Looking for a quick catch-up on the buzziest stories of the week? Here’s Inman Top 5, the most essential stories, according to Inman readers.

When his firm was hired to design an auxiliary dwelling unit in a California yard, a designer customized the project with a mix of prefabricated and original features.

A house on the hillsides of Santa Cruz, a restored traditional home and a bright yellow dwelling — all a short drive to the beach.

Instead of chasing trends, the California designer is doubling down on the neutral palette she built her brand on.

Choosing the new-construction route comes with challenges like cost overruns, permitting delays and supply-chain issues, but also the promise of getting a fully customized home.

After decades in LA, Paul Stukin moved his family and his business to Hawaii. Keeping up those SoCal relationships recently helped him win comedian Roseanne Barr's macadamia nut farm listing.

You can be the agent who always has an opinion on the latest industry scandal, Kevelyn Guzman writes, or you can be the agent who’s too busy closing deals to notice.

Trainer Rachael Hite reflects on the core strategies that the most successful agents she knows use to drive their businesses.

Your calendar is crammed, but what are you doing to grow your business? Coach Darryl Davis offers tips to move from busy to breakthrough.

The Agency's Mauricio Umansky writes that his passport has been one of the most valuable tools for opening doors to opportunities in every corner of the world.

If bond market investors get cold feet about buying government debt and mortgage-backed securities, that could push long-term interest rates higher, even if the Fed cuts short-term rates.

For her first purchase, a longtime renter searched in Flatbush and Midwood for a one-bedroom co-op with nearby subway options. Here’s what she found.

This week’s properties are in the Gramercy Park area, in Yorkville and in West Midwood.

This week’s properties are a four-bedroom shore house in Linwood and a five-bedroom contemporary home in White Plains.

Even if rates dropped to zero, typical homes would still be unaffordable for median earners in some major metro areas.

The design created such a feeling of freshness that the owners felt like they were back in Northern California.

With 7.24 million Americans out of work in July and payroll growth slowing, the Fed is expected to pivot from fighting inflation to preserving jobs.

A green light from the Federal Housing Finance Agency and antitrust regulators sets the stage for a Sept. 3 vote by Mr. Cooper shareholders on $9.4 billion mega merger.

In the past two months, the total number of homesellers in the market has fallen from a peak of 1.96 million in May to 1.95 million in July, Redfin reported. As sellers realize that homebuyers have the upper hand now, some are opting out of the market altogether.

EXp Realty's two largest teams have combined into the Whissel Beer Group. Team leaders Daniel Beer and Kyle Whissel explain the logistics of the merger.