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, January 22, 2026
Top Stories
Trump signs executive order targeting institutional investors
JOHN MCMANUS, HousingWire (Subscription)
President Trump signed an executive order aimed at limiting federal financing and approvals for large institutional investors purchasing single-family homes. The order does not ban institutional homebuying or force portfolio sales, but instead directs federal agencies to restrict support while carving out exceptions for build-to-rent communities. Key impacts will depend on how the Treasury defines “large institutional investor” in the coming weeks.
Pending home sales drop sharply in December, dampening 2026 outlook
DIANA OLICK, CNBC
Pending home sales, a measure of signed contracts on existing homes, dropped 9.3% last month from November, according to the National Association of Realtors. Analysts were expecting a slight gain. Sales were 3% lower than December 2024.
National News
Homebuyers gain the upper hand as sellers swamp the market
DANIELLA GENOVESE, Fox Business
Sellers in the U.S. housing market are outnumbering buyers by a large margin, giving potential buyers who were in the market negotiating power. But it's not making a dent in the affordability crisis.
The Uproar Over Affordability Is Coming for Insurers
JEAN EAGLESHAM, Wall Street Journal (Subscription)
Insurance companies that cover homes and cars are reaping the rewards of the inflation-busting price increases that have squeezed household budgets nationwide. But the stark contrast between near-record profits and sharp rate hikes has put the industry in the regulatory firing line.
Single-Family Permits Cooled in the Fall
DANUSHKA NANAYAKKARA-SKILLINGTON, Eye on Housing
In October, single-family building permits weakened, reflecting continued caution among builders amid affordability constraints and financing challenges. In contrast, multifamily permit activity remained steady and continued to perform relatively well. Together, these trends suggest that while demand for new housing persists, builders are adjusting residential construction activity in response to evolving market conditions
U.S. Housing Market Hits Largest Buyer-Seller Imbalance on Record
MICHAEL GERRITY, World Property Journal
The U.S. housing market swung decisively into buyer-friendly territory at the end of last year, as a widening mismatch between supply and demand reached levels unseen in more than a decade.
California News
Some Homeowners Are Going Without Insurance But Choosing to Stay Put
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
More than 1 in 5 California homeowners have dropped their home insurance because their policies were canceled or premiums have become unaffordable. Yet despite a greater financial risk from wildfire and other threats, more than 9 in 10 of these uninsured households would rather stay in their communities than relocate.
California down payment assistance program for first-generation homebuyers to reopen applications
BRADY LAHBLEIB, CBS News
California's Dream For All program is reopening applications next month, offering down payment assistance to eligible first-generation homebuyers struggling to break into the state's expensive housing market.
Thousands of affordable homes could have been built — if not for $1.2 billion in California fees
CHRISTIAN LEONARD, San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
Affordable housing developers paid California cities and counties more than $1.2 billion in “impact fees” over four years, according to a new report. Instead, the report found, that money could have paid for roughly 5,000 additional homes for low-income families.
Industry News
NAR discrimination case dismissed; Zillow clashes with FTC
DAVE GALLAGHER, Real Estate News
A discrimination suit filed in mid-2024 by a former National Association of Realtors employee was dismissed last week.
Meanwhile, a judge has denied a motion filed by Gibson settlement appellants who were seeking brokerage financial information, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) argues with Zillow over discovery documents.
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