February 2026

Blend’s Rapid Home Equity Blend’s Rapid Home Equity is an automated digital origination solution that leverages real-time data to accelerate the home equity lending cycle. It features instant pre-approvals, pre-filled applications, and integrated debt consolidation tools, enabling lenders to close loans in days rather than weeks with significantly higher pull-through and operational...

Some homes feel considered the moment you walk in; not flashy, not showy, just quietly right. The difference usually isn’t budget or size. It all comes down to planning. Thoughtfully built homes tend to reveal themselves slowly. They solve problems before they appear. They feel intuitive to live in. Nothing feels accidental, even if nothing is trying to impress. These features don’t always...

Not all homes are created the same way. Builder-led homes are often designed to move quickly, meet minimum standards, appeal to as many buyers as possible, and sell fast. Architect-led homes, on the other hand, start from a different premise entirely: how a house should live, age, and adapt over time. The difference isn’t just aesthetic. It shows up in the home’s overall flow, comfort,...

One of the most tightly held stretches of waterfront real estate in South Florida just gained a major celebrity listing. Fox News host Sean Hannity has put his sprawling ocean-to-Intracoastal compound in Manalapan, Florida, on the market for $44.9 million, immediately placing it among the most high-profile offerings on what locals increasingly call “Billionaire Row.” Located on the prohibitively...

The halls of the Maison & Objet 2026 trade fair, held Jan. 15-19 at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition center, were ablaze with interior inspiration and new product launches. But an area that stood out for its creativity was the Eco Responsible Design Collective. Bringing together...

Southern Nevada's housing market opened the year with momentum shifting toward buyers, as prices eased from recent peaks and the number of homes available for sale climbed sharply, according to data released Friday by Las Vegas Realtors. The median price of an existing single-family home sold through the group's Multiple Listing Service in January was $470,000, unchanged from December but 3.1% lower than a...

A Friday-morning news report suggesting that the Trump administration is exploring an antitrust probe into U.S. homebuilders landed with its intended shock value. The implication? Washington, having rattled its saber, may be preparing to treat large builders as a concentrated market actor whose behavior is contributing to America’s housing affordability crisis. By late Friday afternoon, however, a...

I was amazed that the last Housing Market Tracker didn’t show much drama from the epic late-January snowstorm that impacted much of the U.S., but today’s tracker data got hit for sure. However, the housing market will be back in full force again soon. Last week, inventory declined, new listings data was negative year over year, purchase applications took a sharp dive and our weekly pending home...

Cool gray and white have taken a back seat to warmer tones in tile, judging by the offerings on display at The International Surfaces Event (TISE), held recently in Las Vegas. Muted palettes of earth, spice, water and sky were featured in many of the collections, but bolder feel-good hues continue...

Homebuilders — many we talk with — are calling today’s selling environment one of “demand uncertainty.” The phrase is clear. Traffic is uneven. Conversions are harder to forecast. Buyers hesitate longer, ask sharper questions, and walk away more often. The label itself may quietly misdirect leadership’s attention toward forces builders cannot control — and away from the operational...