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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Thursday, March 19, 2026
Top Stories
Mortgage Rates Jump Back Above 6% As Pending Home Sales, New Listings Post Small Improvements
DANA ANDERSON, Redfin News
The weekly average mortgage rate rose to 6.11% last week, the highest level since the start of 2026, as inflation jitters and the Iran war rattled markets. The daily average mortgage rate jumped higher, to a six-month peak of 6.41%, on Friday, and has since dropped slightly to 6.31%. The median U.S. home-sale price was $387,000 during the four weeks ending March 15, up 1.3% year over year, the biggest increase since November.
National News
January new home sales plunge to three‑year low
LIEZEL ONCE, Mortgage Professional America
Sales of new US single‑family homes plunged in January to their slowest pace since 2022, underscoring how fragile the new‑build market remains even as mortgage rates briefly eased. The pullback landed against a broader housing slump dating back to 2022, with existing‑home sales also stuck near multi‑decade lows and homes taking longer to sell in many metros.
An Expanding Supply of Rentals Keeps Rent Growth in Check
ORPHE DIVOUNGUY, Zillow Research
The rental market is recalibrating following years of rapid growth. In February, rents nationwide were up 1.9% from a year earlier. This is the slowest pace of annual growth since December 2020. The typical asking rent now stands at $1,895, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI).
California News
How Federal Housing Reform Could Impact Californians
KEITH MIZUGUCHI, KQED
As California’s housing crisis spreads across the country, Congress is finalizing a package of bills to forestall the worst of the Golden State’s fate by proposing what some national experts say are among the most significant federal housing reforms in years. The proposed bills attack the country’s housing shortage at multiple angles: from innovating construction methods to simplifying federal programs to encouraging localities to plan for more housing.
California transit agency land could support 240,000 homes
RICHARD LAWSON, HousingWire (Subscription)
An Enterprise report inventories 2,875 California transit agency owned parcels meeting basic housing suitability thresholds, totaling 7,827 acres. The analysis estimates theoretical capacity near 240,000 homes, and finds 1,179 parcels sit within SB 79 upzoning zones as lawmakers seek clarifying changes.
Industry News
Compass drops lawsuit after Zillow embraces pre-marketing
MEGHAN ROOS, Real Estate News
On March 18, Compass International Holdings announced that it is dismissing the lawsuit it filed last June against Zillow. The two industry titans have battled in court for months over Zillow's Listing Access Standards, a policy barring listings that are publicly marketed but not widely available via the MLS.
Real Estate Technology
The industry’s quiet first line of defense
JAY ROBERTS, HousingWire (Subscription)
Real estate closings look, from the outside, like a documentation and logistics exercise. Paperwork is compiled, funds are moved, signatures are gathered, and the deed changes hands. That’s the visible part of the job, but it’s genuinely not the most important part. What most buyers, sellers, and even lending partners never see is the parallel process running underneath every transaction: a trained, systematic effort to detect fraud before it can do damage.
Property News
A coastal California Eden for $25 million — 11 zebras included
FARLEY ELLIOTT, SFGate
The picture nearly paints itself: Endless strolls through bursting lemon orchards and olive tree groves, stopping on hillsides to admire the garden statues and shimmering saltwater pool — all of which you own, of course. On the way back to the main house, a sprawling ode to Tuscany, you might even take a moment to count your zebras. All 11 of them.
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