Texas cities lead the nation in rent declines

Plus: Trump threatens trade halt if Fed does not cut rates

September 08, 2026

👋 Welcome back! It’s Tuesday, but it feels like Monday.

Today's newsletter is 765 words — a 2.5-minute read. Let’s dive in…

1. Trump threatens trade halt if Fed does not cut rates

President Trump is again pressuring the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, arguing the U.S. should have the lowest rates in the world. The push comes after August payrolls increased by 162,000, nearly three times economists’ forecast of 56,000, while unemployment held steady at 4.1%.

Trump tied his rate demands to the U.S. trade deficit, threatening to halt trade with countries where the U.S. runs a deficit if the Fed does not cut rates. The comments add to pressure on the central bank as it weighs the strength of the labor market against inflation and borrowing costs.

“We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World, like ‘the old days,’” Trump wrote. “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT, which the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ridiculous and very costly Tariff decision, strongly acknowledged ‘the President’ has an absolute right to do, according to The White House. IT’S BETTER THAN TARIFFS!”

2. Texas cities lead the nation in rent declines

Texas is home to three of the five U.S. cities with the steepest annual rent declines, according to Zumper’s rent report.

Key takeaways:

  • The median one-bedroom rent fell 0.1% year over year to $1,515, while two-bedroom rent rose 0.5% to $1,907.

  • Apartment occupancy reached 95.5% in Q2, while new apartment deliveries have declined for six straight quarters since peaking in late 2024.

  • Austin led the country, with one-bedroom rents down 16.6% year over year to $1,260. Houston followed with a 14.6% drop to $1,050, while Dallas rents fell 13% to $1,270.

  • Durham, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, rounded out the five markets with the steepest declines.

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3. Catch up quick

🏠 Austin posts largest annual drop in median listing price per sqft. (Realtor.com)

⬇️ Investor share of home purchases slips to 27%. (HousingWire)

📈 18 states are back above pre-pandemic inventory levels. (ResiClub)

🚨 OpenAI confirms AI agents took over a German wiki forum. (Reuters)

4. FSBO.com launches platform to digitize home offers

FSBO.com has launched a beta version of PACT, a digital platform designed to streamline negotiations from the initial offer to an agreement. Buyers can submit offers directly from listings, while sellers can manage counteroffers, competing bids and best-and-final rounds in one place. Once terms are agreed, PACT generates a single memorandum of understanding and maintains a digital record of the negotiation.

The platform supports represented and unrepresented buyers and sellers, allowing agents to negotiate on behalf of clients while keeping consumers involved in reviewing and signing terms.

The company plans to use beta feedback before a wider rollout and is working with bevri.ai on technology that could connect financing, inspections, title, escrow and other services after an offer is accepted.

A MESSAGE FROM THE RUNDOWN AI

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5. FW homebuilder to serve 6 years for fraud scheme

A Fort Worth couple has been sentenced for their roles in a years-long construction fraud scheme that targeted more than 40 victims across North Texas.

Christopher Judge, 35, received 78 months in federal prison, while Raquelle Judge, 36, received one month. Both were ordered to pay $2.79 million in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Through their company, Judge DFW LLC, the couple marketed custom architecture, construction, and interior design services, attracting customers with below-market bids. From 2020 to 2023, they signed at least 24 custom-home projects across six North Texas counties but failed to complete most of the work.

Prosecutors said Christopher Judge also falsely claimed to be a licensed architect and used payments from some customers to fund unrelated projects. Total losses were estimated at $4.2 million.

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