Retirement Planning - The Midwest offers attractive retirement destinations due to low cost of living [1] - Affordable housing prices are a key factor in the Midwest's retirement appeal [1] Lifestyle & Amenities - Retirement in the Midwest provides access to amenities and cultural activities [1]

Market Trends - The UK housing market is not collapsing, but not soaring [1] - Sellers are accepting that peak prices are in the past [1] - Life is getting a little easier for buyers in the UK housing market [1]

Core Viewpoint - The American Dream is perceived as increasingly unattainable, with nearly 70% of respondents believing it "no longer holds true or never did," marking the highest level of skepticism in the survey's 15-year history [1] Group 1: Pessimism Across Demographics - The pessimism regarding the American Dream spans across political, class, and demographic lines, with similar views reported by men and women, young and old, and across income levels [2] - A significant political divide exists, with 55% of Republicans expressing negative views compared to 90% of Democrats [2] Group 2: Economic Sentiment and Future Outlook - Only 25% of respondents feel they have a good chance of improving their standard of living, a record low in the 38-year history of the study, and over 75% doubt life will improve for the next generation [4] - Despite the discontent, 44% of respondents felt positive about the economy, an increase from 38% in 2024 [5] Group 3: Economic Indicators - The median home price has increased by 532% from $63,900 in 1979 to $403,800 in 2025 [5] - Wages for middle-income earners have only grown by 6% since 1979 [5] - The wage gap has widened, with CEOs now earning 296 times what a typical worker makes, up from 30 times in 1979 [5] - Inflation rates have been significant, with rates of 7% in 2021 and 6.5% in 2022 impacting household budgets [5] - The consumer price index indicates inflation at 2.7% [5] - Americans have reached record credit card debt levels of $1.21 trillion in 2024 [5] - The unemployment rate stands at 4.3% as of August 2025, which is considered a healthy level [5]

Retirement Planning - The Midwest offers attractive retirement destinations due to a low cost of living [1] - Affordable housing prices are a key factor in the Midwest's appeal for retirees [1] - Retirement in the Midwest provides access to amenities and cultural activities [1]

Market Trends - First-tier cities' new commercial housing sales prices decreased by 0.1% MoM, with the decline narrowing by 0.1 percentage point [1] - Shanghai increased by 0.4% MoM, while Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen decreased by 0.4%, 0.2%, and 0.4% respectively [1] - Second-tier cities' new commercial housing sales prices decreased by 0.3% MoM, with the decline narrowing by 0.1 percentage point [1] - Third-tier cities' new commercial housing sales prices decreased by 0.4% MoM, with the decline expanding by 0.1 percentage point [2]

Housing Market Trends - China's 70 major cities saw a 2.8% year-over-year decrease in new home sales prices in July [1] - This represents a slight improvement compared to the 3.2% year-over-year decrease in June [1] - Month-over-month, new home sales prices in these cities decreased by 0.3% in July, consistent with the 0.3% decrease in June [1] - For the first seven months of the year (January to July), new home sales prices in these cities decreased by 4.5% year-over-year [1]

Market Trends - China's 70 major cities saw a year-on-year and month-on-month decrease in new home sales prices in July [1]

Trade Dispute - US and Canada have been fighting over lumber since the 1980s [1] - The lumber dispute could potentially drive up housing prices [1]

Housing Market Trends - Gen Z is finding resourceful ways to buy homes despite high interest rates and housing prices [1]

Housing Market Regulation - Singapore introduced new measures to control housing prices [1] - The measures include raising the stamp duty for those who sell their homes within four years [1]