As the 2026 rental season approaches, demand is already building — and it's happening earlier than usual.

In this episode of Real Estate News for Investors, Kathy Fettke breaks down new data from RentCafe showing which U.S. cities are seeing the biggest surge in renter activity. From Cincinnati taking the top spot to strong momentum in Atlanta, Minneapolis, and several Midwest markets, this early engagement offers clues about where competition — and opportunity — may heat up next.

You'll hear which regions are leading the country, why the Midwest and South are gaining strength, and what rising search and "saved listing" activity could signal for rental property investors.

🏡 📈 If you want to learn more about investing in turn key rental properties, just visit www.Realwealth.com/Deals to learn more.

Source: https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/cities-to-watch-this-year/?utm_source=bestever.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=top-trending-cities-ahead-of-the-2026-rental-season&_bhlid=e93bd569b530ada0ba5b0f1bc1a9c5e00ebbc9fb

Mortgage rates have officially dropped below 6% for the first time in more than three years. The average 30-year fixed rate is now 5.98%, according to Freddie Mac — a key psychological and financial shift for the housing market.

In this episode, Kathy breaks down what lower rates mean for buying power, inventory levels, and home prices. Zillow reports that the median-income household has gained more than $30,000 in purchasing power compared to last year, putting over 80,000 additional homes within reach. But with prices still up roughly 50% since 2020 and rising for the 31st straight month, affordability remains a challenge.

Will sub-6% rates bring buyers back into the market? Could it loosen the lock-in effect and increase listings? And what does this mean for real estate investors in 2026?

We'll explain what's changing — and what isn't.

🏡 📈 If you want to learn more about working with an investor friendly lender visit www.Realwealth.com/Lender to learn more.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/economy/mortgage-rate-falls-below-six-percent

The White House is proposing a new housing policy that could limit how many single-family homes some investors can own.

Under the proposal, investors who own more than 100 single-family rental properties could be restricted from buying additional homes. That's a much lower threshold than many in the industry expected.

In this episode, Kathy breaks down what the 100-home cutoff means, how many investors it actually affects, and where those properties are concentrated. She also looks at the data on what these mid-sized operators are buying — including workforce housing — and how much of the overall housing stock they control.

🏘️ Want to learn more? Visit www.NewsforInvestors.com

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-state-of-the-union-institutional-investor-ban-housing-affordability/