America’s Top 10 Important, Strange and Interesting Real Estate News

New England States Lead US Home-Price Appreciation
The US state with the largest home-price increase between 2019 and 2024 is Maine at 78.5% – a jump from $219,000 to $391,000. New Hampshire and Rhode Island came in next with 76% and 73% increases. Louisiana had the smallest increase at just 23%, from $206,500 to $254,000.

Top 10 Homes Of Tomorrow – As Predicted In the 1950s
Seventy years ago, homes of the future were sure to generate publicity, including Monsanto’s House of the Future at Disneyland and Elvis Presley’s honeymoon House of Tomorrow.


article continues after advertisement


Where Americans Might Move
In a survey of 1,000 Americans, 84% said they were open to moving to another city. Respondents said they wanted low crime, affordable living, good weather and low taxes. Tampa, Florida was the #1 choice the respondents said they could move, followed by Charlotte, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Ohio Apartment In a Swimming Pool
A Cincinnati, Ohio building that was once the local YMCA was converted to apartments. One of the apartments is inside the former swimming pool and another is in the basketball court.

New Mexico Ranch Is Bigger Than Houston
One of the largest ranches in the United States just hit the market for $142 million. The family behind home-building giant D.R. Horton is selling the Great Western Ranch, their roughly 500,000-acre cattle ranch in New Mexico. With about 790 square miles, the ranch is bigger than the city of Houston. In addition to the land, there are eight homes, including a primary lodge for guests and a ranch manager’s house.

Fort Wayne Is America’s Most Affordable Town
With a strong local economy, low home prices and major employers, including General Motors and Amazon, Fort Wayne, Indiana is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as America’s most affordable city.

Record $70 Million Fort Lauderdale Sale Heads To Wrecking Ball
A Fort Lauderdale home where the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River join just sold for $70 million, the most expensive home ever sold in the popular beach town. Located between ultra-expensive Palm Beach and Miami Beach, the prices on Fort Lauderdale condos and homes have been reasonable until now, but a surge of recent top-dollar sales has changed the market dynamics. The $70 million home is likely to be torn down to make way for something even more expensive.

LA Stilt Home Sells Over $1 Million
One of LA’s stilt homes has sold for $1,075,000. Located in Laurel Canyon—famous as a 1970’s-era home for musicians, including David Crosby, Mama Cass and Stephen Stills—stilt homes were designed to take advantage of small, hilly lots otherwise deemed “unbuildable.” About 1,500 of these striking houses were built in California during the 1950s and 1960s, but very few are still standing today.


article continues after advertisement


Top 10 US Cities To Retire
Looking to retire to a city with a low cost of living, low taxes, a good quality of life, lots of activities, and good health care, seniors might want to buy a home in Orlando, Florida. The amusement park capital of the world is ranked #1 on the WalletHub list of the best American cities to retire. Or perhaps a condo in Miami, Florida, ranked #2 or Minneapolis at #3. Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida round out the top five.

Some Good US Housing News
U.S. single-family home listings are up to almost 700,000, an increase of 41% since 2023; inflation has dropped below 3%, the lowest level since early 2021; the average rate on a 30-year mortgage is down to 6.20%; and mortgage applications increased to their highest level since early 2023.

For more interesting real estate news, visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.