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Search behavior can be a real-time window into economic stress, often revealing signs of financial strain before they appear in lagging official data. And right now, the latest signal from the U.S. housing market is raising eyebrows.
As of February 2026, Google search interest for “can’t sell house” in the U.S. has surged to an all-time high — far exceeding levels seen during the 2008 financial crisis and the early 2020 lockdown period (1).
The spike comes as a striking imbalance is emerging in the U.S. housing market’s supply and demand. A new Redfin report found that there were roughly 600,000 more home sellers than buyers in January 2026 — a gap of about 44% (2).
While an excess of sellers is typically associated with a buyer’s market, Redfin cautioned that “it’s only a buyer’s market for those who can afford to buy,” noting that high housing costs and economic uncertainty “have caused many house hunters to retreat.”
In fact, the number of U.S. homebuyers fell 8% year over year to 1.36 million in January — the lowest level on record, according to Redfin estimates.
Affordability has become one of the defining pressure points in the U.S. housing market. Housing analyst Melody Wright has warned that the growing disconnect between home prices and household earning power could set the stage for a correction that exceeds the Great Recession.
“I think we’re going to correct all the way to a point where household median income matches the median home price. And so that is going to be worse than 2008,” Wright said in a recent interview.
It’s a stark warning. The 2008 housing meltdown wiped out trillions in household wealth, sent home values tumbling and pushed millions of Americans into foreclosure.
Today, the affordability gap has grown increasingly severe. An August 2025 Realtor.com report found that the typical U.S. household earned roughly 46% less than what’s needed to afford a median-priced home (3).
When asked how far prices would need to fall to restore balance, Wright was blunt: “It’s going to be near your 50% and much greater in certain areas.”
Given how much U.S. household wealth sits in home equity — and how much leverage many recent buyers are carrying — a 50% decline would be devastating.
Wright believes the correction could take “several years to bottom,’ but that the price decline could begin in 2026.
There are already hints of a shift. Zillow recently reported that 53% of U.S. homes lost value over the past year, with an average drawdown of 9.7% (4).
And Wright isn’t alone in sounding alarms. Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has warned that the “biggest crash in history” is beginning — adding that “residential real estate crashes” in this scenario as well.
If you share these concerns, now may be a good time to start shoring up your finances.
When storm clouds gather over the markets, gold often steps back into the spotlight — and for good reason.
Long seen as the ultimate safe haven, gold isn’t tied to any single country, currency or economy. It can’t be created at will by central banks like fiat money and in times of economic turmoil, market turbulence or geopolitical uncertainty, investors tend to pile in — driving up its value.
Over the past 12 months, gold prices have surged by more than 75%.
Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has repeatedly emphasized gold’s importance in a resilient portfolio.
“People don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” he told CNBC last year. “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”
One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.
When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free. Just keep in mind that gold is often best used as one part of a well-diversified portfolio.
Read More: I’m almost 50 years old and don’t have retirement savings. Is it too late to catch up?
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Prominent investors like Dalio often stress the importance of diversification — and for good reason. Traditional assets frequently move together in times of stress, as seen in 2008, when both stocks and real estate fell sharply.
That message feels especially relevant today. Nearly 40% of the S&P 500’s weight is concentrated in its ten largest stocks and the index’s CAPE ratio hasn’t been this high since the dot-com boom.
This is where alternative assets come into play for many investors, including everything from precious metals and private equity to collectibles.
But there’s one store of value that routinely flies under the radar: It’s scarce by design, coveted worldwide and frequently locked away by institutions.
We’re talking about post-war and contemporary art — a category that has outpaced the S&P 500 with low correlation since 1995.
It’s easy to see why art pieces often fetch new highs at auctions: The supply of the best works of art is limited and many of the most desirable pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. That scarcity can also make art an attractive option for investors looking to diversify and preserve wealth during periods of high inflation.
Until recently, purchasing art has been a domain reserved for the ultra-wealthy — like in 2022 when a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie’s New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history (5).
Now, Masterworks — a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy — can help you get started with this asset class. It’s easy to use and, with 25 successful exits to date, Masterworks has distributed more than $65 million in total proceeds (including principal).
Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares you’d like to buy. Masterworks can handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless.
New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here.
Note that past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investing involves risk. See Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.
While today’s housing market may make selling more challenging, one legacy of decades of rising home prices is that many homeowners are sitting on substantial equity. For those who bought years ago, that built-up value can represent a meaningful financial cushion.
At the same time, higher mortgage rates and softer pricing dynamics have made selling a home less appealing for many households. Walking away from a low fixed-rate mortgage — or listing into a cooling market — isn’t always an attractive option.
The good news is that accessing home equity doesn’t necessarily mean putting your house on the market. Some homeowners choose to tap into the equity they’ve already built — without selling — to help manage larger expenses, consolidate higher-interest debt or create a bit more breathing room in their budget.
AmeriSave offers a flexible home equity line of credit (HELOC) that lets homeowners borrow against their equity as needed during a draw period, making it useful for renovations, debt consolidation or ongoing projects.
It’s well-suited for homeowners who want a mostly online, low-friction experience from a well-known mortgage lender — and who prefer drawing funds only when they need them, rather than taking out a large lump-sum loan upfront.
AmeriSave’s HELOC is managed through an online platform where you can check your rate, apply and oversee your line of credit digitally.
After reviewing your home equity, credit and income, AmeriSave sets a credit limit and gives you a draw period, allowing you to pull funds whenever they’re needed. You pay interest only on what you use and repay the balance over time, giving you a flexible, on-demand financial tool secured by your home.
The 2008 housing crash rippled through the entire economy. Layoffs mounted, the unemployment rate spiked and families across the country found themselves suddenly vulnerable. If another major correction is coming, it’s worth strengthening your safety net before the ripple effects hit.
One of the most effective ways to do that is by having a cushion of readily accessible cash. If your income suddenly takes a hit, that buffer helps you stay afloat without taking on costly debt or being forced to sell investments at the worst possible time.
So how big should that safety net be?
Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey suggests having an emergency fund that can cover three to six months worth of living expenses. What matters most, though, is consistency — adding a little at a time until your safety net starts to take shape.
To get started, a high-yield account, such as a Wealthfront Cash Account, can be a great place to grow your emergency fund, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your cash when you need it.
A Wealthfront Cash Account can provide a base variable APY of 3.30%, but Moneywise readers can get an exclusive 0.75% boost over their first three months for a total APY of 4.05%. That’s more than 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC’s February report.
With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, Wealthfront Cash Account balances of up to $8 million are insured by the FDIC through program banks.
At the end of the day, everyone’s financial situation is different — from income levels and investment goals to debt obligations and risk tolerance — which means the best move for someone else might not be the best move for you. And when the economic outlook is uncertain, those differences matter even more.
If you’re unsure where to start, it might be the right time to get in touch with a financial advisor through Advisor.com.
Advisor.com is an online platform that matches you with vetted financial advisors suited to your unique needs. They can help tailor a strategy to your particular financial situation, whether you’re looking to grow wealth, hedge against uncertainty or plan for long-term financial security.
Once you’re matched with an advisor, you can book a free consultation with no obligation to hire.
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Google Trends (1); Redfin (2); Realtor.com (3); Zillow (4); Christie’s (5)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: finance.yahoo.com
