Crazy Sh*t In Real Estate with Leigh Brown

Is the American Dream becoming a brokerage account instead of a home?

Y'all, USA TODAY just published an article titled "Is the American Dream now a brokerage account?" and you know I've got questions.

For generations, homeownership has been one of the defining pieces of the American Dream. Now we're seeing headlines questioning whether investing in the stock market might be a better way to build wealth.

But are we comparing things that actually belong in the same conversation?

The article looks at changing patterns in household wealth, including stock market investments, homeownership and the growing number of millionaire renters. It also raises questions about liquidity, financial flexibility and whether Americans should have so much of their wealth tied up in real estate.

As a REALTOR®, I spend a lot of time talking with people about what owning a home means to them. And I think this conversation deserves a closer look.

What does homeownership provide beyond a financial return? How should we think about the risks of investing in stocks versus owning property? And who gets to define what the American Dream looks like for the next generation?

I'm digging into the USA TODAY article on this week's *From the Rooftops*, because I want y'all to think about what these headlines are really telling us.

ARTICLE DISCUSSED

USA TODAY, Medora Lee: "Is the American Dream now a brokerage account?" (October 25, 2026)

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Do you believe homeownership is still part of the American Dream? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.

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#AmericanDream #Homeownership #RealEstate

Chapters

0:00 Is homeownership still the American dream

2:24 Looking at the USA TODAY brokerage account article

4:32 What a home means beyond the price tag

7:55 Diversification and comparing stocks to housing

13:36 Is housing really in a bubble right now

19:49 A big appraisal change is coming soon

23:08 Advice on buying less house than you can afford

41:47 How home equity debt and taxes affect sellers

Who's controlling the housing market, and how much say do homeowners really have?

This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm looking at real estate headlines involving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Compass private exclusive listings, home prices and property owners' rights.

First, HousingWire reports that Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker are asking the FTC to examine real estate lead generation and referral practices. That includes referral fees, online "Contact Agent" buttons and questions about what consumers understand when they request information about a home. I've got some thoughts about the costs REALTORS® face running their businesses and where government oversight fits into this conversation.

The Wall Street Journal is also covering the battle over how Americans buy and sell homes. Compass and its private exclusive listing strategy are raising questions about MLS access, listing exposure and seller choice. I'm particularly interested in what happens when a property isn't visible to every potential buyer.

Then there's a Wall Street Journal headline that really got under my skin: "Stubborn Sellers Are the Last Thing Propping Up Home Prices." Are homeowners obligated to reduce their asking prices to make housing more affordable? What happens when sellers have the financial ability to stay put? I'm sharing my perspective as a working REALTOR® on pricing, negotiation and the freedom to make decisions about your own property.

We're also looking at Virginia's Faith in Housing law and the growing interest in YIGBY, or Yes In God's Backyard, which explores how churches and nonprofits could use their land for affordable housing. I'll be digging further into the opportunities and questions surrounding faith-based housing development in an upcoming Bricks and Grit article.

And speaking of *Bricks and Grit*, my latest article, "The Single Metric Mindset," explores what happens when we rely too heavily on a single number, including GDP and price per square foot.

Whether you're a REALTOR®, broker, buyer or homeowner, these conversations matter because housing decisions affect real people and their communities.

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Learn more through my affiliate link:

https://www.vulcan7.com/leighbrown

Affiliate disclosure: Vulcan7 is an affiliate partner, and I may earn compensation when you sign up through my link.

*MORE FROM LEIGH*

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Tell me what you think about these housing headlines in the comments!

Who controls the information collected about your home, and what happens when that data becomes valuable to someone else?

This week on *From the Rooftops*, I'm digging into some real estate headlines that raise serious questions about property data, consumer privacy and artificial intelligence.

Two recent articles by Desiree Mehbod on AppraisersBlogs are raising concerns about how information collected during home inspections and appraisals may be accessed, shared or used by third-party companies.

One article, **"Inspectors Blocked the Door, Appraisers Handed Over the Keys,"** examines allegations involving home inspection software, confidential inspection reports and the potential consequences when sensitive property information reaches lenders or insurance companies.

Another, **"Our Metrics, Their Millions: Exposing the Backdoor Data Rush,"** looks at the growing commercial value of appraisal records, property photographs and structural data as companies seek information for AI training and other uses.

I'm also looking at a Consumer Policy Center report comparing **Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and Homes.com**. These major real estate search portals often display much of the same MLS listing information, but differences in how they present property status, coming-soon listings and days on market can affect what consumers understand about available homes.

And in my latest *Bricks and Grit* Substack, **"Is AI Killing Jobs AND Housing?"**, I'm exploring a different side of the artificial intelligence conversation: what happens to housing opportunity when entry-level jobs begin disappearing? I'm drawing on my own first-job experience and the economic changes that have affected working communities before.

For REALTORS®, appraisers, home inspectors and property owners, these stories raise questions worth discussing. Who has access to the information collected during a real estate transaction? What permissions exist for its reuse? And how might AI change the economic opportunities that make homeownership possible?

Join me Thursday at **9:00 AM ET** for *From the Rooftops*.

🎤 Book me to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker  

🏠 More from me: LeighBrown.com

Chapters

0:00 Welcome and a new appraisal deadline

2:23 Who owns home inspection data?

6:44 What the new appraisal form says about your data

9:34 Who owns the appraisal report?

11:44 Why appraisal photos are a privacy risk

13:44 Appraisers offered big money for old files

15:50 Who really owns MLS listing data

18:23 A consumer group compares listing websites

20:39 Should buyers chase under-contract listings?

24:04 Contact buttons and lead routing

26:51 Floor plans, virtual tours and home safety

28:20 Surveillance cameras and everyday privacy

29:50 Taking listing photos down after closing

33:48 Delivery drivers, smart glasses and your home

35:04 Standing up for inspectors and appraisers

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Mortgage rates are climbing again, buyers are looking at adjustable-rate mortgages, and some first-time buyers are getting creative about where their down payment comes from. What does all of that look like in an actual housing market?

This week on From the Rooftops, I'm digging into the housing headlines that caught my attention, including rising mortgage rates and renewed interest in ARMs, couples using wedding registries to help build a down payment, and the insurance coverage gaps that can leave homeowners far more exposed than they realize.

Then we're taking the conversation to Nashville.

Lila McCann, Managing Broker of MW Real Estate at City Heights and a member of the @GreaterNashRealtors Board of Directors, is joining me to talk about what she's seeing on the ground in the Greater Nashville housing market. I want to know what buyers are doing when affordability gets tight, what REALTORS® are hearing from clients and which national housing headlines actually look different when you get down to the local level.

I'll also get into my latest Bricks and Grit, "When the ATM Is Out of Order." I'm talking about HELOC resets, what can happen when the interest-only draw period ends, and why homeowners need to know what's coming before that new payment shows up.

For REALTORS®, this is the bigger conversation. Our clients are trying to make housing decisions while mortgage costs, household finances and insurance expenses keep changing around them. Understanding the headline is useful. Understanding what it means at the kitchen table is where we earn our keep.

Join us Thursday at 9:00 AM ET for From the Rooftops.

Guest: Lila McCann

Managing Broker | MW Real Estate at City Heights

Board of Directors | Greater Nashville REALTORS®

Instagram: @lilsmccannrealtor | @mwrealestateco

Chapters

0:00 Mortgage rates are back in the headlines

1:44 Fed rate vs. mortgage rates, explained

2:50 Adjustable-rate mortgages are back

3:43 The refinance assumption buyers shouldn't count on

7:35 Wedding registries for a down payment

11:58 A local look at the Greater Nashville market

13:46 Nashville shifts toward a buyer's market

16:15 Seller concessions and buyer leverage

18:02 A tale of two markets in days on market

23:21 Condos, HOA dues and reserves

26:01 Utility costs and the true monthly payment

30:04 What people don't know about Nashville

33:15 The homeowners insurance gap

36:01 Why rebuilding costs so much right now

37:19 A HUD overhaul proposal and closing fees

40:52 HELOC resets and middle-class homeowners

43:19 Viewer questions on property tax amendments

Leigh Brown is a REALTOR®, national speaker, author, real estate industry leader and founder of Patriot Relief.

🎤 Book Leigh to speak: LeighBrown.com/speaker

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🎤 Book Leigh for Your Conference or Event

https://www.leighbrown.com/speaker

🎙️ Watch Real Talk with Leigh Brown and From the Rooftops

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-9nEf0QTnKTBSf9lF5n5dbbHSK-65KWd

🌐 Learn more at

https://LeighBrown.com

A hurricane can change more than a house.

For Florida interior designer Jessica Holiday, Hurricanes Helene and Milton changed the way she thinks about design, business, investment properties and taking care of clients.

Jessica is a fourth-generation Anna Maria Island resident, so hurricanes aren't new to her. But Helene was different. After the storm, her team wasn't just picking finishes. They were checking on clients' homes, assessing damage and figuring out how to keep a business moving while an entire community was trying to recover.

That part of our conversation hit close to home for me. Two years after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, we're still helping families recover through Patriot Relief, the nonprofit that grew out of our disaster-response work. Recovery has a very long tail.

We talk about:

• What Hurricanes Helene and Milton taught Jessica about coastal homes and flooding
• Why hurricane season is now built into her annual client process
• Smarter material choices that can make the next cleanup less painful
• Designing vacation rentals around both guest experience and earning potential
• Why every investment property needs its own design strategy
• How Jessica uses AI as a visualization tool without replacing the human professional
  
  

Jessica also shares a terrific example of how thoughtful design changes can potentially add tens of thousands of dollars in annual rental income. Because good design isn't just about making something pretty. When you're dealing with an investment property, the numbers have to make sense, too.

And that's really the thread running through this conversation: storms, homes, businesses and technology all have layers. The professionals who serve people well are the ones willing to think beyond what's directly in front of them.

About Jessica Holmes Holiday

Jessica Holmes Holiday is a fourth-generation Anna Maria Island resident and interior designer with more than 25 years of experience. As founder of HSH Collective, she and her team design investment properties, vacation rentals and custom homes, with much of their work focused on Florida's coastal communities.

Connect with Jessica

• Website: https://www.hshcollective.com/
• Instagram: @hsh.collective
• TikTok: @hshcollective
• Pinterest: HSH Collective
• Email: jessica@hshcollective.com

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Subscribe to Real Talk with Leigh Brown for more honest conversations about real estate, leadership, business and the communities we serve.

The Helene/Patriot Relief language is deliberately brief. The transcript supports Leigh discussing the ongoing Western North Carolina recovery and the nonprofit that resulted from that disaster work, while keeping Jessica's experience at the center of the episode.