Allmanac

U.S.: Sales of existing homes rose slightly across the country in February, pushed higher by lower mortgage rates and a rush by first-time homebuyers. The National Association of Realtors says that home sales in that class rose 1.7% from January. Buyers seemed to take advantage of lower mortgage rates that hovered just above 6% during the month and also had more home inventory to explore even as home prices rose 0.03% in February, NAR said. First-time homebuyers accounted for 34% of all home sales in February. Compared to February of 2025, sales of existing homes fell slightly by 1.4%, except in the South. At the end of February, nearly 1.3 million homes remained on the market, about 2.4% more than January and nearly 5% more than February 2025. By comparison, an average of 2 million homes were typically on the market in any given month prior to the pandemic.

DFW: Dallas homeowners could find themselves with a higher tax bill if voters approve a record $6.2 billion bond package for Dallas public schools this spring. This is the largest bond proposal of its kind in the state’s history and is split into four propositions. The first and largest is targeted at building 26 new campuses to replace crumbling ones; the removal of 700 portable classrooms; and the modernization of campuses district wide. Prop B will seek $145 million for technology upgrades. Proposition C would allow DISD to refinance $143 million in debt and Proposition D asks for $26 million to renovate district swimming pools. If approved by voters on May 2, district officials say a Dallas homeowner with a $500,000 home would pay about $33 more per year in property taxes. Homeowners 65 and older with senior homestead exemptions would not be impacted if their properties have not undergone major renovations.

U.S.: The national housing outlook for 2026 continues to look for a direction. Industry analysts say that confusion and concern remain over tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East that has impacted consumer sentiment over fears of rising costs and inflation. Now, JP Morgan Global Research says that home prices will be flat overall this year with home sales gradually improving throughout the year. The unit also says that mortgage applications began increasing in January; that the 30-year mortgage will hover just above 6%; that the cost of adjustable-rate mortgages could drop depending on the Federal Reserve’s decisions; and that homebuilders may continue to offer rate buydowns to help move their properties. It also said that a White House proposal to buy $200 billion mortgage-backed securities would have little impact on the $14.5 trillion mortgage market.

U.S.: Getting ready to put your house on the market? The preparation checklist can be daunting but most real estate agents will be unanimous in their advice to better prepare your property before it’s listed: clean, declutter, and repair, for starters. Now with the busy spring home-selling season around the corner, the American Cleaning Institute has some insights into homeowners’ habits and desires. It conducted an online and invitation email survey of 1,000 adults across the country in late February. It says that 80% of homeowners plan a thorough spring cleaning this year as they normally do every year, while 3% said they clean every four years and 5% said they never go through the spring-cleaning ritual. As for motivation for spring cleaning: 57% said they feel a need to declutter annually, and 7% said they struggle to get motivated to even start cleaning. And the chore of cleaning the fridge stumped 56% of the respondents. As for what is more relaxing: 72% said coming home to a clean home, while 28% said they would prefer a massage.

FLORIDA: The former CEO of Starbucks seems to have left his 40-year home base of Seattle for Florida faster than a barista could make a Venti. Billionaire Howard Schultz and his wife, Sheri, recently bought a $44 million, five-bedroom oceanfront penthouse in the upscale Surfside neighborhood of Miami. Although the 72-year-old Schultz said their relocation is based on seeking a warmer climate as retirees, the move comes on the heels of a tax proposal winding its way through the Washington Legislature. It would levy a nearly 10% income tax on those earning $1 million or more. Several other notable California billionaires – Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin – have bought property in the Sunshine State after a similar proposed tax initiative targeting billionaires was started in California. As for the Schultz’ new home, it originally was listed for $55 million in November 2024.

DFW: The decision to repair a crumbling Dallas City Hall or vacate and redevelop the prime downtown site will have to wait a bit longer after city leaders split on its future. During an emotional and marathon meeting this week, city council members voted to both look at repairing the aging structure while also looking at logistics and spaces to relocate. Preservationists have called for the city to fix the inverted pyramid building, designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei and dedicated in 1978. Repairs on the seven-story structure could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Business leaders have lobbied the city to relocate city departments and employees and demolish the structure to make way for a major redevelopment to vitalize the city center and hopefully build a multi-use entertainment district that could attract the Dallas Mavericks, among other businesses. The NBA team’s lease at the American Airlines Center ends in 2031. Councilmembers also voted to bar any consultants who assessed Dallas City Hall from bidding on future work on the project.

U.S.: The country needs more homes. Realtor.com says in its 2026 Housing Supply Gap report that the housing inventory deficit grew to more than 4 million last year. That number was 3.8 million in 2024. About 1.4 million housing units were built last year, down 7.9% from 2024, blamed on fewer multifamily units completed. The largest housing gap is in the South at 1.62 million homes. The West has the smallest gap at 660,000. Economists and real estate industry analysts have warned for years about the need for more homes. Impacted by higher borrowing costs, permitting delays and other factors, homebuilders have been unable to keep up with demand for more than 15 years, leading to an undersupply of homes. Tariffs and labor shortages are expected to continue to weigh heavily on the industry this year.

U.S.: After a brief dip below 6%, the most popular mortgage has gone up again. Freddie Mac says that for the week ending March 5, the 30-year mortgage rate hit 6%. It had slipped to 5.98% the previous week. Ten-year Treasury yields, which impact mortgages, are up because of the conflict in the Middle East and the rise in oil prices that have stoked fears of inflation. Even so, the mortgage rate remains at its lowest levels since September 2022. The mortgage rate was 6.63% in March 2025. The 15-year mortgage rate shot up sharply in the past week, from 4.44% to 5.43%.

U.S.: Several real estate organizations continue to hold out hope that this year’s housing market will continue to show signs of recovery. The National Association of Realtors is placing its forecasts on different aspects of the market and the economy. It expects an increase of 14% in existing home sales this year, along with a 5% jump in new home sales. It predicts more homes will be listed for sale; that home prices will rise modestly, that the country will add 1.3 million jobs this year, and that the benchmark 30-year mortgage rate will remain just above 6%. Redfin and Realtor.com have similar outlooks, noting that 2026 could be a transitional and recovery year for the housing market.

U.S.: You could be running out of time if you want to “burp” your house this winter. The practice, very different from spring cleaning, has gone viral on social media over the past few months. It involves opening the home’s windows, and sometimes doors, for 5-10 minutes every day – and sometimes several times a day.  Proponents say it helps remove humidity, pollutants, mold and odors and helps improve air quality in the home. The trend ties back to Lüften, the German tradition of airing out a home that first gained popularity during the pandemic. A few things to keep in mind as winter turns to spring, especially in Texas: the unpredictable weather, including hot and windy days that can actually bring in the pollutants and allergens you’re trying to keep out.

FLORIDA: He’s done it again. Sergey Brin, the billionaire co-founder of Google, just spent $51 million on a 10,000-square-foot mansion on exclusive Allison Island in Biscayne Bay. The seller: LVMH CEO Michael Burke and his wife Brigitte, who bought the 1-acre property for $11 million in 2014 and built a seven-bedroom, eight-bath mansion on it.  The news comes after Brin’s recent purchase of two properties valued at over $90 million, including a $42 million Lake Tahoe compound and a $50 million mansion in Malibu. Brin’s estimated net worth is more than $230 billion, consistently ranking him in the Top 5 in the world—depending on the trading day.

U.S.: Another week, another dip in the mortgage rate as the busy spring housing market is around the corner. Freddie Mac reports that the popular 30-year mortgage rate has dropped to 5.98%, the first below 6% since early September 2022. The drop, down from 6.01% a week earlier, may serve as a psychological lift for many would-be homebuyers sidelined by a combination of factors. After years of home price increases and higher mortgage rates, homebuyers in many parts of the country are seeing opportunities as prices adjust with more pre-existing homes hitting the market. With the lower rates, new homes could also be an attractive alternative as homebuilders looking to shed inventory continue to provide incentives to make deals. Mortgage rates have been steadily moving downward over the past several months, impacted by falling Treasury yields over numerous economic factors. The mortgage rate’s most recent peak was at close to 8% in January 2024 after years of historic lows after the Great Recession of 2007-2009.

DFW: Dallas yet again has topped another list in the real estate market. It led the country in home purchases by investors last year, says Cotality, a tech company serving the real estate market. The company said that Dallas recorded 46,000 home deals by investors (those who already own at least three properties) and about 86,000 by non-investors, outpacing second-place Houston and third-place New York. The home rental market continues to thrive in North Texas and in other parts of the country where home prices are out of reach for potential homebuyers. Numerous rental communities are being developed in the area. That investors see Dallas as a prime place to do business is not new. PwC and the Urban Land Institute ranked DFW as the best place for investment in 2026 for the second consecutive year, and CBRE Group Inc. recently named the area as the best place for commercial real estate investment in the country for the five straight years.

DFW: After months of meetings, redesigns and modifications, a multimillion-dollar luxury mixed-use development in Uptown Dallas has received the green light. The Dallas City Council has approved plans for a 23-story luxury hotel and residential development on the site of the former Hotel St. Germain on Maple Avenue. The $250 million project to be called The Montclaire Hotel & Residences comes from Ivy P3 Group of Dallas and Horizon Capital of McKinney. It will include retail shops, restaurants, residences and 65 hotel rooms and suites. Construction is expected to begin sometime next year and open in 2030. But, first, the Hotel St. Germain, which operated out of the historic Murphy House, must be moved. The Victorian structure built in 1897 reportedly was the city’s first bed-and-breakfast property and had many other businesses operating out of it over the years before closing two years ago.

DFW: Many prospective homebuyers in North Texas are no longer the only ones with a slight advantage in this real estate market. Renters seem to be in the driver’s seat, too. For now. Realtor.com says that of the 50 largest metropolitan regions in the country, 22 are rental-friendly, 22 are balanced and six are landlord-friendly. The DFW region is now in the renter-friendly category as the vacancy rate of 10.5% is higher than the 7% renter-friendly base threshold. The national average was 7.6% last month. However, things could change for renters in the future if the supply-and-demand equation reverses. Investors and developers have been on a building spree in North Texas, preparing for new residents over the next decade when Dallas is expected to overtake Chicago as the country’s third-largest metro area. The average monthly rent in DFW now is at around $1,400, down 2.5% from January 2025.

CALIFORNIA: Macaulay Culkin and his partner Brenda Song have sold their Toluca Lake spread, turning a nice profit after less than four years of ownership. The actor who portrayed the young and mischievous Kevin McCallister of the “Home Alone” series paid actor Kiefer Sutherland $8 million for the 4,800-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bath lake house in 2022. The couple turned it into quite a house. Culkin, one of the most successful child actors of his time, spent most of his time at the home as a full-time father to the pair’s two young children. The sale of the half-acre estate for $14.25 million closed just before Valentine’s Day. So, no one will be looking or yelling “Kevin!” in this house anymore. Or maybe they will.

U.S. Mortgage rates have hit their lowest level in three years, just in time for the spring home-selling season that is traditionally one of the biggest periods of the year. According to Freddie Mac, the popular 30-year fixed rate dropped to 6.01% from just under 6.10% last week. That rate was about 6.85% in February 2025 and had reached a high of 7.79% in late 2023. The latest dip marks the rate’s lowest level since the 5.89% rate in early September 2022. The 15-year mortgage rate also was down last week, and the Mortgage Bankers Association says mortgage applications were up nearly 3% last week. Rates have been falling steadily over the past year but still remain high for many wishful homebuyers facing home prices that have risen dramatically since 2021.

DFW: A mammoth master-planned community has been given the go-ahead by Waxahachie city leaders. The 3,100-acre development from Minto Communities USA of Coconut Creek, Florida, will be one of the largest in North Texas. Plans call for up to 13,270 single-family and multifamily homes and apartments, more than 1 million square feet of office, retail and restaurant space, two amenity centers and about 400 acres of trails and green space. Several thousand units will be situated in a residential neighborhood restricted for all-adults, 55 and over. The community will be bordered by Interstate 35 to the west and Lone Elm Road on the east side, and FM 1446 to the north and FM 875 to the south. The first phase of construction in the 20-year development is expected to begin by the end of the year. Over the past several years, numerous developers have announced plans for master-planned communities to meet North Texas’ population influx and growing demand. Most of those massive communities, however, are located north of Dallas-Fort Worth. Waxahachie is located about 30 miles south of downtown Dallas.

TEXAS: Austin, with its dense college population, diverse music scene and overall vibe, was among the country’s top move-to destinations during the pandemic, sparking a rise in home prices and home construction. Now, it tops another housing list: a city where home prices have been cut three times since being listed. In fact, Realtor.com says that 22.2% of Austin’s active listings in January had been reduced three times since first going on the market. That’s double the national average of about 10%. San Antonio was not far behind at 22%, followed by Tampa at 20.8%. As for Austin, in late 2025, it had more than 10 months’ supply of housing inventory, making it a very buyer friendly market. It was the second highest of the country’s 50 metro areas, behind only Miami. The median home sales price in Austin proper is now just over $522,000 and around $400,000 for the metro area. The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area made the list at 17.2, followed by Orlando at 16.9%.

U.S.: And buyers are gaining ground in other parts of the country, too. Both Zillow and Realtor.com say that prices will be down and homes more affordable in 20 metros around the country this year since 2020. In a reverse of the supply-and-demand drama of several years ago, more homes are expected to hit the market this year. With higher home prices and higher interest rates, fewer buyers will have more choices and, in many cases, the upper hand. Most of the metro areas where home prices are predicted to dip are in the West and the Southeast, including eight in Florida. The Northeast is forecast to have the biggest gains. The Dallas metro area is forecast to have an increase of nearly 2%.

U.S.: The late Hulk Hogan’s beachfront mansion in Clearwater, Florida, is on the market for $11 million. The three-story, five-bedroom home spans about 5,400 square feet and features sweeping Gulf views with luxury elements inside and out. The wrestling and entertainment star bought the property in 2012 for $3 million. He died last July at 71 following complications from neck surgery. The estate, however, is a bit complicated. Hogan’s son is the sole beneficiary of his father’s fortune, after Hogan removed his daughter from his will several years ago. But the mansion is held in an LLC tied to Hogan and his second ex-wife and is not part of the inheritance, and potential litigation related to his surgery may be brought by his third wife. Hulk Hogan always loved the drama.

DFW: Dallas-Fort Worth remains at the top of the list of the best places for commercial real estate investment in the United States. It’s the fifth straight year that DFW has led the country in the North American Investor Intentions Survey conducted by CBRE Group Inc. Atlanta came in second and the San Francisco Bay area was third. The report looked at commercial real estate investors’ optimism entering 2026, with nearly 75% surveyed saying they intended to buy more assets than the previous year. About 75% of those in the survey said they would prefer apartment developments. PwC and the Urban Land Institute noted in its Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026 report that Dallas-Fort Worth was the top commercial and residential real estate market to watch in 2026 because of its diverse economy, relative affordability and business-friendly environment.

DFW: He’s put countless real estate deals together over the years. Now, Rex Glendenning has purchased more than 800 acres in Gainesville with plans for a large community of single-family homes and multifamily units. Glendenning and his wife Sherese bought the Pace Ranch that sits along Interstate 35 just outside of Gainesville’s city center. Future plans for the site could include up to 1,000 single-family homes and between 1,000 to 2,000 apartment units on the 400 northern acres. An industrial park with warehouses is a possibility for the southern portion of the parcel. Glendenning is the founder of REX Real Estate that has been active in the Metroplex for four decades, handling mostly commercial land deals.

U.S. : Existing home sales dropped by 8.4% across the country in January compared to December 2025. Industry analysts say it’s too early to tell if the drop in month-over-month sales could have been impacted by extremely cold and treacherous weather that plagued much of the country for about a week in late January. The National Association of Realtors says in its recent report that year-over-year sales dropped 4.4% last month. Month-over-month sales were down in all regions of the country. Some good news: the NAR says that the median existing-home price for all housing rose to $396,800, up 0.9% from January 2025. It also said that its Housing Affordability Index rose in January to 116.5, from 111.6 in December and 102.0 from January 2025.

U.S.: The number of married couples owning homes continues to drop. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the percentage of married households in large metropolitan areas is now at 47%. That’s down from about 66% in 1975. And the portion of those married couples with children also has gone down to 37%, as opposed to 54% in 1975. Findings over the past several decades have shown that many young adults are putting off marriage until later years (or avoiding it altogether). According to the NAR, the metro area that had the most married couples was Provo, Utah, with 68%. The smallest was Greenville, North Carolina, at just over 34%. The organization reported last year that the median age of first-time homebuyers had risen to a record 40 years old, up from 38 in 2024.

FLORIDA: Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is adding Florida to the list of states in which he owns property. The Meta founder is reportedly working on closing a deal on a new waterfront estate on Miami’s exclusive Indian Creek Island, referred to as Billionaires Row. The home sits on nearly 2 acres and is reportedly worth between $150 million and $200 million and is not close to a mega-compound owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Zuckerberg’s estate overlooks Biscayne Bay and includes a main house, a swimming pool and several other buildings. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have a sprawling compound of multiple houses in Palo Alto, California, and they also own homes in other parts of California and in Hawaii, and Washington, D.C. Zuckerberg joins other California billionaires who recently bought homes in other states ahead of a proposed California tax on billionaires that may come to a vote later this year.

DFW: A Collin County developer has announced plans for a $5 billion development on the ranchland it recently purchased in North Denton. The purchase of ranchland by Old Prosper Partners follows not only its previous buys north of Dallas but that of numerous other developers for residential and mixed-use projects. Old Prosper Partners recently bought more than 2,500 acres of the Craver Ranch, located south of Lake Ray Roberts. Denton city leaders already have approved mixed-use zoning plans that will include more than 7,000 single-family homes, more than 1,000 each of townhomes and apartments, plus more than 350 acres for commercial projects. Several hundred acres will be set aside for greenspace and parks. Construction of the first phase of 800 single-family homes is expected within two years. The real estate investment firm has purchased more than 8,000 acres of land in Collin and Denton County in recent years.

DFW: And Hillwood also is moving ahead with its own plans for a master-planned community near Pilot Point in another part of Denton County. The Dallas developer has received tax incentives from county officials for a $1.2 billion development called the Lantern. It will include more than 2,000 homes on more than 600 acres. Development plans call for homes of various lot sizes with starting prices from around $350,000 to more than $600,000. The project will feature a community center and sports courts, more than 100 acres of green space and parks and nearly 30 acres for mixed-use projects. An elementary school also is planned for the site.

DFW: A new hotel could go up in Uptown Dallas if two partners have their way. Cawley Partners and Alamo Manhattan recently bought a 27,000-square-foot office building on Cole Avenue for a $50 million hotel. The companies will seek rezoning for the site and if approved, will tear it down for construction of the 140-room hotel they hope to start within two years. Cawley and Alamo have worked on other projects together and Cawley also acquired through foreclosure Hardwood No. 1, the former Rolex branded building in Uptown Dallas, and also is the co-owner of the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano.

DFW: And in another partnership, StreetLights Residential of Dallas has teamed with Mitsui Fudosan America again, this time for a new 20-story luxury high-rise apartment complex at Park Lane and U.S. 75. Construction on the 365 apartments is expected to begin later this spring and be completed within three years. The tower will have four types of apartment units that will range from about 500 square feet to more than 1,700 square feet. They will be anchored by first-level retail, along with numerous in-unit amenities. The two companies previously developed The Oliver, an 18-story apartment tower just east of U.S. 75 north of Haskell Avenue in Dallas.

U.S.: Hosting a Super Bowl party at your home this year? If you’re spending more than $140 on food for a group of 10, it will be more than the average American household will spend this year. But that doesn’t include decorations or libations. Here are some Sunday non-football stats based on food industry predictions: Chicken wings, nearly 1.5 billion will be consumed, about 10 million more than last year. Potato chips, 11 million pounds; tortilla chips for nachos and salsa, 8 million pounds; guac, also 8 million pounds; and pretzels, 4 million pounds. As for pizzas, the over-and-under is 12 million pies, most of them delivered, so get your orders in early.

U.S.: Bill Gates is shedding his real estate holdings around Xanadu 2.0, his massive 10-acre estate outside of Seattle. The co-founder of Microsoft bought the land in the late ’80s and began building on it and later bought up several properties around it. Xanadu 2.0 has grown to a more than 66,000-square-foot tech-heavy and security-laden mansion with seven bedrooms, 24 baths, a massive ballroom, a guest house, and pool house. Its price tag is around $130 million. Over the years, Gates bought several homes and vacant land around the property, but he sold one home in 2024 and in early February he listed a four-bedroom, 2.5-bath, 2,700-square-foot home for $4.85 million. Even so, he still owns several properties around Xanadu.

U.S.: Sales of luxury homes bucked the trend in the U.S. housing market in 2025. In the top 10 luxury markets across the country, more than 1,600 transactions of more than $10 million closed last year. Those transactions were up more than 30% from 2024 and in terms of dollars, the volume was more than $28 billion, up 24% from 2024. The biggest increase was in Los Angeles, ravaged by wildfires and reeling from a mansion tax. In 2025, there were 292 sales of $10 million or more, a 54% spike in sales from 2024. And dollar-wise, the figure for those transactions surged past $5.3 billion, a 60% increase from 2024. New York accounted for nearly 500 transactions over $10 million, including 398 in Manhattan and close to 100 in The Hamptons. Other cities that also had significant sales of $10 million or more were Miami, Palm Beach, Aspen, Phoenix, San Diego and the Dallas area, where 15 deals of $10 million-plus closed in 2025, including the area’s most-expensive estate that sold in Dallas in December for more than $30 million.

DFW: Those multimillion-home sales were a stark contrast from an overall North Texas market looking to find balance. In the latest figures from the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index, single-family home prices dropped 1.42% in November. That continued a trend of falling prices since the beginning of 2025. And the MetroTex Association of Realtors reports that the median home price in North Texas was $375,000 at the end of the year. That’s a drop of more than 6% from the end of 2024.

DFW: Buyers are getting pickier as more home inventory continues to hit the market. Cancellations of home purchases across the country hit a record 16.3% at the end of the year. That accounted for more than 40,000 home purchases that never materialized, according to Redfin. That’s the highest number since 2017. The metros with the highest number of cancellations were in Atlanta, 22.5%; San Antonio and Jacksonville, both at 20.6%, Cleveland at 20.2%; and Tampa, at 19.4%. The lowest cancellation was in Nassau County, New York, at 3.8%. While some deals may fall through during the inspection period, Redfin also notes that higher mortgage, insurance and property costs could also scare would-be homebuyers from completing the transaction.

U.S.: A new trend has quietly taken hold across the country’s real estate market. Fortune magazine reports that the number of homeowners with mortgage rates of 6% or higher has now surged past those with rates below 3%. Home inventory during and just after the pandemic was low in many areas of the country because homeowners did not want to give up their low mortgage rates, leading to higher prices. That has changed over the past several years, as rates began increasing in early 2022. Now, more than 30% of mortgages in the U.S. are above 5%, including 21.2% at 6% or higher. That compares to only 20% of mortgages under 3%.

LALALAND: Seems like Larry Page of Google isn’t the only billionaire who bought property outside of the Golden State before the end of 2025 ahead of a potential wealth tax. His Google co-founder Sergey Brin is the new owner of a $42 million Lake Tahoe, Nevada, estate known as Crystal Pointe that was purchased in December. It originally had been listed for $75 million. The eight-bedroom, 9.5-bath mansion sits on five lakefront acres with a main house, a caretaker residence and a beach house, plus more. Brin’s attorney apparently also transferred several of Brin’s LLCs out of California in 2025. An initiative in California is seeking signatures to place on the ballot a measure that would levy a one-time 5% tax on residents worth more than $1 billion. Brin, who still owns several properties in California, has a net worth of more than $260 billion.

DFW: Loews Hotels will soon embark on its newest and latest hotel in the Arlington sports and entertainment district, a development in partnership with the city. Over the summer, the long-standing Sheraton Arlington Hotel will be imploded to make way for Americana by Loews Hotels. It will be a 507-room property that will include more than 80 suites and over 80,000 square feet of event and meeting space. Loews is expected to invest upwards of $500 million on the project. The hotel is expected to open in 2029. This latest project comes with the city’s infusion of $40 million for the development and more than $50 million over a quarter-century in grants tied to performance. The company already has two other properties in the district, including the Loews’ Arlington Hotel & Convention Center that includes meeting space and nearly 900 rooms, plus the Live! By Loews Hotel, a 300-room property that opened seven years ago.

U.S.: With more than half of the country expected to be impacted by the latest predicted winter storm, it’s still not too late to prepare your home for the onslaught of freezing rain, sleet and snow. At the top of the list is to ensure a working HVAC system or the like, say home and weather experts. They also point to unhooking outdoor hoses from their spigots which also need to be covered. Exposed pipes also need to be protected and any gaps in windows and doors need to be sealed. Indoor water faucets should remain on to mitigate freezing water pipes. Homeowners also should have multiple days’ worth of food, bottled water and other necessities on hand. If water lines to the home freeze or the power goes out, homeowners need to have a backup plan for housing as utility companies say repairs may have to wait until the storm passes their area. Most importantly, ensure that outdoor sprinklers are turned off. More than 200 million people are expected to be impacted at the height of the multi-day storm.

DFW: A new data center will soon take shape north of downtown Dallas. And the developer is a very familiar name. Crow Holdings LP has announced that it will build a multi-phase and multi-building complex on 40 acres that it has owned for more than 60 years along the Stemmons Freeway. The undeveloped land is between the Renaissance Hotel and the campus of Children’s Medical Center on the northeast side of Stemmons Freeway. The company says the data center, in partnership with CleanArc Data Centers, will have a capacity of about 245 megawatts, which is equal to having the ability to power more than 170,000 average homes. The data center in the urban area differs from similar construction in North Texas, which are located in less densely populated areas. The company’s first building will have a 70-megawatt capacity and is expected to be completed within a couple of years.

DFW: Even historic buildings need appropriate facelifts. The McKinney Performing Arts Center will soon undergo a nearly year-long renovation, even as other projects take shape in the growing suburb. The former Collin County courthouse, originally built in the mid-1800s, will have refurbishments to its electrical and HVAC systems, restrooms, elevators and renovations to make the interior and exterior look old again in tribute to the 1930s. The arts center has been a driver and magnet for the historic downtown district. Other developments in the city include a $300 million amphitheater, a surf resort, a luxury hotel and improvements at its airport. McKinney was named the No. 1 in the country for real estate by WalletHub 2025 because of real estate opportunities and affordability.

SANTA FE: Gene Hackman’s Santa Fe compound is set to go on the market. Hackman purchased the 53-acre gated estate in the 1990s and lived in the 13,000-square-foot sprawling home with his wife Betsy Arakawa. The couple were found dead in the home last February. Authorities believe Arakawa died around February 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is tied to infected rat droppings. Hackman, the 95-year-old Oscar winner who had Alzheimer’s disease, is said to have died a few days later from heart disease. The property has been thoroughly cleaned and staged. It includes a primary residence and studio space, a three-bedroom guesthouse, pool, putting green and dozens of wooded acres. The listing price has been set at $6.25 million.

U.S.: The most-popular mortgage rate hit a three-year lowin mid-January, dipping to 6.06%.That 30-year mortgage rate, preferred by most homebuyers, had been hovering around 6.20%. The 15-year mortgage rate also dropped, going from 5.64% to 5.38%. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times in 2025, but mortgage rates are mostly influenced by U.S. Treasury yields, the economy and mortgage securities demand. Although mortgage rates had been trending lower since the start of 2025, the Trump administration announced earlier in this month that it would seek to buy $200 billion in mortgage securities. The last time mortgage rates were this low was in September 2022 when the 30-year rate was just over 6% after historic lows during the pandemic.

U.S.: Those lower mortgage rates throughout 2025 help push sales across the country. The National Association of Realtors announced that pre-existing home sales were up 5.1% in December from November, and about 1.4% from December 2024. Although home prices continued to rise, more homes on the market led to slower price growth in many parts of the country. The median price for a pre-existing home rose slightly to an average of $405,400. The NAR forecasts that more than 5 million potential buyers could come off the sidelines in 2026 as mortgage rates are expected to remain just above 6% throughout the year.

DFW: Big news this week at Allie Beth Allman & Associates. The luxury real estate leader in Dallas reported a record $4 billion in sales in 2025. And Keith Conlon, who has led the company as president and CEO since 2020, announced he has taken an equity stake in the company. HomeServices of America bought the company from founder Allie Beth Allman in 2015, and she remained as president and CEO until 2020 when she handpicked Conlon to replace her. Conlon says his investment, coming on the heels of consolidation at other real estate companies nationwide, is intended to solidify local roots and to recruit and retain more agents for Dallas’ anticipated growth. Under Conlon’s leadership, the brokerage that has just under 400 agents has recorded more than $18 billion in sales since 2021.

DFW: High Street Residential is moving ahead with a mixed-use project near Mockingbird Station, north of downtown Dallas and across U.S. 75 from Southern Methodist University. The seven-story building will include nearly 400 apartments of varying footprints and room configurations, plus underground parking for 500 vehicles that will be open to residents and the public around the Dallas Area Rapid Transit station and nearby retail center. The project from the Trammel Crow affiliate is valued at upwards of $80 million.

DFW: It was a tough year for homebuilders in North Texas. Weaker job growth, higher prices and challenging market led to 12% fewer starts in 2025 compared to a year earlier. Residential Strategies Inc. also said that during the fourth quarter, DFW homebuilder started on 8,386 homes, down nearly 18% from the 10,190 starts in the same period in 2024. Job growth in North Texas in 2025 was around 18,000, down from the nearly 100,000 average yearly growth seen from 2013 to 2023.

FLORIDA: Sometimes you have to spend money to save money, especially if you’re a billionaire. Google co-founder Larry Page recently spent $173 billion on two properties in Coconut Grove, the upscale and historic neighborhood in Miami. He closed on the non-adjacent properties in the Sunshine State late last year, announcing his move from the Golden State ahead of a proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act. The proposed ballot measure, which still needs 90,000 signatures to get it on the November ballot, would levy a one-time 5% tax on billionaire residents as of January 1, 2026. As for the properties, he paid $101.5 million for a nearly 12,000-square-foot mansion on four acres. He paid another $71 million for a 10,000-square-foot home on Biscayne Bay. Page has a net worth of more than $270 billion.

DFW: AT&T has announced plans to move its world headquarters out of downtown Dallas and consolidate its Metroplex employees to a 50-acre campus in Plano. The company occupies more than 2 million square feet in several downtown towers, and it plans to relocate thousands of downtown employees and others in several area locations in the next several years to the site that once housed EDS, the tech company started by Ross Perot. The announcement has rattled area businesses and prompted finger-pointing and reflection by elected leaders about the reasons for the move by the company that has more downtown office space than any other firm. But the announcement follows similar corporate relocations to newer buildings and offices in walkable environments like Uptown or campus settings in Collin County. AT&T also announced it plans to move out of downtown San Antonio to a campus on the city’s northwest side.

DFW: More new people moved to Dallas-Fort Worth than any other part of the country in 2025, according to a new report from U-Haul International. In its latest report, the company says that out of 2.5 million one-way moves last year, the Metroplex again was the No. 1 destination. Texas also was the top growth state for one-way metro moves in 2025, regaining the title it had lost to South Carolina in 2024. In fact, in the latest report, Houston and Austin came in at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, followed by San Antonio at 21 and College Station at 23.

DFW: Dallas developer Todd Interests is making moves on several projects in downtown Dallas. It is selling its share in the East Quarter district to its partner, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The more than 20-acre re-development of numerous 100-year-old buildings on the east side of downtown began in 2018. The project’s value is estimated to be as much as $300 million. But in another move, the developer says it is relinquishing its ownership of The National, the redeveloped former First National Bank building on Elm Street. The prolific downtown developer received millions of dollars in historic tax credits and reportedly invested more than $460 million to convert the 52-story, 1.5 million-square-foot mid-century building into office, retail, residential and hotel spaces. Todd Interests says numerous factors played into turning the building’s keys back to the lender, Starwood Capital Group.

U.S.: Home prices across the country were up slightly in October. In its latest report, S&P Case-Shiller noted that prices climbed an average of 1.4% from October 2024. More homes came on the market in the fall, too, lowering the price growth. The report follows a previous report from the National Association of Realtors that said sales of pre-existing homes in October were up 1.2% from September and up nearly 2% from October 2024.

DFW: Several notable Dallas commercial sales took place as the year came to a close. Crescent Real Estate of Fort Worth bought a 19-story, 360,000-square-foot tower on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas, adding to its area portfolio. It is listed for tax purposes at more than $180 million. ACH Legacy North TX LLC is the new owner of The Shops at Legacy North, a retail, office and restaurant center, after paying $78 million to CTO Realty Growth. And Real Capital Solutions, based near Boulder, Colo., purchased the 18-story, 464,000-square-foot Walnut Glen, located on Walnut Hill Lane east of U.S. 75. The company paid $26 million for the building that is nearly 50% leased and was last sold for $73 million 10 years ago.

LALALAND: Actor Jeff Bridges is trying to salvage what he can, moneywise, from his family’s Malibu beach property after the home that once stood on it was destroyed by a wildfire last year. He and his actor brother, Beau, and sister inherited the property from their actor father, Lloyd Bridges, and his mother, Dorothy. A four-bedroom, four-bath home once sat on the property and ironically had been listed for sale on the day the first started last year for $8.85 million. The family is now trying to sell the 5,000-square-foot lot for $4.95 million.