USA Property

March’s local real estate activity indicated a relatively balanced market for both Sarasota and Manatee counties, but changing national and international dynamics could call that stability into question.The Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee’s March report noted continued stability in the Sarasota and Manatee real estate markets, with steady single-family home activity and a strong presence of cash buyers tilting the overall trend slightly in favor of buyers. But as international economic headwinds shift following President Donald Trump's imposition of his tariff policies, and other countries' retaliation, the market could...

A turf war is erupting in the residential real estate industry, with the biggest names — including Compass, Redfin, Zillow and Homes.com — falling into two increasingly stratified camps when it comes to so-called “pocket listings.”Such listings are houses for sale that are shown privately to select groups before going to the general public.Brokerages and real estate portals on one side believe the private listings are beneficial because they offer sellers privacy and control, as well as a chance to test the waters on aspects of a home sale like...

The top housing market in the U.S. this spring season is a heartland hub where the typical home costs an impressive $200,000 less than the national median. Toledo, OH, a city of 265,000 people situated on the western tip of Lake Erie, claimed the No. 1 spot in the latest Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com® Housing Market Ranking through a winning combination of strong demand, quick market pace, and impressive price growth compared with a year ago.   Although a midsized city, Toledo—located about 60 miles from Detroit—attracted outsized attention from homebuyers during the first three months...

If property taxes were a competition, Illinois would be cleaning up.The state dominates national rankings for property tax burdens with four of the five highest-taxing metro areas in the country, Crain’s reported, citing Attom. The ranking is based on the ratio of home values to property taxes.The real estate data firm reviewed effective tax rates in 217 U.S. metro areas and found that Rockford led the nation last year with an average rate of 2.06 percent of a home’s market value. Chicago followed at 1.91 percent, just ahead of Peoria’s 1.89...

Email Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), U.S. existing-home sales fell in March 2025, with declines observed across all four major regions. Compared to March 2024, sales were down in the Midwest and South, up in the West, and unchanged in the Northeast. Market Overview Total existing-home sales -- which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops -- dropped 5.9% from February 2025 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million in March. This represents a 2.4% year-over-year decrease from...

After several years of elevated growth and performance, the US property and casualty (P&C) insurance sector is approaching a period of slower expansion and rising uncertainty, reports reinsurance giant Swiss Re. According to James Finucane, Senior Economist, and Thomas Holzheu, Chief Economist Americas, of the Swiss Re Institute—part of Swiss Re, a global reinsurance provider—the outlook for 2025 reflects a market adjusting to both economic headwinds and the lingering effects of past underwriting decisions. The analysts project that return on equity (ROE) will remain steady at 10% in both 2025...

Fast-growing fruit trees for your backyard harvestHere are five fast-growing fruit trees you can plant in your backyard for a quicker harvest.unbranded - LifestyleRates for home loans remained high as consumer and investor confidence take a hit amid the White House's tariff rollout.In the week ending April 24, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.81%, Freddie Mac announced. That’s down fractionally from 6.83% last week, which saw the biggest one-week jump since last August.Those figures don’t include fees or points, and rates in some parts of the country may be higher or lower than the...

County officials are turning to federal court over regulations of delinquent property taxes that they say puts them in an impossible bind.Two Illinois counties surrounding Chicago, Lake and DuPage counties, have filed federal lawsuits against the state over a property tax sale process they say leaves them stuck enforcing laws that are “unconstitutional by design,” Crain’s reported.Officials in the counties are asking a judge to declare that the Illinois property tax code, which dates back to the 1930s, forces them to run tax delinquency sales that violate property owners’ rights...

House and Senate budget and tax cut negotiators are running out of time to reach a deal and end the legislative session on time.Local cheerleaders with Special Olympics show their skills at CapitolSpecial Olympics athletes demonstrate their cheerleading skills during Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run and ceremony at Capitol courtyard.The House and Senate disagree on tax cut plans, with differing approaches and overall amounts.The legislative session's deadline is approaching, with budget and tax cut negotiations still ongoing.One of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ main gripes with the House in his ongoing feud...

Texting was already available, but now a translation service is offeredThe Dover Police Department is one of the first in the U.S. to use the enhanced 911 service for sharing of photos and videos, and text translation.A real estate agent impersonates a seller and pockets $3 million from fraudulent property sales. A Los Angeles homeowner loses their house to an international identity theft ring. In Florida, during a scheduled video call with the seller, a title company is met with an AI-generated fake.These stories may sound sensational, but the crimes...