It's Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. "A new report is highlighting the impacts of federal job cuts on the housing market in the D.C. region. Bright MLS, says 40 percent of realtors in the DMV have clients who are getting rid of their homes because of the cuts on government spending, which includes federal jobs. 'I had a buyer that was in transaction that had to pull out because they got an email the next day that they were getting laid off because of the job cuts,' Keller Williams realtor Gyimah Kyei told FOX 5. Realtors all across D.C., Maryland and Virginia all agree, saying things are uncertain. 'I haven’t had anyone flat out say, ‘I lost my job due to DODGE and now I want out,’ but I have had listings where I thought I was going to get a lot more offers than I did and when I followed up with those buyers’ agents they told me ‘my client was in fear of losing their job so they decided not to buy now,’ said realtor Dylan Ford."

"Some homebuyers are finding lower prices in South Florida as the region has seen an increase in the housing inventory, real estate experts say. In May, the number of active listings of homes and condos was up by large margins when compared to the same period last year across South Florida’s tricounty region, according to data from the Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors Association. Mike Pappas, CEO of the real estate firm The Keyes Company, said he expects the market to continue improving for five to 10 years before it 'crescendos again.' Pappas said there are more incentives for owners of new homes — like paying for closing costs and loans — than he has seen offered to buyers in decades. 'The home’s built. It’s finished, and they need to move that inventory,' he said."

"Whitney Dutton, residential sales director at the South Florida agency Native Realty, said he has noticed a larger drop in the value of condos, especially. 'The cost to own [condos] now has gotten so out of control that, as a second home, you’re not using it that much anymore,' Dutton said. 'It’s costing you more money, so now you’re deciding to put it for sale.'"

"Data from Redfin shows that 32% of homes in Austin purchased during the pandemic (July 2020-July 2022) are at risk of selling at a loss – the second highest share among major metros and more than triple the national average of 9%. James Leal has lived in his Central Austin home for more than 30 years. Now, he is trying to sell it and it has been on the market for at least five months. For him, it's been tough. 'Going to probably have to sell it at a loss,' Leal said. 'For me, it's devastating because I'm a disabled veteran and I'm in a set income. I can't make anymore than what I get every month.' Other metros where homes bought post-pandemic are at risk of selling at a loss include Tampa, Florida (36%); Orlando, Florida (32%); San Antonio (30%); West Palm Beach, Florida (28%); Fort Lauderdale, Florida (27%); and Dallas (26%)."

"After a less than stellar housing report last month, May brought some better numbers and some optimism to the real estate market in Southern New Mexico. New home listings ticked up, bringing inventory slightly higher than this time last year. Sellers are starting to get the message that homes are not going under contract at the prices we saw in 2022. Large percentages of homes are starting at a high price and still experiencing at least one or two price improvements before accepting an offer. While we may not be on track to break any records this year, our market is still capable of bringing top dollar for your home with some creative marketing strategies. It's still a great time to be a Las Cruces homeowner."

"Queen Creek's population has more than doubled in the last 10 years, now sitting at about 84,000 people. The town is focusing on bringing in big companies to expand the economy as it experiences the highest year-over-year percentage of growth in Arizona, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data. For Queen Creek resident Nicole Huggins, it is the traffic that is a daily headache. 'Now, it’s a nightmare, all day long,' said Huggins."

"A non-profit organization in Las Vegas is warning that people are falling behind on their mortgage payments and lenders are taking action to collect. 'During Covid and post-Covid, we saw an uptick in the foreclosures, and so, we saw a need for people to get help,' Micheal Huntsman, founder of Prolific Home Solutions said. According to data from the City of Las Vegas, almost 2300 homes have received a notice of default in the last 12 months. Huntsman said the current problem is pandemic-related. The federal government put a moratorium, pausing all mortgage payments. 'A lot of families participated in, not fully understanding what it meant,' Huntsman said. 'So now the forbearance is over, and you have all these families that participated in it and have a balloon payment that needs to be paid. Or they go into default.'"

"Seven in 10 Pacific Palisades residents who answered the city’s post-wildfire survey say they did not have enough insurance — or any at all — when January’s wind-fueled blaze leveled their neighborhood, Los Angeles officials told an Ad Hoc Committee on Recovery this week. Only 554 permit applications have been filed since the Jan. 7. Councilmember Traci Park said the underinsurance rate confirms what she has heard directly from fire survivors across her Westside district. 'People who built their lives here over decades, who paid their premiums year after year—and then found out too late their coverage wouldn’t bring them home,' Park said. Park pointed to more than 300 fire-affected properties currently listed for sale—most, she said, owned by seniors on fixed incomes. 'This is about safety, stability, and survival,' she said. 'Without adequate insurance, the path to recovery is closed.'"

"A nearly $26 million debt from an intense legal dispute over a delayed housing project has forced the City of Cle Elum into bankruptcy. At the center of the legal dispute is a hilly neighborhood just north of downtown Cle Elum. The site is where more than 900 homes were supposed to be built on nearly 360 acres. The plan was initiated in 2011 between the city and housing developer, City Heights Holdings. In November 2024, a King County judge found the city violated the agreement with developers. 'We bought out here with the hopes of this being a good investment space. And, if they’re bankrupt, I don’t know how that’s going to affect our investment and just everything here in general. I mean, it’s a little scary,' said Kyle Green, a Cle Elum resident."

"1 Yorkville Ave., No. 4503, Toronto. Asking price: $1,399,000 (February, 2025). Previous asking price: $1,399,000 (September, 2024). Selling price: $1,360,000 (April, 2025). Taxes: $8,162 (2024). Property days on market: 213. In a luxury high-rise tower at the corner of Yonge Street and Yorkville Avenue, agent Robert Greenberg was recruited to sell seven units of excess inventory. He staggered the release of three identical, 1,155-square-foot, two-bedroom units last year, none of which had ever been occupied. This one, on the 45th floor, spent months on the market and did receive offers, but they were substantially less than the asking price."

"'They all went down in price in time,' said Mr. Greenberg. 'I did have some people throw ‘stink’ bids. One wanted to buy two of them as an investment for a ridiculous price, like $2.2-million, which is like $1.1-million each.' Of the three units released last year, the one on the 44th floor sold for $1.379-million last July and the other, on the 46th floor, sold for $1.37-million in February. Finally, this one cut a deal at $1.36-million in April. '[Buyers are] in stall mode, even today,' Mr. Greenberg said. '[Prices] could go down another 5 per cent in six months because there’s a glut of condos for sale.'"

"Housing prices in Finland continued to decline in May, with the sharpest falls seen in the country’s six largest cities, according to new data from Statistics Finland. The average price of old apartments fell by 1.3 percent year-on-year nationwide. In urban areas, the fall was more severe. In Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Turku, and Oulu, prices dropped by an average of 2.3 percent compared to May 2024. Vantaa recorded the steepest decline, with housing prices down 5.2 percent year-on-year. The central bank noted that Finland's economy began to grow in 2024 but continues to face difficulties in 2025. Labour market conditions weakened in the spring, slowing the country’s overall recovery. 'Housing prices continued to decline compared to a year ago, and housing construction and property investment were experiencing difficulties,' the bank said in its report."

"A new property report has revealed the 10 Victorian suburbs where home sales have crashed hardest — and the findings are a grim warning for buyers betting on the wrong markets. According to Hotspotting’s Winter 2025 Price Predictor Index, a wave of former favourites, including Glen Waverley, Doncaster and Geelong West, have seen house or unit sales halved in just 12 months. M R Advocacy director and buyers agent Madeleine Roberts said oversupply was to blame for many of the unit market struggles. 'There’s no scarcity in these areas, and no urgency. That kills capital growth,' Ms Roberts said. 'If someone asked me what to avoid, I’d say most Melbourne apartments, they just don’t deliver returns.'"

"Ms Roberts said suburbs like Glen Waverley, Doncaster and Box Hill were once driven by international student and overseas family demand, but that demand hasn’t fully returned since Covid. And the oversupply left behind has been dragging down the market ever since. 'It’s not rocket science. Too much supply, not enough buyers, and poor affordability, that’s a dangerous mix,' she said. Victoria’s tax regime, however, is proving a much bigger problem. 'Mum and dad' landlords now feel squeezed from every direction. 'We’ve lost more than 24,000 rental properties in a year,' said Hotspotting director Terry Ryder. 'When you’re already losing money and then get hit with thousands more in tax, the only option is to sell.'"

"In a presentation on the housing market in the second quarter, Cotality has joined those ranks of those reducing their previous price growth expectations. 'New Plymouth, Invercargill, Timaru and Gore have already returned to their previous peak prices, but a total of 12 locations, all from the Auckland and Wellington regions, are still about 20% below their peak prices,' said head of research Nick Goodall."