DRE in the News

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.

Copyright © , California Department of Real Estate

Links to web sites do not constitute an endorsement from The California Department of Real Estate. These links are provided as an information service only. It is the responsibility of the user to evaluate the content and usefulness of information obtained from these sites. DRE does not provide full text articles - user must access expired articles via newspaper archives online or local public library.

Friday, February 6, 2026

National News

Why economists see the housing market flattening in 2026

JEFF LAZERSON, Orange County Register (Subscription)
Mark Vitner, chief economist at Piedmont Crescent Capital, explained the heart of the flat housing market. “People don’t buy homes when they are worried about the job market,” he said. “When people land jobs, they buy things, clothes, cars and houses.”

Builders’ Top Challenges for 2026

ASHOK CHALUVADI, Eye on Housing
The most significant challenge builders faced in 2025 was high interest rates, as reported by 84% of builders in the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index survey. Builders expect these challenges to persist with limited improvement in 2026.

Opportunity zone home prices surge

LIEZEL ONCE, Mortgage Professional America
Median home prices in federally designated opportunity zones continued to track the broader United States market in late 2025, with nearly a third of tracts posting double‑digit gains even as values remained well below national levels, according to new figures from data firm ATTOM.

California News

East Bay hotel is foreclosed as Bay Area hospitality industry totters

GEORGE AVALOS, San Jose Mercury News (Subscription)
A Livermore hotel has been foreclosed by its lender in a sign that the Bay Area hospitality market continues to stagger from a series of jolts unleashed by slumping prices and delinquent loans.

Industry News

Rocket Mortgage alleges $194,000 loss in broker fraud lawsuit

SARAH WOLAK, HousingWire (Subscription)
Rocket Mortgage has sued Sharp Loan and an executive, alleging fraudulent mortgage applications that concealed borrower debts, resulting in $194,000 in losses and investor repurchase demands.

5 more settlements approved in Gibson commissions case

DAVE GALLAGHER, Real Estate News
The formal approval granted in the Gibson case on Feb. 5 adds nearly $40 million to the larger settlement fund, which totals over $1 billion.

NAR President: 'We don’t dictate what’s right and wrong'

TALOR ANDERSON, Inman (Subscription)
If a new era for the National Association of Realtors includes modernizing tools and better serving members, it also involves staying out of the way.

Real Estate Technology

Redfin rolls out ChatGPT app for real estate searches

BROOKLEE HAN, HousingWire (Subscription)
Redfin launched a ChatGPT app to enable conversational home searches and property exploration. The move follows similar integrations by Zillow and Google, raising questions about MLS data licensing.

Property News

Dr. Seuss' California hilltop home for sale

TESSA MCLEAN, SFGate
It’s not quite to the height of Mount Crumpit, but the estate at 7301 Encelia Drive in La Jolla is elevated on a hill with panoramic views that sweep down the coastline all the way to Mexico. The architectural style is the typical Spanish style of the area, so unfortunately, those expecting a pastel-colored, Whoville-esque structure full of whimsical, twisting towers surrounded by tall topiaries will be sorely disappointed.

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