Market Moves with Mark and Jeff

Dustin Harris (The Appraiser Coach) joins Mark and Jeff to discuss the results of Project Prometheus — a 90-day experiment testing whether agentic AI could run an entire real estate appraisal back office. Spoiler: it worked 82% of the time. What you'll hear: • What Project Prometheus actually tested — and what it didn't • The "82% Rule" — where AI succeeded and where it fell short • Dustin's offic...

The AI boom "isn't inflationary." That's what Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said out loud on a conference stage, and it could reshape everything about rate expectations heading into the second half of 2026. Mark and Jeff unpack what it means for real estate and mortgage markets. Plus: Dustin Harris (The Appraiser Coach) ran a 90-day experiment using AI to run an appraisal business solo — $100K...

The biggest bipartisan housing bill in decades just got held hostage. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed 85-5 in the Senate and 358-32 in the House — then Trump canceled the signing, demanding voter ID legislation first. Mark and Jeff break down what's at stake, what $131,734 in regulatory costs means for every new home, and why appraisers might finally get some relief. Topics: • Trump ca...

Two appraisers walk through the data nobody's talking about: Chicago office towers losing 90%+ of their value, Houston's industrial manufacturing explosion, the Appraisal Foundation's workforce paper responding to Trump's mortgage access EO, and how an institutional housing ban quietly killed 6,000 homes. Topics covered: • CPI at 4.2% — is it energy or the economy? • Chicago office market: 90%+ lo...

Jeff's calling in from Japan (16-hour difference, fueled by ChatGPT). In a bet on housing market recovery: Berkshire Hathaway drops $8.5B on Taylor Morrison. Meanwhile the news went full weird: A top mortgage lender launches an athleisure brand, and Bill Pulte named as acting Director of National Intelligence. Plus: JOLTS report crushes rate cut hopes, NAR membership down 9.5%, and what it all mea...

The 280x cost reduction in AI tokens since ChatGPT's launch isn't slowing down — and Marc Andreessen says engineers aren't using their new productivity to work less, they're staying up all night building everything they've ever imagined. Meanwhile, Starship V3 just launched from Starbase, Texas, opening the door to orbital data centers at a moment when earthbound compute can't keep up with AI dema...

This week: the $800M deal that just changed the brokerage landscape. Real Brokerage acquired RE/MAX, combining a national network of 8,500 offices with an AI-first platform. Mark and Jeff break down what it means — and whether the tech is actually impressive. Then, a deep dive into China's real estate collapse. Prices are now back to 2005 levels — and at their peak, homes in Beijing and Shenzhen w...

Mark rode one of Tesla's first unsupervised robotaxis in Houston — and got stranded at a brewery waiting for the next one. That experience kicks off a conversation about the pace of AI-driven change most people won't see coming until it hits them. Mark and Jeff also debrief from two separate appraisal conferences where AI dominated every room, then break down Kevin Warsh's Senate confirmation hear...

Take the Market Moves Challenge! We're your go-to source for what's happening in the economy and why it matters to real estate. Mark and Jeff explore why successful leaders, from America's founders to today's top entrepreneurs, share one critical trait: a bias for action. They also reveal how their AI agent, Tug, is helping power the podcast and invite listeners to connect with him on X and Linked...

"Through hell to heaven… grind 'til 2027." That's the mindset Tug brings as Mark and Jeff revisit what it may take for real estate transaction volume to return to historical norms. They also break down why market sentiment, tracked by platforms like Polymarket, is shifting against Fannie Mae exiting conservatorship. What's driving the skepticism? The conversation turns to artificial intelligence a...

Rising tensions in the Middle East are threatening to stall any momentum in the housing market — but that's only part of the story. Mark and Jeff also introduce something entirely new: their own AI-powered agent, Tug (Two Uninteresting Guys), an "open claw" experiment designed to showcase what's possible in the fast-evolving world of agentic AI. This won't be a one-off; Tug is an ongoing, real-tim...

In a surprise move on Friday the 13th, President Trump issued not one, but two, executive orders aimed at jumpstarting the housing market. What do they actually mean for real estate? Coming to you from San Antonio, Mark and Jeff are joined by friend of the podcast, Scott DiBiasio of the Appraisal Institute, to break it all down. From potential shifts in lending — especially among regional and comm...

Mark and Jeff look back over the past decade to understand how the housing market reached today's unusual crossroads. Starting from the pre-pandemic landscape, they trace the rapid changes that followed — home prices soaring more than 50% since 2020 and the Dow climbing over 100% in just six years, all while housing transaction volumes have fallen to historic lows. Despite the sluggish sales envir...

Mark and Jeff welcome appraiser and economist Kevin Hecht for a conversation on how money is actually created in today's economy, the current economic landscape, and what it may mean for the housing market and the appraisal profession. While central banks often get the spotlight, they aren't the only institutions that create money. Kevin explains how bank lending expands the money supply and how t...

Perspectives on what AI will bring range from dystopian to utopian. A recent article from Citrini Research went viral as a thought experiment imagining what could unfold over the next two years if AI triggered massive job displacement, potentially disrupting employment and, in turn, the broader U.S. economy built on consumer spending. That outlook stands in sharp contrast to the far more optimisti...

Is there still room for a winning iBuyer in today's market and could Opendoor be the one to pull it off? Mark and Jeff break down why they believe the model isn't dead yet and what it would take to make it succeed. They also dig into the latest numbers from Doge.gov , showing an estimated $215B in savings — about $1,333 per taxpayer — far short of the original $1T+ projections. What happened and w...

Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), joins Mark and Jeff for a high-level conversation on where the housing market is headed next. NAR is forecasting a 14% jump in existing home sales in 2026 and calling it a potential "year of recovery," but what's changing in the market to support that? They also examine whether Kevin Warsh is the right choice to lead...

Fresh inflation and jobs data may finally be setting the stage for additional rate cuts, and a new chapter at the Federal Reserve could bring much-needed stability. With Kevin Warsh stepping in as Fed Chair, Mark and Jeff discuss whether the Fed can fade from the national spotlight and refocus on steady, predictable policy. The conversation also dives into Opendoor's strategic pivot toward dramati...

Market Moves welcomes the "Queen of Green," Sandy Adomatis, for a deep dive into what green building really means and why it's so often misunderstood. Is sustainability in housing just about solar panels or is there much more beneath the surface? Sandy breaks down the key elements of green construction and energy efficiency, explains why buyers, sellers, agents, and even appraisers struggle to ful...

What once sounded like a joke is now a serious conversation: the U.S. purchasing Greenland. Mark and Jeff unpack how the idea moved from far-fetched to plausible, including a surprising "land comp" offered by Putin, plus another unconventional comparison they dig up themselves. The conversation then turns to a housing market sending mixed signals. Jeff diagnoses the market with "schizophrenia" as...

It's time for our 2026 real estate predictions and we want to know yours (join us in the comments) ! We may just have to give away a trophy or invite the prediction winner to be a guest on the show. A new Federal Reserve Chair, a lower federal funds rate, sweeping housing policy proposals, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence are setting the stage for a transformative 2026. Change is comi...

It's time for the 2025 predictions recap. Jeff takes the "Nostradamus" win, edging out Mark 4–3. From rate cuts and mortgage rates to the S&P, Fannie Mae stock, the Fed Chair's future, and median home prices, Mark and Jeff break down what they got right, what they missed, plus the market conditions and thinking in mid-2025 that shaped those calls. The conversation also tackles major headlines, inc...

Low interest rates have locked in and kept sellers on the sidelines, while high prices and borrowing costs have shut many buyers out. Will the tide finally turn? Rates are easing, prices are softening, and incomes are rising. This raises the big question: will these shifts drive a real rebound in mortgage volume in 2026? Mark and Jeff break down what's changing, what's not, and whether optimism is...

New year, new focus for Mark and Jeff. With inflation coming in cooler than expected — right on the heels of a Fed rate cut — the big question remains: is there real hope for 2026? We break down NAR's projections for increased home sales and lower interest rates, and dig into how much improvement the market might actually see. Also, don't forget to cast your vote in the Buzzy Awards — especially f...

In this episode, Mark and Jeff dive into the 6–7 trend and how it relates. They also share their appreciation to Appraisal Buzz for nominating Market Moves as a 2025 Best Content Creator (voting link below if you feel inclined to support us!). Before you hit play, make sure you catch Gavin Baker's recent interview on AI; it sets the stage for everything happening now. Jeff and Mark also break down...