A report from My Sun Coast in Florida. "Some possible bad news for Florida homeowners right now. Florida is seeing more foreclosures than all but two other states. Last month was up 23-percent over May of 2018. Loan officer David McLaughlin says one of the contributing factors to foreclosures is that wages in Florida have remained the same over the years."

"'Insurance and taxes continue to go up, so when people budgeted for a home 3-5 years ago, all of a sudden when things get higher, they may have a second mortgage, people are taking equity lines out,' said McLaughlin. But McLaughlin says one of the biggest reasons for the increase in foreclosures is home affordability. 'So many home borrowers are being stretched into homes or neighborhoods that are a little higher than they usually can afford.'"

From The Tribune in California. "Jack Hardy, president of Century 21 Hometown Realty in Arroyo Grande, said he’s sold homes for San Luis Obispo County’s median price, although housing markets differ greatly based on location. The market is very good now, but price sensitive, Hardy said. Sellers must price their homes competitively if they don’t want them to languish without a buyer. 'If you price it correctly, it’ll sell pretty quickly,' he said."

"'The lowest interest rates in nearly a year and a half, no doubt, have elevated housing demand as monthly mortgage payments have become more manageable to home buyers in general,' CAR President Jared Martin said. 'The state’s housing market remains soft, however, as home sales continue to lag behind last year’s level for more than a year now.'"

The Orange County Register in California. "More than 500 Southern California real estate agents have been scrambling to find a new employer after Century 21 Beachside and Coldwell Banker Beachside announced plans to shut down by the end of June. Tom Denny, owner of a 10-office operation stretching from San Clemente to Rancho Cucamonga, said that 'after three decades in the real estate business, I have decided that it is time to retire,' according to a statement provided by Realogy Holding Corp., the parent company for both Century 21 and Coldwell Banker."

"No other details were provided. And while the reasons may be strictly personal, as Denny maintains, the Beachside closure could be the first of many rumblings in the real estate industry as a housing market cool-down continues into a second year. Southern California home sales have declined year-over-year in 17 of the past 22 months, CoreLogic figures show. Transactions this year so far are down 11%, falling to the lowest level since 2008."

"In Orange County, where the cool-down is most pronounced, home sales dollar volume fell to a 10-quarter low of $49.5 billion during the first three months of this year, Real Data Strategies figures show. The average since the fall of 2016 was $52.3 billion per quarter. 'It hasn’t happened yet at any scale,' said Real Data Strategies President Pat Veling. 'But if it continues in this vein, it’s going to cause … more mergers, acquisitions and failures.'"

"Agent Helen Reed said the news came as a shock to her. 'I thought the company was running pretty good, and all of a sudden, it shut down,' said Reed. 'What can we do? We are agents. There are tons of brokers, (but) no one wants it to happen like this.'"

The Real Deal on New York. "A second anonymous buyer snapped up a pad at Vornado Realty Trust’s 220 Central Park South in recent months, as the limestone tower nears completion. The residential condominium, named Villa 6 by the developer, was purchased for $39 million, according to property records filed this month. Vornado took a small price cut on the unit, which was initially listed for $45 million."

From Westword in Colorado. "After years of sky-high prices and bidding wars, the Denver real estate market has moderated in recent months, giving first-time home buyers their best odds in ages of scoring a pad of their own. As evidence, note that the number of homes listed for sale at under $250,000 is rising — and several are being marketed for actual occupation rather than demolition."

"Many of the six entries in our first roundup spotlighting Denver homes on sale for less than a quarter-million, published in May 2018 and drawing from the Homesnap website, suggested that the owners were simply trying to unload them for the land value alone and walk away as quickly as possible. One listing warned: 'Current owner has minimal to no knowledge of property and no seller's property disclosure will be provided.'"

"Our August 2018 sequel showed a further tightening at the low end of the market. Only four stand-alone houses on the site were going for less than $250,000, with the least expensive of them boasting not a single photo. Instead, the visual on the listing was a pic of Westwood Park, probably because a Google Maps image of the actual structure from the previous year showed it boarded up and surrounded by weeds."

"Of the other three August 2018 properties, two of them were on the same block in the Montclair neighborhood and prompted the warning 'not for the faint of heart.' And the description of the third, in Villa Park, began with the admission: 'Structural issues, not suitable as a flip.'"

"In contrast, Homesnap currently features eight single-family homes for under $250,000 (plus two others for exactly that price). One of them — 4768 High Street, pictured above — boasts no description whatsoever, suggesting a mindset of 'You pays your money and you takes your chances.' And while the second-cheapest listing includes the words 'flip' and 'scrape,' the rest focus on fixer-upper potential."

"Number 6: 4655 Fillmore Street, $239,900. Listed: 92 days ago for $295,000 (dropped $10,000 on June 7, 2019). Description: 'New roof, windows, insulation. Vacant, EZ show. The property has access from the alley. Brokers, please read: Proof of funds with offers, hard-money lender letters not acceptable, verified funds only. All measurements are approximate…. Sewer issue."

"Number 2: 2510 West Amherst Avenue, $220,000. Listed: Two days ago. Description: 'It's a BEAST! This home is priced well below market value and ready to become the beauty of your dreams. Fix and rent or fix and flip, scrape and rebuild — you decide what works best for you. This property is being sold strictly 'AS -IS,' so don't even think about asking for repairs or concessions. Strong preference will be given to high and hard earnest money delivery and waiving inspection, so do your due diligence before submitting. Lastly, don't waste our time or yours with below list offers. Cash, non-contingent offers only with quick closing and sixty-day post occupancy will be placed on top of the pile."

"Number 8 (tie): 871 South Vrain Street, Price: $240,000. Listed: 29 days ago Description: 'Exciting opportunity in up and coming area of Westwood. HUD homes are 'Sold As Is.' Furnace and water heater are missing."