A report from the Wall Street Journal. "After a sluggish end to 2018, real-estate investment trusts are showing promise again. 'When we look at these companies, we’re seeing what we would hope to see, which are well-capitalized businesses that aren’t making big speculative bets,' says Todd Kellenberger, portfolio specialist for real-estate securities at Principal Global Investors. 'That means they are positioned well if there is a slowdown and it means that we aren’t seeing many obvious bubbles in real estate overall.'"

The Seattle Times in Washington. "King County condo shoppers who tentatively reentered the market when it began to slacken in the spring have more reason to celebrate: A trend of falling prices and rising inventory solidified as spring turned into summer, according to monthly real-estate data."

"Median condo prices across the county are down 3.4% year over year, to $400,000 in July. Condos are staying on the market for almost a month. And active listings are up by 39% over last year. That means buyers can afford to cool their heels before making an offer, said Windermere condo broker Jeff Reynolds."

"The July glut in the resale market is sparked, in part, by sellers who are finding 'it’s harder to be a landlord in Seattle than it used to be' because of regulatory changes and pressure from falling rents, said Seattle Redfin agent Jessie Culbert, who specializes in condos."

"Median home prices in King County continued a six-month decline, dipping by 2.7% in July to $680,000, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Within the county, there are pockets of stronger growth even as home prices in the city center have fallen in the past year by as much as 15.1%."

The San Francisco Chronicle in California. "Rents in San Francisco may not be dropping, but they also aren't zooming upwards the way they were even one year ago. Those in the apartment industry say they have begun to see a definite dip in demand, with fewer applications coming in for each new listing."

"'A slowing economy, coupled with proposed taxes on start-ups, will likely mean reduced job opportunities and thus a further slowing of the rental market,' explained Eric Andresen, president of West Coast Property Management Company. 'Add to this the fact that new units are still coming on the market, although not quite as rapidly as in the past few years, and I would expect that the market will stagnate for a while. Most owners and managers have adjusted to the change, realizing that the double-digit increases we were getting for a few years were unrealistic and unsupportable.'"

From Mansion Global on New York. "Not one New York City apartment has traded hands for more than $10 million since a hike in the city’s mansion tax went into effect July 1, according to a round-up of luxury deals on Monday. In the past five weeks, since a graduated tax was raised on New York City home sales over $2 million, only two townhouses have gone into contract for over $10 million, an amount that now creates a New York State lump sum tax liability of at least $390,000."