Relatively speaking, California is not a hot spot for housing investors.That’s a conclusion from my trusty spreadsheet’s review of data on investor activity across the nation from BatchData, a small data tracker that digs deeper into property records than many traditional real estate analysts.BatchD

Located near Valdivia on Chile’s Pacific coast, the Calfuco Refuge is a 50 m² cabin designed by Tomás de Iruarrizaga. Built on a concrete supports, the structure rises ten meters into the treetops of the dense Valdivian rainforest, minimizing ground disturbance. The small footprint — just 4 by 7 met

This black brick house from Gogstudio , near Seattle stands out with its bold masonry that blends perfectly with the dark forest around it. The textured bricks and deep mortar lines give the house a strong, grounded look that feels at home in the woods.Built on a concrete base, the home includes nat

This clifftop retreat by Winter Architecture replaces a long-loved weatherboard shack with a refined yet informal beach house. Designed as three interconnected pavilions wrapped in timber, the home balances privacy with openness, forming fluid outdoor spaces that move with the sun and sea breeze.The

The city of San Diego is seeking to move past a blundered real estate deal with a new high-stakes transaction, this time betting on a development team’s ability to turn the empty 101 Ash St. office tower into hundreds of apartments for low-income families at the expense of recouping what it has sunk

Casa da Baro, designed by Passarelli Arquitetos, is a residence that redefines balance—both in structure and in spirit. Located in a gated leisure community in Bragança Paulista, the house embraces the natural contours of the land like a set of wings gliding over the hillside.From above, the home un

Casa E+E, designed by GM Arquitecto, sits on a privileged coastal site in Spain and captures panoramic views over the Mediterranean Sea. The 283 m² residence reinterprets the original structure with a minimalist aesthetic, enhancing indoor-outdoor living through clean lines, natural ventilation, and

In a suburb of Salzburg, INNOCAD Architecture reinterprets the gabled-roof house with Casa S—a modern family residence wrapped in pre-weathered timber. Built from native spruce using cross-laminated timber, the structure rests lightly above a steel-supported base, giving the home a sculptural and el

Perched above Nova Scotia’s Gaspereau River Valley, White Rock Cottage by Omar Gandhi Architects is a bold architectural response to its rugged, wooded setting. The 140-square-meter cabin is lifted above the sloping five-acre site on slender steel stilts, taking on the form of a corrugated Corten st

For 92 years, Las Cuatro Milpas bucked the odds. Petra and Natividad Estudillo opened the restaurant on Logan Avenue in 1933, serving simple plates of comfort food like rice, beans, tacos, burritos, and the best tortillas in town. It’s hardly changed a bit since then—it’s still cash-only, the lard-l

Tenants in Southern California are not getting the same level of relief from rent increases as the average American.This insight comes from my trusty spreadsheet’s analysis of rent inflation data from the Consumer Price Index, which tracks 23 U.S. markets, including three in Southern California. The

Vistalcielo is a 155 m² residence in Mérida, Mexico, designed on a narrow 5×31-meter lot by Veinte Diezz Arquitectos. The existing house was structurally damaged, but instead of demolishing it, the architects retained about 70% of the original masonry. The home was reorganized into six volumes, thre

Set on a historically rich site between meadow and woodland in Amagansett, the 6,300-square-foot Stony Hill Residence by Bates Masi + Architects draws from the area’s agricultural past to shape a contemporary home for a young family. Once used by Native Americans for hunting and later by settlers as

To many critics of a generous backyard-apartment incentive San Diego is poised to rein in, most of the problems with the controversial program trace back to one man — a local developer named Christian Spicer.Spicer and his investors, they say, are responsible for scores of large-scale projects that

Tucked into the remote hills of Chiang Mai, the Wood and Mountain Cabin by Sher Maker is a handcrafted timber retreat designed for off-grid travelers seeking immersion in nature. Collaborating with local artisans, the architecture firm drew inspiration from traditional northern Thai wooden houses, c

Perched on the rugged edge of a forested cliff, the Orcas House by Allied8 is a bold architectural statement in minimal impact and maximal experience. The facade is clad in aging Kebony wood that seamlessly mimics the bark of the surrounding trees, visually blending the structure into its mossy, old

Stretching from highway 54 to the border, Chula Vista is the heavyweight of San Diego’s South Bay—a sprawling city of 275,000 with one foot in the past and the other stepping forward. On the west side, you’ll find old-school charm: a historic downtown, cozy neighborhoods, midcentury homes, a breezy

Tucked into the woods of Suizhou, China, The Treehouse, Mask in the Forest by Moguang Studio is a 190 m² retreat raised above ground to protect ancient trees and enhance forest views. Built in 2023, the structure features charred cedar cladding and geometric forms that respond to the site’s irregula

Located in Khao Yai, Thailand, BAAN O+O sits on sloped terrain without altering the landform. The Junsekino Architect and Design elevated the structure, minimizing earthwork and using a compact footprint to reduce impact. This elevated design reinterprets the traditional “tai thun” space beneath Tha

Anyone who’s walked down the old-timey main drag in Julian knows the Cuyamaca Mountain town still feels a lot like it must have in the late 1800s. The area struck gold—literally—in 1869, and became an official town in 1870. But it wasn’t until a few years later that the quaint city 60 miles northeas