Consumer News: Something interesting is going on in the U.S. housing market

The years ahead may be marked by slower sales, for a number of reasons

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Household growth has slowed sharply as economic uncertainty, weak labor markets, and reduced immigration dampen housing demand.

• Housing affordability continues to worsen, with nearly half of renters burdened by housing costs and homeowners facing steep increases in taxes and insurance.

• Researchers say federal housing assistance remains far short of need, while states and local governments struggle to fill the gap.

For more than a decade, the housing market has been marked by a housing shortage that has increased home prices and created affordability challenges for buyers. But a new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies suggests a shift may be occurring that helps neither buyers nor sellers.

Persistent affordability challenges, economic uncertainty, and weakening demographic trends are putting increasing pressure on the U.S. housing market, the report found.

The center's annual State of the Nation's Housing 2026 report paints a picture of a housing sector facing multiple headwinds, including slower household formation, declining mobility, softening construction activity, and growing financial strain on both renters and homeowners.

Household growth has slowed

Household growth, one of the key drivers of housing demand, slowed for the third consecutive year in 2025, falling to 1.1 million households from an average of two million annually in 2021.

Researchers say many younger Americans are delaying the transition to independent living because of financial pressures.

"Many young adults simply cannot afford to form their own households and are instead doubling up or living with family," said Daniel McCue, senior research associate at the Joint Center for Housing Studies. "For others, deep uncertainty about their financial futures and about the broader economy are causing them to delay major life decisions."

The report also found Americans are moving less frequently than ever. The residential mobility rate fell to a record low 11.2% in 2024, largely because homeowners remain reluctant to give up low mortgage rates secured in recent years. Interstate migration has slowed as well, reducing population growth in traditionally fast-growing states such as Texas and Florida.

At the same time, sharply reduced immigration is expected to further weaken housing demand. Net international migration was cut in half during 2025 and is projected to decline another 75% in 2026.

Construction slows, while affordable housing remains scarce

Housing construction softened in 2025 as high borrowing costs and elevated home prices weighed on demand.

Single-family housing starts fell 7% as builders faced growing inventories of unsold homes and responded by cutting prices, subsidizing mortgage rates, and offering smaller, less expensive homes. Multifamily construction remained above historical norms but continued to decline from recent highs.

Despite rising vacancy rates in some markets, researchers say the nation's affordable housing shortage remains severe. According to the report, 11 million extremely low-income renter households are competing for just 3.8 million affordable and available rental units.

"The existing stock of low-rent housing is shrinking rapidly, and private markets are incapable of producing enough deeply affordable units," said Alexander Hermann, senior research associate at the center.

The number of rental units with inflation-adjusted rents below $1,000 per month declined by more than seven million between 2014 and 2024, the report found.

Housing costs continue to climb

Housing affordability remains a challenge even as rent growth has cooled in many metropolitan areas.

The report found that 22.7 million renter households, or 49% of all renters, spent more than 30% of their income on housing in 2024. More than 12 million renters devoted over half their income to housing costs, a level considered a severe cost burden.

Homeowners are also facing mounting expenses. While mortgage rates remain elevated, researchers note that non-mortgage housing costs have surged. Property taxes increased 31% between 2019 and 2025, while average monthly homeowners insurance premiums jumped 72%, driven in part by increasingly costly weather-related disasters.

Meanwhile, homeownership remains out of reach for many households. National home prices have risen 54% since 2020, and the median existing single-family home now sells for nearly five times the median household income.

Existing home sales remain stuck at roughly 4.1 million annually, the lowest level in three decades, and the national homeownership rate has declined for two consecutive years.

Federal support falls short

The report concludes that federal housing assistance programs remain inadequate relative to growing need.

Although recent changes to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit are expected to help finance additional affordable housing units, researchers say funding for housing vouchers and public housing programs continue to lag demand.

As a result, states and local governments are increasingly pursuing their own housing initiatives, including zoning reforms, housing trust funds, state tax credits, and experimental social housing programs.

"Across the country, we see governors, mayors, and local leaders stepping up with creative solutions to expand supply and support vulnerable households," said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies.

But Herbert warned that local efforts alone are unlikely to solve the problem.

"Only the federal government has the scale and staying power necessary to close the gap between what our housing system produces and what our lowest-income households can afford," he said.

They can, but it depends on how many subscriptions you have

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Experian is part of a growing field of subscription-management services that promise to help consumers identify and cancel unwanted recurring charges.

• Competitors, including Rocket Money, Hiatus, and Trim, offer similar tools, often pairing subscription cancellation with bill-negotiation services.

• Experts say the biggest savings may come from negotiating monthly bills rather than simply canceling forgotten subscriptions.

Its easy to sign up for a subscription and then not use it very much. After a while, those monthly fees start to add up.

To help consumers weed out and eliminate these forgotten subscriptions, a growing number of companies are offering tools designed to help consumers find and cancel recurring charges. Experian is one of the latest major financial services companies to enter the market, adding subscription-management features to its suite of consumer financial products.

The premise is simple: connect a bank account or credit card, identify recurring charges, and make it easier to cancel services consumers no longer want. For households juggling multiple streaming services, software subscriptions, fitness memberships, and other recurring expenses, the appeal is obvious.

But while these tools can save consumers money, experts say the value often depends on what consumers are already paying for and whether they need help managing those expenses.

A crowded marketplace

Experian faces competition from a number of established players in the subscription-management space.

Rocket Money, one of the best-known services, offers subscription tracking, cancellation assistance, budgeting tools and bill negotiation. Hiatus and Trim provide similar services, helping consumers identify recurring charges and negotiate lower rates on services such as internet, cable, and mobile-phone plans.

Other apps, including PocketGuard, focus more heavily on budgeting while still offering subscription-monitoring features. Manual tracking apps such as Bobby and Subby help consumers keep tabs on recurring payments without requiring access to financial accounts.

Where the savings come from

The biggest misconception about subscription-cancellation services may be that they somehow create savings on their own.

In reality, these platforms primarily help consumers stop paying for services they no longer use. The savings occur because recurring charges disappear once subscriptions are canceled.

Some financial advisors suggest the larger financial benefit often comes from bill-negotiation services that many of these platforms also provide. Negotiating a lower internet, cable, or wireless bill can generate hundreds of dollars in annual savings, sometimes exceeding the value of canceled subscriptions.

However, results vary. Some consumers may save significant amounts, while others may find few opportunities to reduce expenses.

Convenience versus necessity

Whether these services are worth paying for often comes down to convenience.

Consumers who carefully monitor their monthly statements and already know what subscriptions they have may find little value in paying for a management service. Most subscriptions can be canceled directly through the provider at no cost.

On the other hand, consumers with numerous recurring charges may appreciate having all subscriptions displayed in one place, along with tools that simplify cancellation and identify forgotten services.

For many users, the real benefit is less about discovering hidden savings and more about reducing the effort required to manage an increasingly complex subscription economy.

Subscription-cancellation apps can help consumers save money, but they are not magic. Their effectiveness depends largely on how many subscriptions a consumer has, how closely those expenses are already monitored, and whether bill-negotiation features uncover additional savings.

Its part of Americas 250th birthday celebration

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• McDonalds will bring back its iconic fried apple pie for a limited time beginning June 23.

• The return marks the first widespread U.S. release of the dessert in more than three decades.

• The company says the promotion is part of its celebration of Americas 250th birthday next month.

Americas upcoming 250th anniversary celebration is a time for nostalgia, and McDonalds is turning back the clock. In celebration of the event, McDonalds has announced the return of its original fried apple pie to most U.S. restaurants for a limited time beginning June 23.

The revival marks the first nationwide return of the fan-favorite dessert in more than 30 years.

McDonalds replaced the fried version with a baked apple pie in 1992 as the fast-food industry responded to growing consumer concerns about nutrition and fat content. Since then, the original fried pie has developed a near-mythical status among longtime customers who have spent decades calling for its comeback.

Tied to the celebration

The company said the promotion is tied to the nations semiquincentennial celebration, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. McDonalds described the fried apple pie as a classic piece of Americana and a fitting way to commemorate the milestone.

Originally introduced in 1968 alongside the Big Mac, the fried apple pie was developed from a recipe created by Tennessee McDonalds franchisee Litton Cochran and his wife, Jo. The hand-held dessert featured a crispy fried crust wrapped around a warm apple filling and quickly became one of the chains signature menu items.

The returning pie will feature the same fried preparation that many customers remember, with McDonalds highlighting its use of American-grown apples. The item will be available while supplies last, and the company has not indicated whether the return could become permanent.

Going viral on social media

The announcement has already generated excitement on social media, where fans have celebrated the comeback and urged McDonalds to keep the dessert on menus beyond the anniversary promotion.

To further promote the return, McDonalds plans to unveil a 35-foot-tall fried apple pie installation near Chicago, adding another nostalgic element to its 250th birthday festivities.

The fried apple pies return is the latest example of fast-food chains tapping into nostalgia, as they seek to attract customers with familiar menu favorites. Most recently, some Pizza Hut franchises reverted to 1990s styling and menus.

These jobs reward experience with bigger raises over time

• Big raises often come later: Careers like pilots, financial advisors, architects, and market research analysts see some of the strongest salary growth over time.

• Experience boosts earnings: Workers who build specialized skills and expertise often see larger raises as their careers progress.

• Look beyond starting pay: Research what professionals earn 10 years into a career, not just what they make on day one.

When people evaluate a career, they often focus solely on the starting salary. But it turns out that can be a costly mistake.

A new study from Wave Connect suggests that long-term earning potential may matter far more than what a job pays during the first few years. Researchers analyzed nearly 300 occupations to determine which careers reward workers most as they gain experience, comparing salaries early in a career to earnings later in life.

The results show that some professions offer dramatically larger pay increases than others, making them especially attractive for workers focused on building long-term wealth.

The jobs where salaries grow the fastest

According to the study, these careers deliver the biggest salary increases over time:

1. Pilots

2. Financial advisors

3. Architects

4. Market research analysts

5. Telecom equipment installers

6. Financial risk analysts

7. Financial sales agents

8. Chemists

9. Producers and directors

10. Public relations specialists

Pilots topped the list, with salaries growing roughly 4% annually throughout a career. Top airline pilots can eventually earn more than $460,000 per year.

Not surprisingly, financial advisors ranked second since they benefit from the ability to build larger client bases and manage more assets over time. Architects, market research analysts, and financial risk analysts also posted strong long-term earnings growth.

Interestingly, the one career that stands out is telecom equipment installers. Its a career that doesnt typically require a four-year college degree, showing that workers don't always need a bachelor's degree to achieve substantial income growth over time.

Why experience still pays

The careers on the list all have one thing in common: workers become more valuable as they gain experience.

Whether it's advising clients, analyzing markets, designing buildings, or managing public relations campaigns, years of experience help workers develop expertise that employers are willing to pay for.

Many of these jobs also rely heavily on judgment, communication, and relationship-building skills, qualities that remain difficult to automate even as artificial intelligence becomes more common in the workplace.

Smart tips to maximize your earning potential

Look beyond the starting salary

A job that starts at $55,000 but offers strong raises, promotions, and advancement opportunities can ultimately be worth much more than a position that starts at $75,000 but has limited growth potential.

Before choosing a career, research not only what beginners earn, but also what experienced professionals make. The difference can be substantial.

Research earnings 10 years down the road

Many workers focus on entry-level salaries while overlooking long-term earning potential. Spend time researching what professionals earn after a decade or more in the field.

Government data, industry reports, and salary websites can provide a clearer picture of where a career may take you financially. A profession with steady salary growth often produces far greater lifetime earnings than one with a higher starting wage.

Invest in specialized skills

Workers who develop expertise that few others possess often command higher salaries. This makes things like certifications, advanced training, technical knowledge, and leadership experience very important, as they all make you more valuable to employers.

The more specialized your skills become, the harder you are to replace, which can lead to larger raises and better job opportunities.

Prioritize careers with both growth and demand

Strong salary growth means little if jobs are disappearing. When evaluating career options, look at projected hiring trends alongside pay data.

Fields that are expected to add workers over the next decade may provide more opportunities for advancement, promotions, and negotiating power when it comes to compensation.

Keep learning throughout your career

The highest-paid professionals rarely stop developing their skills. Technology, regulations, and industry best practices are constantly evolving.

Taking courses, earning certifications, attending conferences, and staying current on industry trends can help position you for promotions and new opportunities. In many cases, the willingness to keep learning becomes a competitive advantage that pays dividends for decades.

Research finds late sleepers report more anxiety too

• A new study found that people who prefer later sleep schedules reported higher levels of loneliness and anxiety.

• Researchers surveyed 442 adults and examined how sleep timing, loneliness, and mental health are connected.

• Feelings of loneliness at night appeared to play an important role in the relationship between later sleep schedules and anxiety.

Whether you're naturally a night owl or simply prefer staying up later, your sleep schedule may be connected to more than just when you feel tired.

New research presented at the SLEEP 2026 annual meeting found that people with an "evening chronotype" those who naturally prefer to go to bed and wake up later reported poorer mental health, higher levels of loneliness, and greater anxiety.

Researchers were particularly interested in a type of loneliness that occurs during nighttime hours, known as nocturnal loneliness. Previous research has suggested that people who stay up later may experience a mismatch between their preferred schedules and the schedules followed by much of society. This can sometimes leave late sleepers feeling more isolated, especially during nighttime hours when fewer people are awake and available for social interaction.

The study explored whether those feelings of loneliness could help explain why later sleep schedules are often linked to mental health challenges.

People with later sleep patterns reported poorer mental health in part because they also experienced greater loneliness, including feelings of loneliness at night, and increased levels of anxiety, lead author Alec Harlow said in a news release.

The findings suggest that both daytime and nighttime social experiences appear to be relevant when examining mental health among evening chronotypes.

How the study was conducted

The research team recruited 442 participants through the online platform Prolific and asked them to complete a series of surveys. The questionnaires measured several factors, including chronotype, or a person's natural preference for sleep and wake times.

Participants also completed established assessments that measured general loneliness, nocturnal loneliness, anxiety, and overall self-rated mental health. Researchers then used statistical models to examine how these factors were related and whether loneliness helped explain the connection between sleep timing and mental health outcomes.

Specifically, the team analyzed whether general loneliness and nighttime loneliness acted as mediators, meaning they could help account for the relationship between chronotype and mental health. The researchers used mediation analyses and structural equation modeling to evaluate those connections.

What the results mean for consumers

The findings showed that participants with later sleep schedules reported significantly higher levels of anxiety. The analysis also revealed that nocturnal loneliness appeared to be a key factor in that relationship.

People who preferred later sleep schedules also tended to experience greater loneliness at night, which in turn was associated with higher anxiety levels.

Researchers found that once nocturnal loneliness was taken into account, the direct link between chronotype and anxiety was no longer significant. This suggests that nighttime loneliness may be an important pathway connecting later sleep schedules and anxiety.

For consumers, the study highlights that social experiences not just sleep habits themselves may be relevant when considering mental well-being. The researchers noted that addressing feelings of loneliness, particularly during nighttime hours, could be a potential area of focus for clinicians and researchers working with people who naturally keep later schedules.

While the study does not prove that staying up late causes anxiety, it offers new insight into how sleep timing, social connection, and mental health may interact.

Evaluating and addressing loneliness, including the challenges that arise at night, such as anxiety, may represent a meaningful intervention target for therapists, clinicians, and researchers to improve the well-being of people with later chronotypes, Harlow said.