Mortgage rates are dropping as concerns mount over a possible economic recession.

Many home buyers will be attracted to properties with a minimalist design trend, characterized by monochromatic color schemes, clean lines and simplicity, according to online property portal Share to Buy. The Scandinavian aesthetic is also a popular decor trend with neutral colors, modern furniture and soft lighting.

Alaska, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota and West Virginia are the only states in which housing prices have been identified as sustainable, Shanea Patterson writes. Many real estate professionals expect mortgage rates to level off at around 6% and the increase in home prices to stabilize.

Strategies include carefully calculating their housing budget, evaluating different mortgage products and considering a larger down payment.

Net-zero homes may be expensive to build, but they provide savings to homeowners through reduced energy bills. Learn how one company, Vantem, uses building materials efficiently to construct more affordable and eco-friendly homes.

Combined, the real estate digital marketing leaders will offer photography, drone imagery, floor plans, virtual tours and more on a single platform.

Real estate professionals have a wide range of technology to add to their belts, from blockchain that supports smart contracts to QR codes on lawn signs, flyers, mail and business cards, Ben Shepardson writes. Customer relationship management apps like Wise Agent help manage communications with clients and leads, while cloud services allow collaboration on digital documents.

Candice Payne has built a nonprofit to give homeless people a place to stay rent-free for a year while they get back on their feet.

The University of Maryland School of Social Work will provide social services to Baltimore residents transitioning from homelessness to homeownership as part of a program from the nonprofit Heart's Place Services. The nonprofit will break ground on a community of 13 houses that will be sold for $25,000 to residents who must complete financial literacy and budgeting courses.

The Coalition for Property Tax Justice is working to address overassessments in Detroit, which contributed to one in four homes going into foreclosure between 2011 and 2015 when owners were unable to pay their property taxes, according to a 2018 study. "Detroit is just ground zero for a national problem. We see these inflated property taxes. It's a national racial justice issue that our country has yet ... to tackle," property law scholar Bernadette Atuahene said.

Real estate professionals and brokerage employees in Virginia will be able to form an association health plan, according to legislation that Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed into law. "This legislation gives thousands of Virginians the opportunity to purchase affordable, comprehensive health insurance and continue to cut down on the cost of living," Youngkin said.