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New Report Reveals Disconnect in How Builders and Buyers Define Housing Affordability

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COGNITION Smart Data report finds buyers are willing to rethink size, location, and upfront price in exchange for lower long-term housing costs.

LAKE CITY, Colo., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New market intelligence from Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data portal reveals that buyers are increasingly evaluating affordability through a different lens: what a home costs to own and operate every month.

The report, Full Cost, Not First Cost, Will Unlock Future Housing Affordability, draws on proprietary COGNITION Smart Data surveying of consumers, homeowners, and building professionals to uncover a substantial disconnect between what buyers can afford, what they value, and what the housing industry is delivering.

The homeownership dream remains surprisingly resilient. Half of renters surveyed expect to purchase a home in the future, with another 11.7% saying they probably will. But 41.7% of consumers say they realistically need a home priced below $200,000.

COGNITION data also reveals consumers are willing to make significant tradeoffs to achieve homeownership. Three of four respondents would move to find more affordable housing, while more than 40% would accept a home 25% smaller than the average new single-family home if it meant owning sooner.

Perhaps most significant is the changing definition of affordability itself. Buyers identified energy efficiency, optimized space, and smaller homes among the leading ways to reduce long-term housing costs.

“The affordability conversation has been dominated by purchase price, but that’s only one part of what people actually pay to live in a home,” says Jennifer Castenson, Vice President of COGNITION Smart Data and Market Analytics at Green Builder Media. “Our data shows an opportunity to rethink the housing product around total monthly cost, efficiency, durability, and right-sized design.”

Full Cost, Not First Cost, Will Unlock Future Housing Affordability is available for free download. Want to learn more about COGNITION Smart Data? Take it for a spin here.

About COGNITION Smart Data

COGNITION Smart Data is Green Builder Media‘s market intelligence and data platform, tracking evolving consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, policy shifts, competitive benchmarks and market demand signals to help housing-industry organizations align products, messaging and innovation with changing market needs.

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SOURCE Green Builder Media, LLC

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FLYQUEST AND VON DUTCH REUNITE FOR SECOND COLLECTION, PUSHING GAMING FURTHER INTO CULTURE

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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FlyQuest and Von Dutch today unveiled their second collection, continuing a partnership that brings gaming, fashion and contemporary culture together through a shared appreciation for individuality and self-expression.

Following the success of last year’s collection, which sold out in less than 24 hours, the new FlyQuest x Von Dutch collaboration takes a more conceptual approach. Titled “The Workman Collection”, and brought to life through the concept “Built to Break”, the collection draws inspiration from Von Dutch’s roots in Kustom Kulture — a world defined by craftsmanship, customization, experimentation and the people who make things their own. Built to Break is grounded in a simple idea: the most interesting people are shaped by the things they pursue — the risks they take, the worlds they move between and the challenges they choose to face.

Rather than creating merchandise designed solely for existing fans, the collection approaches gaming through the language of fashion — creating pieces intended to live naturally alongside streetwear, sportswear and other expressions of contemporary culture.

“Last year showed us that gaming doesn’t need to exist in its own separate category,” said Paul Cho, Vice President of Partnerships at FlyQuest. “The collection sold out because people connected with it beyond esports. Gaming is becoming part of the same cultural conversation as fashion, music and sport, and our work with Von Dutch is about continuing to push that forward. We want FlyQuest to mean something both inside the game and outside of it.”

The collaboration reflects a broader evolution in how gaming intersects with culture. As jerseys, racing jackets, team insignia and other symbols of sport have moved beyond competition to become part of everyday style, FlyQuest sees an opportunity for gaming to develop the same kind of cultural language. Von Dutch provides a natural counterpart to that ambition. Rooted in American counterculture and later embedded in some of the most recognizable moments of early-2000s fashion, the brand has long existed at the intersection of style, entertainment and cultural identity.

Together, FlyQuest and Von Dutch are exploring what happens when those worlds collide — where gaming becomes another form of cultural expression, and where the things we pursue become part of who we are.

The FlyQuest x Von Dutch collection is available beginning today, October 9, 2026, through FlyQuest and select channels.

ABOUT FLYQUEST
FlyQuest is a professional esports and gaming organization competing across some of the world’s largest competitive titles. Beyond competition, FlyQuest is building a broader cultural platform spanning gaming, creators, fashion, entertainment and community.

ABOUT VON DUTCH
Von Dutch is an iconic fashion and lifestyle brand rooted in American counterculture and recognized globally for its influence on early-2000s fashion. Known for its signature trucker hats, bold graphics and rebellious identity, Von Dutch continues to reinterpret its heritage through collaborations spanning fashion, music, entertainment and culture.

MEDIA CONTACT
For press inquiries, interviews, imagery and additional information regarding the FlyQuest x Von Dutch collection, please contact tori@flyquest.gg.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flyquest-and-von-dutch-reunite-for-second-collection-pushing-gaming-further-into-culture-302903705.html

SOURCE FlyQuest

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HeyGen Launches HeyGen Voice, Debuting at #1 on Artificial Analysis’ Leaderboard

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HeyGen Supports High-Quality, Identity-Secure Video Content Creation for Creators and Businesses at Scale

HeyGen Voice Delivers Authentic, Natural Output That Sounds Like the User’s Real Voice

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HeyGen, the world’s leading personal avatar company, today launched HeyGen Voice, its new in-house voice model. HeyGen Voice debuts at #1 on Artificial Analysis’ Leaderboard, earning the top ranking as the world’s best model in independent evaluations of AI voice models, and marking a major milestone for HeyGen’stechnology.

The launch expands HeyGen’s work to make high-quality video creation available to people and businesses that increasingly rely on content creation for their digital presence. A recent HeyGen survey of more than 1,000 small business owners in its global user base found that 71.6% had recorded a video for their business and ultimately decided not to post it. HeyGen Voice helps alleviate issues of production quality or having a lack of confidence in front of the camera.

Many AI voice models lack components like emphasis, emotion, and timing, that make a voice identifiable and compelling, and listeners lose interest right away. HeyGen Voice is built for authentic performance, keeping the tone, pacing and expression of a person’s voice so that every line comes across the way they would actually deliver it.

“Voice is one of the most powerful and personal ways we communicate, and quality makes all the difference,” said Rong Yan, CTO of HeyGen. “We built HeyGen Voice to deliver the best possible AI voice that technology can deliver; one that always sounds like you at your best. Debuting at #1 on Artificial Analysis is independent proof that you don’t have to trade authenticity for quality.”

HeyGen Voice product highlights include:

#1 Ranked Voice Model: Top ranking on Artificial Analysis’ Leaderboard in independent evaluations of AI voice models.Authentic Delivery: Delivers natural emphasis, emotion, character and pacing, so users sound like themselves and not a synthetic copy.One End-to-End Stack: HeyGen’s Avatar V is the core model, and voice is a new format inside the same stack. Identity and voice come from one place rather than a patchwork of vendors.Free Access: HeyGen Voice is available free within the HeyGen platform and API.HeyGen Professional Voice Clone: A $99/month add-on for users who want the closest representation of their own voice. It is trained, with explicit consent, on 30 minutes to three hours of the owner’s speech.

A key component of HeyGen’s success is their ability to create products that are true to each user’s identity. As AI makes it easier to create realistic representations of people, HeyGen has made consent and control central to how its technology is built. HeyGen requires the voice owner’s explicit consent, with safeguards built into its avatar products that help ensure users remain in control of how their voice and likeness are represented.

Today’s announcement follows the recent launch of HeyGen Video and continued expansion of the company’s tools for creators and businesses. HeyGen also recently earned a Committed Badge from EcoVadis, reflecting the company’s performance across environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement as it continues to grow its enterprise business.

Founded in 2020, HeyGen now reaches over 40 million users across 196 countries, with more than 118 million videos created and adoption across 85% of the Fortune 100. The company recently surpassed $200 million in ARR, doubling revenue in eight months.

HeyGen Voice will continue to roll out additional capabilities and updates taking into account feedback from users, as the model continues to evolve.

ABOUT HEYGEN

HeyGen is the world’s leading AI avatar company. HeyGen creates Personal Avatars — AI-powered digital versions of people that look, move, and sound like them. Featured in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026, rated #1 most realistic on G2 and powered by its proprietary Avatar V model, HeyGen is used by over 40 million people and 85% of the Fortune 100 to create clear, confident videos without filming every one—so they can be their best self, every time.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heygen-launches-heygen-voice-debuting-at-1-on-artificial-analysis-leaderboard-302903718.html

SOURCE HeyGen

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Siteimprove Named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Digital Accessibility

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Recognized for Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — We are excited to share that Siteimprove has been recognized as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Accessibility.

“We’re proud to be named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Digital Accessibility. We built Siteimprove.ai for the way digital teams compete today: one agentic content intelligence platform unifying accessibility, analytics, SEO/AEO, and content strategy, extended into Claude, VS Code, Lovable, and Figma,” said Nayaki Nayyar, CEO of Siteimprove.

Get your complimentary copy of the report here.

Gartner delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams. Its expert guidance and tools enable faster, smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities.

The Gartner Magic Quadrant evaluates vendors based on their Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. We are honored to be included among the recognized vendors in this important report. Learn more about the Magic Quadrant.

Report citation
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Digital Accessibility, Brent Stewart, Nabeeha Ahmed, Paige Kirk, Sarah Baumunk, 6 October 2026

Disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally. MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Media Contact:
Emily Degnan
edegnan@thebranded.agency

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SOURCE Siteimprove

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