Times BeatsBusiness and general news releases, as issued

Real Estate & Construction · Week of Oct 26, 2026

Lower-cost housing formats in focus: the week in real estate

Manufactured homes, backyard ADUs and sub-$500,000 new builds led a week of releases centered on lower-cost housing options.

· Times Beats newsroom

Lower-cost housing formats were the main thread this week. Realtor.com says a federal change could give manufactured housing a new opening, with lower costs and a site-built look as draws and zoning as the main obstacle. Acton ADU says more new California accessory dwelling units house family members than market tenants, which it links to assisted living costs topping $84,000 a year. Century Communities opened a Kyle, Texas, neighborhood with single-family homes from the $400s.

Elsewhere, property operations featured in releases from AppWork, which added incident and claims management for multifamily operators, and FirstService Residential, whose managed Bulle Rock community won a regional award. UFP Industries bought a Texas pallet maker for about $27 million, and Fannie Mae set an October 28 date for third quarter results. A Purina Dog Chow parade announcement also arrived in this feed and falls outside the topic.

  1. Realtor.com

    Federal Law Opens a New Path for Manufactured Housing

    Realtor.com says a federal change could give manufactured housing a new chance to grow, citing lower costs and a site-built look, and names Hartford, Conn., as the metro with the most potential uptake. It adds that zoning remains the main hurdle, which matters to builders and planners weighing the format.

  2. Century Communities, Inc.

    Century Communities Announces Grand Opening of Crosswinds, Offering New Homes in Kyle, Texas

    Century Communities is holding an October 28 grand opening for Crosswinds, a neighborhood in a planned community in Kyle, Texas, about 20 miles south of downtown Austin. The company says homes start from the $400s, adding new single-family supply in the Austin area.

  3. FirstService Residential

    FirstService Residential-managed Bulle Rock Community Takes Home 2026 Community Association of the Year Award from CAI-Chesapeake

    FirstService Residential says the Bulle Rock community it manages in Havre de Grace, Md., received the 2026 Community Association of the Year Award from the Community Associations Institute's Chesapeake chapter. The award was presented at the chapter's annual expo and symposium on October 5.

  4. UFP Industries, Inc.

    UFP Industries Expands Pallet Manufacturing Network Through Acquisition of Apache Products

    UFP Industries acquired the operating assets, including real estate, of Apache Products, Inc. dba Acme Skid, a pallet manufacturer in Silsbee, Texas, for approximately $27 million. The company says the deal expands its pallet manufacturing network.

  5. Fannie Mae

    Fannie Mae Plans to Report Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results on October 28, 2026

    Fannie Mae plans to report third quarter 2026 financial results on Wednesday morning, October 28, 2026, before U.S. markets open, and will host a webcast to discuss them. The date is relevant for readers tracking mortgage finance.

  6. AppWork

    AppWork Expands Into Risk Management With Launch of Incident & Claims Management Platform

    AppWork launched an incident and claims management platform that it says covers multifamily operators from the moment an incident occurs through approval, claim tracking and resolution. The company says the tools are included in its core platform at no additional cost, extending a maintenance product into risk management.

  7. Purina Dog Chow

    Purina Dog Chow Joins 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®

    Purina Dog Chow says it will appear with a new float in the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the brand's 100-year heritage and the bond between veterans and service dogs. The release has no stated real estate or construction connection.

  8. Acton ADU

    As Assisted Living Tops $84,000 a Year in California, Families Are Building Their Care Plans in the Backyard

    Acton ADU, a design-build firm in Campbell, Calif., says more new California ADUs house family than market tenants, and that record permit numbers reflect families caring for aging parents and keeping grandparents near grandchildren. The company ties the trend to assisted living costs topping $84,000 a year in California.

This roundup is written with AI assistance from the press releases listed above, using only what they state. The releases are the companies' own announcements, not Times Beats reporting.