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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Monday, April 13, 2026
Top Stories
The US is short 10 million houses. A new White House report lays out a blueprint to fix that
JOSH BOAK, Orange County Register (Subscription)
White House economists estimate the United States has a shortage of 10 million houses, according to a new report out Monday — and say regulatory cuts could lead to more construction to stabilize prices, increase home ownership and fuel faster economic growth.
US home sales fall in March, marking a slow start to the spring homebuying season
ALEX VIEGA, San Diego Union-Tribune (Subscription)
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in March to their slowest pace nine months, as easing mortgage rates failed to motivate home shoppers during what’s traditionally been the busiest time of the year for the housing market. “Lower consumer confidence and softer job growth continue to hold back buyers,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in a statement.
National News
FBI: Real estate cyberfraud rises with more AI, crypto scams
ANDREW MARTINEZ, National Mortgage Professional
Losses from real estate cybercrimes soared last year as criminals utilized more artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency scams, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported. The industry's cybercrime losses topped $275 million in 2025, a 59% increase from approximately $174 million in real estate-related losses in 2024, according to the bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center. That was a fraction of the $20.8 billion in total cybercrime losses last year. Across the over 1 million complaints in 2025 was an average loss of $20,699.
California News
California pledges $54M for Bay Area housing projects
JOEL RUSSEL, The Real Deal (Subscription)
Santa Clara County will receive $49.9 million, and Solano County will get nearly $4.1 million from the state’s Homelessness Housing Assistance and Prevention, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. The program combines state funding with local partnerships and has become a cornerstone of California’s effort to reduce homelessness through housing expansion, service coordination and accountability for results.
Developers use California’s ‘density bonus’ law far more than higher-profile YIMBY bills
TESSA BALC, Times of San Diego
California lawmakers have passed a flurry of high-profile bills in recent years aimed at spurring home building by eliminating local development restrictions to combat a housing shortage built up over decades. But of those legislative efforts, it’s the state’s density bonus law that developers have mostly taken advantage of, according to a new report by Circulate Planning & Policy, a development and transportation advocacy group.
Industry News
NAR reaches $52.25M settlement in buy-side commission case
TAYLOR ANDERSON, Inman (Subscription)
The National Association of Realtors has reached an agreement to pay $52.25 million as part of a settlement agreement with a pool of homebuyers that had targeted some of the biggest names in the real estate industry. The settlement agreement wouldn’t require further business practice changes beyond what was already agreed upon as part of the $418 million March 2024 settlement in the Sitzer | Burnett homeseller lawsuit. Instead, NAR agreed to ongoing compliance with those existing practice changes.
Real Estate Technology
AI use in housing is booming. The rules to keep it fair are shrinking.
CASSANDRA DUMAY, Politico
Technology that utilizes algorithms to predict outcomes — such as a home’s selling price or how likely someone is to afford their rent — isn’t new to the housing and lending industries. But significant improvements with user-friendly AI have made these tools more accessible for mortgage and real estate businesses, spurring increased interest in expanding the role of computerized systems in housing.
Property News
These Towns Want a Tsunami Shelter Before It’s Too Late
REBECCA DZOMBAK, New York Times (Subscription)
Many coastal towns along the West Coast can’t afford to build lifesaving structures in the event of surging waves, putting homes and residents in jeopardy.
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