2026

Across Japan's shrinking rural towns and aging suburban districts, abandoned homes are quietly reshaping the country's property market, forcing policymakers, banks, developers, and local governments to confront the unintended consequences of demographic decline. Japan now has roughly 9 million vacant homes -- known locally as "akiya" -- according to the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs and...

That first cup of coffee or tea sets the tone for the whole morning, which is reason enough to give it a dedicated spot. A beverage station keeps machines, supplies and mugs in one place, frees up the main kitchen workspace and makes the routine a little more effortless for family and...

This backyard had little in the way of plants beyond a failing lawn, but it did have one irreplaceable gem — a beautiful, mature English oak tree. “That really shaped the whole design,” says landscape designer Shelley Hugh-Jones. “I decided I wanted around two-thirds of the space to be...

Housing data once again remained resilient last week even as mortgage rates are closer to yearly highs than lows, with demand hitting multiyear highs in our weekly pending home sales data. Housing isn’t booming by any means, but it’s holding up well considering all the drama we have had in 2026. Also, our weekly active inventory data is on the verge of going negative year over year. The housing...

Designers, buyers and manufacturers gathered April 25-29, 2026, in North Carolina for High Point Market, the world’s largest home furnishings event. Across showrooms, an emphasis on color saturation, nature-inspired accents, classic motifs with a twist and layered details revealed a broad and...

If you’ve ever looked at a beautiful bathroom and wondered what takes its design to the next level, you’re not alone. Many homeowners want to know how some bathrooms get that mysterious designer je ne sais quoi. I’ll let you in on a few secrets. Because the overall material costs are low in...

Warren Buffett, no stranger to the residential real estate business and to the incalculable role of homebuilding and development within it, is quoted as saying, “Valuing a business is part art and part science.” Buffett would appreciate the throughline from his broader mantra to its direct applicability to land valuation, a bulwark of any-sized homebuilding operation. Land – the literal alpha...

Strong financial results for Realtor.com operator Move underscored solid earnings for Move parent company News Corp during the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended March 31. During the quarter, News Corp recorded a 9% annual increase in revenue to $2.19 billion, which it attributed to growth in its digital real estate services, Dow Jones and book publishing segments. The firm also reported a...

Housing is a top political priority for Americans, and voters overwhelmingly support federal action to address housing affordability, according to a new poll from the Bipartisan Policy Center.  The poll found that 83% of voters believe that Congress should take action to make housing more affordable. Meanwhile, 89% of respondents agree that the House of Representatives and the Senate should work...

Last year, New Hampshire lawmakers jumped on the bandwagon of state legislatures targeting a worsening housing shortage by mandating that local governments permit multifamily housing in commercially zoned areas. The effort sought to boost housing supply and improve affordability by stripping away local zoning authority. Local governments, true to the state’s “live free or die” motto, didn’t...