Lance Sonka

Analyzing the data, dollars, and deals shaping the residential real estate landscape.

Federal Reserve

Fed Pause: Powell Signals 'Higher for Longer'

Jan 29, 2026

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6 min read

Fed Pause: Powell Signals 'Higher for Longer'

Testing the Market's Resilience: Will the Spring Thaw Withstand the Fed's Cold Water?

Lance Sonka

Housing Reform

Macro Stability, Micro Opportunity: Navigating the New Housing Ecosystem

Jan 26, 2026

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11 min read

Macro Stability, Micro Opportunity: Navigating the New Housing Ecosystem

From Florida Insurance Relief to Austin's Zoning Wins—Where the Deals are Made in a 6% Rate Environment

Lance Sonka

Investor Ban

The Davos Dividend: Geopolitical calm aids bond rally; Institutional ban

Jan 22, 2026

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10 min read

The Davos Dividend: Geopolitical calm aids bond rally; Institutional ban

A diplomatic pivot at the World Economic Forum triggers a Treasury rally; landmark policy shift threatens to sideline Wall Street landlords.

Lance Sonka

Mortgage

Dec 19, 2025

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12 min read

Inflation Break: Mortgage Rates Dive as Market Pivots to Sweet Spot

Following yesterday's cooler-than-expected CPI print, housing affordability sees its strongest tailwind of the quarter.

Lance Sonka

Housing Reform

Dec 18, 2025

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15 min read

Rates Steady as Bipartisan Housing Reform Clears First Major Hurdle

While mortgage yields flattened yesterday, a new legislative push and HUD limit increases signal a strategic shift for 2026.

Lance Sonka

Builder Confidence NAHB

Midwest Dominates 2025 Rankings While Builder Confidence Inches Up

Dec 17, 2025

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11 min read

Midwest Dominates 2025 Rankings While Builder Confidence Inches Up

Affordability drives regional shifts, mortgage rates hold steady following mixed labor data.

Lance Sonka

Home Equity

Builder Confidence Struggles to Find Footing as Rates Tick Up

Dec 16, 2025

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11 min read

Builder Confidence Struggles to Find Footing as Rates Tick Up

Sentiment inches higher, but mortgage rates test the 6.35% ceiling.

Lance Sonka

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

Beyond Rate Hype: The Niche Housing Trends Defining 2026

Dec 15, 2025

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8 min read

Beyond Rate Hype: The Niche Housing Trends Defining 2026

AI construction funding, and the local policy shifts quietly reshaping housing supply.

Lance Sonka

Housing Market Outlook

Fed Cuts Rates for Third Time in 2025: Why Housing Headwinds Persist

Dec 13, 2025

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7 min read

Fed Cuts Rates for Third Time in 2025: Why Housing Headwinds Persist

Chair Powell warns that monetary easing alone cannot solve the structural inventory and affordability crisis.

Lance Sonka

PropTech

Dec 12, 2025

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9 min read

The Inventory Squeeze Returns

New listings post sharpest drop in 2 years, while builders slash prices to move supply.

Lance Sonka

Residential Construction Starts

Rates Defy Fed Cut, 2026 Forecasts & Construction Slump

Dec 11, 2025

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10 min read

Rates Defy Fed Cut, 2026 Forecasts & Construction Slump

Why mortgage rates are rising after the cut, and where to find value in 2026.

Lance Sonka

PropTech

The Big Shift: Market Eyes 2026 as Inventory Builds and Rates Stabilize

Dec 10, 2025

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10 min read

The Big Shift: Market Eyes 2026 as Inventory Builds and Rates Stabilize

Plus: Factory-built homes gain legislative traction, HUD confirms funding continuity, and AI takes center stage in client retention.

Lance Sonka

Two-Speed Housing Market

Dec 9, 2025

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8 min read

"Two-Speed" Housing Market: Where Prices Are Falling vs. Where They Are Soaring

2026 Conforming Loan Limits Jump as Mortgage Rates Defy Expected Fed Cut

Lance Sonka

Zillow

Clarity on 2026: Mortgage Rates Dip and the Future of U.S. Housing

Dec 8, 2025

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8 min read

Clarity on 2026: Mortgage Rates Dip and the Future of U.S. Housing

New HUD rules, Canada's winter rally, Zillow's "Super App" strategy.

Lance Sonka

Office to Residential Conversion

Mortgage Rates Dip, Inventory Shifts, and The Mega-Merger

Dec 7, 2025

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8 min read

Mortgage Rates Dip, Inventory Shifts, and The Mega-Merger

From Office Towers to Starter Homes: Unpacking the Structural Shifts Defying the Holiday Slowdown

Lance Sonka

Real Estate Market Trends

The Road Ahead: 5 Major Housing Market Trends Shaping 2025–2030

Dec 6, 2025

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10 min read

The Road Ahead: 5 Major Housing Market Trends Shaping 2025–2030

Navigating the "Lock-In" Era, The Silver Tsunami, and the Climate Reality Check

Lance Sonka

Zillow

Dec 5, 2025

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9 min read

Beyond Rates: FHFA, Zillow, and NAR Reshape the 2026 Landscape

Price dips predicted for 22 cities as demand normalizes, even as first-time buyers drive a 5% jump in entry-level sales.

Lance Sonka

Residential Construction Starts

New FHFA Rules, HUD Updates, and the End of Seller Dominance

Dec 4, 2025

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7 min read

New FHFA Rules, HUD Updates, and the End of Seller Dominance

Official limits rise, construction defies gravity, and the industry preps for a pivot.

Lance Sonka

New Construction

Compass Mega-Merger, Austin's Rebound, and the 2026 Outlook

Dec 3, 2025

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7 min read

Compass Mega-Merger, Austin's Rebound, and the 2026 Outlook

The biggest brokerage deal of the decade just happened.

Lance Sonka

Real Estate Market Trends

Borrowing Power Skyrockets as Builders Hit the Brakes

Dec 2, 2025

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7 min read

Borrowing Power Skyrockets as Builders Hit the Brakes

Conforming Loan Limits Jump for 2026, Housing Starts Slump, and The "Refi Boom" for Investors.

Lance Sonka

PropTech

Policy Chaos and Rate Relief: The Diverging Forces Shaping the 2026 Housing Market

Dec 1, 2025

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9 min read

Policy Chaos and Rate Relief: The Diverging Forces Shaping the 2026 Housing Market

Q4 Risk Landscape Defined: PropTech Investment, Supply Chain Friction, Policy Conflict

Lance Sonka

Sell

U.S. Housing Market Today: 2026 Forecast and Strategy Guide

Nov 29, 2025

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15 min read

U.S. Housing Market Today: 2026 Forecast and Strategy Guide

From Stagnation to Stabilization: Your Roadmap to Buying & Selling

Lance Sonka

Millennial

The Great Thaw: Navigating the Housing Market’s New Normal in 2026

Nov 28, 2025

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9 min read

The Great Thaw: Navigating the Housing Market’s New Normal in 2026

Unpacking the critical trends defining real estate: Stabilization, inventory shifts, and the demographic destiny shaping the next 18 months.

Lance Sonka

Real Estate Market Trends

The Black Friday Effect: $832k Loan Limit & Post-Turkey Market Pivot

Nov 28, 2025

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12 min read

The Black Friday Effect: $832k Loan Limit & Post-Turkey Market Pivot

Mortgage Rates Stabilize, Home Sales Tick Up, & Why the Slowest Week of the Year is the Best Time to Buy

Lance Sonka

Housing Market Outlook

Outlook 2026: Is the Housing Market Finally Finding Its Balance?

Nov 26, 2025

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7 min read

Outlook 2026: Is the Housing Market Finally Finding Its Balance?

A deep dive into the tug-of-war between stubborn prices, stabilizing rates, and the inventory puzzle as we approach the new year.

Lance Sonka