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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Thursday, April 30, 2026
Top Stories
Housing starts surge to highest level since December 2024
JULIA FANZERES, National Mortgage News
New residential construction in the US rose in March to the highest level in more than a year as homebuilders boosted production despite ongoing affordability concerns. Housing starts increased 10.8% to an annual pace of 1.5 million homes in March, the highest since December 2024, according to figures released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. That topped all estimates in a Bloomberg survey.
Mortgage rates surge to nearly four-week high as Iran headlines impact markets
DIANA OLICK, CNBC
After basically flatlining for the last few weeks, mortgage rates moved decidedly higher Wednesday after President Trump said he would maintain the U.S. naval blockade against Iran until they agreed to a nuclear deal. That sent oil prices higher, and bond yields followed. As a result, the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage, which began climbing Tuesday, rose seven more basis points to 6.45% according to Mortgage News Daily.
National News
Is It Too Expensive to Sell a House?
VINCE DIXON, New York Times (Subscription)
Roughly 7.2 million single-family homes are sitting empty and being kept off the market, according to the real estate investment service Flock Homes, contributing to a nationwide housing shortage. But a closer look at these “zombie homes” shows that for many owners, selling just isn’t worth it.
Homeowners Insurance Premiums Jump 64% Since 2021
CZARINNA ANDRES, National Mortgage Professional
Homeowners insurance premiums have surged 64% since 2021, pushing the national average above $2,600 annually, according to a new analysis from Newrez — a cost shock that is increasingly showing up in escrow payments and tightening borrower affordability, even as the pace of increases begins to cool.
GOP Lawmakers Urge Treasury To Index Capital Gains to Inflation, Targeting the Hidden Home Equity Tax
ALLAIRE CONTE, Realtor.com
The capital gains tax has returned to the forefront of national policy debate. Republican lawmakers are eyeing avenues to lower the tax burden when an investor sells an asset, Bloomberg reports, as concerns about inflation dominate the news cycle heading into a decisive midterm election.
California News
Here’s a curious way to say ‘California homes are wildly expensive’
JONATHAN LANSNER, Orange County Register (Subscription)
Many of us can’t seem to find enough ways to explain how wildly expensive California housing is. A simple comparison shows California’s median home value is $828,700, compared with $365,500 nationally – that’s 127% higher. Looking at Golden State metros, San Jose was $1.61 million – No. 1 among the 50. Next came San Francisco at $1.14 million (No. 2), Los Angeles-Orange County at $962,900 (No. 3), San Diego County at $939,100 (No. 4), the Inland Empire at $584,000 (No. 8), and Sacramento at $577,2003 (No. 10).
SoCal condo prices see biggest year-over-year drop in 14 years: Attom
CHRIS MALONE MENDEZ, The Real Deal (Subscription)
Condominiums in Southern California, long regarded as an entry-level housing play, are becoming within reach for more residents. Condo prices across the region fell 6 percent year-over-year in February to a median $656,000, marking the steepest annual decline in 14 years, the Orange County Register reported, citing the latest data from Attom. The dip also puts prices 6 percent below February 2025 levels.
Industry News
Batton plaintiffs move to block NAR deal in commissions case
AMIE FISHER, Real Estate News
The homebuyer plaintiffs in the Batton commissions lawsuit have asked the court to block a settlement reached by the National Association of Realtors in a related case. The plaintiffs filed a similar motion in February after Anywhere Real Estate — a defendant in Batton — also chose to settle in Tuccori. In their Feb. 24 filing, the Batton plaintiffs characterized the deal as an attempt to "end-run" litigation in the original case.
How Real plans to turn REMAX’s web traffic into a revenue stream
AJ LATRACE, Inman (Subscription)
When Real Brokerage and REMAX announced their $880 million merger Monday, the public message centered on scale, technology and what executives described as a “transformational moment for the industry.” Investor materials and SEC filings offer more insight into how the combined company — the Real REMAX Group — plans to generate revenue.
Real Estate Technology
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Property News
When a Squatter Moves In, Homeowners Find Little Recourse
ALEXANDER NAZARYAN, New York Times (Subscription)
Squatting is a form of trespassing that begins with a person moving, uninvited, into a home they’ve neither purchased nor rented. They use a variety of means, such as producing fake documents or outright intimidation, to stay as long as they can. Police departments are reluctant to get involved, referring complaints to the civil court system, which is often backlogged.
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