COVERAGE INFORMATION:

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) NEWS CLIPS service coverage:

Monday through Friday (except state holidays) each week includes electronic format articles retrieved from newspapers or news services that report real estate related news in California and some national services. Coverage is for California newspapers that are available electronically via the Internet - and any significant related breaking news.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Top Stories

More Than 50,000 Home-Purchase Contracts Fell Through in March

DANA ANDERSON, Redfin News
Nearly 53,000 U.S. home-sale agreements fell through in March, equal to 13.4% of homes that went under contract that month–up from 12.5% a year earlier. That’s tied with 2023 as the highest March share on record aside from 2020, when the uncertainty surrounding the start of the pandemic caused many buyers to back out of deals.

Mortgage rates sink again, and homebuyers jump back in

DIANA OLICK, CNBC
Mortgage rates dropped for the third straight week, boosting demand from both homeowners and homebuyers. The spring housing market had been looking like a letdown, but there appears to now be new life.

National News 

Affordability crisis worsens as 1 in 4 devote 30% of income to principal and interest payments

MATT SEXTON, Mortgage Professional America
Housing affordability challenges have been a topic of much discussion in the mortgage industry over the last few years. The latest survey from LendingTree showed that even though the average principal and interest payment dropped last year, affordability challenges continue to squeeze borrowers.

D.R. Horton executed again, and smaller builders feel the squeeze

JOHN MCMANUAS, HousingWire (Subscription)
Incentives near 10% of revenue and a largely controlled lot position give D.R. Horton flexibility to manage starts, pricing, and pace. That playbook pressures smaller builders competing on payments. 

March Pending Home Sales Climb 1.5% as Inventory Grows

ANTHONY SMITH, Realtor.com
Pending home sales picked up 1.5% in March despite mortgage rates climbing throughout the month, suggesting that rising borrowing costs may have pushed some buyers to act before conditions worsened further. Contract signings were still down 1.1% year over year, but the monthly gain points to underlying demand going into the spring season.

California News

California home prices dip for 3 straight months

JONATHAN LANSNER, Orange County Register (Subscription)
Good news for California house hunters: Prices have fallen below their year-ago levels for three consecutive months, the first prolonged dip since 2023. The recent slips don’t offer much help to California house hunters battling lofty prices. The statewide median is only 3% off its June 2025 peak of $751,000. As a result, homebuying remains lethargic. February’s statewide sales of 21,912 were the third-slowest since 2005.

Popular Trader Joe’s in Oakland could be replaced by two apartment towers for seniors

LAURA WAXMANN, San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
Months after revealing high-profile plans to turn a Safeway in San Francisco’s Marina District into a housing project, the developer behind that effort is turning its attention to the site of a Trader Joe’s in an affluent part of Oakland.

Industry News 

NAR touts early progress on strategic plan ‘built for action’ 

LILLIAN DICKERSON, Real Estate News
The National Association of Realtors is making progress on several initiatives laid out in its three-year strategic plan — a bold roadmap aimed at modernizing the organization and transforming the member experience — according to a statement released on Tuesday. NAR said it has already started tackling two-thirds of the roughly 75 projects in the plan, pointing to small wins around affordable housing, the Realtor brand and broker relationships.

Shareholder Sues Two Harbors Over Proposed Sale To CrossCountry

KATIE JENSEN, National Mortgage News
A shareholder of Two Harbors Investment Corp. has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the company’s proposed sale to CrossCountry Mortgage, alleging investors are being asked to approve a $10.80-per-share deal without enough information — despite earlier proposals that, according to the complaint, reached as high as $15 per share.

Real Estate Technology 

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Property News 

New American Home Showcases 2026 Features And Charitable Foundation

JAMIE GOLD, Forbes
The National Association of Home Builders has showcased 43 projects in The New American Home series at its annual International Builders’ Show. This year’s build was the most impressive and inspirational I’ve toured in the last two decades and the first time I’ve ever written about one of them. Here’s why.

In Case You Missed It 

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Resources, Webinars, and Other Items of Interest 

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