to name the best long-term investment. And for the 14th year in a row, real estate came out on top.
Think Nobody's Buying Homes Right Now? Think Again.
If you've been thinking about selling, you've probably seen plenty of headlines suggesting buyers have just about disappeared. But there's a big difference between a slow market and a stalled one.
Yes, mortgage rates are still higher than most people would like. Homes aren't selling as fast as they were. And every week seems to bring another headline about buyers sitting on the sidelines. But here's what you haven't heard.
Despite everything going on, buyer demand has been remarkably resilient.
Read more from Keeping Current Matters.
Why More Families Are Choosing Montgomery County
Montgomery County has become a place where families can build a lifestyle, not just a home.
FED Leaves Rates Unchanged
The Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday decided, by a 9-to-3 majority, to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3.5% to 3.75%.
Given the pressures inflicted over the last year and a half by President Donald Trump to bring the key rate down, one might assume the three dissenting votes supported a quarter - or even half-point reduction. But that was far from the case.
Instead, FOMC governors Beth Hammack, Neel Kashkari, and Lorie Logan voted to raise the target range by a quarter point.
Read more from The Mortgage Note.
Vacation Home Mortgages Tick Up For First Time Since Pandemic Boom
By comparison, mortgages for primary homes ticked up 1% year over year in 2025 after rising 2% in 2024.
This is according to a Redfin analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data covering purchases of second homes, primary homes and investment properties in the U.S. from 2018 to 2025.
56% of Sellers Record Showings - 19% of Buyers Walk Away
Buying a home is already one of life's most stressful experiences. Now, as home surveillance becomes increasingly common, buyers may feel like they're being watched every step of the way.
A new survey explores how recording devices are reshaping the homebuying experience and influencing buyer behavior in unexpected ways. Here's what we found.
56% of recent sellers had recording devices active during their latest sale or listing, and 72% of recent buyers say they saw or suspected cameras, microphones, or other recording devices during a home tour.
Read more from Realty Times.
New Home Sales Rise in June
Contract signings for newly built homes hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 628,000 in June, 1.5% up from May, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development Friday. That's 5.6% below where they were in June 2025, when they hit 665,000 annualized.
Meanwhile, the median sales price dropped to $398,000, 3.3% below May's $412,000 median price and 2.7% below what it was in June 2025.
Pending Home Sales Fall to 3-Month Low
The decline in homebuying demand comes as weekly average mortgage rates rise to a 11-month high of 6.55%. Additionally, home prices are stubbornly high, sitting just about $900 shy of their all-time peak. The topsy turvy U.S. economy, including the resurgence of the Iran war and rising oil prices, is another factor driving would-be homebuyers to the sidelines.
Read more from Realty Times.
That makes it the most common priority for prospective homebuyers, along with security systems (38% rank that a top-three priority, statistically equal to the 36% for clean homes), out of a list of 22 features.
This is based on a Redfin survey conducted by Ipsos in May 2026, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents. These specific findings focus on the roughly 1,000 respondents who are planning to move within the next 12 months.