Pearl SCORE

10/15/2026

Here’s a simple test for any home-search app: look up an address that isn’t for sale. Some apps only show homes that are on the market, and that can limit what you learn.

Price, photos, and square footage only tell part of the story. First-time buyers made up just 21% of the market, the lowest share on record (National Association of REALTORS®), so a lot of people are learning this for the first time.

We put together a six-point checklist to help you pick a platform that shows how a home actually performs day to day, not just how it looks.

What Features Make a Home-Buying Platform Good for Beginners: A 6-Point Checklist for First-Time Buyers https://bit.ly/4yh1RDy

10/14/2026

Ground-source heat pumps are able to offer heating and cooling in a more efficient manner. These developments can save homeowners on utility expenses while also reducing the burden on the electric grid.

New Colorado neighborhood could offer glimpse into the future of home energy use https://bit.ly/4i0ygbN via Inside Climate News CC: Dandelion Energy

The partners behind a project in suburban Denver think they’ve found a way to accelerate the adoption of residential geothermal heating and cooling.

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

First-time buyers are putting down a bigger share of the price than at any point since 1989. The median first-time buyer down payment hit 10% in 2025 (National Association of REALTORS®).

But the down payment is only one piece. There’s also credit, finding a home you can actually get, making an offer, and what it costs to own the home after closing.

We put together a guide to the 10 biggest challenges first-time buyers run into, in three phases, so you know what’s ahead.

Common Challenges for First-Time Home Buyers: An Agent's Guide https://bit.ly/4s0sIT5

A phase-by-phase guide for agents on the top challenges first-time buyers face, from down payments to closing costs, and where to add value.

10/12/2026

Home buyers need to be aware that the cost of owning a home goes beyond their mortgage payments. This post in Green Builder Media highlights what buyers should take into consideration and what options they can have to keep costs down.

Affordability Awareness https://bit.ly/4yIiQ2X with insights from loanDepot, LendingTree, and Community Associations Institute

When considering whether to purchase a home, prospective buyers must include immediate and long-term budget-benders such as insurance, property tax, and operational costs. Builders should help them learn all about it.

10/08/2026

A home can look great on a tour and still have things you can't see: how old the heating and cooling system is, whether the ducts leak, how well the house is sealed against drafts.

Those details shape how a home feels and what it costs to run every day. High-performing homes get them right across five areas, not just one.

We put together a simple four-step guide to help you find out before you make an offer, including a checklist and questions to ask at your next showing.

How to Identify a High-Performance Home Before You Buy https://bit.ly/44JBCJZ

A how-to guide for home buyers explaining what a high-performance home is, how Pearl SCORE™ measures it across five pillars, and how to look up any US…

10/07/2026

When you're buying a home, you'll probably hear three terms in the same week: home inspection, energy audit, and home performance rating. It's easy to think they're the same thing. They're not.

A home inspection checks the home's physical condition and averages about $344. An energy audit looks at where a home loses energy and averages about $437 (via Angi, 2026). A home performance rating shows how a home is set up to run day to day.

We broke down what each one does and when it helps most, so you know which one to ask about.

Home Inspection vs. Energy Audit vs. Pearl SCORE™: What's the Difference?

See how a home inspection, energy audit, and Pearl SCORE™ differ, and when buyers actually need each one.

10/06/2026

With fall official under way, it's important for homeowners to start to take steps to get their houses ready for winter. From window leaks to HVAC checks, here's a handy list of important items to review.

Your Essential Fall Maintenance Checklist: 8 Things You Really Should Do Before the First Frost https://bit.ly/4hHdIVc via Realtor.com

The postsummer months are a critical time for knocking out routine home maintenance to keep your household running smoothly into winter.

10/05/2026

"Affordability is not just what it costs to build, buy, or rent a home on day one. It is also what it costs to live in, operate, insure, maintain, and recover that home over time."

More Housing or More Sustainable Housing? It’s a False Choice—Let’s Do Both! https://on.nrdc.org/46YWrlH via NRDC

The only viable path to abundant, affordable housing is to build and retrofit homes that are efficient, resilient, affordable to operate, and durable enough to withstand rising climate and insurance risks.

10/01/2026

If you've worked with a real estate agent before, you probably already know this: the agents people recommend to friends and family aren't just the ones who got the deal done. They're the ones who stayed in touch along the way.

Research from the National Association of REALTORS® backs this up — most buyers and sellers find their agent through a referral or a past relationship, not a random search.

It's a good reminder that a good experience with an agent is built in small moments throughout a purchase or sale, not just on closing day.

Ways for Real Estate Agents to Create a Memorable Client Journey https://bit.ly/3U3MKzo

A phase-by-phase guide for real estate agents to build a client journey that earns trust, referrals, and repeat business.