Photo-illustration by Realtor.com; Source: Getty Images Homebuyers, homeowners, and home sellers have likely heard that real estate tends to appreciate over time. The next logical question they often wonder is this: How much will their property be worth in the future? Let’s be frank: Predicting the future value of a home is a challenging task due to the multitude of factors involved, including economic conditions, local market dynamics, and potential downside risks. So instead of trying to make an exact prediction about what home prices might look like in 12 months or 24 months, let’s examine ..read more

Getty Images The bar has been raised. A $210 million real estate deal in Malibu, CA, recently shattered the record for the most expensive home sale in the coveted coastal town. The impact of the megadeal wasn’t just a local story, because the sale price also set a new record for the entire state of California. According to the Los Angeles Times, Oakley founder James Jannard sold his oceanfront estate for the stratospheric, nine-digit price. The sale price tops the former record set by Jay-Z and Beyonce‘s purchase of a concrete compound—also in Malibu—for $200 million in 2023. Last May, the A ..read more

Ryan Emberley/Getty Images for Joyburst; Realtor.com Vanilla Ice, the one-hit wonder rapper from the 1990s, might have faded from the limelight—but he’s quietly become a multi-hit real estate phenom. When his rapping career ended, the performer, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, turned to buying and fixing up properties to flip. It wouldn’t have been so much of a shocker if the one-time rapper, who met with early success, had ended up a career failure after his music moment died. Instead, he changed his tune. According to Van Winkle, it all started in 1992, when Hurricane Andrew d ..read more

Getty Images High mortgage rates got you down? You could take the other side of the trade, by investing in mortgage bonds. Mortgage bonds, which pay a yield from pools of individual mortgages, tend to be the province of sophisticated investors. Bonds backed by mortgages guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac—known as agency mortgage-backed securities, or agency MBS—are shielded from the credit risk of nonpayment, but they do have a lot of other complexities. Still, individual investors can access agency MBS via vehicles that buy these bonds ..read more

Realtor.com When a private island floats onto the market, clicks soon follow. As evidence, a tiny isle on the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria, NY, recently went up for sale and captured the most traffic on Realtor.com® this week. Built in 1902, the six-bedroom residence was designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh. He’s best known for his work on the the Waldorf-Astoria and Plaza Hotel in New York. A new owner will reach Sunnyside Island via boat, so a boathouse with two slips is also included. Also grabbing your attention this week were a Georgia castle designed by a retired D ..read more

Realtor.com It’s officially summer: the season of sunscreen, piña coladas, and a sudden desire to text that friend who owns a beach house. But maybe instead of trying to finagle a surf-side invite, it’s time to consider splurging on your own waterfront property—as either a full-time dream home or an occasional vacation getaway. Of course, you don’t want to go “under water” or overextend yourself with a luxury vacation property purchase. However, a second home can be a great short- and long-term investment. It can save you money on hotels if you like to vacation in the same spot every year, pr ..read more

Realtor.com; Getty Images America’s Republican-leaning red states are winning at drawing in new residents from blue states—but locals don’t like it one bit. The Republican counties—defined by the 2020 presidential vote—gained 3.7 million more people than they’ve lost since 2020. Meanwhile, Democratic “blue” counties lost 3.7 million more residents than they gained over that same time frame, according to a Stateline analysis of U.S. Census Bureau estimates and county presidential election data by the University of Michigan. Much of this mass migration has to do with real estate prices, wh ..read more

Getty Images Homebuyers aren’t the only people feeling a lack of hope about the housing market—homebuilders share that sentiment, too, according to a new report. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, released on Wednesday, decreased by 2 points in May, dropping from 45 to 43, indicating a continued lack of confidence among homebuilders about the market. The NAHB comprises more than 140,000 members from more than 700 organizations in the homebuilding and remodeling, mortgage and finance, and home construction industries. Each month, the organization survey ..read more

Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images; Realtor.com Donald Sutherland, the legendary Canadian actor whose career spanned decades, has died. He was 88. The star will be remembered for gracing the screen in projects as diverse as “The Hunger Games,” “The Italian Job,” and “Pride and Prejudice.” His earlier performances included “MASH,” “Ordinary People,” and “Klute.” Actor Kiefer Sutherland paid homage to his father on X: “He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that,” the son wrote. “A life well lived.” Kiefer and his late father, Donald Sutherland Imeh Akpanudosen ..read more

Bravo / Getty Images / Realtor.com Former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak-Biermann and her soon-to-be ex, Kroy Biermann, have dropped the price on their enormous Milton, GA, home yet again. The mansion, about 30 miles north of Atlanta, has seven bedrooms and 8.5 baths and was listed last fall for $6 million. And after a series of price cuts, including a $300,000 discount just yesterday, the 15,694-square-foot, brick and stone estate is listed at $4.2 million—a relative bargain for those with deep pockets. It’s now 30% off the original price and only $268 per square foot, but wil ..read more