Follow that ... truck? 

Dallas-Fort Worth led the nation for in-bound migration, according to U-Haul's latest growth index. Two of U-Haul's top-10 move-in metros—Austin and Charleston—are among the three markets we're spotlighting this week, along with Park City.

Of course, it's not just about knowing where people are moving, it's what they're asking for when they get there. We dig into all of that.

On a related note, I'm heading to Dallas next week for the Lightovation lighting show, and we're all getting prepped for the IBS/KBIS show in Orlando in February. Where are you headed these first few months of 2026? Let me know.

—Pauline Hammerbeck, Editor

Signals: What we're tracking

Resilient Design Is Selling Homes

Buyers are searching for homes with resilience features, according to the Zillow Home Trends Report. Real estate listings mentioning flood protection are up 64%, while fire safety features (including defensible landscaping and fire protection systems) are rising 36% and 28%, respectively.

More: We think the trend reflects growing awareness that resilient design also impacts livability. Read our feature on how wildfire-ready homes deliver triple benefits: protection, performance, and quality of life.

Heard!

"I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and I will be calling on Congress to codify it. People live in homes, not corporations.”

—President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post sent earlier today. Shares of Blackstone and BlackRock tumbled in the immediate aftermath. Trump said he'll offer additional housing and affordability proposals at his speech in Davos in two weeks.

Where Americans Moved in 2025

Dallas-Fort Worth took honors as the no. 1 growth metro in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, followed by Houston, Austin, Charlotte, and Phoenix. The index tracks one-way truck rentals as an indicator of a permanent move. Among smaller cities, Ocala, Fla., took the lead. The pattern we see: warm weather, lower taxes, and job opportunities.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Desert Insights

With Taliesin West and other building designs in central Arizona, the architect adopted survival strategies from desert life long before sustainability was a trend. (Bloomberg CityLab)