WSJ What’s News Rising HOA Fees Are Making It Even More Expensive to Own a Home
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Apr 9, 2026 
Nicole Friedman, a Wall Street Journal housing reporter, digs into soaring HOA and condo fees and why they are making homeownership tougher. David Luhnow, the Journal’s U.K. bureau chief, explores British alarms over Russian moves near undersea cables. The conversation also touches on Israel-Lebanon talks, ceasefire hopes, and a market rally.
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AI Has Made Undersea Cables A Bigger Target
- Undersea cables have become strategic infrastructure because modern economies and military AI depend on bandwidth-heavy data flows.
- David Luhnow said adversaries map cable routes so they could disrupt internet access, corporate activity, or battlefield AI in a conflict.
Britain Says Russia Used A Decoy Submarine
- British officials described a submarine encounter that read like a spy novel in the North Atlantic.
- David Luhnow said a Russian nuclear sub acted as a decoy while two others snooped near sensitive cables before the U.K. signaled it was tracking them.
Rising HOA Fees Are Pricing Buyers Out Of Condos
- HOA and condo fees now meaningfully shape home affordability, not just mortgage rates and sale prices.
- Nicole Friedman said condo fees hit a $420 median in 2024, up 29% from 2019, while single-family association fees reached $63, up 26%.