Tech companies that use algorithms to make rapid offers on a large scale are growing players in the U.S. housing market.

Andrew Khoury reports that the online real-estate marketplace Zillow is launching a home-buying program in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Zillow Offers uses an algorithm to make a preliminary offer on a property listing within two days, aiming to resell the home within 90 days—"faster than the traditional flip," Khoury notes. The program already operates in eight U.S. markets, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Denver.
Redfin, Opendoor, and Owning are also among the so-called iBuyer companies that buy homes rapidly and sometimes sight unseen, typically in exchange for a lower price and a higher commission. By one estimate, they could represent 10 percent of home sales nationwide by 2021.
For bigger iBuyers like Zillow, Khoury reports, the model is based on the scale and speed of transactions, rather than on earning the most possible on any particular property. Other companies, like Opendoor, have partnered with major builders to ensure that potential homebuyers can sell off their old homes.
FULL STORY: Zillow will buy your home directly. And it just brought the service to Southern California

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project
The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

Converting Golf Courses to Housing Never as Easy as the Market Would Like
Thousands of golf courses have closed in recent years, but the obvious redevelopment opportunity represented by many defunct courses isn’t always easy to realize.

Houston To End Bike Share Program
Lacking the funding it needs to continue, Houston’s BCycle bike share system will end operations in the coming months.

FTA Announces Tribal Transit Program Grants
The agency awarded close to $10 million to 22 communities around the country for transit improvements.

Making Colorado’s Front Range Rail a Reality
Local leaders are scrambling to bring together the funding and political support to create new intercity rail service in the fast-growing region.

How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream
Most college campuses in the United States are inherently walkable, mixing various uses with diverse housing options and transit networks.
Caltrans
Caltrans
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
National Capital Planning Commission
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.