July 2025

Record-high home prices and persistently elevated mortgage rates have made the housing market difficult for homebuyers and the industry alike — and not even this year’s significant growth in supply seems to be helping. It’s been particularly difficult for prospective buyers who are currently renters, as renters are dealing with an affordability crisis of their own. Zumper’s National Rent Index...

Designer Trevor J. Peterson appreciates the quiet moments, so when a recent Houzz contest called on pros to use the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner to...

This Trending Now story features the most-saved powder room photos uploaded to Houzz between March 15 and June 15, 2025.Designers love to turn up the style in powder rooms, which don’t demand the heavy-duty function of a primary bath. For ideas on elegant...

For centuries, Italy has captivated the American imagination. Beyond the bustling piazzas of Rome and the romantic canals of Venice lies rural Italy--an emerging frontier for discerning American investors and those dreaming of a life less ordinary. Direct flights from major hubs like New York, Chicago, or Miami make this European dream surprisingly accessible. The story of rural Italy has long been one of...

Amid elevated interest rates, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and tighter credit conditions, U.S. real estate developers are increasingly turning to private credit as their financing vehicle of choice. Once considered a niche or last-resort option, non-bank lenders have emerged in 2025 as a dominant force -- offering speed, flexibility, and customized deal structures that traditional banks can no longer...

Coastline Real Estate Group, a 13-agent real estate team based in San Diego County, California, has joined The Real Brokerage. The team is led by Raymond Fraser and Shaylie Gilliland, who previously worked together on one of California’s top-ranked real estate teams. Since founding Coastline in late 2020, the group has closed more than $200 million in home sales and is ranked among the top 1% of...

A federal judge has dismissed the claims of both the plaintiffs and defendants in an appraisal discrimination lawsuit that garnered national attention when it was filed in 2022. Nathan Connolly and Shani Mott — Maryland homeowners who are Black — sued appraiser Shane Lanham, his company 20/20 Valuations and mortgage lender loanDepot for allegedly undervaluing their home by almost...

The nonprofit Realtors Relief Foundation (RRF) has allocated $500,000 to assist residents in south central Texas following recent floods that took the lives of more than 130 people and displaced families across the region. The funding — distributed through Texas Realtors and eight local associations — will be used to help affected residents cover housing payments as recovery and relief efforts...

Veteran entrepreneur Phillip Cantrell distills four decades of hard-won business wisdom into his newly released book, “Failing My Way to Success: Lessons from 42 Years of Winning (and Losing) in Business,” which officially launched July 15. The founder and CEO of Benchmark Realty — who sold the company to United Real Estate in 2020 — says the inspiration for writing the book stemmed from a...

Nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) lender Logan Finance Corp. on Thursday announced the promotion of Dave Weatherford to Executive Vice President of TPO Production, effective immediately. The promotion follows Logan Finance’s launch of its new Open Road product series, announced in June. The series, which expands upon Logan’s preexisting non-QM offerings, involves seven specialized Non-QM mortgage...