2025 November Real Estate Insights: Home Buying, Renting, and Property Rules

When thinking about home buying in 2025, the decision to own or rent depends on your finances, location, and long-term goals. Also known as homeownership, it’s not just about falling in love with a house—it’s about understanding taxes, market shifts, and hidden costs. Many people assume buying is always better, but the data tells a different story. In 2025, mortgage rates are still high, prices are uneven, and renting isn’t throwing money away—it’s redirecting it. Whether you’re in Virginia, Texas, or Utah, your choice should match your life, not just the headlines.

Property taxes, the annual fee you pay to your local government based on your home’s value. Also known as real estate taxes, they work differently depending on where you live. In Virginia, you pay them in arrears—meaning you pay for the year that just ended. That affects how closing costs are split when you buy or sell. Meanwhile, in Texas, land is cheap not because it’s worthless, but because of low taxes, strong property rights, and a massive supply of open space. And if you’re a non-resident landlord, someone who owns rental property in the U.S. but lives abroad. Also known as foreign property owner, you’re legally required to file Form 1040-NR and handle tax withholding—or risk frozen assets and blocked sales. Ignoring these rules doesn’t save money; it creates bigger problems.

It’s not just about owning. It’s about space, too. Is a 500-square-foot 2BHK too small for two people? Turns out, plenty of couples are making it work—by rethinking storage, furniture, and lifestyle. And if you’re confused about whether you’re buying a townhouse or a townhome, you’re not alone. The terms are swapped all the time, but the ownership rules and HOA fees can be very different. Even Zillow’s lawsuits are part of the story—misleading estimates and failed iBuying programs are making buyers more skeptical than ever.

What you’ll find here isn’t theory. It’s real talk from people who’ve been there: the couple living in a tiny 2BHK, the foreign investor dodging tax traps, the Texas land buyer who got in before the boom, the Virginia homeowner who learned the hard way about tax deadlines. These aren’t abstract ideas—they’re decisions people made, with real consequences. Whether you’re looking to buy, rent, invest, or just understand what’s happening in the market, these posts give you the facts without the fluff.