DID YOU KNOW? 5 Surprising Housing Market Facts

*. Are Older Americans and baby Boomers far wealthier today than in 1990? Or has the VOLUME of older Americans grown more? Today those aged 55 and older own 73% of all US wealth compared to 56.4% in 1990.......BUT........in 1990 the 55+ population represented 19% of the total US population: today that number is....30.9%....or 115% higher!

* Zillow and Realtor.com have a new partnership: Realtor.com is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp ....which bought Move, Inc. in 2014. News Corp owns 80% and its Australian partner REA Group owns the remaining 20%. NAR owns the trademark for Realtor and the web address. They give Move, Inc. a special, long-term license to operate, paying around $2 million per year..... The agreement stems from a 1996 operating contract that grants Move Inc. an evergreen, perpetual license to run the portal, provided they maintain specific traffic thresholds and listing accuracy. Fees for NAR are $156 annually per member, plus a $45 special assessment for the Consumer Advertising Campaign. The NAR collected approximately $299.7 million in total membership fees and assessments for 2025. In Australia, in high-demand urban areas, REA charges agents up to $5,500 for a single property listing......

* The number of America’s 100 biggest cities that the Economist's “Carrie Bradshaw index” deems unaffordable has fallen to 30—the lowest since the index began three years ago. Not in this list? New York City where rent conrrls and rent freezes are not delivering the desired resultys. (The Economist)

* December 2025 study by Georgetown University Professor Steven C. Salop analyzed data to determine what borrowing from Zillow Home Loans costs consumers, comparing Zillow Home Loans to all other lenders from 2022 through 2024: Zillow borrowers pay significantly higher mortgage costs: approximately 10 basis points higher overall and 15 basis points higher in 2024 alone. On a typical $337,000 loan, that amounts to nearly $4,600 more than the competition. On VA loans in 2024, Zillow’s overcharge amounted to approximately $7,279 in net present value on an average loan of $407,860. Low-income borrowers earning less than $60,000 per year paid an overcharge of 31 basis points in 2024, amounting to $4,457 on an average mortgage of $157,118. In 2024, Black borrowers faced an overcharge of $8,225, and Asian borrowers paid $6,417 more than they would have paid elsewhere. (Washington Examiner)

* The 6 primary reasons for soaring bond rates - and mortgage rates - are very clear: 1. Tariffs raised the cost of imported goods. 2. The war with Iran sent oil and diesel prices soaring. 3. Immigration restrictions shrank the labor force. 4. Additional tax cuts. 5. Additional spending 6. Pushing the Fed to lower rates while inflation was still hot. (WSJ)