Hey friends - you made it through the first short week of the year. My wife and I just welcomed our first kid this week. So, it’s been a particularly wild one.

🌎 The Big Picture

In case you missed it, the big shakeup of the week was President Trump launching and then de-escalating a new global trade war in a matter of a few days.

1️⃣ The stock market had its worst day since October on Tuesday, erasing all the gains since the start of the year, as investors worried that the White House’s pursuit of Greenland would re-escalate a pacified global trade war.

On Saturday, President Trump threatened 10-25% tariffs on imports from eight European allies for not backing the US bid to acquire Greenland. The president also threatened to triple the cost of imported French wines and champagne, amid reports that France’s president was unwilling to join his Board of Peace diplomatic initiative.

2️⃣ The market climbed back on Wednesday as investors celebrated a quick defusing of global trade tensions. While details are still limited, President Trump announced that early negotiations with NATO and European officials have been productive enough for him to indefinitely postpone the new tariffs on European countries threatened for February 1st. The fast relief helps to avoid more drawn-out uncertainty around international trade costs that strained businesses throughout much of 2025.

Beyond that manufactured crisis that mostly just stirred up markets, we got some positive updates for anyone trying to buy or sell a home.

✅ Home buyers may soon face less competition in the market.

The White House is taking direct aim at Wall Street’s growing presence in America’s neighborhoods. A new executive order limits large institutional investors from buying single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by families, especially first-time buyers. Federal housing agencies are being instructed to prioritize owner-occupants, restrict investor access through government-backed programs, and give individuals “first-look” opportunities on foreclosed homes before big investors step in.

Under the hood, the move is about affordability and supply. While institutional investors own only about 3% of single-family rental homes nationwide, their buying power is often concentrated in specific markets, where they can crowd out families and push prices higher. The administration is trying to slow investor-driven competition and keep more homes in the hands of people who plan to live in them. The broader goal is to stabilize housing costs, support household wealth building, and ease one of the biggest financial strains facing American families.

✅ More new homes are hitting the market, helping make houses more affordable.

New data from the Commerce Department shows sales of newly built single-family homes in October were nearly 19% higher than a year ago, reflecting a steep pickup in home purchasing over the past year as mortgage costs have trended lower. Builders now have more homes sitting on the market than at any point in the last few years.

That growing inventory of houses is finally helping bring prices down. The median price of a new home fell more than 3% from September to October, now down over 8% from last year, as builders lean on discounts and incentives to attract buyers. While mortgage rates are still nearly twice the cost of a few years ago, monthly mortgage payments have gotten cheaper this year as interest rates drifted from recent highs, helping encourage more buyers to get off the sidelines.

✅ The real estate market is starting to pick up, good news for anyone looking to sell or buy.

Home sales activity jumped at the end of the year as mortgage costs dropped. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), existing-home sales jumped 5.1% last month, marking the most active December in nearly three years as slightly lower mortgage rates pulled some buyers back into the housing market. Prices of existing homes aren’t climbing as quickly. The median price of an existing home at $405,400, still higher than a year ago but down over 6% from peak prices last summer.

The supply of existing homes for sale remains much lower than usual, leaving buyers with limited options and keeping prices from falling much. Home resales make up most of the supply, and most homeowners have locked in low-rate mortgages and continue to hold onto their properties rather than sell and give up their cheaper rates. If mortgage costs continue to drift lower, prospective home buyers might see more homes come up for sale.

🏭 The Companies Everyone’s Talking About

❔ The Big Question of the Week

Scoops app users: We have taken the beta app offline for a short period for some major updates. Can’t wait to show you all what we’ve been working on! Reach out if you have any questions.

We’re going to switch up the content in this spotlight for a bit to make sure you all have the info you need to master your week.