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Portillo’s, a popular fast-casual restaurant chain known for its Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef, has seen its stock dip nearly 40% from its 52-week high. Despite the decline, insiders appear bullish on the company’s future, with recent insider buying activity suggesting confidence in a rebound. Executives, including the CEO, have purchased shares on the…

Homebuyers are finally catching a break in certain parts of the U.S., as housing affordability improves in six metro areas where wages are rising and home prices are stabilizing or even falling. According to a recent report from real estate brokerage Redfin, these cities — including Phoenix, Austin, and Las Vegas — are seeing a…

Homebuyers in several U.S. cities are seeing a boost in purchasing power, thanks to recent declines in mortgage rates and home prices stabilizing in some markets. According to new data, cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Austin are experiencing conditions where price drops and wage growth have made homes slightly more affordable. For example,…

A California real estate developer has been sentenced to six years in federal prison after admitting to bribing a Los Angeles County official with cash, concert tickets, and other benefits in exchange for help securing approval for a major residential project. The developer, David Lee, pleaded guilty to participating in a pay-to-play scheme involving former…

A former professional poker player, Cory Zeidman, has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for running a fraudulent sports betting scheme that scammed victims out of more than $25 million. Zeidman and his associates operated a national marketing campaign between 2004 and 2020, luring people into paying for supposedly “inside information” on…

A California man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly running a real estate scam that targeted property owners in Southern Arizona. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the man posed as a property owner or agent and listed homes online without permission, collecting deposit payments from interested buyers or renters before disappearing…

A California real estate developer was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in a massive fraud scheme that involved manipulating home prices in Arizona and defrauding banks out of millions. Prosecutors said Michael L. Mastro conspired with others to artificially inflate property values by using straw buyers, falsified documents, and fraudulent…

As the housing affordability crisis continues to affect Phoenix, city and nonprofit leaders are introducing innovative strategies to combat the shortage of affordable housing. The city’s housing director, Titus Mathew, emphasized that Phoenix is trying to meet its goal of building or preserving 50,000 affordable housing units by 2030. Approaches include converting underutilized buildings into…

Former President Donald Trump’s new executive order targeting homelessness could bring substantial changes to how cities like Providence, Rhode Island, address housing insecurity. The order emphasizes stricter enforcement against encampments, expands funding for mental health services, and directs federal land to be repurposed for temporary shelters, aiming to reduce visible homelessness in public spaces. Local…

Florida has earned the title of the sixth-best state to live in the U.S., according to a recent WalletHub ranking. The study evaluated all 50 states across five key dimensions: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Florida’s high marks in quality of life and economy helped propel it into the top…