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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Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Top Stories
US home prices hold near all-time highs — but with weak momentum
DANIEL HOUSTON, Inman
Even as the U.S. housing market has trudged through a prolonged transaction downturn amid elevated mortgage rates, home values have largely held up near their pandemic-era peaks. But as real estate agents turned the page from spring to summer, they continued to see prices struggle to sustain much momentum.
Judge dismisses case alleging Zillow violated RESPA, RICO laws
DAVE GALLAGHER, Real Estate News
In the case known as Taylor, Judge James Robart with the U.S. District Court Western District of Washington approved the motions to dismiss filed in February by Zillow and fellow defendant GK Properties. When requesting the dismissal, the defendants had argued that the plaintiffs failed to state a claim and instead submitted a lengthy complaint that was "heavy on filler but thin on substance."
National News
Rental Demand Remains Strong, Defying Expectations
BRAD HUNTER, Forbes
Recent data reveals surprisingly strong apartment absorption in Q2 2026, defying earlier concerns about economic wobbles and record new supply. Net absorption topped 250,000 units in the first half, outpacing new supply by 100,000 units and pushing occupancy to 95.5%.
U.S. Homeowners Sit on Record $17.9 Trillion Equity Windfall in 2026
MICHAEL GERRITY, World Property Journal
New data released by Cotality shows homeowners with mortgages held a record $17.9 trillion in aggregate home equity during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $206.6 billion, or 1.2%, from the previous quarter. The figures underscore how years of home-price appreciation and principal repayment have transformed owner equity into one of the largest sources of household wealth in the United States.
Why Single-Family Rentals Outperformed In 98 Of The 100 Largest U.S. Markets
TONY JULIANELLE, Forbes
Forget 'location, location, location' for single-family rentals in 2025. While rents rose in 98% of major U.S. markets, averaging 2.9%, apartment rents in the same cities saw zero growth due to oversupply. This divergence highlights that product structure and operational quality, not geography, were the true performance drivers.
California News
This Bay Area city could become a blueprint for turning empty offices into housing
SARAH RAVANI, San Francisco Chronicle (Subscription)
Across the Bay Area’s major cities, developers looking to turn empty office buildings into homes are mostly trying to save what’s already there — gutting downtown high-rises and rebuilding them as apartments. But San Ramon is taking a different approach: tearing down its office parks and starting over.
Foreclosures spike across California — as new hotspots are revealed
TITUS WU, Yahoo! Finance
California foreclosures are at their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest June 2026 numbers. The Golden State ranked nine out of the top 10 in worst foreclosure rates last month in the nation with one in every 3,205 housing units foreclosed. The top three states were Florida, South Carolina and Indiana. Nationwide, one in every 3,656 housing units had a foreclosure fling, according to ATTOM Data.
Industry News
MLS en garde: Regional listing services eyeing congressional inquiry into Compass and MRED
JANANI JANA, The Real Deal (Subscription)
Representatives from the residential brokerage behemoth and Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) received letters last week requesting they appear before a U.S. House subcommittee focused on antitrust and regulatory issues. The request adds to swirling discourse over private listings, which has put unprecedented attention on MLSes as battlegrounds in the fight for inventory.
UWM Previews Bid To Dismiss Rocket’s $100M Servicing Lawsuit
KATIE JENSEN, National Mortgage Professional
United Wholesale Mortgage is preparing to ask a New York court to dismiss Rocket Mortgage’s $100 million lawsuit over alleged violations of mortgage servicing rights agreements, arguing that Rocket’s claims conflict with the contracts and rely on unsupported allegations.
Real Estate Technology
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Property News
One of Frank Gehry’s Early L.A. Homes Just Hit the Market for $1.7M
GRACE BERNARD, Dwell
The famed architect experimented with raw materials as he constructed the landmark Benson House in the Calabasas Highlands.
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