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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Friday, August 7, 2026
Top Stories
K-shaped economy shows up in housing: Luxury sales rise as starter-home buyers struggle
SARAH AGOSTINO, CNBC
The availability of lower-priced homes for sale is increasing, but that doesn’t mean buyers can afford them, new research suggests. Sales of starter homes fell 5.4% in May compared with a year earlier, despite there being 4.5% more available, according to a report from real estate firm Zillow. The typical value of a starter home — defined as the lowest-priced third of properties — was $202,000 nationally in May, up 2.3% from the same month in 2025.
Home prices pick up in 80% of US metro areas
MICHAEL SASSO, San Jose Mercury News (Subscription)
Prices of existing homes rose in 80% of US metropolitan areas in the second quarter, as home values pick up pace after several months of weakness. The figure is up from 71% that saw year-over-year increases in the first quarter, National Association of Realtors data released Tuesday showed. By region, the Northeast saw the biggest price gain, with the median for an existing single-family home rising 3.8% over the year to $547,200.
National News
She Doesn’t Need A Co-Signer Anymore
TAL PHERRIBO CHRISTENSEN, National Mortgage Professional
Single women made up a quarter of all first-time buyers in 2025. This is no footnote or a niche segment. One quarter. Since NAR first began tracking homebuyer demographics in 1981, single women have held the position of second largest homebuying demographic, trailing only married couples. But today, single women buy two and a half times as many homes as single men.
The Role of Community Development Block Grants in Modern Housing Policy
JOEL BERNER, Realtor.com
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are federal funds from the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) given to cities to supplement infrastructure funding, housing and economic development programs, and public services. The recently enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act ties CDBG bonuses and penalties to growth in each recipient community’s housing stock.
California News
LA City Council taps voters to decide if Palisades is exempt from Measure ULA
CHRIS MALONE MNEDEZ, The Real Deal (Subscription)
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted 13-1 to put a measure on the November ballot that will allow voters to decide whether the city’s so-called mansion tax can be applied in the coastal enclave decimated by the January 2025 Palisades fire, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
CA’s aging homebuyers
DAVID WAGNER, LAist
A new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Public Policy Institute of California finds that the age at which a majority of Californians turn from renters to homeowners is 47. In the rest of the country, a majority of people become homeowners by 36.
SF rental scams ensnaring would-be renters leads to citywide crackdown
CHRIS MALONE MENDEZ, The Real Deal (Subscription)
A would-be renter in Duboce Triangle is the latest victim in a troubling trend of rental scams across San Francisco. The real landlord later told the Chronicle he had never advertised the property on Craigslist, never communicated with the renter and never received the money. The apartment had already been leased to someone else.
Industry News
“People will search where the inventory is”: Robert Reffkin lays out Compass’ portal ambitions
JAKE INDURSKY, The Real Deal (Subscription)
In an earnings call this week, Compass International Holdings CEO Robert Reffkin was asked about his desire to compete with home search platforms like Zillow. “Is it unreasonable to expect that the company that has the most listings in the United States is the number one place people search the United States?” he retorted. “I don’t think so.”
Heavy-hitters back Zillow’s SCOTUS petition in securities case
AMIE FISHER, Real Estate News
In early June, Zillow filed a petition for a writ of certiorari (a request for review) asking the high court to weigh in on a class-certification ruling in a 2021 case led by plaintiff Jeremy Jaeger. Last week, several business groups and legal policy organizations submitted amicus briefs urging the court to grant Zillow's petition, adding some heft to the search giant's request.
Real Estate Technology
August 6 Isn't The Finish Line. It's The Starting Line For AI Governance.
BRIAN VIEAUX, National Mortgage Professional
On August 6, 2026, the conversation around artificial intelligence in mortgage lending changed. That is the effective date of Fannie Mae's Lender Letter LL-2026-04, establishing governance expectations for lenders using artificial intelligence and machine learning in connection with loans sold to Fannie Mae.
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