NEW ORLEANS – Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHCSLA) is gearing up for its third annual Fore the Families Par•tee, a lively fundraiser that combines local flavor, entertainment, and community spirit.

The event, presented by EMR Metal Recycling, will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Rock 'N' Bowl on S. Carrollton Avenue. Guests can look forward to premium cocktails, New Orleans cuisine, live music from BRW, bowling, and an upscale silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind items.

Among the auction highlights: a football signed by Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning; an exclusive Avery Island getaway; luxury golf experiences; a signed Archie Manning Saints jersey; fine jewelry; and curated dining packages.

"This year, we truly have so much to celebrate," said Grace McIntosh, CEO of RMHCSLA. "In 2024 alone, our Ronald McDonald House in New Orleans and the Family Room in Lafayette have provided nearly 7,509 nights of lodging to 291 families and more than 1,200 individuals. Together, we've served over 73,800 meals and welcomed families from across Louisiana, 10 states, and even four countries."

Tickets for the Rock 'N' Par•tee are $100 per person through Sept. 15 and $125 thereafter. All proceeds directly support RMHCSLA families, ensuring they can stay near their children at no cost while receiving medical care.

Additional sponsors include Agent Trust, Hoffman Media, Barbara & Clark Fitz-Hugh, Kristy & Rich Vanderbrook, Jones Walker, and Laborde Marine.

Since its founding in 1983, RMHCSLA has served more than 40,000 families, helping ease both financial and emotional burdens while their children receive critical care.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the RMHCSLA website.

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After years of surging home prices, limited inventory, and punishingly high mortgage rates, the U.S. housing market is beginning to show early signs of balance. Analysts at Ned Davis Research (NDR) recently noted several encouraging shifts that suggest the market may be nearing a bottom — a stage that could set the stage for renewed buying activity after years of stalled demand.

A Market Tipped Toward Sellers

The imbalance between buyers and sellers has reached its widest point in more than a decade. According to Redfin, there are now 36% more sellers than buyers, the largest gap since at least 2013. This mismatch has highlighted just how frozen the market has become, with many buyers priced out and many sellers unwilling to budge on historically high prices.

Yet, within this slowdown, NDR points to four positive developments that could ease pressure on the market.

1. Supply and Demand Are Slowly Aligning

A lack of housing supply has been one of the biggest drivers of home price growth. But the shortage is shrinking.

NDR estimates that the U.S. will add about 1.3 million new housing units in 2025, while demand slows to around 850,000 units amid a sharp pullback in household formation. That would leave the U.S. 1.1 million homes short by year's end, compared with a 1.6 million shortage at the beginning of the year.

While still a deficit, the smaller gap could start to ease some of the pricing pressure that's defined the last five years.

2. Vacancy Rates Are Returning to Normal

Both rental and homeowner vacancies have inched higher, giving buyers and renters more options.

NDR estimates that rental vacancy rates are now back to a "normal" level of 7.0%, while homeowner vacancies sit near 1.5%. For context, a LendingTree study earlier this year estimated nearly 15 million vacant homes nationwide, underscoring how empty properties have constrained available supply.

With vacancies normalizing, more inventory could reach the market, helping rebalance demand.

3. Housing Affordability Is Improving — Slightly

One of the clearest measures of affordability is the ratio of median home prices to median household income. At its peak, that ratio hit 5.4, even higher than during the 2006 housing bubble. Today, it has cooled to 4.9, NDR reports.

Home prices have eased from their highs — dipping from $442,600 in 2022 to $410,800 in early 2025 — while personal incomes have risen about 5% over the past five years. Although affordability remains strained, the trend is finally moving in the right direction.

4. Housing Looks Cheaper Relative to Other Benchmarks

Another encouraging sign: housing values are falling compared with replacement costs and stock market capitalization.

NDR calculates that the value of household real estate relative to replacement costs slipped to 169.5% in Q1 2025. At the same time, real estate values relative to domestic stock market capitalization eased to 69.8%.

Though construction costs remain high — influenced by tariffs and rising labor costs — the relative decline suggests housing is gradually becoming less overvalued compared with other assets.

The U.S. housing market is still far from "cheap." Prices remain historically high, and affordability challenges continue to weigh on first-time buyers. But with supply improving, vacancies normalizing, incomes climbing, and valuations cooling, the pieces of a healthier market may finally be falling into place.

As NDR's Joe Kalish summarized: "The housing market is coming into better balance. Prices are expensive, but house price growth is slowing."

For weary buyers, that may be the first real glimmer of hope in years.

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When buying or selling a home, emotions can run high — but when it comes to determining value, opinion doesn't carry the day. That's where a home appraisal comes in. A licensed appraiser provides an impartial, professional estimate of a property's market value, ensuring that everyone involved — especially mortgage lenders — has confidence in the transaction.

Because the majority of home purchases involve financing, appraisals are a standard step in most sales. In fact, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that 81% of primary residence purchases and 43% of vacation home sales are tied to mortgages, making appraisals a cornerstone of the housing market.

What Exactly Is an Appraisal?

An appraisal is a third-party assessment of a home's worth, carried out by a certified appraiser. Unlike a listing price, which reflects the seller's expectations, or a negotiated contract price, which reflects what the buyer is willing to pay, an appraisal is meant to establish an objective measure of value based on the property's condition and local market data.

Lenders rely on this step before finalizing a loan to confirm that the property provides sufficient collateral. This protects the bank from over-lending and reassures the buyer that they aren't overpaying.

How the Process Works

• Who orders it? The lender usually requests the appraisal.
• Who pays? Buyers typically cover the cost, which ranges from $325 to $1,000 depending on the home's size, complexity, and location.
• What happens? The appraiser visits the property, reviews its size, layout, and overall condition, and compares it to similar recently sold homes (known as "comps"). The findings are compiled into a detailed report delivered to the lender.

While in-person appraisals are the norm for home purchases, lenders may sometimes use alternatives like virtual or desktop appraisals for refinances or home equity loans.

Appraisal vs. Home Inspection

Though both occur during the buying process, an appraisal and an inspection serve very different purposes:

Appraisal: Determines the property's fair market value.

Inspection: Evaluates the condition of the property's systems, structure, and safety.

Inspections aren't mandatory but are strongly recommended to help buyers understand potential repair costs before closing.

What the Results Mean

• The appraised value can directly affect the transaction:
• If the value matches or exceeds the purchase price, the sale typically moves forward.
• If the appraisal comes in lower, buyers may renegotiate, request the seller to lower the price, or bring additional funds to closing — provided the contract has an appraisal contingency.
• It's important to note that appraisers are hired to represent the lender's interest, not the buyer's or seller's. Their role is to provide an unbiased assessment that keeps the financing process on solid ground.

Why It Matters

For buyers, an appraisal is a safeguard against overpaying. For sellers, it provides a reality check on pricing expectations. And for lenders, it reduces risk by confirming that the loan is backed by adequate collateral.

In short, an appraisal is more than a formality — it's a critical step that keeps real estate transactions fair, transparent, and financially sound.

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Fannie Mae Forecasts Lower Mortgage Rates and Softer Home Prices Through 2026

After years of turbulence in the housing market, new forecasts suggest the next two years could bring long-awaited relief for homebuyers.

When inflation soared past 9% in 2022, the Federal Reserve raised borrowing costs aggressively, aiming to cool the economy. By late 2024, inflation had nearly returned to the Fed's 2% target, prompting interest rate cuts. Many expected mortgage rates to dip below 6%. Instead, they climbed back toward 7%, leaving economists and homebuyers scratching their heads.

Why Rates Stayed Higher Than Expected

Despite rate cuts, stubborn inflation, global economic uncertainty, and volatile markets have kept mortgage rates elevated. The result: hesitant buyers, reluctant sellers, and a housing market stuck in neutral.

But new analysis from Fannie Mae offers a more optimistic outlook for the years ahead, with falling mortgage rates, rising sales, and slower home price growth on the horizon.

Mortgage Rates Could Drift Lower

At the Federal Reserve's July 29 meeting, policymakers held rates steady, but the CME FedWatch tool shows a 65% chance of a cut in September. If that happens, investor confidence could improve, pushing mortgage rates back down.

Fannie Mae now projects the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will fall to 6.4% by the end of 2025 and 6.0% by the end of 2026. While modest, these revisions are more favorable than the agency's earlier predictions of 6.5% and 6.1%, respectively.

Lower rates could breathe life into the market. Fannie Mae has raised its sales forecast to 4.85 million homes sold in 2025 (up from 4.82 million) and 5.35 million in 2026 (up from 5.25 million).

Housing Prices May Cool

While affordability challenges remain the biggest barrier for first-time buyers, slower price growth could provide some relief.

According to Fannie Mae's July update, annual home price appreciation is expected to slow to 2.8% in 2025 and 1.1% in 2026, down from prior forecasts of 4.1% and 2.0%. Rising inventory and weaker demand are likely to keep prices in check.

For sellers, slower growth may be a disappointment. But for buyers, stable home values paired with lower mortgage rates could mark a turning point after years of steep increases.

What It Means for Buyers and Sellers

Buyers may finally see a market with less price pressure, more inventory, and slightly lower borrowing costs—though affordability will still be a challenge.

Sellers may need to adjust expectations, as slower price growth and higher competition could soften returns.

The market overall is likely to move gradually back toward balance, with fewer extremes than in recent years.

Fannie Mae's latest forecast suggests the housing market may be entering a period of stability. Mortgage rates are expected to decline gradually, sales should climb, and price growth will ease. For buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines, 2025 and 2026 may finally bring the window of opportunity they've been hoping for.

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Mortgage rates barely budged this week, offering little relief for buyers navigating one of the toughest housing markets in years.

Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage settled at 6.74% for the week ending July 23, a marginal drop from 6.75% the week prior. The average 15-year fixed mortgage dipped to 5.87%, down from 5.92%.

While the shifts are small, the consistency provides some stability in an otherwise unpredictable housing environment. "Overall, the backdrop for the housing market is positive as the economy continues to perform well with solid employment and income growth," said Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac.

Mortgage activity reflects the mixed signals. Applications to purchase homes climbed 3% from last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, but refinance activity dropped by the same margin. "We expect overall demand to ebb and flow as long as mortgage rates remain volatile due to the ongoing economic uncertainty," said Bob Broeksmit, MBA CEO and president.

The bigger challenge lies in home sales. Realtor.com now forecasts that existing home sales could fall to just 4 million transactions in 2025, down 1.5% from last year and marking another historic low. At the start of the year, analysts expected sales to rise slightly — but higher borrowing costs and limited affordability have kept many buyers on the sidelines.

For now, mortgage rates remain elevated, and while they have steadied in recent weeks, housing market activity shows few signs of a meaningful rebound.

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Louisiana’s Bollinger Shipyards to Build Floating Rocket Landing Platform for Rocket Lab

Bollinger Shipyards, a nearly eight-decade-old Louisiana company best known for building vessels for the commercial, military, and government sectors, is entering the space race. The company has been tapped by Rocket Lab, a California-based aerospace firm, to convert a barge into a floating landing platform for reusable rockets.

The project, which began earlier this summer, will transform a 400-foot vessel into a high-tech ocean platform equipped with thrusters for stability, remote-control systems, and blast shields designed to withstand rocket exhaust. Once completed, the platform — aptly named "Return on Investment" — will support Rocket Lab's Neutron rockets along the East Coast near the company's Virginia launch site.

"Partnering with Rocket Lab on this venture highlights not only the innovation happening in space flight, but also the adaptability of American shipbuilding," said Bollinger Shipyards President and CEO Ben Bordelon.

The work is taking place at Bollinger's Amelia, Louisiana facility and is expected to wrap up in 2026. The vessel will play a critical role in Rocket Lab's push to develop a reusable rocket program, putting the company in direct competition with industry giants like Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket stands 141 feet tall and is capable of carrying payloads of up to 13 tons into orbit. The company envisions it as a workhorse for satellite launches and national security missions.

"This project modernizes Gulf Coast shipyard capabilities while positioning Louisiana to contribute directly to the future of aerospace," said Shaun D'Mello, Rocket Lab's vice president.

Bollinger has built more than 4,000 vessels since its founding in 1946 and remains one of the largest employers in the bayou parishes, with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion. Its new contract with Rocket Lab is the latest example of Louisiana's deep ties to the space industry.

Just outside New Orleans, NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility has been a hub for rocket construction for more than 60 years. Local leaders say Bollinger's new project continues that legacy in a rapidly expanding commercial market.

"As commercial space exploration accelerates, recovery and support missions at sea will become increasingly important," said Josh Tatum of Greater New Orleans Inc. "Louisiana is well-positioned to be part of that future."

Founded in 2006 in New Zealand by Peter Beck, Rocket Lab relocated its headquarters to California in 2013 and has since grown into a global competitor with about 2,000 employees. The company has already launched more than 200 satellites and recently inked a deal with the European Space Agency, which helped push its stock to a record high this summer.

With the "Return on Investment" platform under construction in Louisiana, Rocket Lab is betting on a new era of reusable rockets — and Bollinger Shipyards is ensuring the Gulf Coast has a front-row seat in the race to space.

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