Gap widens in number of home seller’s vs buyers.
There were an estimated 46.3% more home sellers than buyers in the U.S. housing market in February (or 629,808 more, in numerical terms), according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. That’s the largest gap in records dating back to 2013 and is up from 29.8% (or 449,409) a year earlier.
When sellers outnumber buyers, buyers typically hold the negotiating power because they have a lot of options to choose from. That’s why a market with a lot more sellers than buyers is considered a buyer’s market. Of course, it’s only a buyer’s market for those who can afford to buy. High housing costs and economic uncertainty have caused many house hunters to retreat, creating an imbalance of buyers and sellers.
Homebuyers are retreating due to stubbornly high home prices and mortgage rates, layoffs, and mounting economic and political uncertainty. The retreat in buyers has caused some sellers, many of whom are buyers themselves, to retreat. Some sellers are delisting after watching their homes sit on the market, while others are choosing not to list at all after seeing nearby homes sell for below the asking price.
Heir disputes to derail real estate wealth transfers.
The absence of a will could mean tens of billions of dollars in U.S. real estate may never reach its intended heirs, threatening to derail one of the largest transfers of wealth in human history, according to Realtor.com. As part of the Great Wealth Transfer, at least $2.4 trillion in property could come into the hands of U.S. millennials and Generation Z in the next decade. Maybe $25 trillion more could be put toward real estate. That’s before the tens of trillions in property that belongs to people without heirs.
Some states have passed more laws in recent years, but there isn’t nearly enough education about the scope of the problem. It can be a costly exercise for families, too. Inheritance disputes can consume huge legal resources. But all wills must go through the probate process, and experts expect problems to ensnare many along the way.
Quantifying the problem is difficult. The U.S. Forestry Service’s Southern Research Station estimated $42 billion in property, across up to 5.3 million acres, could belong to heirs in 11 Southern and Appalachian states alone. Fannie Mae’s Housing Assistance Council estimated $32 billion nationwide, but that counted only property with an assessed value.
Heir disputes used to be thought of as a rural issue, Thomson says. But that’s not the case anymore with housing as such a major part of a family’s net wealth. Boston College estimated there could be 10,400 properties worth $1.1 billion in disputes in Philadelphia and 5,500 worth $268 million in Detroit, for instance.
Homeownership matters: Gubernatorial Forum 2026
With no clear frontrunner, the California governor’s race is shaping up to be highly competitive this year. C.A.R. brought together several leading candidates for a timely conversation on the future of housing and pathways to homeownership in California.
If you missed it live or want to see it again, you can now watch the recording of the Homeownership Matters Gubernatorial Forum 2026 at http://car.org/meetings/
Moderated by C.A.R. President Tamara Suminski and C.A.R. CEO Phil Hawkins, the forum featured candidates outlining their housing priorities, policy solutions, and vision for expanding homeownership opportunities for all Californians. Participating Gubernatorial candidates included:
· Xavier Becerra, Former U.S. Secretary of Health/Human Services & Former CA Attorney General
· Steve Hilton, Political Commentator and Businessman
· Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose
· Katie Porter, Former U.S. Congresswoman for CA District 47
· Eric Swalwell, U.S. Congressman for CA District 14
· Antonio Villaraigosa, Former Mayor of Los Angeles
Throughout the discussion, candidates from across the political spectrum acknowledged the severity of the state’s housing challenges and committed to making homeownership a priority if elected governor.
By 2031, these 7 home features may be outdated and worthless.
Your home is supposed to be an investment, a place that grows in value as time passes. Yet, here’s the uncomfortable truth: some of those features you once loved might become financial dead weight sooner than you expect.
Today’s homebuyers are sharper, more practical, and less impressed by the ostentatious features that defined the housing market of the early 2000s. Think about it.
Homes are shifting fast, and what worked in the past decade is starting to lose serious appeal. Let’s be real, certain design choices that were once considered luxurious or modern are now viewed as burdens.
1. Formal dining rooms, with built ins
2. Wall to wall carpeting in living areas.
3. Dated granite counter tops.
4. Built-in entertainment centers
5. Oversized jetted tubs
6. Homes without smart technology
7. And of course, popcorn ceilings
The real estate market never stands still. What seemed valuable or stylish just a few years ago can quickly become a liability.
Some areas you might want to know about…
Seaside (California) is formerly East Monterey, a city in Monterey County, and is the home of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), UC MBEST Center, and Monterey College of Law, which are located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord. Seaside is the gateway to Fort Ord National Monument, created on April 20, 2012.
San Jose is officially the most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, and the 12th-most populous in the United States. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area around San Jose was long inhabited by the Tamien nation of the Ohlone people. San Jose was the first city founded in the Californias. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence. Following the U.S. Conquest of California during the Mexican American War, the territory was ceded to the United States in 1848. After California achieved statehood two years later, San Jose served as the state’s first capital.
And finally, Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County and is a self-designated sanctuary city. Watsonville has habitat areas that support the endangered species Santa Cruz Tarweed on the California coastal prairie ecosystem. Population has grown considerably since 1980, requiring preparation of a number of Environmental Impact Reports, with resultant development removing certain lands of the city from productive natural habitat.
Most of the coastal land adjacent to Watsonville is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Another protected natural resource is the Watsonville wetlands, a system of freshwater sloughs with open water and native vegetation that extend from the city to the ocean.