The Absorption Rate Is Going Down, Down, Down
A report from Fox 35 Orlando. "Buyers say they were promised their dream homes. But after three years of delays, silence from the builder, and mounting frustration, they’re still waiting — and now the City of Palm Bay is preparing to demolish the unfinished project. Two investors reached out to FOX 35’s Esther Bower after seeing the initial reports and investigations on D32 properties in Palm Bay and Central Florida. Now, investors who paid for down payments on the properties are demanding answers and refunds since the construction has stalled for so long. Investors say their calls and emails go unanswered, and they fear their money is gone. 'I officially requested a refund, and I just kept getting that email, talk to the builder and they will contact you. Up until this point, the builder has not contacted me at all,' said Ian Ferguson, from Michigan, who paid a $58,000 deposit for one townhome. 'I have email addresses of people, and no one responds. I’ve tried to call, and there’s no answer,' said Emily Hall, from Utah, who paid a $116,000 deposit for two townhomes."
From Mansion Global. "The uber-affluent enclave of Palm Beach is the only South Florida housing market where both prices and sales rose in the second quarter, while the luxury segment performed better than the broader market in most cities, according to data from Douglas Elliman. Results were mixed in the rest of the market in West Palm Beach, with prices up 4.1% for single-family homes and down 12.7% for condos, with sales falling across the board. In Miami Beach, where there’s more of a mix of both luxury and ultra-luxury homes, prices were up across both segments by 14.6%, but sales were down by 25%. While condos saw better sales as prices sagged by 25% compared to 2024, single-family homes saw fewer sales but prices fell by a lesser 15%."
From My San Antonio. "Five years after a COVID-19 pandemic-era boom propelled Austin into the spotlight as a remote work destination and a coveted real estate market, a new report from Parcl Labs projects a continual decline in housing prices in the Texas capital, leading other real estate markets nationally. Its research mirrored that of Realtor.com's breakdown of the Austin area, with a late June report noting Texas' capital city set the record for the largest new listings count growth between May 2024 and May 2025. Alongside that, Austin's median home prices dropped more than 6% in the same timespan, regarded as the largest annual price drop in the nation. On the sellers' front, Parcl Labs evaluated how motivated Austin-area sellers were to slash home prices or hold firm and extend their time on the market. While Austin's ranking still remains 'stubborn,' the report's analysis found almost 45% of metro listings featured price cuts."
The Denver Post in Colorado. "Although new listings dropped in June, active listings statewide increased 23% over a year ago, pushing available homes to a 4.7 months’ supply, the highest level since 2013. But so far, that’s not leading to a true buyers’ market. Cooper Thayer, a broker associate with the Thayer Group in Castle Rock, said homes staying on the market longer are causing a 'pile-up' effect. 'Even as negotiating leverage continues to lean in the favor of homebuyers, many sellers have yet to adjust their strategy to current market conditions,' he said. 'New listings, however, haven’t been the primary driver behind the spike in inventory. Rather, it’s the slower pace of those listings finding buyers that has caused the ‘pile-up’ effect in the market.'"
"That’s leading to conflict between sellers who are unwilling to lower prices and demanding buyers. 'Many current sellers are homeowners who may want to move but don’t necessarily need to. With substantial equity, low interest rates locked in, and little financial pressure, these sellers are holding onto price expectations that may be unrealistic,' said Kelly Moye of Compass. 'Buyers, on the other hand, are seeing more inventory than they’ve had in over a decade—and they’re being ultra picky. With hopes for lower interest rates and new, more appealing listings popping up each day, many are choosing to wait, creating a slow, cautious environment on both sides of the transaction.' The Routt County real estate market has shifted, but ideal properties still sell quickly. 'If buying or selling a home makes sense for you personally in 2025, there are still absolutely plentiful opportunities available,' said Marci Valicenti with The Group."
The Los Angeles Times in California. "As more and more Altadena residents choose to sell their fire-ravaged properties instead of rebuilding, owners are encountering a softening real estate market in which prices and the rate of sales are declining, according to data and interviews. Teresa Fuller, an agent in Altadena, described the post-fire timeline for sellers this way: 'January, devastation. February, trickle. March, a few dozen went on market, and most if not all sold.' But now, with a greater number of lots on the market and relatively few closing sales, the 'absorption rate is going down, down, down,' she said. In the first week of July, 29 new lots went on the market in Altadena, she said, and only four sold. Fuller said a couple came to her in March with a lot she estimated would get $905,000. Now they’re ready to list, but with a far lower estimate: $730,000. The homeowner cried when she heard the figure, saying, 'This is all we have to move on,' according to Fuller. Another lot she represents dropped from $1.295 million to $795,000."
"Art Davis didn't think he'd end up as a seller. The 82-year-old wanted to rebuild. At dinners with neighbors, they rallied around the idea of resurrecting their community. But hurdles began cropping up immediately. Just finding a rental for Davis and wife Mary was 'insane,' said Davis' daughter Gina Gurewitz. The most optimistic timeline for rebuilding was two years. Then they got the news that their landlord would need the rental back at the end of the year. Davis told his daughter that he didn't think he could handle another move before the ultimate move back to Altadena, his home of 15 years. 'I saw it dawning on him, this dream of being back in this place fading away,' Gurewitz said. The only option was to sell. As they enter a brutally competitive buyer's market for lots, her parents will also be contending with an expensive market for housing elsewhere. 'To have this happen at this stage in their lives,' she said, 'is just so disruptive that the goal now is to get them into a place where they can just be and feel safe.'"
The Windsor Star in Canada. "The price of the average single-family home in the Windsor area dipped by 4.9 per cent year over year, the third largest decline nationally, according to the Royal LePage. The average single-family dwelling sold for $524,700 in the second quarter of 2025 compared to $552,000 12 months earlier. The largest percentage declines were in West Vancouver (7.8) and Brampton (5.2). 'We’re fighting uncertainty in the market with tariffs,' said Royal LePage Windsor owner Frank Binder. 'We’re feeling it more than elsewhere because we’re an auto town. Tariffs are the driving force in our community. The tool and die guys are working on projects a year or two ahead and those projects just aren’t being released by the automakers.'"
CTV News in Canada. "Kittens were still roaming the rental home when landlord Thamara DeVries repossessed it. She says they were part of a litter bred for profit in the bathroom. What started as a standard lease to three university students and their mother, turned into a months-long ordeal involving 12 tenants, nearly 14 animals and tens of thousands of dollars in damage. DeVries says the process of removing them was delayed at nearly every turn. Now, she is calling for urgent reform to Prince Edward Island’s rental tribunal. 'I’m in shock. I’m devastated,' DeVries said. 'Seeing it being destroyed, not being able to do anything about it, it’s very gutting.' She estimates $80,000 in damages. Outside, DeVries says the tenants dumped truckloads of horse manure across the lawn, including directly on top of the property’s well, its main water source. She says she’s unsure whether her insurance will cover the losses. But for her, the damage is done."
From Central America. "Talk of real estate in El Salvador, especially in San Salvador and the coast, tends to go one of two ways: either it’s booming with no end in sight, or it’s heading straight for a correction. Rising prices, new high-rise developments, returning Salvadorans, and an influx of foreign investment have all pushed the market to historic highs. But with affordability slipping out of reach for locals and more properties sitting empty, some are starting to ask whether growth can really continue at this pace. San Salvador has seen some of the fastest real estate growth in the country, with mid-range homes in popular neighborhoods now regularly selling for over $200,000. New apartment towers continue to rise, many of them marketed off-plan and snapped up by Salvadorans living in the States. Some of these buildings, however, remain largely unoccupied, raising questions about long-term demand."
"Wages haven’t kept up with prices, and most locals are priced out of new developments. There’s also speculation about saturation. With more units coming online and a rise in properties aimed at short-term rentals, some worry demand could flatten. On the coast, the real estate story is a little different. Areas like El Zonte and El Tunco have seen property values skyrocket, driven in part by the Bitcoin Law which attracted plenty of foreign investor interest, and a steady stream of digital nomads and surfers. In some cases, prices have increased by several hundred percent since 2021, turning once-sleepy beach communities into investment hotspots. Much of this growth has been speculative. Short-term rentals remain profitable in top locations, though there are signs of saturation in certain areas. Several buyers entered the market planning to list on Airbnb, but now find themselves competing with dozens of similar listings. There’s also the risk of oversupply in certain segments, especially high-rise apartments in San Salvador and Airbnb-focused beach properties. Some developments are already showing signs of low occupancy."