Home Prices Rise in 80% of U.S. Metros as NAR Reports Q2 Gains
Home prices rose year-over-year in 80% of U.S. metros this spring, up from 71% in Q1, as the national median price climbed to $434,900, NAR’s latest quarterly report finds.
Alex Douglas
Real Estate Reporter
Alex Douglas is a business and real estate writer based in suburban Chicago, bringing together professional newsroom experience, firsthand brokerage knowledge, and a practical interest in property investing. He earned a BS from Arizona State University and went on to report for multiple newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, where he covered business and real estate.
Before focusing on real estate journalism, Alex spent five years as a Realtor in Phoenix, giving him direct insight into buyers, sellers, agents, negotiations, and the day-to-day realities of local housing markets. Today, his reporting draws on both his journalism background and his real estate experience to explain market trends, housing developments, and industry changes with clarity and authority. As a novice multifamily real estate investor, Alex also brings a hands-on perspective to coverage of property ownership, investment strategy, and long-term market opportunities.
Articles by Alex Douglas
Alex Douglas
Zillow Survey: Agents Say Buyers Benefit From Independent Representation, Full Listing Access
A new Zillow survey of 366 real estate agents finds most agree independent representation and full listing access serve buyers, even as fewer say the practices help agents themselves.
Manhattan Office Leasing Jumps 28% in July, Led by Midtown South, Colliers Finds
Manhattan tenants leased 3.87 million square feet of office space in July, up 28 percent year over year, with Midtown South driving nearly half the activity as availability hit a six-year low, Colliers reports.
Snap Subleases Nearly 200,000 SF From Verizon at Vornado’s Penn 2 in Manhattan
Snapchat’s parent company has taken over the eighth through 10th floors at Vornado’s Penn 2 tower that Verizon leased just over a year ago for a headquarters it never occupied.
CMBS Distress Hits 2026 High of 10.91% in July, Led by Office Loans
CMBS distress climbed to 10.91% in July, its highest level of 2026, led by 16.65% distress among office loans, according to CRED iQ, as special servicing transfers outpaced actual delinquencies.
Easterly Government Properties Raises 2026 Guidance After Q2 Beat
Easterly Government Properties raised its 2026 core FFO guidance to $3.07-$3.13 per share after posting second-quarter core FFO of $0.78 per share, up from $0.74 a year earlier, on 98% portfolio occupancy.
Piedmont Office Realty Trust Raises 2026 Guidance for Second Straight Quarter
Piedmont Office Realty Trust raised its 2026 Core FFO and same-store NOI guidance for the second straight quarter, citing strong leasing across its Sunbelt Class A office portfolio.
Extra Space Storage Posts 4.9% Core FFO Growth as Q2 2026 Occupancy Holds Steady
Extra Space Storage’s second-quarter core FFO rose 4.9% to $2.15 per share as same-store NOI grew 3.5% and the REIT raised full-year guidance, even as self-storage transaction volume stays muted.
FHFA: Permanent Loan Modifications Rose 4.7% in April as Forbearance Rules Shift
Permanent loan modifications on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans rose 4.7% in April even as total foreclosure-prevention actions fell 8.7%, FHFA data shows, as the GSEs shift toward shorter forbearance periods.
Builder M&A Activity Doubles as Home Builders Report More Acquisition Approaches, NAHB Finds
The share of home builders reporting increased local M&A activity grew from 14% to 21% over the past year, and those approached about being acquired doubled to 18%, an NAHB survey analysis finds.
Varcity Closes Financing on First University-Based Retirement Community at Purdue
Atlanta-based Varcity closed financing on a 239-unit retirement community inside Purdue University’s Discovery Park District, the first of a planned national network of campus-anchored senior housing.
Blackstone Mortgage Trust Posts Q2 Net Loss on Chicago Office Loan Reserve
Blackstone Mortgage Trust posted an $81.2 million second-quarter net loss as credit reserves tied to a defaulted Chicago office loan offset revenue that beat estimates, while the company redeployed capital toward residential and industrial loans.
Landlords to Pay $359.9 Million in Proposed Nationwide RealPage Rent-Fixing Settlement
A group of landlords and property managers has proposed a $359.9 million settlement resolving nationwide antitrust claims that RealPage revenue-management software let them coordinate apartment rents. The deal still needs court approval.
Severe Thunderstorms Now Cost Insurers More Than Hurricanes, First Street Finds
A new First Street analysis finds severe thunderstorms caused $82 billion in global losses in 2025, overtaking hurricanes as the costliest insured peril and driving rate hikes and non-renewals in hail-prone U.S. markets.
ICE Mortgage Technology Revenue Rises 5% to $557 Million in Second Quarter
Intercontinental Exchange’s Mortgage Technology segment grew revenue 5% to $557 million in the second quarter, while operating income more than quadrupled to $45 million as Closing Solutions led product-line growth.
American Homes 4 Rent Raises Guidance as Second-Quarter Revenue Rises 2.8%
American Homes 4 Rent grew second-quarter revenue 2.8% and raised full-year Core FFO guidance for a second straight quarter, as renewal rent growth continued to outpace new-lease pricing across its 60,482-home portfolio.
New York Family Pays $47 Million for Brickell Penthouse in Miami, Fla.
A New York City family has agreed to pay $47 million for a duplex penthouse at the under-construction St. Regis Residences in Miami’s Brickell district, one of the highest condo prices ever recorded in the neighborhood.
SEC Charges RAD Diversified REIT With $152 Million Fraud
The SEC alleges non-traded REIT RAD Diversified and its founders misrepresented profitability, stock valuation and liquidity while raising $152 million from over 5,500 retail investors nationwide.
AvalonBay, Equity Residential Unveil “Vivmark Residential” as Name of $53B Merged Company
AvalonBay Communities and Equity Residential revealed Vivmark Residential as the name of the combined REIT taking shape from their pending merger of equals, with the deal now headed to a shareholder vote after a $53 billion pro forma equity value was confirmed.
Stonemont, PCCP Close $1 Billion Deal for 38-Building Industrial Portfolio
Atlanta-based Stonemont Financial Group and partner PCCP closed on a roughly $1 billion acquisition of a 38-building, 5.9 million-square-foot industrial portfolio from Blackstone’s Link Logistics, spanning five high-growth U.S. markets.
Equinix Seeks $3 Billion in New Bond Sale to Fund Data Center Growth
Equinix is marketing at least $3 billion in investment-grade notes, Bloomberg reports, a day after the data center REIT raised 2026 guidance and its long-term capex outlook.
NAR Clarifies Broker Duties for Office Exclusives and Pre-Marketing Listings
The National Association of Realtors has issued guidance clarifying agent and broker responsibilities for office exclusives and pre-marketing listings, emphasizing disclosure obligations when sellers waive or delay MLS exposure. Under the guidance, agents must ensure sellers understand their marketing options, and brokers must explain applicable pre-marketing choices and obtain signed disclosures. State laws, local MLS … Read more
Antares Labs Raises $7.25 Million to Build Custom AI Systems for Real Estate Owners
Antares Labs launched with $7.25 million in seed funding from Fifth Wall and other investors to embed custom AI systems directly inside real estate owner-operators, targeting lease-up, churn and investment decisions.
Top 10 Builders Control 43.6% of New-Home Sales, With Local Dominance Far Higher
The 10 largest homebuilders captured 43.6% of new single-family home sales nationally in 2025, but that understates their true reach — in some metro markets, the top 10 builders now control nearly all new-home construction.
Fed Holds Rates Steady in Rare 9-3 Vote as Three Officials Push for Hike
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady on July 29 in a 9-3 vote, with three officials pushing for a hike — an unusually hawkish split that leaves mortgage rates likely to hold near current levels into the fall.
Freddie Mac Posts $3.8 Billion Q2 Profit as Net Worth Climbs to $78 Billion
Freddie Mac’s second-quarter net income climbed 61% from a year earlier to $3.8 billion, lifting the mortgage giant’s net worth to $78 billion as it keeps building capital toward eventual release from federal conservatorship.
UDR Raises Full-Year Guidance as Second-Quarter Leasing Outpaces Expectations
Apartment REIT UDR raised its full-year 2026 guidance after second-quarter leasing strength, occupancy and resident retention all outpaced the company’s prior expectations.
Chief Justice John Roberts Sells Chevy Chase, Md., Home for $3.44 Million
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and his wife sold their longtime Chevy Chase, Md., home for $3.44 million — more than $200,000 over asking — just weeks after quietly listing it.
Foreign Buyers Spent $11 Billion Less on U.S. Homes as Purchases Hit 17-Year Low, NAR Finds
International buyers spent $45.3 billion on U.S. homes in the year through March 2026, down 19% as transactions fell to their second-lowest level since 2009, NAR’s annual report finds.
Home Buyers Spend Nearly $8,700 Extra in Year One, NAHB Analysis Finds
Buyers of newly built homes spend about $8,750 more than non-moving households in their first year of ownership, while existing-home buyers spend roughly $8,674 more, according to a National Association of Home Builders analysis — but the two groups spend that money very differently.