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D.C. Buyers Rush Back, Deals Feel Like 1993

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Is the D.C. Housing Market in 2026 Heating Up Again? How quickly the D.C. housing market is shifting in early 2026 is showing up in contract activity rather than in prices. That momentum lines up with the region’s broader story of market stability even as inflation and interest-rate shifts temper enthusiasm nationally. Contracts jumped 14% from the previous week and 3% year over year, signaling buyers reentering amid listings. Across the metro, inventory rising is giving buyers more choices and slightly less pressure than the peak bidding-war years. Contracts Surge Forecasts call for 8% to 9.6% higher 2026 sales, reaching 55,650 transactions. Homes are moving faster than 2025, while cash buyers were 21.5% of deals in 2025. Inventory and Prices Under Strain Inventory is expected to rise 14%, with active listings up 44% from 2024-2025 and still climbing. Median prices are projected down 1% to $617,000. Zillow puts DC values at $572,028, down 3.2% through December 2025. Federal uncertai...
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NYC WTC Tower Deal Nears, Amex Eyes Final Slot

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Is American Express Relocating to 2 World Trade Center? How close the talks are has become the central issue in American Express negotiations to relocate from 200 Vesey Street to 2 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Bloomberg reported discussions are advanced, but American Express has not confirmed an agreement or announcement. If finalized, American Express would likely serve as an anchor tenant needed to unlock financing and help push the project toward construction. Deal Status Raises Market Pressure Silverstein Properties manages 2 World Trade Center, and the company is described as nearing a decision. A recent example of private investment aimed at downtown revitalization includes Ben Kinney’s over $10.1 million acquisition of Bellingham’s historic Flatiron building to establish corporate headquarters and spur local economic activity. Any commitment would be a Manhattan leasing event, with 200 Vesey Street expected to be vacated upon completion. Operational Stakes for Anchor...
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Manhattan Office Rebound, Burlington Takes 206K Sf

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2025 Manhattan Office Leasing: Key Stats and Context More than 40M SF of Manhattan office space was leased in 2025, marking the market’s busiest year in at least five years. By some counts, it was the strongest year since 2014. Estimates ranged from 39.8M to 43M SF, with Q4 leasing up 25% quarter over quarter. Key Market Disruption Year-end availability tightened to 13.9% from 16.5% in December 2024. Even so, 73.6M SF remained available. January 2026 registered 13.5%, extending 23 consecutive months of stability or decline. Pricing and Deal Context Average asking rent reached $76 per SF by year end and $77 in January. This remained below March 2020 levels. Trophy Midtown asking rents climbed to $191 per SF, up 12% year-over-year. Sublet dynamics improved as supply fell to 10.7M SF. Lease incentives remained central on major transactions, such as Burlington’s 206K SF lease at 1400 Broadway. What Drove Demand: Class A Flight-to-Quality in Manhattan The 2025 leasing surge was not evenly ...
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Dallas-Fort Worth Is Absorbing Migration at Scale Without Breaking Housing Supply in 2026

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Key Takeaways Supply Elasticity is the Stabilizer: unlike land-constrained markets, DFW’s ability to expand horizontally allows it to absorb massive population growth without triggering the volatile price spikes seen in Austin. The "Boring" Wealth of Scale: The sheer size of the metroplex (8.5 million residents) creates deep market liquidity, meaning there is always a buyer or tenant available, providing a safety net that smaller markets lack. Migration is Diverse and Sticky: Inbound movers are driven by corporate relocations and family upsizing rather than speculative trends, creating a stable, long-term tenant base for buy-and-hold investors. The Unstoppable Engine of North Texas Growth In 2026, the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex is proving a fundamental economic theorem: supply elasticity is the ultimate stabilizer. While Austin struggles with the friction of rapid growth meeting geographic and regulatory constraints, DFW is absorbing a massive volume of ne...
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Austin Is Absorbing Texas Migration Faster Than Housing Can Respond in 2026

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Key Takeaways Intra-State Migration is the New Driver:  The primary growth engine for Austin in 2026 has shifted from coastal transplants to residents moving from other Texas cities like Houston and Dallas, who are specifically targeting the $350k–$500k price point. The "Affordable" Inventory Crisis:  While luxury inventory sits stagnant, entry-level and mid-tier homes are being absorbed faster than builders can replace them, creating a specific, segmented supply crunch despite overall "buyer's market" headlines. Rental Oversupply as a Buffer:  A glut of multifamily units built between 2022-2024 is currently housing the migration wave, but this creates a looming "shadow demand" that will likely hit the single-family market hard in late 2026 and 2027 as leases expire. The Silent Squeeze of the 2026 Austin Housing Market Austin, Texas , has long been the darling of national headlines, usually accompanied by words like "boom," "exp...
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Everyone Is Moving to Texas in 2026, Quietly Reshaping Investor Returns

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Key Takeaways Population inflows into Texas are sustained and economically driven, creating long-term housing demand rather than short-term volatility Migration pressure is supporting rent stability and price resilience, especially in high-absorption metros Investor returns increasingly depend on disciplined cost control and precise location selection rather than broad market timing Migration Snapshot Net Inbound Population Is Still Building Texas in 2026 is absorbing one of the strongest net inbound population flows in the country heading into 2026. This is not a one-year spike or a post-pandemic echo. The inflow has remained consistent as outbound movement stays comparatively muted, creating ongoing population pressure rather than a temporary surge. The significance for investors is persistence. Sustained inflows support long-term occupancy and pricing stability far more than short-lived population swings. Who Is Actually Moving to Texas Most new residents are domestic move...
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10 Legal Risks Hiding Inside Off-Market Deals

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You can score spread off-market, but you’re buying legal exposure. Pocket marketing can trigger fair-housing and Section 804(c) claims. Targeted ads can also look like steering. If you assign, you risk unlicensed-brokerage allegations. That risk goes up when your fee’s hidden or disclosed late. Sloppy contracts can void the deal. Common issues include no authority proof, bad counteroffers, and missing contingencies. Miss liens, easements, HOA rules, or zoning limits, and you can inherit expensive problems. Botch seller-financing docs and lien priority, and your position can get wiped out. Skip escrow controls and basic checks, and you’re exposed. Stick around for the fixes. Fair Housing Risks in Off-Market Marketing Although off-market marketing can feel like a savvy way to control a sale, it also creates a clean opening for Fair Housing problems—especially steering and unequal buyer access. When you limit exposure to a private listing network or pocket listing, you can’t prove everyon...
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