A Phil Hall Op-Ed: The Wall Street Journal’s Strange Coverage of the Home Building Industry

by Phil Hall | May 19, 2026 | A Phil Hall Op-Ed, Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

A Phil Hall Op-Ed: The humorist Will Rogers once wisecracked, “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.” I was reminded of Rogers’ classic comment while reading a pair of recent Wall Street Journal articles regarding...

Study: Only 4.5% of Gen Zers are Homeowners

by Phil Hall | May 19, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Only 4.5% of today’s Gen Z demographic are homeowners, compared with 73.1% of baby boomers. According to a new data study from Clever Real Estate, the 68.6% difference marks the largest generational homeownership gap ever recorded. The new study observed that while...

Down Payment Levels at 4-Year Low

by Phil Hall | May 19, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

The typical down payment during the first quarter was $23,400, a 19% decline from one year before. According to new data from Realtor.com, this marked the fourth consecutive quarterly decline in down payments and the lowest level since 2021. And while it was above the...

Mortgage Applications for New Home Purchases Declined in April

by Phil Hall | May 19, 2026 | Current News & Events, Mortgage Information, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Mortgage applications for new home purchases during April were down by 2.4% from one year earlier and were also down by 10% from the previous month. According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey, new single-family home sales...

Iowa Gov. Reynolds Signs Property Tax Relief Bill into Law

by Phil Hall | May 19, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a property tax relief bill into law in a ceremony on Monday. According to Iowa Public Radio, the new law creates a 2% cap on city and county general revenue growth, with an exception for new construction. The new revenue cap does not...