Black Label Newsroom
News & Insights
The stories moving real estate nationally and across San Diego and Chicago, with our take on what they mean for buyers and sellers.
National
Compass Wants to Wall Off Listing Data. Here Is What Sellers in San Diego and Chicago Should Know
Compass asked MLSs to cut listing feeds to recruiting tools. The fight is about agents, but it raises a fair question for sellers: who uses your listing data?
Celebrity
Angelina Jolie Sells Her Cecil B. DeMille Estate: Why Provenance Still Moves Luxury Homes
Jolie's $24.75 million Los Angeles sale shows how a home's story, handled well, can support a top-tier price in Southern California.
Chicagoland
Peak Season Is Over. Why Fall Can Favor Serious Buyers and Prepared Sellers in Chicagoland
Brokers are telling buyers to act now as peak demand fades. Here is how Chicago and San Diego clients should read the fall market.
Southern California
California Layoffs Are Easing. Here Is Why That Matters for San Diego Housing
Fewer California layoffs could turn cautious house hunters into active buyers. Here is what that means for buyers and sellers in San Diego this fall.
Celebrity
Diana Jenkins Lists Her $23 Million Hidden Hills Compound, and What It Tells Luxury Sellers
A former Bravo star's $23 million Hidden Hills listing is a useful read on how relocation sales and pricing work at the top of the market.
Chicagoland
Chicago Held Steady While Boom Markets Cooled. Here Is What That Means for Buyers and Sellers
ResiClub says Chicago played out as a lower-risk market this cycle. Here is what that steadiness means for Chicagoland buyers, sellers, and San Diego too.
National
Every Market Sold Below Asking: What Builder Discounts Mean for Buyers in San Diego and Chicago
New homes sold under list in all 25 markets studied. Here is how buyers should use builder incentives, and why resale sellers should pay attention.
National
Michael Burry Sues to Stop a Subdivision in a Wildfire Zone. What It Means for San Diego Buyers Near Fire Country
A lawsuit over new homes in a wildfire zone shows why San Diego buyers should vet evacuation routes, insurance and nearby land before they buy.
National
New-Home Sales Jumped in August as Builder Inventory Shrank. What a Leaner Pipeline Means in San Diego and Chicago
August new-home sales jumped as builder inventory fell to its lowest since December. Here is what a leaner pipeline means in San Diego and Chicago.
National
Your Home Insurance May Cover Less Than You Think. What San Diego and Chicago Owners Should Check Before a Claim
Realtor.com flags costly gaps in home insurance fine print. Here is where San Diego and Chicago owners should look first.
National
A Fed Governor Flags Housing Affordability at a 21-Year Low. What It Means for Buyers and Sellers in San Diego and Chicago
A Fed governor is warning about the gap between paychecks and housing costs. Here is how to plan around it in San Diego and Chicago.
National
House Hunters Are Leaving L.A. for Las Vegas and Florida. What Migration Trends Mean for San Diego and Chicago
Redfin says Las Vegas, Florida and Sacramento draw the most relocating buyers while L.A. loses them fastest. Here is what that means locally.
Southern California
Costa Mesa Approves Housing on a Former State Hospital Site. What Surplus Public Land Could Mean for San Diego Buyers
Costa Mesa cleared a major housing project on an old state hospital campus. Here is why reused public land matters to buyers and owners in San Diego.
National
Home Prices Are Barely Moving Nationally. Why Local Supply Now Decides What You Pay in San Diego and Chicago
Redfin says U.S. home prices rose just 0.25% in August. The national number hides a split that matters more for San Diego and Chicago.
National
Nearly Half of Buyers Are Getting Seller Concessions. How to Use Them Wisely in San Diego and Chicago
Redfin reports nearly half of buyers now get seller concessions. Here is how buyers and sellers in San Diego and Chicago should think about terms, not just price.
Chicagoland
Julep West Loop Breaks Ground: What 380 New Units and a Grocery Anchor Mean for West Loop Owners and Buyers
A 380-unit mixed-use project with an international grocery is coming to the West Loop. Here is how new supply and new retail shape nearby values.
National
Pending Sales Hit a Three-Year Low. Why Buyers in San Diego and Chicago Have More Room to Negotiate
Redfin reports pending home sales at their lowest in nearly three years. Here is what the slowdown means for buyers and sellers in our two markets.
National
The Fed Raised Rates for the First Time in Three Years. Why Mortgage Rates Barely Moved
The Fed's first hike in three years was largely priced into mortgages. Here is what it means for buyers and sellers in San Diego and Chicago.
Chicagoland
A Federal Court Declines to Block MRED at Zillow's Request. What It Means for Chicagoland Buyers and Sellers
A judge denied Zillow's bid for a preliminary injunction against MRED. Here is what that means for how Chicago homes reach buyers.
National
Realtor.com, Zillow and Builders Push to Let America Build. What More Supply Would Mean in San Diego and Chicago
Portals and builders are pressing officials to speed up homebuilding. Here is how faster approvals could play out in San Diego and Chicagoland.
Southern California
Broadcom Buys Its Irvine Campus for $325 Million. Why Employers That Stay Put Matter to Home Values in San Diego and Chicago
Broadcom bought its 660,000-square-foot Irvine campus. Here is why employers who own their space matter to home values in San Diego and Chicago.
National
Hispanic Families Are Driving Homeownership Growth. What That Means for San Diego and Chicago
New NAHREP data shows Hispanic households are fueling U.S. homeownership gains, and a new generation of buyers in San Diego and Chicago comes with it.
Southern California
A Malibu Sand Dispute Ends in a Beach Donation. What Oceanfront Buyers in San Diego Should Check First
A Broad Beach settlement in Malibu is a reminder that oceanfront value depends on knowing exactly what you own, and what the public does.
National
Tariffs Are Raising the Cost of Finishing a Home. What New Fed Research Means for Buyers and Sellers in San Diego and Chicago
Fed research finds tariffs hit appliances, furniture and building materials hardest. Here is how that changes the math on turnkey homes versus fixers.
Southern California
Renting in L.A. Now Costs $2,000 Less a Month Than Buying. What That Math Misses for San Diego and Chicago Buyers
Buying in L.A. now runs over $2,000 a month more than renting. Here is how our team reads the rent-versus-buy math in San Diego and Chicago.
Southern California
A $2 Billion Senior High-Rise Is Coming to Warner Center. Why Housing for Older Owners Matters in San Diego and Chicago
L.A. is planning upward for an aging population. Here is why senior housing affects which family homes reach the market in San Diego and Chicago.
Southern California
Sunset Square's Historic Zoning Fight Is a Warning for Buyers of Older Homes in San Diego and Chicago
An L.A. neighborhood is split over its historic overlay rules. Here is what designation means for buyers and sellers in San Diego and Chicago.
Southern California
Downtown L.A.'s Graffiti Towers Find a Buyer. What Stalled Projects Teach Condo Buyers in San Diego and Chicago
A $517 million sale clears the way for Oceanwide Plaza's cleanup. The lesson for pre-construction condo buyers is all about developer risk.
Southern California
Palisades Village Sets Its Reopening Date. Why a Recovering Main Street Matters to Home Values
Rick Caruso's fire-damaged Palisades Village is reopening. Here is what commercial recovery signals for buyers and sellers in San Diego and Chicago.
Southern California
SB 79 Brings Density to Transit Corridors. What California's Upzoning Law Means for San Diego Homeowners
California's SB 79 opens neighborhoods near transit to denser housing. Here is how San Diego buyers and sellers should read the new rules.
Southern California
Downtown L.A.'s World Trade Center Is Becoming Apartments. What Office Conversions Mean for San Diego and Chicago
L.A. is turning an aging office tower into 512 apartments. Why office-to-residential conversions matter for downtown buyers in San Diego and Chicago.