Global Scans · Homes · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The number of smart homes is expected to grow further and by 2020 it is expected 46.2 million homes in the US and 44.9 million in Europe will be classed as smart homes. By 2022 there could be nearly 500 smart devices that can be connected to a smart home.

• [New] More than $124 trillion in U.S. household wealth is expected to transfer across generations through 2048. Hamilton Lane
• [New] CMS providers will activate a 72-hour shooting response protocol to rapidly support victims, families and communities in the aftermath of gun violence. Mirage News
• [New] Baby Boomers hold approximately 40% of U.S. residential real estate, representing $18 to $20 trillion in housing wealth, that will gradually change hands over the next 15 to 20 years. Las Vegas Sun
• [New] A quarterly Fannie Mae/Pulsenomics survey of more than 100 housing economists projects home prices will appreciate approximately 1.7% in 2026 and 2.0% in 2027, with the overwhelming majority of panelists forecasting no national price decline. / USA Las Vegas Sun
• [New] Industry data points to roughly 35% of U.S. furniture and home furnishings sales now transacted online, with penetration expected to approach 40% by the end of the decade. Lincoln International LLC
• [New] Under House Bill 533, Idaho will no longer issue or require annual registration stickers on license plates. Idaho Transportation Department
• [New] The U.S. will be home to more people over 65 than people under 18. American Planning Association
• [New] If current conditions remain unchanged and water demand continues to outweigh the shrinking supply base of the Colorado River, households and businesses in the American West will experience further water shortages combined with higher water prices. The Conference Board
• [New] For integrators, an OpenAI home device could become a new control layer connecting automation, entertainment, communication, and household information. Residential Tech Today
• [New] In an unprecedented effort to sever the family chain, the Italian state will offer children aged under 25 and other close relatives of mafia bosses a chance to start over: a new home in another city, a new school and, if necessary, a new identity. The Guardian
• [New] CarbonCraft's ambitious mission is to build 1 Million Carbon-negative homes by 2035. Carbon Removal Updates
• [New] The Federal Housing Finance Agency transition to FICO 10 T and VantageScore 4.0 extends scoring to roughly five million additional US adults for conforming mortgages, and the parallel shift in card and auto underwriting will reach several million more. TechBullion
• [New] The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has recently published the Warm Homes Plan, which aims to upgrade 5 million homes with technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, batteries and insulation to reduce bills. GOV.UK
• [New] Social homes will need to meet either the new EPC fabric performance, smart readiness or heating system metric at band C by 2030, followed by one of the remaining metrics at band C by 2039. GOV.UK
• [New] The Construction category is expected to exhibit a CAGR of approximately 3.7% over the forecast period, supported by the housing development sector, which accounts for 40% of global concrete consumption. Claight Corporation (Expert Market Research)
• [New] Single-family mortgage originations will jump 24% this year to $1.96 trillion, including both home purchases and refinancing. ICBA.org
• [New] Across the Middle East, families have endured fear, uncertainty and violence. Al Jazeera
• [New] The main challenges currently facing the Croatian banking and financial sector include digital transformation, cyber resilience, outsourcing risk, household indebtedness, and compliance with new EU digital finance and crypto-asset regulations. CEE Legal Matters
• [New] At the regulatory level, the Croatian National Bank has increasingly focused on macroprudential measures aimed at addressing risks associated with strong household lending activity and maintaining financial stability. CEE Legal Matters

Last updated: 25 July 2026