America's Top 10 Real Estate News: Recent US Real Estate & Home News

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A look at some of the most interesting recent real estate news stories in the United States. America's Top 10 Real Estate News is featured at TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.

America's Top 10 Real Estate News

First-Time Home Buyers Emerge In February

First-time US home buyers represented 34% of existing-home purchases in February, which is the highest share since April 2025. Overall sales were up 8.2% in the western US states and were down by 6% in the northeastern states.

Forget LA, Miami and New York City

Forget LA and Miami and New York City. The fastest-growing major metro areas in the US are Indianapolis and Columbus. And Cleveland is hot, too— making the Midwest home to three of the top five US population growth markets.

World's Most Livable Cities

In a ranking of the world's most livable cities, Zurich was ranked #1, followed by Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Munich. Rankings were based on low unemployment, safety and high disposable income. The highest-ranking US cities were Seattle at #8 and Boston at #10.

Boomers, Millennials, Gen X & Gen Z – Who Had the Best Housing Market?

What US generation had the best housing market? Even without factoring in home price inflation, Baby Boomers still had much lower home prices than Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z. They also benefited from low interest rates, as low as 3%, but they also paid some of the highest interest rates, hitting as high as 16% in 1981.

Americans' Favorite Cities

Americans like to visit historic cities that are walkable with good food, art and culture. Readers of Travel + Leisure have selected Santa Fe, New Mexico as their favorite city to visit, breaking a 12-year streak of Charleston, South Carolina as the top pick. For 2026, the top four cities are Santa Fe, New Orleans, Charleston, and Savannah, Georgia.

America's Top 10 Most Expensive Homes

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg's recent purchase of a $170 million mansion on Miami's Indian Creek Island was the second most expensive home sale in Florida history and one of the top ten sales in US history. The most expensive US sale was Ken Griffin's $240 million New York penthouse purchase in 2019, followed by a $225 million compound in Naples, Florida. In fourth place is a Malibu mansion that sold for $210 million, followed by Beyoncé and Jay-Z's $190 million Malibu home in 2023.

US Property Tax Rates By States

Property taxes in the United States vary significantly, with high rates in some states, while other states have much lower property taxes. New Jersey has the highest property tax rates, with an average annual rate of over $9,000. Hawaii has the lowest rates, with a median-valued home paying $2,239 per year. The average US household pays $3,119 in annual real estate taxes.

Move Over LA & NYC - $110 Million Miami Home

Move over, New York & Los Angeles! The prices of some of the best homes in Miami have blown way past the $100 million mark with Ken Griffin's 2022 $107 million purchase in the city's Coconut Grove neighborhood and Mark Zuckerberg's 2026 purchase of a $170 million mansion on Miami's Indian Creek Island. Now, a Miami home next door to Griffin's home on Biscayne Bay has been listed for $110 million.

US Housing Prices Still Going Up

US home prices continue to go up in most of the US. Over 70% of the 230 metro markets tracked by the National Association of Realtors had higher prices than in 2024. About 5% had double-digit price increases.

Florida Hopes For More Home Sales

Florida condo sales and home sales slowed in 2025 with high prices and mortgage rates. But continuing domestic in-migration to Florida, lower interest rates, and more international buyers point to more sales in 2026.

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SOURCE Top Ten Real Estate Deals