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Housing Supply Overview U.S. new-home sales unexpectedly surged 20.5% month-over-month and 15.4% year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 units, the highest level since January 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales would decline to 650,000 units. There were 490,000 new homes for sale… Read more »

Hello REALTORS®, We often use building permit data to help advocate for Realtor interests with local government.  It pays to keep accurate data.  And it also can be a great resource for you. I gather building permit data from the US Census Bureau, which is reported to them by our local governments.  I think you… Read more »

Written By Meagan Zeman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Western Upstate Association of REALTORS® Partners with Voiceflip to Launch AI Assistant Ardi for South Carolina Real Estate Professionals Anderson, SC – [October 2, 2025] – The Western Upstate Association of REALTORS® (WUAR) is proud to announce a new partnership with Voiceflip to launch Ardi, an AI-powered virtual assistant… Read more »

Hello REALTORS®, The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, October 1.  Shutdowns have happened 14 times since 1980, but most of the shutdowns were in the 1980s, and most of them only lasted a few days.  However, the last shutdown, in 2018, lasted 34 days.  When the Federal government shuts down, Realtors and… Read more »

After careful review, Western Upstate MLS will not be making any system changes to comply with NAR’s DMEL policy. We’ll continue using tools already available in our system that meet the same goals without creating extra confusion, while at the same time remaining compliant with the policy. We want you to clearly understand why this… Read more »

Hello REALTORS®, Political commentators often use the term “August Break” when talking about Washington, DC.  NAR’s Chief Advocacy Officer, Shannan McGahn says there is no such thing.  As I was reviewing NAR’s blizzard of reports to Government Affairs Directors, I got a new appreciation of that point of view.  Below are several reports on what… Read more »

Housing Supply Overview U.S. sales of new single-family homes declined 0.6% month-over-month and 8.2% year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 652,000 units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median sales price of a new home fell 5.9% from a year earlier to $403,800. Meanwhile, housing inventory increased 7.3% year-over-year to 499,000 units,… Read more »

Hello REALTORS®, From time-to-time, I report on government budgets and taxes, especially during the government budget season.  One of my reports in June highlighted the 23% increase in property tax revenues in Pickens County’s 2026 budget.  Some members asked me if I thought that was a tax increase. If your taxes increase—and most will—then it’s… Read more »