What investment is rudimentary for billionaires but ‘revolutionary’ for 70,571+ investors entering 2026?
Imagine this. You open your phone to an alert. It says, “you spent $236,000,000 more this month than you did last month.”
If you were the top bidder at Sotheby’s fall auctions, it could be reality.
Sounds crazy, right? But when the ultra-wealthy spend staggering amounts on blue-chip art, it’s not just for decoration.
The scarcity of these treasured artworks has helped drive their prices, in exceptional cases, to thin-air heights, without moving in lockstep with other asset classes.
The contemporary and post war segments have even outpaced the S&P 500 overall since 1995.*
Now, over 70,000 people have invested $1.2 billion+ across 500 iconic artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and more.
How? You don’t need Medici money to invest in multimillion dollar artworks with Masterworks.
Thousands of members have gotten annualized net returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8% from 26 sales to date.
*Based on Masterworks data. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd
Hey there,
Renter demand is spreading from ultra-luxury towers to value suburbs. Queens' tallest tower, Houston's $9,000 estates, and hot Kenosha listings show the spread.
Are your rents and product mix aligned with where tenants are actually moving?
📰 Upcoming in this issue
🏙️ Queens’ Tallest Opens: 824 Rentals, Mid-$3Ks To $10K+ Rents
🏠 Kenosha Tops U.S. Markets, But Can The Heat Last In 2026?
🏙️ $9K Floor: The Langley Brings Estate-Style Rentals To Houston
📈 Trending news
Foreclosures Resolved Faster, Timelines Keep Shrinking 🏁
Price Growth Forecasts Drive Zillow’s 2026 Heat Index 🧾
Is January Really Cheaper, or Just Less Competitive? 🔍
🏙️ Queens’ Tallest Opens: 824 Rentals, Mid-$3Ks to $10K+ Rents
Realtor.com says The Orchard, an 823-foot Long Island City tower, is set to welcome its first residents. Studios to three-bedroom homes start in the mid-$3,000s, with premium homes topping $10,000. The hook is scale: a 60,000-square-foot private yard plus 100,000 square feet of amenities, drawing Manhattan renters across the river next.
🏗️ 70 Stories, 823 Feet: Skyline views and a sleek Perkins Eastman design position The Orchard as Queens’ new height champion with sweeping Manhattan vistas.
🏡 824 Homes, 248 Affordable: Studios to three bedrooms, with 248 income-restricted units, broaden the pool beyond trophy renters and hedge vacancy risk.
💵 Mid-$3Ks To $10K+: Early asks start in the mid-$3,000s and run into the $10,000 range, with first move-ins targeted for February 2026.
🌳 60K-Sq-Ft Backyard: Apple orchard, pickleball, pool, yoga deck, and outdoor screen pair with an indoor court, lap pool, and sky lounge.
🏠 Kenosha Tops U.S. Markets, But Can the Heat Last in 2026?
Kenosha just landed at the top of the hottest-market lists, pulling triple the listing views and trimming days on market to 44. Buyers chasing Chicago-adjacent value kept prices in the $260K–$280K band. The unlock is falling rates plus steady demand, which could tighten supply again if new listings stall.
Key Takeaways:
🔥 3x Listing Views: December listings drew over triple normal traffic on Realtor.com, a clear signal of surplus demand and fast offers.
⏱️ 44-Day Pace: Typical home lasted 44 days, roughly a month faster than the U.S. average, keeping bidding pressure high.
💵 $260K–$280K Band: Zillow shows an average value of ~$261K, Redfin pegs a sale price of ~$280K, both rising mid-single digits.
🚇 Chicago Spillover: Inbound buyers from Chicagoland want value and commute access, a tailwind if local building stays slow.
🏙️ $9K Floor: The Langley Brings Estate-Style Rentals to Houston
Realtor.com spotlights The Langley, a 20-story luxury rental building featuring 134 large two- and three-bedroom homes, with eight residences per floor. Rents start at around $9,100, with valet and private dining, and are built for downsizers who want privacy and lock-and-leave ease. The lever is estate-scale plans and white-glove perks, pulling would-be buyers into leases as top locations stay tight.
💵 $9K Starting Rents: Initial asks around $9,100 a month, with select homes higher, signaling a new ceiling for Houston luxury leases.
🏗️ 20 Stories, 134 Homes: Two and three-bedroom layouts, eight per floor, designed to feel like single-family estates in the sky.
🛎️ Hotel-Level Services: On-site valet and concierge, private dining spaces, fitness and pool amenities, delivering a turnkey, staff-supported lifestyle.
📍 Prime Inner-Loop Spot: 1717 Bissonnet, between Southampton and Boulevard Oaks, minutes from Rice University and the Museum District.
📊 Take This Edition’s Poll:
This or that, which 2026 play looks more durable based on the signals shared here
Why It Matters
Reading this split helps you price units, plan concessions, and target new projects.
Start by mapping demand, rents, and lease-ups in your own submarkets against these benchmarks. Keep an eye on income levels, commute patterns, and supply so you do not overreach.
Till the next property buzz,
Bailey Watkins
Editor-in-Chief
Residential Real Estate
P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email and I’ll send packages!