Mortgage rates and the 10-year yield both hit yearly highs after the Friday massacre in the bond market, as we didn’t get any positive news on ending the conflict in Iran. Even with all that, our weekly pending home sales data is still positive year over year, for now. The weekly mortgage purchase application data was positive year-over-year and week-over-week. However, when mortgage rates rise above...

Picking the right plants is often the first thing people think of when...

At the spring 2026 High Point Market in North Carolina, new lighting products embraced oversize scale, layered materials, decorative shades and organic forms — with fixtures functioning as statement pieces as much as sources of illumination. Here are seven standout lighting trends from the April...

Loan officers are shifting their playbooks to keep deals alive as mortgage rates climb north of 6.6%. Originators are encouraging borrowers to ask for more seller credits, recalibrate their home search criteria and rush to close deals as quickly as possible. Rates for 30-year fixed mortgages reached 6.62% on Friday afternoon, up 5 basis points from the prior day, according to Mortgage News Daily. At...

Arbor Homes, a subsidiary of Clayton, is leaning into its Arrival Series to offer entry-level buyers a home in the low $200s, addressing the growing U.S. affordability gap.  The Indianapolis-based homebuilder recently introduced the Arrival Series to the Louisville market, with detached homes available starting at $199,995. The homes, located in a community in the Louisville suburb of Jeffersonville,...

Momentum MLS and Rayse announced a new partnership aimed at improving transparency, communication and client engagement throughout the real estate transaction process. The collaboration will provide Momentum MLS subscribers with access to Rayse as a member benefit, giving agents tools to guide buyers and sellers through transactions with real-time updates and structured client communication. The...

MLS consolidation is something numerous industry executives advocate for but few have managed to successfully pull off given all of the logistical challenges of combining two distinct platforms into one. However, MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) and Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors (RWorld) and their respective MLSs, MIAMI MLS and BeachesMLS, just proved it can certainly be accomplished...

Up to now, homebuilding rankings have mostly answered two questions: who is bigger? And who is the biggest? They remain important questions. Scale matters in U.S. homebuilding. It affects land access, purchasing leverage, trade depth, capital relationships, brand reach, technology investment and resilience when demand turns uneven. In a market shaped by affordability pressures, higher-for-longer...

Green kitchen cabinets are many designers’ go-to choice for adding depth, personality and a connection to the natural world without sacrificing sophistication. The right shade can feel earthy or elegant, bold or quietly grounding, depending on the materials around it. In the following...

I have years of experience working with homeowners on their renovations, but I’ve also spent the past 20-plus years renovating my own properties. Having stood on both sides of this always-stressful process, I’ve learned quite a bit about what to do — and what not to do. These are my top 10 tips and...