The second home market was down 3% in July

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Sales of homes in vacation-driven towns fell 3% in July, compared with a 1% dip in non-seasonal markets.

• Inventory in seasonal towns surged 17% year over year as demand for second homes cooled.

• Prices in vacation destinations have flattened, with the median sale price holding steady at $583,000.

If youve ever thought about buying a vacation home or living in a resort town, this might be a good time to go shopping.

Sales of homes in U.S. vacation hotspots are cooling faster than in other parts of the country, according to a new report from Redfin. The number of homes sold in seasonal towns, those where at least 30% of housing is used only seasonally or occasionally, fell 3% in July compared with a year earlier. Thats triple the 1% decline recorded in non-seasonal towns.

The slowdown has been underway for months: home sales in seasonal markets have posted year-over-year declines since February. Roughly 9% of all U.S. home sales take place in these vacation-driven towns.

Second homes and investment properties are often the first to get cut when affordability tightens, Redfin economists noted. Mortgage rates remain high, and many Americans are prioritizing primary residences over discretionary vacation properties.

Vacation markets are cooling faster than other places because second-home demand is sensitive to high housing costs, said Daryl Fairweather, Redfins chief economist. When mortgage rates are elevated and the cost of living is high, buyers are more likely to prioritize their primary residence over a ski chalet or beach house.

Redfins data shows demand for second-home mortgages dropped to their lowest point in at least six years in 2024. Pandemic-era remote work flexibility has also faded, meaning fewer Americans can justify splitting time between a primary home and a vacation property.

Florida is ground zero

Florida, home to more than a third of the seasonal towns in Redfins analysis, is experiencing one of the steepest cooldowns. Pending sales in Miami and Fort Lauderdale two major vacation markets are dropping faster than in any other large U.S. metro area.

The local condo market is brutal, said Miami-based Redfin Premier agent Cecilia Cordova. She noted that many condo owners who bought during the pandemic boom are now selling, in part due to high HOA fees and dwindling rental returns. Some people who bought coastal condos in 2020 or 2021 are returning to New York or Boston full-time. They want to sell instead of becoming landlords.

Investors who purchased vacation homes to cash in on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO are also retreating. The combination of tighter regulations, softer demand from tourists, and market saturation has made renting out second homes less lucrative.

Some people are offloading those Airbnbs because theyre not pulling in as much income as they hoped, said Palm Springs agent Nikkolene Byron.

With sales slowing, listings are piling up. The supply of homes for sale in seasonal towns surged 17% in July, compared with a 14% rise in non-seasonal towns. Still, new listings in vacation hotspots are actually down 3%, as some homeowners wait out the market rather than sell into weakening conditions.

People with a strong sense of purpose stay mentally sharp

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• New UC Davis research links sense of purpose to lower dementia risk.

• Adults with strong purpose in life were 28% less likely to develop cognitive decline.

• Findings suggest purpose may protect the brain even in those with genetic risk factors.

For years, research into the so-called Blue Zones, regions of the world where people live unusually long lives, has suggested that a strong sense of purpose is tied to longevity. Now, scientists at University of California Davis have found that purpose may offer another critical advantage: protecting the brain from dementia.

The new study, published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, tracked more than 13,000 adults aged 45 and older for up to 15 years. Researchers discovered that those who reported a greater sense of purpose were about 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment, including both mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Our findings show that having a sense of purpose helps the brain stay resilient with age, said Dr. Aliza Wingo, senior author and professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

The protective effect held true across racial and ethnic groups and remained significant even when accounting for education level, depression, and the APOE4 genea well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimers disease.

Purpose appeared to delay the onset of decline as well. On average, adults with higher levels of purpose experienced symptoms about 1.4 months later over an eight-year period than those with lower levels. While modest, researchers emphasized the finding is meaningful when compared to pharmaceutical treatments.

While medications like lecanemab and donanemab can modestly delay symptoms of cognitive impairment in Alzheimers disease, they come with risks and costs, said lead author Nicholas Howard, a UC Davis public health researcher. Purpose in life is free, safe and accessible. Its something people can build through relationships, goals and meaningful activities.

Where do you get it?

Participants werent asked about specific sources of purpose, but past research shows older adults find meaning in many ways, whether through relationships, volunteering, spirituality, hobbies, caregiving, or personal goals. In Japanese culture, the concept is often described as ikigai, or a reason for being.

To assess purpose, researchers used a seven-item survey from the Ryff Measures of Psychological Well-being. Participants responded to statements such as I have a sense of direction and purpose in my life on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Their cognitive health was then tracked every two years using telephone-based tests.

The studys large, nationally representative sample is a strength, but researchers caution that the findings show an association rather than direct proof that purpose causes lower dementia risk. Still, the results add weight to a growing body of evidence that psychological well-being influences brain health.

Whats exciting about this study is that people may be able to think themselves into better health, said Dr. Thomas Wingo, co-author and neurologist at UC Davis Health. Purpose in life is something we can nurture. Its never too early or too late to start thinking about what gives your life meaning.

The ruling will hurt companies that are paid multi-million dollar fees to feature Google on their sites

• Federal judge blocks Google from paying to be the default search engine on devices and browsers

• Company must share its data with rivals but avoids harsher remedies like selling Chrome

• Ruling follows years-long monopoly case brought by the Justice Department

A federal judge on Tuesday barred Google from paying to be the exclusive search engine on devices and web browsers, saying the move was necessary to open the market to competitors, according to press reports.

The order, from U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta, also requires Google to share its massive trove of search data with rivals to help them improve their services. The decision aims to chip away at Googles overwhelming dominance in search, where it controls about 90 percent of the market.

However, Mehta stopped short of imposing more severe measures sought by the Justice Department, such as forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser. He also said Google could still pay for some distribution of its products to avoid harming partners like device makers and carriers.

Five years of litigation

The ruling stems from a five-year case that began when the Trump administrations Justice Department accused Google of illegally monopolizing the search market through deals with companies such as Apple. Mehta agreed last year that Google had broken antitrust laws and then held a separate trial to determine remedies.

Google is expected to appeal the order, and the company is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to pause the remedies while the case moves forward. Any financial effects are unlikely to be felt immediately.

The remedies trial highlighted the shifting search market, including the rise of artificial intelligence. Witnesses from AI companies testified that they struggled to gain visibility because partners feared upsetting Google. An Apple executive testified that Google searches through Safari had recently declined for the first time in 20 years, and that Apple may soon add AI options such as ChatGPT or Perplexity to its browser.

What you need to know

• Judge Amit Mehta barred Google from making exclusive default search deals and ordered it to share data with competitors.

• The Justice Department sought harsher remedies, including breaking up parts of Google, but the judge declined.

• The case is ongoing, with Google appealing the order and AI alternatives waiting in the wings.

The California bill would ban cookware coated with 'forever chemicals'

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs