Appraisal Now

Ag Web | New research finds that state laws restricting foreign farmland ownership correlate with lower land values—outright bans cut prices by about $1,000 per acre, acreage caps by about $500 per acre—by reducing buyer demand, although productivity remained largely unaffected, raising trade-off questions for policymakers.

Inc | Many Gen-Z Americans (58%) hope for a housing crash to be able to afford homes, but experts warn that history disagrees. After 2008, young-adult homeownership fell from 45% to 36% by 2014, as job losses and tighter credit offset lower prices. Experts say affordability requires more than falling prices alone.

Urban Land | New Jersey has removed more than 10 million square feet of obsolete office space since 2021 and has mostly converted it to housing or warehouses, cutting vacancy to 25%, which is a five-year low. Nationally, similar redevelopment trends show office markets shrinking as outdated buildings shift to residential, industrial, and mixed uses.

Yahoo Finance | Economist David Rosenberg warns that falling home sales, which are now below early-2008 levels, signal housing trouble, echoing pre-2008 crash patterns. With rising inventory, he expects price drops and warns that declining home values could hurt consumer spending via a weakened "wealth effect."

Wall Street Journal | Several GOP-led states (North Carolina, Wyoming, Florida, and Oklahoma) have property-tax caps or rollbacks on November ballots, following over 10 states' recent bills, as homeowners face rising bills (up approximately 34% since 2016). Local officials warn of lost revenue for schools and fire services, while lawmakers debate offsetting cuts via spending limits.

Farm Bureau | U.S. farmland values hit record highs in 2026 (an average of $4,500 per acre, reflecting an increase of 3.4%), but growth is slowing. Cropland reached $6,020 per acre, and pasture reached $2,000 per acre. Cash rents held near-record levels. Values are up  about 44% since 2020, squeezing renters and beginning farmers despite weaker crop margins.

CNBC | Foreign buyer sales of existing U.S. homes fell 14% (units) and 19% (dollars) year over year according to the National Association of REALTORS®—the second-lowest total since 2009. But luxury home builders like Toll Brothers still see strong international demand, especially from Chinese buyers in California. Canadians lead overall foreign purchases.

Investopedia | Federal data shows that homeowners' median net worth ($396,500 in 2022) is nearly 38 times renters' median net worth ($10,410), with the gap widening over time. Homeowner wealth grows sharply with age, from $151,000 for those under 35 to about $500,000 for those ages 55-64, while renters' net worth stays flat around $10,000-$13,000 regardless of age.

Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy | In 2026, facing fiscal strain, some localities (NYC, Hawaii County, Chicago) are adopting new taxes on wealth/real estate for revenue, while many states (Florida, Iowa, Wyoming, and others) push property tax cuts that critics warn will undermine budgets and favor the wealthy.

CNBC | Foreign buyer sales of existing U.S. homes fell 14% (units) and 19% (dollars) year over year according to the National Association of REALTORS®—the second-lowest total since 2009. But luxury home builders like Toll Brothers still see strong international demand, especially from Chinese buyers in California. Canadians lead overall foreign purchases.

Montana Free Press | Montana's 23-year-old "land banking" program hasn't purchased replacement trust land since 2018 due to hot real estate markets and bureaucratic constraints, even as it has sold 225 cabin/homesite parcels since then, prompting concerns from advocates about losing public land access opportunities and $5.5 million funds diverting away in 2028.

Newsweek | As baby boomers (holding about $18-19 trillion in real estate) approach their "silver tsunami" of downsizing, selling, or passing on homes, experts say the transfer will be gradual, not sudden, with homes located in job centers staying valuable while retirement-destination properties may struggle to sell.

Fresno State Today | A Fresno State study found solar panels' effect on home prices depends on marketing: Listings specifying ownership (owned/leased/power purchase agreement) raised prices by about12%, while vague mentions without ownership details lowered prices nearly 5%.