Blog

US Market Insights

Analysis, strategy, and deep-dives for the US residential real estate market.

Market Insights

The Fed Pivot and the 30-Year Fixed: Where Rates Land in 2026

With the 10-year Treasury oscillating around 4.1% and the Fed in a measured easing cycle, the 30-year fixed has settled near 6.4%. A clear-eyed read of the spread, the jobs print, and where the next leg actually takes affordability.

20 April 20269 minRead →
Strategy

1031 Exchanges in 2026: Rules, Timelines, and the Common Traps

Defer all the gain, or blow it on a technicality. Forty-five days to identify, 180 to close, and a qualified intermediary who actually knows what they're doing. The full mechanics, the boot rule, and the deals investors keep botching.

17 April 202612 minRead →
Locations

The 50-State Property Tax Map: Where Your Effective Rate Really Lands

Hawaii at 0.27%, New Jersey at 2.23%. On a $500,000 home that's the difference between $1,350 and $11,150 a year — every year, forever. A state-by-state look at effective property tax rates in 2026 and why the headline number is only half the story.

13 April 202610 minRead →
Regulations

FIRPTA Withholding Demystified: What Foreign Sellers Actually Pay

Fifteen percent of gross proceeds withheld at closing — unless you qualify for an exception or file a withholding certificate. The IRS rules for non-US persons selling US real estate, how the certificate process shortens the clock, and the refund math.

10 April 202611 minRead →
Locations

NYC Condo vs Co-op: What Actually Matters in 2026

Co-ops are cheaper per square foot for a reason. Board approval, flip taxes, sublet rules, and why a foreign buyer will struggle to get past a prewar Park Avenue board. The trade-offs, and when the co-op discount is real value vs. a trap.

6 April 202610 minRead →
Regulations

The TCJA Sunset and the Housing Market: What Changes in 2026

The SALT cap, mortgage interest deduction, standard deduction — all were temporary pieces of the 2017 tax law and all are set to change. What's locked in, what's still in play, and what it means for high-tax-state housing.

1 April 202611 minRead →
Market Insights

Austin's Correction Is Real — Here's What the Data Actually Says

Down 1.8% YoY in Q1, 14% off peak, and inventory at 2019 levels. The Austin story has turned. A metro-level look at what went wrong, where it bottoms, and whether the entire Sun Belt thesis needs rethinking.

28 March 20268 minRead →
Regulations

Foreign Buyer's Guide to US Residential Real Estate in 2026

No federal restrictions on foreign purchases. ITIN is usually enough. Cash closes in two weeks, financed deals run 45-60 days. The step-by-step, the FIRPTA exit tax, state-level quirks in Florida and Texas, and the mistakes that cost non-US buyers six figures.

22 March 202613 minRead →
Strategy

The Buy-vs-Rent Math in 2026: It's Closer Than the Headlines Suggest

At 6.4% mortgage rates and rent growth at 3.1%, the rent-versus-buy breakeven in most metros is now 7-9 years. A clean model — including insurance, property tax, opportunity cost, and equity build — for three city profiles.

16 March 20269 minRead →
Regulations

Conforming Loan Limits for 2026: Where the Jumbo Line Sits Now

The FHFA baseline conforming limit moved to $802,650 for 2026. In high-cost counties like San Francisco and Manhattan it's $1,204,000. Why the line matters — jumbo rates, underwriting, cash requirements — and the metros where it's most relevant.

10 March 20268 minRead →
Locations

Miami and the International Buyer: Why the Flow Hasn't Stopped

Latin American capital, tech relocation, no state income tax. Brickell and Edgewater keep absorbing international money despite the insurance crisis and the condo reform aftermath. A look at the buyer mix and the 2026 outlook.

4 March 20269 minRead →
Strategy

Build-to-Rent and the Institutional SFR Play in 2026

Invitation Homes, American Homes 4 Rent, and a dozen private operators built an entirely new asset class out of detached single-family rentals. Where yields sit, how the playbook works, and whether retail investors can still compete.

27 February 202610 minRead →