Affordable Housing Deal: Brooklyn Park approved a purchase agreement for city-owned land to support “Welcome West,” a 100-unit affordable project by JO Properties, using $525,000 in tax increment financing plus low-income housing tax credits and a conventional loan. Local Housing Funding: Gallatin County’s Regional Housing Coalition pitched Montana lawmakers on new dedicated funding tools, including a local option sales tax and shares of bed tax and other state revenues, to close the gap between $2,195 median rent and $789,000 median home prices. Student Housing Pressure: Hong Kong’s student rental market is tightening as mainland students start searching months earlier, pushing landlords to keep units vacant for the September cycle and lifting rental indexes. Housing Finance Policy: Vermont expanded its Invest in Vermont program with an additional $25 million in low-interest financing for housing and job creation, leveraging cash balances without new tax dollars. Market Watch: BNZ expects floating mortgage rates to rise toward 7% in early 2027 while keeping 2026 house price inflation roughly flat. Property Transactions: Aspen’s Elk Mountain Lodge sold at auction for $33.515 million, down sharply from a $125 million peak asking price. Banking & Real Estate Capital: WesBanco and First Financial Bancorp reported strong second-quarter results, with First Financial also announcing an acquisition of Finward Bancorp.