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Construction defects can cause mold growth, which thousands of Americans believe is making them sick. That has helped spark a rise in the number of lawsuits against home builders. Builders say many of these suits are overblown and the science is murky. Yet as Nicholas G. Miller reports, the lawsuits are adding to builders' growing legal costs and weighing on their profits as they navigate a stagnant housing market.
Plenty of U.S. hotels have languished for years in need of a refresh, but their owners have struggled to find the cash. Now, as property prices decline and the number of new hotels under construction dwindles, new owners are stepping in to buy rundown lodgings and whip them into shape. "It's gonna be sparkling," said Drew Bridges, an executive at JMI Realty, which bought a 254-key Austin hotel in need of an upgrade. Will Parker explains how he and other hoteliers see a road to profit through acquiring these unloved properties on the cheap.
Mold Is Driving America's Homeowners Crazy-and They Want Builders to Pay
It is in showers, behind walls, and deep in linen closets. It is black and slimy, white and fuzzy, or green and spongy. It is making homeowners struggle to breathe and costing them millions in repairs and healthcare bills, they say.
Investors Are Snapping Up Shabby Hotels and Whipping Them Into Shape
Dissatisfied guests at a Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Austin, Texas, have reviewed the hotel as "very run down" and "janky," in reference to faulty elevators. One guest said the beds were "rock hard," and another called the place "a complete nightmare from start to finish."
That is a big reason the new owner decided to buy it.
The increase in hotel sales nationwide in the first two quarters of 2026, compared with the same quarters last year, according to data-provider MSCI, driven in part by buyers willing to fund property upgrades.
Data Points
387: The number of new residential buildings real-estate developers filed permits to build in New York City in the second quarter, an 8.7% drop from the same period last year, according to the Real Estate Board of New York. The decline comes as officials are trying to boost the city's housing supply.
3.3%: The year-over-year increase in consumer spending at U.S. restaurants in July, according to Bank of America credit and debit-card data. The fastest restaurant-spending growth is coming from lower-income households as easing inflation and strengthening wage growth frees up extra spending money.
6.2%: The increase in revenue per available room at U.S. hotels during the week ended Aug. 15 compared with the same period last year, according to CoStar. It marked the 19th consecutive week of RevPAR growth, driven primarily by rising room rates but also strengthening demand for hotel rooms.
Beyond WSJ
Tribeca Tenants Blame Sky-High Rents on Nation's Largest Brokerage in Federal Complaint (Gothamist)
Chetrit Group 'Being Dissolved' as Family Turmoil Spirals (Bisnow)
Data Center Boom Spills into Industrial Demand as Suppliers Take More Space (CoStar)
About Us
Craig Karmin is real-estate news bureau chief. Reach him on X @CraigKarmin or via email at Craig.Karmin@wsj.com. The newsletter is compiled and edited by Kate King and Rebecca Picciotto, WSJ real estate reporters. Reach them via email at kate.king@wsj.com and rebecca.picciotto@wsj.com. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.