Vacation-Home Mortgages Tick Up For First Time Since Pandemic Boom
Mortgages for second homes rose 4% year over year in 2025, the first annual increase in four years. That’s compared with a 1% increase for primary homes. Still, second-home mortgages account for just 3% of all home loans. Second-home purchases are rising because affluent buyers are fairly active in
Gaining that local edge to outperform competition amid market consolidation
The fight for market share in real estate has never been more intense. National portals, institutional investors and well-funded disruptors are all competing for the same buyers and sellers, pushing many brokerages to believe they need to spend more to keep up. But independent brokerages won’t win b
America’s accidental landlords: The hidden consequence of the mortgage lock-in effect
For the past several years, the real estate industry has talked about the mortgage-rate lock-in effect mostly as an inventory problem. That is understandable. When a homeowner has a 3% or 4% mortgage, and today’s replacement mortgage is in the mid-6% range, selling can feel financially irrational. F
New York City posts notice of new tax levy to pied-a-terre owners
Tax attorneys and accountants are about to make bank helping owners of non-primary homes navigate New York City’s pied-à-terre tax notifications, which started landing in mailboxes before the weekend. “If you have a second home in New York City worth more than $5 (million), check your mailbox when y
