Real estate

Real estate

Tech companies are still signing leases in downtown Seattle - but it's not enough to reverse a pandemic-era slide that pushed office vacancy to another record high, reaching 34.7% in Q4. The latest numbers from commercial real estate firm CBRE underscore how hybrid work and shrinking office footprints continue to weigh on a tech-heavy market like Seattle. The vacancy rate is up about two percentage points from a year ago, and a fivefold increase from before the pandemic.

Starting February 17, buyers in CRMLS markets will lose access to one of the most important tools for understanding how homes actually sell: the ability to see interior photos of comparable properties once they close. This quiet adjustment limits IDX feeds used by consumer-facing portals reaching hundreds of millions of users monthly to a single primary photo, typically the exterior, for closed listings. Full photo sets remain available inside professional MLS systems.

The suit, backed by a resident group known as West Valley Citizens for Responsible Development, argued the San Jose City Council had erred in approving the Costco project in October 2024. The lawsuit, filed two months after the council vote, alleged the proposed 165,000-square-foot store at the Westgate West Shopping Center violated city zoning rules and the project's environmental review process was inadequate.

In December, Rithm completed its acquisition of Crestline Management, adding $17 billion in assets under management while growing its capacities in direct lending, fund liquidity solutions, insurance and reinsurance. In November, the company terminated a subservicing agreement with Onity Group subsidiary PHH Mortgage Corp., effective at the end of January 2026. The contract, which lasted for nearly a decade, was tied to a $33 billion portfolio that's comprised mostly of pre-2008 loans.

Our agents now have a community of like-minded investment-curious agents, experienced agent investor professionals and the tools to create their own income and wealth-producing portfolios, Dan Duffy, the CEO of United Real Estate Group, said in a statement. The company said the program is designed to help agents not only boost their income, but also build generational wealth for their families and communities. Due to this, the brokerage said it aligns with its core values of Family, Excellence, Fiscal Responsibility and Seeing Things Differently.

Working and middle-class folks in this community are having a really hard time not only staying, but also finding places to live,

For most Americans, every home purchase is a bit of a gamble. Is now the right time to jump into the market? Can I haggle on the price a bit more? What if mortgage rates drop in a few months? These questions have always made buying a new place feel a little like hitting the blackjack table. For the better part of a century, these implicit bets on future real

Even as price growth slows - and falls in some cities - buying a home still feels unaffordable for many people, in part because mortgage rates remain high and down payments are still steep. Redfin reported in October that the average down payment hit a record $70,000 in August. While some people are cutting back on discretionary spending to afford a home purchase,

How JSI Generates Income JSI generates income through securitized debt markets that most retail investors never access directly. The fund's portfolio centers on agency mortgage-backed securities from Fannie Mae ( OTCQB:FNMA) and Freddie Mac ( OTCQB:FMCC), which provide government-backed stability while delivering coupons up to 6.5%. Management supplements this core with tactical allocations to asset-backed securities, commercial mortgage debt, and collateralized loan obligations.

The deal follows a period of rapid expansion for Lower, including the launch of a West Coast division in December led by Gino Fronti as the company continues to invest in geographic growth and talent across the country. The company also announced an acquisition of real estate portal Movoto from parent company OJO Labs in May 2025 and software company Neat Labs at the tail end of 2024.

Glenn Kelman announced on January 13, 2026, that he is stepping down as CEO of Redfin after leading the company for 20 years. His departure follows the $1.75 billion acquisition of Redfin by Rocket Companies, which was finalized in July 2025. Kelman's last official day in the office is Friday, January 16, 2026. Kelman will remain available in an advisory capacity through April 1, 2026, to support the transition.

The city of St. Cloud was rated the "biggest boomtown" in the Sunshine State thanks to the thousands of people who have been drawn to the growing lakeside community over the past decade, according to new data from personal finance resource GOBankingRates. In fact, the company noted the city has seen a 49.3 percent increase in population from 2015 to 2023. That's coupled with a 33.9 percent increase in per capita income, which was $28,985 in 2023.

According to new data from Realtor.com, the share of U.S. homeowners with mortgage rates over 6% is now greater than the share hanging onto those "ultra low" sub-3% rates. In the third quarter of 2025, 21% of outstanding mortgages carried a rate above 6% compared to the 20% of mortgages with rates below 3%. That change signals a "meaningful shift" from the gridlock that's defined the last few years in the U.S. housing market.

Presence CRM integrates contact data, communication history, website activity and third-party information to monitor changes such as property ownership records, employment updates and other indicators that may signal a future real estate transaction. The system is designed to generate suggested outreach and prioritize contacts based on those signals, the company said. Luxury Presence said Presence CRM will be included across its platform offerings and is scheduled to begin rolling out in early 2026.

"Today, an increasing number of consumers include crypto in their investment portfolios, while major financial institutions are deepening their involvement in crypto assets, supported by key regulatory developments," Newrez President Baron Silverstein said in the announcement, adding that now is the "right time" to weave crypto into the mortgage lending business.

There's a three-story turret, a front porch the size of some one-bedrooms, and a private driveway (with a porte cochere, no less). Wave-shaped dormer windows overlook the Spanish-tile roof. Inside, there's parquet for miles, wood paneling, stained glass, beamed ceilings, and a classical frieze of men in togas. Out back, there's a pergola and a small pond. "They don't build them like that anymore," says broker Joe Brikman,

Relocating an office is a complex undertaking that presents a significant operational challenge for any business. The primary concern for leadership and facility managers is invariably the potential for costly business interruption. Unplanned downtime during a move translates directly to lost productivity, disrupted client service, and diminished revenue. Consequently, a meticulously planned relocation strategy focused on minimising operational disruption is essential for business continuity.

On a monthly basis, the Consumer Price Index was up 0.3% after seasonal adjustment in December. Year-over-year the all-items index was up 2.7%, the same as it was in November. Shelter was the main contributor to the all-items index's monthly increase, rising 0.4% from a month prior. Other major contributors included the food index, which rose 0.7% and the energy index, which jumped 0.3%.

It all started with billboards. Inglewood approved the placement of digital advertising signs in and around SoFi Stadium, and Kroenke's companies pushed back hard but ended up losing in court. After losing that round, the dispute escalated significantly, with Kroenke now claiming the city owes nearly $400 million for money his group spent on roads, sewer systems, infrastructure upgrades, and ongoing police and fire protection tied to the stadium and surrounding development.

For those looking for room to spread out, this early 20th century house in Prospect Park South offers a generous amount of space inside and out. On the interior are period details like wood floors, mantels, and built-ins, while outside there is a sweeping expanse of a front porch, a double lot providing a large garden, two driveways, and an attached garage.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.