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.
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Copyright © , California Department of Real Estate
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Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Top Stories
14% of Home-Sale Agreements Fell Through Last Month–A Record for February
DANA ANDERSON, Redfin News
Nearly one of every seven homebuying deals are falling through largely because buyers are in the driver’s seat. There are hundreds of thousands more home sellers than buyers in the country, a near-record gap that gives buyers options and negotiating power. A buyer may back out of a contract during the inspection period if they see a home they like better or an issue comes up that they don’t want to repair–or they might just change their mind, confident that there are a lot of other homes on the market that fit their criteria.
Investors still grabbed a third of Q4 home sales as big landlords sold down
LIEZEL ONCE, Mortgage Professional America
Real estate investors continued to take an outsized share of the US housing market in late 2025, even as the biggest landlords sold more homes than they bought and overall sales remained muted. According to BatchData’s Q4 2025 Investor Pulse report, investors bought just over 32% of single‑family homes sold in the quarter, down from 34% in Q3 but still the third straight quarter above 30%.
National News
USDA Streamlines Rural Housing Loans, Grants Lenders More Authority
LEW SICHELMAN, National Mortgage Professional
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is modernizing its rural housing programs to increase efficiency for lenders and borrowers. The initiative focuses on the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program and the Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program, streamlining service delivery, reducing delays, and aligning processes with current market expectations.
U.S. Housing Market Shows Record Imbalance: 630,000 More Sellers Than Buyers
MICHAEL GERRITY, World Property Journal
The U.S. housing market is tilting sharply in favor of buyers, with February 2026 seeing a record 46% more home sellers than buyers, according to a new report from Redfin. In absolute terms, that amounts to roughly 629,808 more homes on the market than buyers seeking them, marking the widest gap since Redfin began tracking the data in 2013.
U.S. Home Prices Barely Budged in February
LILY KATZ, Redfin News
U.S. home prices were little changed from a month earlier in February, rising 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis—the slowest growth in seven months. They increased 1.9% year over year. Price growth is muted because it’s the strongest buyer’s market in recent history—for those who can afford to buy.
California News
Are investors nudging Californians out of homebuying opportunities?
JONATHAN LANSNER, Orange County Register (Subscription)
Debate is swirling in Congress over how to increase the odds of success for someone who wants to own a home. It’s a complex issue with numerous nuances, and sadly, the political spotlight has focused on giant investors who own a small slice of the nation’s single-family homes.
Sorry your house burned down. Here’s a $23,000 HOA bill — due next month
JACK FLEMMING, Los Angeles Times (Subscription)
All things considered, La Vina’s fire recovery is going fairly well. The luxury community on the northwest tip of Altadena lost 52 of its 272 homes in the Eaton fire last year, but more than 70% are currently being rebuilt, and repairs to communal spaces are well underway. But behind closed gates, a battle has been brewing over a hefty HOA bill residents were forced to pay last summer to repair damage caused by the fire.
Industry News
Judge blocks new real estate anti-money laundering rule
MARIAN MCPHERSON, Inman (Subscription)
A Texas district judge has blocked the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from enforcing its new real estate anti-money laundering rule. U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle sided with PLF, saying that the U.S. Department of the Treasury failed “to explain or show how non-financed residential real estate transactions are categorically ‘suspicious’.”
Two Harbors Delays UWM Vote As Rival Bids Escalate
KATIE JENSEN, National Mortgage Professional
Two Harbors Investment Corp. said its board committee has determined that CrossCountry Mortgage’s unsolicited acquisition proposal now constitutes a “Company Superior Proposal” under the company’s merger agreement with UWM Holdings Corp., raising the stakes in the contest over the MSR-focused REIT.
Real Estate Technology
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Property News
San Francisco Eichler fetches $1 million over its asking price
ANNA MARIE ERWERT, SFGate
For Eichler fans, 1027 Duncan St. is a treasure. Located in Diamond Heights, the home, though clearly remodeled and updated, has stayed true to Eichler’s vibe: The design he so loved has been preserved here, from the wood-paneled walls and floors to the high ceilings crisscrossed by exposed beams, to the easy flow from indoor to outdoor spaces.
In Case You Missed It
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