Apartment Rents Up by Scant 0.1% in December

by Phil Hall | Jan 9, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Apartment rents were up slightly in December with the national average increasing to $1,708, a scant 0.1% increase from November’s upwardly revised figure of $1,707. According to data from Apartments.com, this mild uptick reversed the previous five consecutive month...

Fed’s Miran Calls for 150 Basis Point Cut in Interest Rates

by Phil Hall | Jan 9, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, WRE News Exclusive

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran is calling on the central bank to cut interest rates by 150 basis points during 2026. According to a Reuters report, Miran insisted the central bank should move with greater vigor on rate cuts as inflation moves closer to its desired...

Trump Announces His ‘Representatives’ Will Buy $200 Billion in Mortgage Bonds

by Phil Hall | Jan 8, 2026 | Current News & Events, Mortgage Information, Real Estate Investing, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

President Trump announced he is directing his “representatives” to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds as a strategy for driving down mortgage rates. In a posting on Truth Social, Trump blamed former President Biden for ignoring the housing market and...

Mortgage Rates Record Slight Increase

by Phil Hall | Jan 8, 2026 | Current News & Events, Mortgage Information, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

Mortgage rates started 2026 on with a mild uptick, according to the Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC). The 30-year fixed-rate averaged 6.16% as of Jan. 8, up slightly from last week when it averaged 6.15%. A year ago at this time, it...

Newsom Follows Trump in Calling for Ban of Institutional Investors in Single-Family Housing Market

by Phil Hall | Jan 8, 2026 | Current News & Events, Real Estate News, U.S. Housing Market, WRE News Exclusive

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is following President Trump’s lead by calling for a shutdown on institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. The San Jose Mercury News reports 3% of California’s single-family homes are owned by large companies, according...