Municipal

According to The Street, Homeownership in the United States has become increasingly difficult for millions of Americans. Mortgage rates remain elevated in the 6.3 to 6.5 percentage range, and home prices are high in most major markets. 

On top of this, a significant segment of potential buyers have struggled to qualify for mortgages under decades-old scoring models. This group largely includes those with strong rent payment histories, but thin traditional credit files.

A WalletHub study ranked all US states by their tax burden on residents. The study used data from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan DC-based think tank, on property taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxes as shares of personal income to calculate the tax burden of every US state.

Zillow just downgraded its home price forecast across over 400 housing markets—see the map

Zillow slightly downgrades its national home price outlook—predicting that over the next 12 months, U.S. home prices are likely to shift +0.0%.

The richest and most populous city in the wealthiest nation on the planet is taking steps to clean up its act.

The US crime rate can be one of the deciding factors of where families settle down. Based on each city's murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people, determined by FBI crime reports, these are the most dangerous places to live in the United States. Then there is affordability.
Guess which one is the worst Affordability: 25
Economy: 33
Education & Health: 48
Quality of Life: 30
Safety: 49

According to The City published report, A Fifth of NYC Built on Bygone Water Now at Risk: Study Maps City’s ‘Blue Zones’Researchers at the New York Botanical Garden identified more than 500 places in the city where water used to be, where it still floods and where flooding is likely to get worse due to climate change.
https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/04/01/flooding-blue-zones-climate-change-b…

Blue Zone Criteria

PASTNo

Florida charm, where you can relax all day or take on a spirited adventure. Catch your first fish or gallop through open fields. Search through antique treasures and stroll along storied streets. Soar sky-high on a zipline, flying up amidst the treetops or float downriver in the clear water of our many famous springs. It’s the perfect location.