Ben Balmages

The SoCal real estate market is shifting, here's what the data says heading into spring 2026. LA County's median home price is $910K with homes averaging 45 days on market, giving buyers meaningfully more time to evaluate and negotiate than we've seen in years. At the same time, sellers aren't losing ground. The sale-to-list ratio in LA County remains at 100%, meaning homes are still selling at asking price. What's driving renewed activity? Mortgage rates have dropped to ~6%, down from 6.84% a year ago. That difference matters, especially in a high-price market like LA. LA County sales jumped 14.2% month-over-month in February as a result. The bottom line: this market rewards preparation. Whether you're buying, selling, or investing in Southern California, having a clear strategy is more important than ever. I help clients navigate this market every day. If you're thinking about making a move, or just want to understand where things stand, feel free to reach out or drop a comment below. #LARealEstate #SouthernCalifornia #RealEstateMarket #HomeBuying #HomeSelling #DreamLifeRealty #SoCalHomes #RealEstateTips #HousingMarket2026

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🚨 Historic Shift in Housing Prices! 🤯 For the first time ever, newly built homes are now cheaper than existing homes. 🏗️ Builders across Southern California are trimming prices and offering major incentives to move inventory. Meanwhile, resale homeowners are holding firm—many locked into ultra-low mortgage rates and reluctant to list. The result? ➡️ In markets from the Inland Empire to Orange County, the new home down the street could actually cost less than the used one next door. It’s a housing market first — and a big signal of where the market’s headed. #HousingMarket #NRBA #SouthernCalifornia #RealEstate #HomePrices #MarketTrends #Builders

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I track healthcare real estate deals every week. Here's what moved the needle this week - and why it matters if you're planning growth in these markets. THE BIG ONES $3.7B - UC Davis Health California Tower (Sacramento) McCarthy topped out the 14-story tower - 334 new beds as part of a campus doubling to 7M+ SF by 2030. That kind of density reshapes the surrounding MOB market for a decade. $1.2B - Healthcare Realty Trust Divestiture - HRT exited 14 non-core markets to deleverage and fund redevelopment internally. If you're a tenant in one of those divested buildings, find out who your new landlord is. $1.1B - MUSC Hollings Cancer Center (Charleston, SC) $885M construction plus $230M in equipment for an NCI-designated cancer center with embedded research space. Charleston's outpatient oncology market is about to get very competitive. $1B - Novant Health Wilmington (NC) Billion-dollar bet on coastal Carolina population growth. If you're a provider in the Wilmington corridor, plan for the downstream MOB demand now. $1B - Hawaii Pacific Health (Honolulu) Final land parcel secured for a full hospital redevelopment. Urban plays this size are rare anywhere - especially in a market this land-constrained. FLYING UNDER THE RADAR $650M - OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Pavilion (Portland) Opens in April. If you're a specialty group in the Portland metro, consider your proximity strategy. $500M - Baptist Health Sunrise (Broward County, FL) Turner broke ground. 100 inpatient beds, robotic-surgery suites, and its own power plant built for hurricane resilience. Western Broward is a high-growth corridor and this campus was designed to expand. $400M - Inland Valley Hospital Tower (Wildomar, CA) Opens next month. Capacity jumps from 120 to 202 beds - SW Riverside County's only Level II trauma center. Inland Empire is still underserved relative to population. $300M - The University of Texas Medical Branch (League City, TX) New 40-bed ED replacing a 17-bed ER. This campus only opened in 2016 and is already running 42K+ ER visits annually. League City to Pearland is one of the hottest healthcare corridors in Texas. $143M - UM Health-Sparrow (Lansing, MI) Two projects: Lansing's first pediatric psych inpatient beds and a new ambulatory surgery center to relieve ORs at capacity. Part of UM Health's $800M commitment after acquiring Sparrow in 2023. Bottom line: capital is pouring into HRE and it's directly compressing site availability and pushing lease rates in these markets. If your group is planning a new location in any of these regions, your negotiating window is getting shorter. What markets are you watching heading into Q2?

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The median sales price of previously owned single-family homes in Las Vegas was $481,995 last month, down 0.6% from a year earlier. STORY: lvrj.com/post/3715722

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Off Market 16 properties, 200 units in Winslow, Arizona Key Points: Off Market 16 properties, 200 units in Winslow, Arizona NOI from operations $1.3 plus million Real estate appraised last year at $21 million with significant upgrades since then C corporation with additional assets Will appraise higher this year with all the improvements to date Low leverage only 4.5 million in mtge and its assumable rates in the 4 and 5 % fixed range Subsequent to purchase you can tack on an additional 10 million Issues dividends quarterly Company was originally an LLP and converted to a C corp in contemplation of IPO Preliminary audit by top 15 PCOB Audit firm Can continue towards IPO or keep private Where else can you purchase a low leverage real estate entity which is highly profitable and can be purchased for value of real estate with additional assets continuing to accrete and after purchase leverage an additional $10 million. Note: Mortgages of 4.5 million are on three of the nineteen properties so the rest are available for leverage. properties in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with populations between 50,000 and 500,000 where competition from large investment real estate firms is limited and capitalization rates are higher. Recently, there has been an exodus from the coasts and restrictive blue states and an increasing number of retirees and people working from home looking for good weather and high quality of life in middle America and the sun belt. This migration has created an opportunity for high rent demands in the company’s target markets. The company will target locations with favorable landlord/tenant law, reliable future water supplies and low risk of natural disasters, stable employers, and a growing population. The company anticipates purchasing 100+ units in each new MSA it enters in order to closely manage the properties and gain economies of scale with property managers, contractors, and maintenance staff. (Initially spread across multiple buildings.) The company has prided itself on significant growth with limited leverage unlike other real estate firms. The company has increased its appraised property valuation of $7.5 million in 2012 to over $21 million currently This is a great opportunity to purchase an established, very profitable, multifamily company with 19 properties, 208 units and virtually no debt, over $1.3 million in profit and cash flow. You can also recover a large portion of the down payment with subsequent financing of the properties (appraised at $21 million and only $4.6 million in debt, at low interest rates, which is assignable) with low interest Fannie and Freddie financing due to the low leverage of the company.

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Ventura County is holding stong is most cities. Piru and Fillmore are more buyers markets and Camarillo and Thousand Oaks have only slighly slower seller market Nation wide here are the trends: ➡️ Price Signals: The median price of new contracts is $399,000, unchanged from last week and about 2% above last year. However, a key leading indicator-the median asking price per square foot-is now nearly 1% below last year. This is the first leading indicator to consistently print below 2024, suggesting weaker future sales prices ➡️ Inventory: The seasonal decline has begun. Available inventory of single-family homes fell 1.25% in the final week of October to 857,000. While this is 16% more homes than a year ago, the major 30% year-over-year growth is behind us ➡️ New Listings: We are not seeing a rush of sellers. The pace of new listings is averaging 61,000 per week, which is below the pre-pandemic "normal" for October. Potential sellers holding back is keeping a cap on supply growth. ➡️ Sales are slightly positive: The market averaged about 2-3% more home sales contracts in October than last year. Year-to-date, the cumulative number of sales contracts is now 0.5% ahead of 2024. The takeaway is that even as sales volumes have finally inched ahead of last year, home prices are softening. We could see more negative price headlines by the end of the year

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Seattle’s apartment market continues to separate itself from many of the major metros that saw heavy supply pressure over the last few years. According to Zumper’s latest National Rent Report, Seattle ranked as the 16th most expensive rental market in the country, with: 𝟏-𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝟑.𝟕% 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 $𝟏,𝟗𝟕𝟎 𝟐-𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝟕.𝟒% 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 $𝟐,𝟗𝟎𝟎 What stands out most is where the momentum is coming from. Nationally, rent growth is beginning to accelerate again as new apartment deliveries slow and excess inventory gets absorbed. Coastal markets with long-term housing constraints are leading the recovery — and Seattle is firmly in that group. The fundamentals here remain strong: ✦  Durable job growth tied to tech, healthcare, and innovation ✦  High barriers to new development ✦  Continued renter demand across urban neighborhoods ✦ Limited long-term housing supply After several years of capital market volatility and pricing resets, the market is starting to feel more balanced again. Buyers are becoming more active, owners are gaining confidence, and well-positioned assets are continuing to outperform. Seattle still offers one of the more compelling long-term multifamily investment stories in the country, particularly for investors focused on supply-constrained markets with strong economic fundamentals. The markets with staying power are beginning to pull ahead again — and Seattle continues to be one of them. 👉 Full report from Crystal Chen and Quentin Proctor here: https://lnkd.in/gWwZjiHD #apartmentmarkettrends #multifamilyinvesting #zumper #rentgrowth  

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Alexander & Baldwin (A&B), a Hawaiʻi-based owner, operator and developer of high-quality commercial real estate in Hawaiʻi, said Friday that a joint venture formed by an affiliate of MW Group ltd and funds affiliated with Blackstone Real Estate and DivcoWest has completed its all-cash acquisition of the company for approximately $2.3 billion, including the assumption of outstanding debt. A&B shareholders approved the privatization at a meeting earlier in the week. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ezfp6bTw Lance Parker #cre #retail

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The Bay Area Is Entering a Strategy Market. Most people want to know one thing: “Is the market hot or cold right now?” But that’s the wrong question. In both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, inventory is rising and pending sales are also increasing. That means more sellers are entering the market, and buyers are quietly returning. But here’s where it gets interesting. Single-family home prices in Santa Clara are slightly down year over year. In San Mateo, they’re up about 4–5%. Condos and townhomes are softer across the board. So this isn’t a boom. And it’s not a crash either. It’s something more subtle—and more dangerous for people without a plan. It’s a strategy market. In markets like this: • The right property performs well • The average property sits • The wrong pricing gets ignored • And emotional decisions get expensive This is the type of market where outcomes are no longer determined by momentum. They’re determined by the quality of your decisions. The question isn’t: “Is now a good time?” The real question is: “Is my strategy aligned with where the market is going?” — Ann Strategic Asset & Real Estate Advisor www.AnnThai.com DRE01361179 #BayAreaRealEstate #WealthStrategy #StrategicDecisions #RealEstateAdvisor #SantaClaraCounty #SanMateoCounty

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Q1 was all about net absorption being meaningfully positive in Southern California Industrial markets. Q2 still saw a lot of new leasing, but an increase in move outs, leading us back into negative net absorption. And a sizeable negative net absorption amount spread out across the Los Angeles, Orange County and Inland Empire submarkets. Real estate cycles are not linear. And who better to help us breakdown the market than Jesse Gundersheim who covers So Cal Industrial for CoStar Group. Jesse and his team of analyst's watch the market like a hawk tracking leasing volume, availability rates, vacancy by size range by submarket, correlations between logistics absorption and population grown, median months on market, asking rates, retail sales, sales pricing, net absorption and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We go into the demand and supply fundamentals in this weeks podcast chalk full of insights to help you make better decisions. Grant La Bounty Chris Vassilian Alan Dao Luke Marthens

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California just made it easier for operators and commercial real estate owners to build, expand, and open restaurants. - Outdoor dining flexibility extended to 2029 - Fast-track permitting — 20 days or automatic approval - Architects and engineers can self-certify improvement plans If you’re a restaurant owner, commercial real estate operator, or developer, this changes everything. Read my breakdown of AB 592 and AB 671, and see how to turn these reforms into opportunity. https://lnkd.in/gPkEig7d

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Orange County office quietly turned a corner in 2025. Not a recovery. Not a comeback story. But something more important: stabilization. Vacancy is easing. Leasing activity is picking up in specific submarkets. Sales are happening again but only when pricing and quality align. This market is separating fast: Assets with the right location and fundamentals are finding traction. Everything else is being left behind. I break down what actually changed this year, where demand is showing up, and why 2026 will reward discipline more than optimism. If you’re an owner, tenant, or investor trying to make sense of where OC office really stands right now, this update will save you time and probably a few bad assumptions. Watch the full breakdown.

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📊 The Bay Area housing market is moving at almost the exact same pace as it was a year ago. Overall Expected Market Time held steady at 67 days this March. Some price points saw small improvements, including homes under $750K dropping from 76 to 72 days and $6M+ properties improving from 109 to 93 days. Overall, market timing looks very similar to what we saw in early 2025. #BayAreaRealEstate #ExpectedMarketTime #HousingMarket2026 #RealEstateTrends

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📈 San Diego Housing Trends | Jan–Jun 2025 Supply has steadily grown this year, with active listings rising from 3,918 in January to 6,330 in June — a 61% increase. Demand, measured by 30-day pending sales, peaked in March at 1,946, but has since dipped to 1,797 in June. More homes are hitting the market, but fewer buyers are making moves as summer begins. #SanDiegoHomes #RealEstateUpdate #MarketTrends #SupplyVsDemand #SanDiegoHousing

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📊 Southern California Housing Market Update - September 19, 2025 🏡 📅 108 Days Expected Market Time (±0 WoW) 🏠 39,320 Active Listings (-1% WoW) 📈 10,936 Demand (±0% WoW) Southern California saw a mixed week. Mortgage rates dipped below 6.5%, yet demand held flat. Inventory declined, but the Expected Market Time stayed unchanged. This lines up with a typical Autumn Market where both supply and demand ease, but market speed remains steady. Still, with rates steering the market, conditions can shift quickly. #HousingMarket #RealEstate #SouthernCalifornia #MarketUpdate #HousingTrends

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Buyer Demand Ends the Year Uneven 🎆📊 December activity reflected an uneven close to the year across Southern California. Some markets saw demand soften compared to last December, while others posted modest gains or held steady, reflecting varied local market conditions. 📌 Note: Demand is measured by the number of pending sales in the last 30 days. #SoCalRealEstate #HousingMarketUpdate #BuyerDemand #RealEstateTrends

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