Investors delivered 216.9% more starter homes than builders

☕ Grab your coffee, the real estate market is giving us plenty to talk about.

Today's newsletter is 598 words — a 2.5-minute read.

1. Nearly 1 in 5 house hunters are looking to relocate

According to a Redfin report, just under one in five homebuyers (18.8%) searched for homes in a different region of the country in Q4 2025. That’s up slightly from 17.9% a year ago and 15.9% five years ago.

In Texas, San Antonio ranked highest in attracting homebuyers in Q4 2025, recording a net inflow of 2,457 home searchers. A large share of those buyers came from Los Angeles, which ranked as both the top overall origin and the top out-of-state origin for incoming buyers.

2. ICON to sell its 3D-printing robots to builders

Austin-based construction 3D-printing company ICON announced Wednesday the launch of its Titan program, which will allow builders to directly purchase and operate ICON’s large-scale robotic construction systems for the first time. The robots can print structures up to 27 feet high.

The company says the system could reduce the cost of building wall systems by up to 40%, bringing costs down to roughly $20 per square foot, compared to typical industry costs of about $30–$35 per square foot for conventional wall systems.

Builders can reserve an ICON Titan with a $5,000 deposit. The unit starts at $899,000, with additional costs for building materials, architectural designs, and an annual software fee.

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3. Catch up quick

🤝 81% of sellers interview one agent before they choose their listing agent. (BAM)

📈 Mortgage applications increase 3.2%. (MortgagePoint)

🏘️ Rising 1031 Exchange activity in Texas real estate markets. (1031Group)

💰 Miranda Lambert puts childhood home on the market for $1.6M. (Realtor.com)

🫧 Free car washes for Houston's dirtiest car. (Axios)

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4. Investors delivered 216.9% more starter homes than builders

According to data from New Western, local investors were the largest suppliers of starter homes in the U.S., delivering 216.9% more entry-level homes than builders in 2025.

• Investors accounted for 83.75% of new inventory priced under $215K and 69.5% under $250K, dominating the most affordable segments of the housing market.

The report also highlights a large revitalization pipeline, including 15,039,000 vacant homes nationwide and 6,700,000 homes in need of significant repair.

It suggests that renovating existing homes, rather than relying solely on new construction, is becoming a key solution to the nation’s shortage of affordable starter homes.

5. Existing home sales climbed 1.7% in February

Existing-home sales rose 1.7% month over month in February, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units, according to a new report from the NAR. However, sales were down 1.4% compared to February last year.

NAR’s affordability index also improved, rising to 117.6 in February. That marks the highest reading since March 2022, up from 117.1 in January and 103.1 in February 2025.

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