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, June 4, 2026
Top Stories
U.S. Home Prices Post Biggest Drop in a Decade in May
MICHAEL GERRITY, World Property Journal
According to new national data from Realtor.com, U.S. home prices recorded their sharpest year-over-year declines in a decade in May 2026 as persistent inflation continued to weigh on the housing market, even as increased buyer activity and seller pragmatism signaled a gradual rebalancing.
Better, Coinbase Set Summer Launch For Token-Backed Mortgage Program
CZARINNA ANDRES, National Mortgage Professional
Three months after unveiling what they described as the first token-backed conforming mortgage backed by Fannie Mae, Better Home & Finance and Coinbase have announced the official launch date for the program, marking the transition from product announcement to market rollout.
National News
Homebuyer Down Payments Slip To 15%
CZARINNA ANDRES, National Mortgage Professional
The average U.S. homebuyer put down $64,000 on a home purchase in March 2026, down 1.5% from a year earlier, according to a new report from Redfin, a shift that could signal changing borrower behavior as affordability pressures continue to reshape the housing market.
Mortgage applications fell again even as 30-year rates eased
SARAH WOLAK, HousingWire (Subscription)
Mortgage applications decreased 2.5% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications Survey for the week ending May 29, 2026.
Higher mortgage rates don’t just keep buyers on the sidelines. Application denials rise too
SARAH AGOSTINO, CNBC
Higher interest rates do more than just deter potential homebuyers — they may also block consumers from qualifying for a mortgage, according to new research.
California News
One Bay Area housing trend is becoming impossible to miss
KASIA PAWLOWSKA, SFGate
A recently listed house in San Francisco’s Duboce Triangle promises “the perfect backdrop for your new life” — one that “will redefine how you live.” Listed for $2,995,000, the home has another standout characteristic. The seller will consider Anthropic or OpenAI stock as payment.
An S.F. affordable housing project cost half as much as usual. Can it be replicated?
LAURA WAXMANN, San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
The first affordable housing development from a new nonprofit-private sector partnership is testing whether Bay Area developers can achieve what the industry has struggled to do for decades: build housing faster and for less money.
Industry News
Real Estate Giant Compass Under Antitrust Investigation in New York
NICOLE FRIEDMAN, Wall Street Journal (Subscription)
Real-estate brokerage Compass, which became an industry giant after acquiring rival Anywhere Real Estate earlier this year, is under investigation by the antitrust bureau of the New York attorney general’s office. If the attorney general’s office finds that the merger violated antitrust law, it could pursue legal action against Compass and seek potential penalties including fines or even selling off parts of the company.
Real Estate Technology
The seller who wasn't there: How deepfakes and deed fraud crash real estate deals
NICK PIPITONE, Inman (Subscription)
Property deed fraud and seller impersonation aren’t new. Deed fraud is essentially as old as recorded property ownership. What’s new in 2026 is who’s doing it — and how.
Property News
A rare private island in California is for sale for $39,000
TESSA MCLEAN, SFGate
This chunk of land isn’t located off the coast; it’s in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton. It’s one of a series of small islands dotting this stretch of waterway, with most remaining vacant amid the large stretches of agricultural land on shore.
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Republic Stadium construction underway in Sacramento’s historic Railyards
GRANT CAMERON, Daily Commercial News
Heavy equipment operators are at work in the historic Railyards district in downtown Sacramento, Calif., laying the groundwork for Republic Stadium, a landmark, soccer-specific venue that will be the largest professional sports and entertainment arena in the region. Construction will continue through 2027 as crews move from infrastructure installation to foundations, structural steel and the massive canopy system. The stadium is expected to be completed in 2028.
