Don’t get caught off guard by market crashes that can take all your money down with them. And don’t miss out on markets where you can build wealth practically overnight. Real Estate News for Investors with Kathy Fettke is the premiere source for savvy real estate investors who want to stay up-to-date on new laws, regulations, and economic events that affect real estate. Topics include: market trends, economic analysis that affects housing prices, updates on the best rental markets for investing in single-family rentals or multi-unit rentals, turn-key housing standards, the fate of the highly revered 1031 exchange and othe...
Fri, January 03, 2025
What do homebuilder stocks tell us about the future of the 2025 housing market? In this episode, Kathy Fettke examines a new report from ResiClub and recent earnings data from major homebuilders like Lennar. Learn how rising mortgage rates, shrinking profit margins, and increased incentives are shaping the market. Discover what these trends mean for buyers, sellers, and investors as we head into 2025. Get your tickets for the Passive Wealth Expo on January 18th at the SF Convention Center here at newsforinvestors.com ! Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://realty.realwealth.com/joi
Wed, January 01, 2025
Will New York City lift its Airbnb ban? In this episode, Kathy Fettke explores the latest developments, including a new bill that could allow short-term rentals in one- and two-family homes. Discover the potential impact on homeowners, renters, and the housing market as NYC debates the future of short-term rental platforms. Tune in for the latest real estate news and insights! Get your tickets for the Passive Wealth Expo on January 18th at the SF Convention Center here at newsforinvestors.com ! Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/ FOLLOW OUR POD
Tue, December 31, 2024
Are real estate investors still buying at pre-pandemic levels, or has their activity slowed down? In this episode, Kathy Fettke dives into the latest CoreLogic data, revealing how high mortgage rates, limited inventory, and elevated prices are shaping investor behavior in 2024. Learn which markets are seeing the most activity, how smaller investors are adapting, and what this means for first-time homebuyers. Tune in for expert insights on the current state of real estate investing! Get your tickets for the Passive Wealth Expo on January 18th at the SF Convention Center here at newsforinvestors.com ! Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now-step-1?utm_content=Real+Estate+News%3ARealtor.com%E2%80%99s+2025+Housing+Market+Forecast%3A+Inventory%2C+Mortgage+Rates
Fri, December 27, 2024
What’s in store for the 2025 housing market? Kathy Fettke unpacks Realtor.com’s latest predictions, covering home prices, mortgage rates, inventory growth, and rental trends. Discover how economic growth, rising incomes, and potential policy shifts under President-Elect Donald Trump could impact real estate. Don’t miss this final episode of Housing Market Predictions Week and stay informed on what’s ahead for buyers, sellers, and renters in 2025! (00:00) Housing Market Predictions Week (00:27) Realtor.com's Economic Predictions (01:20) Home Prices and Inventory (01:35) Mortgage Rates (02:03) Home Sales (02:43) Apartment Rentals (03:46) Single Family Rental Properties (04:00) Wildcards Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now-step-1?utm_content=Real+Estate+News%3ARealtor.com%E2%80%99s+2025+Housing+Market+Forecast%3
Wed, December 25, 2024
Today we are diving into Zillow’s 2025 housing market predictions. Discover key insights on home price growth, regional market shifts, and rental trends for the year ahead. Will affordability improve? Which cities are set to rise or fall in value? How will interest rates and inventory shape the market? Plus, find out why cozy, pet-friendly homes are becoming the next big trend. Tune in now and get the housing market forecasts! (00:00) Housing Markets Predictions Week (00:28) Zillow's 2025 Housing Market Predictions (01:00) Purchasing a Home in 2025 (01:18) Regional Shifts (01:56) Trends for Renters Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://
Mon, December 23, 2024
What’s in store for the housing market in 2025? Today Kathy Fettke dives into Redfin’s latest predictions for the U.S. housing market. Learn why home prices might rise 4% and what factors could drive an increase in home sales despite ongoing challenges. We’ll also explore trends in the rental market, including a potential shift toward a renter's market and flat apartment rents due to a record-breaking supply of new construction units. Plus, find out why Gen Z may delay homeownership and what that means for the market. Tune in for these insights and more as we kick off a week of housing market forecasts for 2025. Don’t miss Wednesday’s episode where we break down Zillow’s predictions! (00:00) Housing Market Predictions Week (00:28) Predictions (00:48) Rise in Home Prices (01:22) Home Sales (02:00) Renter's Market (02:24) Apartment Rent (02:33) Single Family Home Predictions (02:59) Gen Z and Home Ownersh
Fri, December 20, 2024
In this episode, Kathy Fettke dives into the latest data from CoreLogic’s Q3 2024 Homeowner Equity Report. Discover why U.S. homeowners gained $425 billion in equity over the past year, despite a slight rise in negative equity. We’ll also explore why foreclosure rates remain historically low, what’s driving delinquencies downward, and how rising home values and interest rates are shaping the real estate market. Tune in for expert insights into the trends that matter most to homeowners, homebuyers, and investors in 2024! (00:00) Will There be a Housing Market Crash and Foreclosures? (00:26) Core Logic's New Report (01:00) Negative Equity (01:43) Is the Housing Market on Shaky Ground? (02:14) REO Inventory (02:28) Delinquencies (03:08) The Real Distress in the Market Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now-step-1?utm_content
Thu, December 19, 2024
In this episode of Real Estate News for Investors , Kathy Fettke breaks down the Fed’s latest rate cut, its impact on inflation, GDP growth, and the markets. Learn what this means for borrowers, investors, and the real estate market as we look ahead to 2024 and beyond. (00:00) Breaking News (00:18) Rate Cut (00:47) Future Rate Cuts (01:09) Gradual Rate Cuts (01:43) How Did Markets React? (02:20) Investor Impact Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/ FOLLOW OUR PODCASTS Real Wealth Show: Real Estate Investing Podcast https://tinyurl.com/RWSsubscribe Real Estate News: Real Estate Investing
Wed, December 18, 2024
In this week's Real Estate News Brief (December 15, 2024), mortgage rates dip before rebounding, inflation trends upward with a 0.3% CPI increase, and the jobs report exceeds expectations with 227,000 new payrolls. Kathy Fettke breaks down how these updates could impact the Fed's next move on interest rates and what real estate investors need to know about mortgage trends, inflation data, and economic shifts. Tune in to learn about the latest real estate and economic insights! Timestamps: (00:00) News Brief Breakdown (00:28) Inflation Update (01:44) November Jobs Report (02:57) Mortgage Rates Update Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE https://r
Fri, December 13, 2024
In this episode of Real Estate News for Investors , we dive into the latest trends shaping the real estate market, led by Gen Z and Millennials. Discover why 41% of young homebuyers are turning to platforms like Facebook and TikTok to find homes and agents, and how social media is now a must-have tool for real estate professionals. We’ll explore their preferences for move-in-ready homes, properties near amenities, and how family input influences their buying decisions. Plus, learn how affordability challenges are pushing Millennials toward investment properties as a pathway to wealth-building. Whether you’re an agent, investor, or curious about the future of real estate, this episode offers actionable insights into what’s next for this influential demographic. Don't forget to get your early bird tickets for the Passive Wealth Expo on January 18th at the SF Convention Center—get details at <a href= "https://realwealth.
Wed, December 11, 2024
In today's episode we explore the latest trends in the U.S. rental market. Kathy Fettke discusses the continued decline in apartment rents, the modest rise in single-family home rents, and the key factors driving these shifts, such as higher vacancy rates, increased multifamily construction, and changing demographics. Learn how these trends impact renters, landlords, and investors, and what to expect in the year ahead. Don't forget to get your early bird tickets for the Passive Wealth Expo on January 18th at the SF Convention Center—get details at newsforinvestors.com ! Timestamps: (00:00) What Can Investors Expect for Rent? (00:28) National Seasonal Rent Trends (01:28) Professional Manage Apartments (01:37) What is Causing Declines? (2:46) Single
Mon, December 09, 2024
On today's episode, we explore the potential impact of mass deportations of undocumented workers on the housing market and construction industry. While President-elect Trump claims fewer undocumented immigrants will lower housing costs, experts warn that deportations could worsen labor shortages in construction, driving home prices higher. We also discuss potential impacts on rental prices and the overall housing supply. How could this impact investors? Tune in to find out. Don't forget to get your early bird tickets for the Passive Wealth Expo on January 18th at the SF Convention Center—get details at newsforinvestors.com ! (00:00) Will Donald Trump Deport Undocumented Immigrants? (00:39) Passive Wealth Expo (00:57) Mass Deportations and Construction (01:48) Labor Supply and Affordability (03:06) Less Competition in the Housing Ma
Sat, December 07, 2024
In this episode, we explore why many Baby Boomers are choosing to “age in place” instead of selling their homes, defying predictions of a “silver tsunami” in the housing market. With over half of Boomers planning to stay put, we discuss how this impacts young homebuyers facing tight inventory and rising prices. Plus, we share strategies for buyers looking to navigate the market, from investing in rental properties to considering more affordable areas. (00:00) Is a Silver Tsunami Coming? (00:32) Homeownership and Boomers (1:31) Why Boomers are Aging in Place (2:25) Options for Younger Homebuyers: What Are the Best Paths? Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE </s
Fri, December 06, 2024
Breaking News: a federal court ruling temporarily blocks the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The CTA requires companies, including LLCs, to disclose their beneficial owners to the U.S. Treasury Department. Host, Kathy Fettke, explains what this court decision means for real estate investors, especially regarding privacy, CTA compliance risk, and business structures. (00:00) Breaking News! (00:30) Temporary Halt on Corporate Transparency Act (01:51) Why Real Estate Investors Should Care Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE <p dir="ltr" style= "line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0
Thu, December 05, 2024
The National Association of Realtors is facing another heated debate. This time is all about a requirement that agents immediately list for-sale homes on the MLS. Many brokers feel there are situations that call for private listings, including seller preferences. But currently, there’s a rule that requires brokers to list homes within one day of any kind of marketing, which includes the posting of a single for-sale sign. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. We’d really love to get a review from you if you haven’t left one yet. It helps us tremendously to have reviews from people who appreciate the kind of news we deliver. When you get a minute, please leave a review. it would be greatly appreciated! Links: <span style= "font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #131313; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration
Wed, December 04, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 30th, 2024… we have several economic reports including the latest reading on inflation, the newly announced 2025 conforming loan limits, and which state is attracting the most corporate relocations. Hint: It’s not California. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, we’d really love to have you take a moment and write a review. It doesn’t have to be long. Just a few words about what you like or love about our news coverage and how it has helped you. And please know that we really appreciate you as listeners and, for some, as RealWealth members. It’s free to join. Check us out at newsforinvestors.com . Links: J
Thu, November 28, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 23rd, 2024… why home buyers are suddenly jumping back in, what the data shows about single-family built-to-rent homes, and what renters are doing to make sure they can pay their rent each month. Hi, I'm Rich Fettke, filling in for Kathy on this episode of Real Estate News for Investors. When you get a minute, please leave a review for this podcast! It really helps us when people who appreciate our podcast share their opinions with newcomers. We begin this News Brief with the latest economic news. The upcoming week will be packed with a number of reports despite the Thanksgiving holiday. That includes the Personal Consumption Expenditure index or PCE for October, which is the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge. Looking back over the past week, the unemployment report shows that initial claims hit their lowest level in seven months, but the data suggests that it’s taking much longer for the unemployed to find jobs. New jobless
Fri, November 22, 2024
The combination of high mortgage rates and record high home prices has priced out millions of Americans from buying a home or investment property. On today’s real estate news show, we’ll dive into CoreLogic's recent Home Equity Insights Report for the 2nd quarter of 2024 to determine if it still makes financial sense to buy or invest in real estate. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and welcome to Real Estate News for Investors. You can join RealWealth.com for free and get access to over 500 free educational webinars on how to build wealth, increase cash flow and save on taxes through real estate. Check it out at: newsforinvestors.com . Links:
Wed, November 20, 2024
Californians are looking for a lifestyle affordability fix, and Arizona seems to have what they want. A new study by Storage Cafe shows several migration patterns from Southern California to various counties in Arizona, Phoenix being the most popular. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. As you ponder investing opportunities, please be sure to check in with us at RealWealth. While we don’t have a property team in Arizona to help you buy rentals there, we have property teams in other markets across the country. You can find out how to tap into those opportunities by becoming a free member of RealWealth at newsforinvestors.com . Links: <p dir="ltr
Tue, November 19, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 16th, 2024... the Fed takes a more leisurely stance on rate cuts, we'll look at what apartment rents are doing now, and what one industry leader is saying about the future of the MLS system. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. There’s some post-election uncertainty about new agendas and policies that could impact the economy. Educating yourself about financial security during changing times is your best defense, along with smart investing. You can join RealWealth.com for free and get access to over 500 free educational webinars on how to build wealth, increase cash flow and save on taxes through real estate. Check it out at: newsfor
Sat, November 16, 2024
In this episode of Real Estate News for Investors , host Kathy Fettke explores the latest trends and predictions shaping the housing market as we approach 2025. From economic growth to mortgage rates, we break down expert forecasts on home sales, pricing, and the outlook for real estate investors. Will home sales bounce back? How will political shifts and economic policies impact the market? Tune in for key insights from top economists and stay informed on the future of real estate investment. <spa
Thu, November 14, 2024
If you’re wondering where the hottest real estate market will be next year, there’s a new list that puts Dallas Fort Worth on the throne. In fact, five of the top ten markets are in the Sunbelt states of Texas and Florida so Dallas isn’t the only real estate darling under the southern sun. Hi, I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. This report confirms what we've known at RealWealth for 20 years. We’ve been buying property in Dallas since 2005, and referring our members at RealWealth to a property team that is always on the forefront of the fastest growing suburbs of Dallas. You can learn more about them and other property teams in strong growth markets nationwide by visiting www.newsforinvestors.com . It’s free to join and once you do, you'll get access to tu
Wed, November 13, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 9th, 2024... how Donald Trump as President is expected to handle the Fed, the defeat of a rental control measure in California, and a record high in the average age for homeowners. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I continue, I’d like to invite you all to check out our webinars . We’ve got one coming up this Thursday on the kind of tax strategies available for people who invest in syndications. You can submit your questions for a Q&A at the end. That’s this Thursday, November 14th, at 12 noon pacific time. For more info, go to newsforinvestors.com and look under the Connect tab. Links: <span style= "font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto,sans
Fri, November 08, 2024
Today's real estate news is jam-packed... we’ll look at the latest report on inflation, insights from the November Fed policy meeting, what the magical mortgage rate is for most buyers, and how much faster renter households are growing than homeowner households. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Starting with the biggest news of the week, the Presidential election of course. After Donald Trump was re-elected into office, the “Trump Trade” went into overdrive. All three major stock indices on Wall Street hit new records. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up 3.6%, its biggest one day jump since November 2022. The S&P 500 went up 2.5% while the Nasdaq climbed nearly 3%... ...You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to hit the <a href="https://tinyurl.com/RENsubscribe" target="
Fri, November 01, 2024
Mortgage-free homeownership has hit a new record high in the United States. A recent survey shows a gradual increase in paid-off homes from the years 2010 to 2023. Many investors have been paying cash to avoid high interest rate loans and reap the benefits of paid-off properties. But if you need to purchase real estate with a loan, we have discovered a way to cut the cost. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I would like to do a quick share on what we've got in store for investors this weekend. The RealWealth team will be in San Antonio, Texas, to host a tour of newly built rental properties this Saturday, November 2nd. We’ll be whooping it up along the RiverWalk as well and we’d love to have you join us! You can register here: https://realwealth.com/tours/ Links: ~~~~SAN ANTONIO TOUR: https://rea
Wed, October 30, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 26th, 2024... what economists are forcasting as we wait for the next Fed meeting, new tax brackets for 2025 capital gains, and new life for a home decor store that went out of business last year. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Hot on our list of things to do next weekend is a RealWealth get-together and property tour in San Antonio. We’ll be hosting cocktails on November 1st along the Riverwalk, and touring properties the next day, all in the midst of Day of the Dead festivities! If you are in San Antonio, please check us out. And people who can hop on a plane, please come! We’ll be having loads of fun. You can get more information and register at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. Links: ~~~~SAN ANTONIO TOUR: https://realwe
Fri, October 25, 2024
It’s a tough housing market right now for most home buyers, but the age of the buyers having the most success might surprise you. Gen Zers are between the ages of 12 and 26, and research shows that the older Gen Zers between the ages of 19-26 are enthused about becoming homeowners and currently have a higher homeownership rate than earlier generations of the same age. So what’s their secret? Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Just a quick mention… We are hosting a property tour in beautiful San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, November 2nd. We’ll be meeting for cocktails along the Riverwalk on Friday night, and touring for-sale, brand-new rental properties the next day. You are welcome to join us. You can find out more at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. This takes place during Day of the De
Wed, October 23, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 19th, 2024… we’ll hear what the Fannie Mae CEO thinks of this housing market, the atypical economy that managed to break a trustworthy recession indicator, and where you will pay the most and the least in property taxes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you’d like to find out where you can buy newly-built rentals in Texas, please join us for a property tour in San Antonio ! We’ll be hosting the event on November 2nd with cocktails the night before along the Riverwalk. The properties are located in a neighborhood of well-maintained homes and a family-friendly, community-oriented environment. You can get more information and register at newsforinvestors.com . Links: ~~~~SAN ANTONIO TOUR: <a href="https://realwealth.com/tours/" target
Fri, October 18, 2024
Is Florida a safe place to buy property these days with hurricanes, tornadoes caused by hurricanes, horrific rainstorms, and flooding? Although there’s some amount of risk across the Sunshine State as there is for the rest of the country, parts of Florida are less risky than others. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. As you might know, we feel Florida is a great place to invest, especially in areas that are not getting hit hard by hurricanes. You can find out more as a RealWealth member at newsforinvestors.com . It's free to join and free to speak with an investment counselor who can answer your questions about Florida income properties. Links: ~~~~SAN ANTONIO TOUR: <a href="https://realwea
Thu, October 17, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 12th, 2024… why some economists are saying the inflation battle is over, how much Social Security will be boosting paychecks next year, and what Mexico City is doing about short-term rentals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. It’s also a call out to investors interested in newly-built rentals in San Antonio, Texas! We’ll be hosting a property tour on November 2nd and you are invited to join us! We get together for cocktails and Day of the Dead festivities on November 1st and go on a tour of for-sale rental properties the next day. You can read more about the event and register at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. Hope to see you there! LINKS: ~~~~SAN ANTONIO TOUR: https://realwealth.com/tours/ ~~~~JOIN RealWealth® FOR
Thu, October 10, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 5th, 2024... what economists are now saying about the jobs report and a “soft landing,” how Hurricane Helene is impacting decisions on where to live, and the rent control ballot measure that could open a Pandora’s box. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I’d like to take a moment to invite you to our live property tour event in San Antonio at the very beginning of next month! We get together for cocktails and Day of the Dead festivities on November 1st and go on a tour of for sale rental properties on the 2nd. You can read more about the event and register at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. Hope to see you there! Links: ~~~~ SAN ANTONIO PROPERTY TOUR: https://realwealth.com/tours/ <p id="docs-internal-guid-a9376105-
Fri, October 04, 2024
A new proposition for rent control is on the ballot in California. Proposition 33 , if it passes, would expand rent controls to include single-family homes and newer apartments. Many cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, already limit the amount a landlord can raise the rent each year — but for nearly 30 years, California has imposed limits on those limits, via a law known as Costa-Hawkins. That law states that cities cannot set rent control on single-family homes or apartments built after 1995. And landlords are free to set their own rental rates when new tenants move in. Tenant advocates have been fighting Costa-Hawkins for years, but so far, without success. They tried to overturn it with ballot measures in 2018</
Wed, October 02, 2024
CEOs are predicting the end of remote work. More than a thousand global CEOs participated in a survey and some 8 in 10 of them said remote work would be dead in three years. Several big companies have already issued return-to-office mandates, including Amazon, which has led to an outcry among employees and some creativity in making it “look” like they’re in the office when they’re not. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Our next live event is just a month away and we’d love to have you join us! We’ll be on the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas and will be taking people on a property tour of rental homes on November 2nd. The event will be taking place during Day of the Dead celebrations so it’s sure to be festive! You’ll find a link for more information in the show notes below or at newsforinvestors.
Tue, October 01, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 28th, 2024... the Fed’s favorite inflation report for August, property damage estimates for Hurricane Helene, and how climate change could impact worldwide property values. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. What are you doing on the Day of the Dead? Come join us in San Antonio for a property showcase on November 2nd. Get the details here or at newsforinvestors.com under the tabs for Connect and Property Tours. Links: ~~~~ JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE 🏡👇 <p dir="ltr" style= "line-height: 1.38; margin-top:
Tue, September 24, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 21st, 2024... the rate cut we’ve all been waiting for, the nuclear solution for data center power in Pennsylvania, and Amazon’s new mandate for remote workers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Today we are launching our newest syndication, a build to rent community in San Antonio Texas. We have a webinar at 5 pm PT today. You can sign up for that at newsforinvestors.com , click on the invest tab and you'll see the drop down for syndications and our current offerings. If you miss the live webinar, the recording will be uploaded on that page. LINKS: ~~~~ JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE 🏡👇 <a style= "text-decoration
Thu, September 19, 2024
The time has finally come for the Fed to make a move on lowering interest rates. The Federal Open Market Committee announced a half-point rate cut after their two-day September policy meeting! That’s after immense speculation on whether it would be a quarter point or a half point cut. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Just a quick call-out for listeners to participate in our book launch. We’re hosting a virtual preview of our book, Scaling Smart, on the 21st. It’s all about building a profitable business that doesn’t rob you of your free time. Please sign up for the free book launch party at the link in the show notes below or at newsforinvestors.com. LINKS: ~~~~SCALING SMART BOOK 📖: https://tinyurl.com/scalingsmart VIRTUAL EVENT: https://realwealth.com/scaling-smart-virtual-event/
Wed, September 18, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 14th, 2024... what we can expect from this week’s Fed policy meeting, how much American mozrtgage-holders have gained in equity, and what we’re seeing for single-family rent growth. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you haven’t heard about our new book yet, please check it out on Amazon! It’s called “Scaling Smart” for anyone who wants to launch and grow a successful business. It could be real estate or any other kind of business! My husband Rich and I wrote the book based on our decades of experience with our company, RealWealth. It just hit the market on the 10th of this month. Join us for our virtual book launch for "Scaling Smart" on September 21st. We’ll post links in the show notes below. LINKS: ~~~~SCALING SMART BOOK 📖: https://tinyurl.com/scalingsmart ~~~~ VIRTUAL EVENT: <a href="ht
Wed, September 18, 2024
Many consumers believe we have been in a recession for more than a year, but economists say that’s not what the data is showing us. They say consumer’s have mistakenly believed the economy is weaker than it is like a “bad vibe” or “vibecession.” But with inflation coming back down to earth and rate cuts on the horizon, those bad vibes are starting to disappear. A recent report on consumer sentiment shows that three out of five Americans mistakenly believe we have been in a recession for more than a year now. The survey was done by Affirm in June with responses from 2,000 adults. The biggest reasons for feeling this way boil down to higher prices and tougher times making ends meet. Join us for our virtual book launch for "Scaling Smart" on September 21st. You’ll find info on buying the book and the book launch below or at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. LINKS: Purchase Scaling Smart Book: <a style= "text-decoration: none;" href= "https://tinyurl.c
Fri, September 13, 2024
If you’re in the market for new flooring for any of your properties, you might want to check in with LL Flooring. The company just announced that it’s throwing in the towel on a restructuring plan, and will liquidate all 400-plus stores nationwide over the next three months. Liquidation sales are already under way. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Just a quick reminder, that our new book “Scaling Smart” will hit the market on September 10th. It’s about growing your business in real estate or whatever industry you choose! You can also hear more about at our virtual book launch on September 21st. You’ll find info on buying the book and the book launch below or at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. LINKS: Purchase Scaling Smart Book: https://tinyurl.com/scalingsmart Virtual Event: <a href="https://realwealth.com/scaling-smart-virtual-event/" targe
Wed, September 11, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 7th, 2024… the Fed’s new stance on rate cuts, the big reversal in single-family permitting activity, and a reminder about real estate referrals and kick-back schemes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I begin, I would like to share a little personal news with you. We had a great weekend in Denver, launching our book with a party at the climbing gym! Thank you to everyone who showed up! Our book, Scaling Smart, will be on sale starting September 10th. It’s about growing your business in a way that’s aligned with your goals and your lifestyle. If you missed the big party, you can join us for a virtual book launch on September 21st. You’ll find info on buying the book and the virtual event below or at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab. Links: Purchase Scaling Smart Book: https://tinyurl.co
Fri, September 06, 2024
The Treasury Department finalized two new rules to stop the use of residential real estate and private investment deals for money laundering. One rule will impact real estate agents. The other will impact investment advisors. This is a huge step for the Treasury to close loopholes that have turned the U.S. into an international money laundering machine. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I begin, I’d like to share some exciting news with you! My husband Rich and I are celebrating our book launch at a climbing gym in Denver, and you are invited! It’s free to attend so long as you pre-order our book, Scaling Smart. The book launch is September 8th just two days before the book hits the market. If you miss the big party, you can join us for a virtual book launch on September 21st. Check the show notes below for information! Links: Book Launch: <a href="https://realwealth.com/scaling-smart-book-launch/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener no
Thu, September 05, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 31st, 2024... a music-to-our-ears inflation report, the “up” side of the down payment, and build-time for single-family homes. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I begin, I’d like to share some exciting news with you! My husband Rich and I are celebrating our book launch at a climbing gym in Denver, and you are invited! It’s free to attend so long as you pre-order our book, Scaling Smart, which you can buy on Amazon. The book launch is September 8th just two days before the book hits the market. If you miss the big party, you can join us for a virtual book launch on September 21st. Check the show notes for information! Links: Book Launch: https://realwealth.com/scaling-smart-book-launch/ Virtual Event: https
Thu, August 29, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 24th, 2024... why Fed Chief Jerome Powell is saying “the time has come,” how low do mortgage rates need to go, and where you’ll find the hottest real estate market in the U.S. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I’d like to take a moment to invite you to an event my hubby, Rich, and I are hosting at a Colorado climbing gym! We’re celebrating the launch of our book “Scaling Smart” and would love to have you join us! It’s a free event although you need to pre-order our book. The event is happening in Denver on September 8th. You can register and get more info by clicking on a link in the show notes below or at newsforinvestors.com . LINKS: JOIN RealW
Thu, August 22, 2024
Gone are the days of a casual home tour with a real estate agent you’ve just met. New rules from the National Association of Realtors require a signed agreement with that agent that includes how the buyer’s agent will get paid and what services the agent will provide. In the past, buyers didn’t have to worry about making a commitment ahead of time. Before I get to the news, I would like to invite you all to a really fun book launch party on September 8th in Denver. My husband Rich and I are celebrating the upcoming release of our new book, Scaling Smart: How to Design a Self-Managing Business . The book launch will be held at a climbing gym. Admission is free although you need to purchase a copy of the book. You’ll find a link for information and to register for the event in the show notes below
Wed, August 21, 2024
The advantage of renting over buying is going in two directions. On one hand, it's become cheaper to rent than to buy in more cities this year. On the other hand, the overall advantage is narrowing. That indicates benefits for potential homebuyers as well as investors. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I get to the news, I would like to invite you all to a book launch party on September 8th in Denver. My husband Rich and I are celebrating the upcoming release of our new book, Scaling Smart: How to Design a Self-Managing Business . The book launch will be held at a climbing gym. Admission is free although you need to purchase a copy of the book. You’ll find a link for information and to register for the event in the show notes below. Or, go to <a href= "http
Wed, August 21, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 17th, 2024... why the latest inflation reports are feeding into rate cut expectations, how the new NAR policies are impacting home buyers, and where million dollar homes are growing the fastest. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I get to the news, I would like to invite you all to a book launch party on September 8th in Denver. My husband Rich and I are celebrating the upcoming release of our new book, Scaling Smart: How to Design a Self-Managing Business . The book launch will be held at a climbing gym. Admission is free although you need to purchase a copy of the book. You’ll find a link for information and to register for the event in the show notes below. LINKS: Purchase Scaling Sm
Fri, August 16, 2024
San Francisco is now the first city in the nation to ban rent-setting technology such as that offered by RealPage. City supervisors completely banned the sale and use of that software in a unanimous vote on July 30th. They say it has made the affordability crisis worse by raising apartment rents above competitive levels. RealPage says the city is not focusing on the real problem. Hi, I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. For all you real estate investors out there, we are focusing on portfolio rebalancing this month with a series of free webinars. We had one on August 8th that will talk about cash-out refi's, HELOCs, and the 1031 exchange as ways to leverage your existing equity. We will have a Q&A so bring your questions, but you need to pre-register at newsforinvestors.com . If you're not a member, sign up for free, login, and go to the upcoming events tab. T
Fri, August 16, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 10th, 2024... what real estate investors are expecting in 2024, what rents are doing in Sunbelt cities, and why a bathtub full of icy water is becoming a popular multi-family amenity. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. And I am so excited to announce the upcoming release of my new book, that I co-wrote with my hubby and RealWealth cofounder Rich Fettke. It's called " Scaling Smart, How to Design a Self Managing Business. " And we are kicking it off with a book launch party in Denver, CO on Sept 8th at a rock climbing wall so we can all scale up together! Just bring your receipt of Scaling Smart book and get free entrance to the party and climbing. Get more info on our book launch party at realwealth.com/scalingsmart . LINK
Sat, August 10, 2024
San Francisco is now the first city in the nation to ban rent-setting technology such as that offered by RealPage. City supervisors completely banned the sale and use of that software in a unanimous vote on July 30th. They say it has made the affordability crisis worse by raising apartment rents above competitive levels. RealPage says the city is not focusing on the real problem. Hi, I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. For all you real estate investors out there, we are focusing on portfolio rebalancing this month with a series of free webinars. There's one on August 8th that will talk about cash-out refi's, HELOCs, and the 1031 exchange as ways to leverage your existing equity. We will have a Q&A so bring your questions, but you need to pre-register at newsforinvestors.com . If you're not a member, sign up for free, login, and go to the upcoming events
Wed, August 07, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 3rd, 2024... why concern is growing about the job market, how home affordability just got a little better, and what’s happening with commercial property foreclosures. We begin with economic news from this past week. It’s been a bumpy ride for stock traders. The latest reports on the job market sent Wall Street into somewhat of a tailspin, but as fast as that happened, a report from the Institute of Supply Management helped soften the blow... LINKS: JOIN RealWealth® FOR FREE 🏡👇 <a style= "text-decoration: none;" href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now-step-1?utm_content=Real+Estate+News%3AThe+Real+Estate+News+Brief%3A+Job+Market+Jitters%2C+Home+Affordability%2C+CRE+Foreclosures&utm_campaign=Join+for+Free
Tue, July 30, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 27th, 2024... what the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge is telling us now, the surge in canceled home-purchase agreements, and the home insurance hit to our wallets. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors . I’d like to mention two exciting topics for my other podcast, The Real Wealth Show . We are lining up guests for a new Jumpstart series to help first time home buyers and first time investors. The first few episodes will cover getting out of debt and improving your credit score. We are also booking guests who can help experienced investors rebalance their portfolios with things like the 1031 exchange. So be sure to check out my other podcast, The Real Wealth Show! REFERENCES: 1 - <a href= "https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/pce-report-for
Sat, July 27, 2024
Solar electricity is now expanding faster than any other kind of power source in the U.S. New solar installations are surging ahead of natural gas expansion as demand grows for the transition to clean energy for homes, businesses, data centers, and artificial intelligence. It’s still a small percentage of the electricity we use, but industry experts say we are at a turning point in our decarbonization goals. I’d like to mention that anyone who missed my 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update can see a replay of the webinar at our website. I had one of my favorite economists as co-host – the very knowledgeable and engaging John Chang of Marcus & Millichap. You will find the webinar replay at www.newsforinvestors.com . We welcome ideas and comments at podcasts@realwealth.com . -Kathy References: <a href= "https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/19/
Thu, July 25, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 19th, 2024... rate cut expectations grow after subtle comments from Fed officials, how new and existing home prices stack up against each other, and another big tech exodus from California. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. A brief reminder, I will be giving my 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update this Thursday, the 25th. It’s a free RealWealth webinar that I’ll be hosting with Economist John Chang. You can register at newsforinvestors.com . And remember to bring questions for our Q&A at the end! Links: Register for 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update Webinar with Kathy Fettke & John Chang on July 25th: Register Here <p id="docs-internal-guid-5111da12-7fff-ab27-ba5b-7141c6f2a852" dir="ltr" style= "
Wed, July 24, 2024
Migration trends are a crucial part of the real estate industry. Population growth equals more demand for nearly all asset classes of real estate. But demand changes over time, so it's also vital to be on top of what’s trending in order to make smart decisions. In this episode, we'll take a look at what’s happening in 2024 according to one of my favorite demographic experts. And I also just recorded a show on this on my other podcast with another expert demographer. You can check that out on the Real Wealth Show . Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. And if you love economic trends, it's not too late to sign up for my Mid-Year Economic Update webinar , scheduled for July 25th. John Chang of Marcus and Millichap will join me, with lots of data on hand. It’s free to attend wi
Thu, July 18, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 13th, 2024… what the Fed is saying about a rate cut, where renters are finding the best deals, and new trends for lot size and values! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I’d like to take a moment to invite you to a free fun mid-year update on today’s economy. You’ll hear from both me and one of my favorite economists, John Chang, on what we think of the current economic conditions and the housing market. You’ll also have a chance to ask us questions so don’t come empty-handed! It’s happening on July 25th. Look for a link to sign up in the show notes below. Links: Register for Mid-Year Economic Update with Kathy Fettke & John Chang Webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/489691033155567445 <p id="docs-internal-guid-41a3b96f-7fff-e191-e274-2ae345c5c765" dir=
Tue, July 16, 2024
The monthly jobs report on hiring is a critical piece of economic data, but it is almost always overstated, and lately, significantly overstated. Out of the last 17 months, the government posted substantial revisions for 15 months. So why is this happening and how does it impact our view of the economy and the Federal Reserve’s decision on rate cuts? Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I’d like to take a moment to invite you to my 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update with economist John Chang. We'll be sharing our thoughts on the economy and the housing market during a free webinar on July 25th. You'll find a link to register below. We’ll have a Q&A at the end so remember to bring your questions! References: <a href= "https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobs-report-is-exaggerating-u-s-employment-gains-what-is-going-on-6efcd6b7" target="_blank" rel
Thu, July 11, 2024
Senior housing is suddenly becoming a critical issue as the oldest baby boomers turn 80 next year. A firm that provides data and analytics for the senior housing industry expects an incredible increase in demand over the next 25 years, and says we already have a serious senior housing gap to contend with. The firm, NIC MAP Vision, is calling it a $275 billion investment shortage for housing that’s needed by the year 2030. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Before I begin, I'd like to invite you to my 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update with economist John Chang. We'll be doing a webinar together on July 25th to share our thoughts on the economy. It's free, and we'll have a Q&A at the end so bring your questions. You'll find a link to register in the show notes below. Links: Register for Kathy Fettke's 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update
Tue, July 09, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 6th, 2024... why more economists are seeing a September rate cut, where home buyers are getting the upper hand, and what you have to earn to be in the top 1%. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before I begin, I’d like to invite all of you to my 2024 Mid-Year Economic Update with Marcus & Millichap Economist John Chang on Thursday July 25th. It’s free to attend and will be a lively forward-looking update with time to answer your questions. Simply login to the Investor Portal here to register and we'll send you a confirmation email with your link! Links: JOIN RealWealth® FOR
Wed, July 03, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 29th, 2024... we have some great news on inflation that is raising hopes for a rate cut, where rents are going higher and lower and for what type of rentals, and the skyrocketing demand for senior housing. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before we get started, I want to make sure you know about my upcoming free webinar at RealWealth. I'll be giving my 2024 Mid-year Economic Update, together with one of my favorite economists, John Chang, VP at Marcus and Mililchap. We’ll talk about what we expect to see in the months ahead, so be sure to bring your questions for a Q&A at the end! That’s on Thursday July 25th. You’ll find a link to sign up in the show notes below. Again it's a free webinar packed with data and information you won't see anywhere else. I promise it will be the most fun economic webinar you've been on..
Fri, June 28, 2024
The Department of Justice is ramping up its price-fixing probe into the use of AI by large residential landlords and management companies to set rental rates. You may have heard of the investigation into RealPage and the lawsuits against RealPage and property owners that use the software. According to published reports, the DOJ is escalating and expanding that investigation. Hi, I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the 1,400th episode of Real Estate News for Investors! And now we’re going for 1,500 and beyond to help keep you informed! I’d also like to invite investing listeners to a RealWealth webinar on the tax benefits of “cost segregation.” You can find out how that works and how much you can SAVE at a webinar on July 11th. You’ll find information about our free weekly webinars at newsforinvestors.com . Now back to our story…After a recent seminar in Atlanta with housing experts and housing ad
Thu, June 27, 2024
The US is falling behind in its race to build enough homes to meet the demand. Zillow just released a report that shows the housing gap is getting worse despite a pandemic-era building boom. And it’s this gap in housing supply that is driving up prices and intensifying the affordability crisis. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. You can provide rental housing for someone who can’t buy a home as a real estate investor. Find out about build-to-rent opportunities in Jacksonville and Central Florida during our webinar on June 25th at newsforinvestors.com . Login in to our investor portal as a RealWealth member to sign up for the webinar. Both the membership and the webinar are free. Please remember to <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/REN" target="
Wed, June 26, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 22nd, 2024… we’ll look at why one economist says the Fed is “playing with fire,” how big the housing gap has grown, and what the build-to-rent boom means for renters and investors. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before we get started, I want to remind you that we are hosting a free webinar this week with a Florida builder who's offering loan rates as low as 4.25% on duplexes in Jacksonville with property management in place. You can sign up at newsforinvestors.com , under the “Connect” tab. It's free to
Wed, June 19, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 15th, 2024... reaction from the Fed on what appears to be more encouraging news about inflation, Amazon’s big contribution to affordable housing, and the voter initiative that could decide the fate of a utopian city in California. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about brand new homes and duplexes for sale in Jacksonville Fl. where the builder is buying down the rate to as low as 4.25%. You can find out more on a free RealWealth webinar next week. Sign up at newsforinvestors.com under the "Connect" tab. And please remember to subscribe to this podcast , and leave a review! Now, back to the show... Looking back over the last week, the highlights include
Sat, June 15, 2024
Dallas may soon have another feather in its cap when it comes to attracting people, businesses and growth to the region. Some of the world’s largest financial institutions just announced the launch of a new stock exchange in Dallas that could be a catalyst for more business and population growth. Some are even speculating that the Texas Stock Exchange will help turn Dallas into a global banking hub that could rival Wall Street. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please sign up for a RealWealth membership at newsforinvestors.com to find out how Dallas is benefiting RealWealth investors. We have a property team there that can help you find rental properties in high-demand areas. As for
Wed, June 12, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 8th, 2024... why a strong jobs report discourages the Fed from cutting rates, why Americans may have an easier time finding a home to buy, and which metro is experiencing the most apartment construction. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I encourage you to take a moment to sign up for a free RealWealth membership at newsforinvestors.com . Once you’re signed up, sign in and check out our webinar page. Coming up this week is a webinar on asset protection and estate planning for millennials through boomers. Sign up and join us! Back to our economic news. We begin with news from this past week that gave us a st
Sat, June 08, 2024
It’s a breath of fresh air to see that the number of homes for sale is heading back “up” toward normal. We’ve heard for so long about a tight inventory that’s making homes more expensive and harder to find. But a new Realtor.com report is showing a sharp rise in for sale listings that some real estate experts are calling an “incredible trend.” Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you’re new to real estate or looking for ways to expand your experience, sign up for a free RealWealth membership at newsforinvestors.com , and check for upcoming webinars. We’ve got one scheduled for June 13th on
Tue, June 04, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 1st, 2024... we take a look at how the latest inflation report might influence the Fed’s rate-cutting decision, the return of the zero-down mortgage, and two new rent growth reports for single-family homes and apartments. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. I encourage you to sign up for a free membership at RealWealth. We will help you understand the real estate market, and how you can make wise investment choices. One way to jumpstart your education is to go on a property tour . There’s one coming up for San Antonio next week so pl
Fri, May 31, 2024
Investor purchases of single-family homes increased last month. According to a new Redfin report shows investors captured more of the single-family market in the first quarter than they did a year earlier. And it was the first time for this kind of activity since mid-2022. I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you’d like to increase your share of the real estate market, join me on our upcoming real estate tour on June 8th in San Antonio. We'll have a meet and greet the night before somewhere very cool and then tour properties, including brand new duplexes and quads that come with a 4.25% interest rate. Yes you heard me right. RealWealth has negotiated a deal with the builder to buy down rates, so check it out at <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_content=Real%20Estate%20News:Why%20the%20Increase%20in%20Single
Thu, May 30, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 25th, 2024... what the Fed meeting minutes are telling us about inflation, how much single-family homes are shrinking, and which cities are attracting millennials. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before we get started, I want to invite you to join me in San Antonio for our property tour on June 8. We will be meeting with a builder there who has brand new duplexes and 4plexes for sale, and is willing to buy down the interest rate for our Real Wealth investors. You can get the details at newsforinvestors.com, just sign up for a free membership and click on the Connect tab for info on our tours. See you there! Now
Wed, May 22, 2024
When it comes to home buying priorities, a lot depends on the age of the buyer. An analysis by the New Home Trends Institute shared data about the four generations that are currently buying or planning on buying homes and how much they differ from each other. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Now, back to our story about the generational differences among home buyers – You’ve got the Baby Boomers, the Gen X’ers, the Millennials, and Gen Z or the Zoomers. John Burns published this information as a Zoomers to Boomers analysis... ...That’s it for this episode. You can immerse yourself in all the latest data on rental markets and investing strategies as a RealWealth member. Sign up for free at <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_content=Real%20Estate%20News:The%20Real%20Estate%20News%20Brief:%20What%20They%20Want%20in%20a%20Home:%20Buyer%20Preferences%20by%20Generat
Wed, May 22, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 18th, 2024... what the latest two inflation reports are telling us, how several Fed officials are responding to those reports, and which cities are the best for short-term rentals. Before we begin, we'd like to let you know that you can become a member of RealWeath for free! Just head over to newsforinvestors.com . You’ll have access to a free education on real estate investing and the opportunity to build financial security through real estate. And while you're there, be sure to look under the Connect tab for our property tours . We have one coming up for San
Fri, May 17, 2024
There’s big news from the University of Maine about the future of fast, cost effective, eco-friendly home construction. The University just announced a new 3D printer that beats the 2019 Guinness World Record for the largest polymer 3D printer. It’s four times the size of its predecessor and can be used by many industries, including the manufacturing of homes. This so-called “Factory of the Future” was unveiled on April 23rd at the University’s Advanced Structures & Composites Center in Maine. The Center is an initiative called Green Energy and Materials or GEM, for short. Within that scope is a commitment to innovative research that contributes to a greener, mor
Tue, May 14, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 11th, 2024... what Fed officials are now saying about rate cuts in 2024, how much income you need to buy a home, and the kinds of compromises buyers are willing to make for a more affordable home. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you have the money but not the time to invest in real estate, join RealWealth . We can help bridge the gap for busy professionals! And please remember to subscribe to this podcast , and leave a review! We begin with a few economic stories from this past week and a focus
Fri, May 10, 2024
The affordable housing gap is growing with a huge 7.2 million rental homes needed to meet demand. A new report on the supply of affordable homes in the US shows that no state has enough supply to meet the needs of low-income renters. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Find out more about how you can provide affordable single-family rental homes as a RealWealth member. It’s free to join and to learn how to invest wisely. Go to newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to subscribe to this podcast ! This new study is called: “The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes.” The Nati
Wed, May 08, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 4th, 2024… why the Fed is holding firm on interest rates, what economists are saying about consumer spending, and why a NY landlord may be forced to live in one of his poorly maintained buildings. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you want more helpful information about real estate, the housing market, and rental property investment, please sign up for a free RealWealth membership at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to subscribe to this podcast ! We begin with economic news from this past week. The big headline
Fri, May 03, 2024
NASA’s chief is worried about the possibility of a lunar land grab by China. China announced the launch of a test flight just this past week with plans to put boots on the moon’s surface in the near future. One big concern is that China is not part of an international lunar cooperation agreement, and may try to lay claim to an area believed to have water. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Before we get started, I want to let you know we released a handful of new tickets for this weekends live event near San Francisco. I'll be giving my housing forecast for 2024 -2025 and we'll also have 5 property teams from some of the fastest growing markets in the country, including Dallas, Jacksonville Fl, Cincinnati, and San Antonio. They will give an update on their markets and present available rental properties that cash flow with property management in place. Some of the lenders are offering rates under 5% so come check it out. Aga
Thu, May 02, 2024
A federal agency is suggesting that lenders foot the bill for title insurance instead of home buyers. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that home buyers are paying way too much for something that protects lenders. But skeptics are pushing back, saying if lenders are forced to pay, a change in the rules won’t have the desired result and won’t do much for housing affordability. Hi! I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Before we continue, please take a moment to sign up for a free RealWealth membership. You’ll have access to a valuable educational resource and there’s no cost or obligation to join. You can sign up at newsforinvestors.com . And if you haven't yet, <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/REN" target="_blank"
Wed, May 01, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 27th, 2024… the Fed’s preferred inflation report casts another shadow over a near-term rate cut, housing takes a bigger bite out of the GDP, and the court ruling that could prevent a controversial but popular law that allows single-family lot splitting in California. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you want to know more about investing in rental properties, we are holding a live event on May 4th near the San Francisco airport. You can find out more about the event at newsforinvestors.com . And don’t forget to click the subscribe button for this podcast! Now back to our News Brief… We begin with economic news from this past week. The all-important PC
Tue, April 23, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 20th, 2024... you’ll hear what the Fed Chief said about “higher for longer,” (he didn't say that on 4/20 but that would have been funny!) why Moody’s is offering an upbeat prediction about rate cuts, and how renters feel about homeownership. We begin with economic news from this past week and more talk about what’s next for interest rates. Fed Chief Jerome Powell spoke out last Tuesday, saying that recent data shows a lack of progress in reducing inflation to the Fed’s 2% goal, and that Fed officials need to have more confidence that that is happening before they cut rates. He said that inflation “declined significantly during the second half of last year” but he added: “The recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence and instead indicate that it’s likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence."... ...If you’d like to learn more about investing in real estate, I encourage you to <a href= "https:/
Sat, April 20, 2024
Earth Day is here again, as a reminder to celebrate this beautiful planet we live on. For real estate investors, It's also a reminder to check on our own properties and do whatever we can to make them more resilient to natural disasters. Climate resiliency is what CoreLogic says is the key to “future real estate stability.” Environmental risk is becoming more important for anyone buying property, whether it’s due to potential flooding, wildfires, hurricanes or even sea level changes. Although climate-related natural disasters pose a financial threat to every industry, they pose a huge threat to the real estate industry which also accounts for a substantial portion of our US economy... ...If you haven’t done it already, let Earth Day be an inspiration to do the research you need to make your properties more resilient to climate-related events. It may also help guide you as to where you want to invest and how to fortify your portfolio
Thu, April 18, 2024
California property owners, developers and affordable housing advocates are scoring a big win from the US Supreme Court! The high court ruled that local “impact fees” imposed on newly constructed homes can be challenged in court. This is a significant win for property rights because these fees can add a substantial amount of money onto the price of a home. The case began with a lawsuit by George Sheetz in California’s El Dorado County. That’s in the foothills heading toward Lake Tahoe. Sheetz is a 72-year-old retiree who applied for a permit in 2016 to build an 18-hundred square foot manufactured home on a small lot that is zoned for residential use. The county then imposed a traffic mitigation fee or “impact fee” of $23,420... ...That’s it for this episode. You’ll find links to our source material in the show notes at newsforinve
Tue, April 16, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 15th, 2024... why the latest inflation reports could postpone the Fed’s rate-cutting plan, how inflation continues to impact construction costs, and why homeowners are getting sticker shock from property tax bills. We begin with economic news from this past week that was dominated by two of the latest inflation reports. The Consumer Price Index or CPI came out on Wednesday and the Producer Price Index or PPI came out on Thursday. Unfortunately for everyone wanting a great inflation report, the March CPI was hotter than expected. It rose .4% in March for an annual rate of 3.5%. That’s up from 3.2% last month. That is not what the Fed wants to see as it decides to lower the Federal Funds rate... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvest
Fri, April 12, 2024
Florida Realtors are celebrating a new law that makes it easier for property owners to remove squatters. It’s become a crisis situation across the nation when squatters take control of a property and claim they are the victims. Florida has changed that, but property owners also need to protect themselves from the illegal occupation of their rightful homes... ...You should also know your rights and the rights of squatters (if they have any) for the area where your property is located. If squatters don’t leave when you ask them, you may have to file an eviction notice and take them to court. And make sure you have a lawyer who’s experienced with property rights law. The Florida anti-squatting law will take effect on July 1st. That’s it for this episode. We’ve posted links to so
Thu, April 11, 2024
Demand for housing in and around Dallas, Texas continues to soar. While investors have been pouring millions of dollars into creating more affordable housing, the metro is attracting so many people that tens of thousands of homes are still needed. Supply isn’t expected to catch up to demand any time soon. An article in Bisnow says that investors have put a record amount of money into the area, but it hasn’t done much to close the affordable housing gap. Executive director of the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers, Roger Arriaga, says: “The demand is excruciatingly big. We haven’t really even dented what the true need is for affordable housing.”... ...This is why we started a North Dallas Rental Fund, which is now closed to new investment, but is still in the process of buying and renovating properties. The plan is to lease the updated homes to tech professionals who are moving to the area. My fund partner is also a pro
Mon, April 08, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 6th, 2024... more prognostications on when the central bank may cut rates, which major cities are attracting the most home buyers, and why artificial intelligence could have a negative impact on commercial real estate. We begin with economic news from this past week. Fed Chief Jerome Powell expressed caution about when we might see the first interest rate cut. While many economists have been predicting three rate cuts this year with the first happening in June, Powell said it’s too soon to say exactly when it may be appropriate to begin the rate cutting process. He spoke at Stanford University saying: “Recent readings on both job gains and inflation have come in higher than expected” and that policymakers believe rate cuts may be possible later this year but they need “greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably down” toward the central bank’s 2% target... ...That’s it for today. To keep up with the latest in real
Fri, April 05, 2024
With the help of artificial intelligence, there's a new wild, wild west on the internet, where scammers are pretty much free to pick your pocket. Security experts are warning people that you can be scammed out of money or even real estate by deepfake audio or video clips. And there aren’t a lot of safeguards in place right now. The technology is evolving more quickly than security experts can design or implement safeguards. As reported by Bigger Pockets, scammers orchestrated a $25 million dollar heist by impersonating the CEO of a multinational company. Hong Kong authorities say the money was transferred by an employee after a video conference call with who he thought was the CEO, but wasn’t... ...AI fraud can certainly turn your world upside down, but using AI in constructive ways could lead to much greater success in whatever you are trying to accomplish. That’s it for this episode You can read more about these stories by following links in the show notes a
Tue, April 02, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 30th, 2024...yet another hot inflation report that we shouldn’t worry about, a turnaround in rent growth, and criticism for the Fed about the impact of high rates. We begin with economic news from this past week. Another inflation report shows that we still have a few bumps in the road to deal with. The government released a report on the PCE for February which shows a sharp increase in prices. The Personal Consumption Expenditure Index was up .3%. That’s slightly below the .4% that Wall Street economists had predicted. The core rate, without prices for food and fuel, was also up .3%. The monthly increase led to a higher annual rate of inflation from 2.4% to 2.5%. The core rate went down slightly from 2.9% to 2.8%. The report doesn’t change much about the central bank’s forecast. Fed Chief Jerome Powell said, a day after the PCE was released, that the data was inline with expectations but that officials want to see more evide
Thu, March 28, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 23rd, 2024... why the latest Fed meeting provided some assurance about potential rate cuts in the months ahead, what you would pay for a home if home price growth hadn’t outpaced inflation, and how Airbnb is dealing with the use of monitoring devices like indoor cameras. We begin with economic news from this past week. The Fed held rates steady at the March meeting this last week, and suggested that we’re likely to see “three” quarter-percent rate cuts this year. The current short-term interest rate is between 5.25% and 5.5%. If rates are cut by a total of .75%, the short-term rate would be reduced to a range of 4.5% to 4.75% by the end of the year... ...You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/REN" target="_blank" rel= "
Mon, March 25, 2024
Regional banks are still under pressure because of their exposure to commercial real estate loans. A new study shows that almost 300 banks are at risk of failure if they don’t get an infusion of cash or merge with another institution. And the risk grows as time drags on with higher short-term interest rates. Consulting firm Klaros Group analyzed about 4,000 banks. It found that 282 or more than 7% of the banks in the study are under stress, and that most of the ones at risk are community banks with less than $10 billion in assets. But it also found that 16 regional banks holding $10 and $100 billion in assets are also at risk... ...You can read more by following links in the show notes below or at newsforinvestors.com . And please join our network of real estate investors by <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_content=Real%20Estate%20News:Study:%20Hundreds%20of%20Small%20
Thu, March 21, 2024
For the first time in 17 years, Japan is hiking short-term rates from negative to positive. Japan has been battling deflation and economic stagflation since the worldwide economic crisis and was the lone hold-out among several countries experimenting with negative rates. This last week, that experiment ended with a rate hike from negative .1% to between zero and positive .1%. The Japanese economy has been suffering through a very long period of stagflation. This has been going on since the late 1990’s but the decision to lower short-term rates happened sometime after the 2007 to 2009 economic crisis with Denmark being the first country to do so. The European Union followed suit in 2014, and then Japan did so in 2016. Sweden and Switzerland were also among the countries dipping into negative territory. In the US, the Federal Reserve kept rates very close to zero from late 2008 to 2015, and when Covid hit, the rates went back down fro
Wed, March 20, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 16th, 2024... what the latest inflation reports are telling us, why home sellers might be jumping for joy, and where we’ll be seeing the most single-family construction. We begin with economic news from this past week. Two new inflation reports add to concerns about which way prices are going. The Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index both show prices were higher in February with the PPI showing the biggest surprise on the upside. The PPI represents the wholesale cost of goods and services and what we might expect to see bubbling up at the retail level. For the month of February, the PPI was up .6% which is double what Wall Street economists had predicted. That brought the annual rate of wholesale inflation up from 1% to 1.6%. Higher energy costs can be blamed for most of that gain. They were up 4.4% for the month. Food prices were also 1% higher. When you eliminate food and energy prices for the core rate of inf
Sat, March 16, 2024
The latest inflation reports are renewing concerns about whether prices are going up or down. Both the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index were released for the month of February this week. They were both on the hot side but the PPI delivered the big surprise. The Federal Reserve released the CPI on Tuesday which shows that inflation was up .4% for the month and 3.2% from a year ago. Economists had anticipated an increase but the annual rate was slightly higher than they expected. As for the core rate, which eliminates food and fuel, both were higher than expected by one tenth of a percent. The monthly rate came in at .4% and the annual rate at 3.8%. It wasn’t an earth-shattering increase. And it isn’t expected to have a significant impact on the Federal Reserve’s decision because central bank officials will be looking for trends and not a short-term bump in the inflation battle. But the PPI was a bit more of a shock o
Tue, March 12, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 9th, 2024... why we might see more homes on the market this spring, what builders are planning for this year, and where local stores are experiencing a big comeback. We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified before Congress about the state of the economy and said that it’s “growing at a healthy, sustainable, solid, strong pace.” He also said that policymakers were paying attention to the risks of inflation and that more evidence is needed to reduce the interest rate from its current range of 5.25 to 5.5%. But he also said that he thought that was the peak and that rate cuts were likely at some point this year. He and the other committee members want to “see a little bit more data” showing that inflation is truly coming down before they make a move on rates... ...That’s it for today. You find links to all these stories in the show notes at <a href="https://www.newsforinve
Sat, March 09, 2024
Texas multifamily developers may have overshot their goal. They have pumped so much new product into the market, that many have slammed on the brakes for new builds as they finish up current projects. According to a detailed report in The Real Deal, Texas apartment developers have produced more apartments than almost any other group of US developers over the last three years. In Dallas, they put more than 20,000 apartments on the market last year. That’s about twice the number of new apartments that opened up in New York with a much larger population. In Austin, the story is even more dramatic, with more than 17,000 new apartments on the market in 2023. Compared to Dallas with 1.3 million people, Austin only has 1 million.... ...You’ll find a link to the full article in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . If you’d like more information on the single-
Thu, March 07, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 2nd, 2024... you’ll hear what the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge is telling us, the challenges facing builders today, and a popular new trend in home design.... We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation report came out last week showing the biggest increase in four months. The Personal Consumption Expenditure index or PCE was up .3% in January to an annual rate of 2.4%. The “core” rate, which excludes prices for energy and food, was up .4% with an annual rate of 2.8%. The results were not a surprise after similar reports for the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index. But, there are worries that the new reports will convince the Fed to wait longer to cut rates. The Fed has also said it expects a “bumpy” ride back to its 2% target... ...If you’d like to know more about buying real estate rental properties, please <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_c
Fri, March 01, 2024
The latest report on inflation is showing the biggest increase in four months. It’s the PCE report which is the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, and one that provides important data for a decision on rate cuts. The results were also in-line with expectations and what the Fed expects to be a bumpy ride back to its 2% target. PCE stands for the Personal Consumption Expenditure index. The Fed prefers this report over the Consumer Price Index because it more accurately reflects what substitutions consumers are making as prices rise and fall. But the Consumer Price Index or CPI also produces important data for the Fed’s consideration along with the Producer Price Index or PPI for wholesale prices. And those two reports recently surprised us on the upside. The new PCE report shows similar upside results with a .3% increase in January and an annual rate of 2.4%. The Fed pays the most attention to the “core” rate, which eliminates food and e
Tue, February 27, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 24th, 2024... the 2023 numbers for all-cash home buyers, where NAR stands on a huge class-action lawsuit, and what’s happening with single-family rent growth. We begin with economic news from this past week. Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s late January meeting show that Fed officials are more concerned about cutting rates too soon than they are about waiting too long. Released this last week, the minutes show that most committee members were concerned about the risks of going too fast while only a few were concerned about the opposite. Chief U.S. economist for Oxford Economics, Ryan Sweet, told MarketWatch that he’s worried this approach “could turn a soft landing into a bumpier one.” He added: “If the central bank waits for clear signs that the labor market, or the broader economy, is deteriorating, they will be behind the curve.”... ...You’ll find links to all these stories in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. Y
Fri, February 23, 2024
Apartment landlords are finally seeing positive revenue four years after Covid-related rent moratoriums, but the eviction saga continues. Landlords are able to replace non-paying tenants by evicting them, but the legal proceedings don't happen overnight. As you know, Covid triggered eviction moratoriums for tenants who weren’t paying rent. That helped many people who lost jobs, got sick, or had other Covid-related issues. But the protections continued well past the end of the emergency. Although most of those moratoriums were canceled more than a year ago, some ended just months ago. According to BisNow, landlords are now slowly replacing tenants who don’t pay their rent and are finally seeing revenue from those units. They reported during fourth-quarter earnings calls, that this sliver of revenue is helping multi-family focused REITs get back on their feet. This comes at an especially good time since many a
Thu, February 22, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 17th, 2024... why the latest inflation reports could delay a rate cut, why U.S. homes are growing older overall, and what share of home sales went to investors in the fourth quarter of last year... ...Investors are working their way through the tough housing market, with some success. Redfin reports that investors accounted for 26% of low-priced home purchases in the fourth quarter. And about two-thirds of those investor transactions were single-family homes. Looking only at the price points that investors are buying, about 46% were low-priced, 24% were mid-priced, and 28% were high-priced. Redfin agent, Carrie Caruthers, says: “I get tons of emails every day from investors looking for properties, but of course, they only want homes that are under market value, which are hard to come by. When they find those properties, they pile in.” On that note, I’d like to add that you can get help finding those kinds of properties
Sat, February 17, 2024
The week began with an inflation report that was anything but pretty. The Consumer Price Index came in hotter than expected for January, upsetting Wall Street and frustrating people who want the Fed to cut rates in the coming months. The report triggered a sharp stock sell-off but stocks have bounced back since then as investors and traders wondered whether they overreacted. The CPI for January came out on Monday, February 5th with a .3% increase for January. Economists had expected a .2% increase. The annual gain did come down from 3.4% to 3.1%, but economists expected it to dip below 3% to 2.9%, according to CNBC. The report doesn’t show a significant increase in prices, but it does indicate that inflation continues to be sticky... ...That’s it for this episode. You’ll find links to these stories if you’d like to more details on the CPI report. As for the housing market, you can get my forecast by watching <a href= "https://realwea
Tue, February 13, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 10th, 2024... why a no news report about inflation is actually good news, why some real estate agents say the spring homebuying season starts now, and where you’ll find the best short-term markets for this year. You can find the links to this episode in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . You’ll also find lots of information about the business of long-term rentals at our website. You can join for free and get access to our investor portal with data on our top markets for single-family rentals. That’s at <a href= "https://rea
Sat, February 10, 2024
Two big headlines out of New York this week have one thing in common – rent stabilization laws that are destabilizing the value of multi-families. One of those stories is about the sale of two multi-million dollar properties for less than half of the purchase price. The other story is about New York Community Bank which suffered a downgrade to “junk” because of commercial loan losses, including multi-family properties that are sinking in value. We’ve heard a lot about the impact of high interest rates on loans for unprofitable office buildings. But this story highlights the negative impact of rent stabilization laws. The headline that caught my eye in The Real Deal read: “Another rent-stabilized haircut, this time with shears.” The investment firm Bentall Green Oak unloaded two properties in upper Manhattan for just $31 million. That’s 64% less than the purchase price of $85 million...(more) ...That’s it for this episode. You can read more about this two-headed monst
Sat, February 10, 2024
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way that landlords and property managers are handling rental screenings, and it’s making the leasing process better for everyone. But it isn’t just for rentals. Many home buyers are also getting the kind of help they need from what some are calling “robot realtors.” I thought I’d talk about a few ways that AI is rapidly changing the real estate world. For rentals, an AI assistant can be the one handling all the questions and the scheduling of tours. It’s taking a lot of stress out of the property manager’s job. They typically converse via email, text, or chatbox, but according to Curbed, the communication is so human-like, many people don’t even know it’s an AI assistant. Later, when they inquire about the person they were talking to, they are surprised to find out it....(more) ...You can read more about “robot realtors” by following <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/REN" target="_blank"
Wed, February 07, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 3, 2024... what the Fed Chief is saying about when the rate cuts will begin, what happened to the homeownership rate in Q4, and why Millennials are worried about aging Baby Boomer homes. That’s it for today. If you are working on your investing plan for this year and need a better focus, check out our RealWealth webinar: The Focused Investor: 4 Steps to Success in 2024 . You’ll find it at newsforinvestors.com under the Learn tab. Be sure to <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_content=Real%20Estate%20News:%20The%20Real%20Estate%20News%20Brief:%20Fed%20Rate%20Cuts%20in%202024,%20Homeownership%20Dips%20in%20Q4,%20Millennial%20Message%20to%20Boomers&utm_campaign=Join%20for%20Free" target="_blank" rel="
Sat, February 03, 2024
The Federal Reserve is squashing hopes for a rate cut in March. The Federal Open Market Committee met this week and left rates where they are, but the bigger message from policymakers: There are no plans yet to cut rates. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Please make sure you are subscribed , and when you have a minute, leave us a review and let us know how we’re doing! This episode is a quick update on the Fed’s latest policy meeting. The committee issued a statement after the two-day meeting that eliminated wording about their willingness to keep raising rates. Instead, it said that it would now begin policy adjustment considerations. But that doesn’t mean they plan on immediately lowering rates. In fact, it said: “The Committee does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confid
Fri, February 02, 2024
If you’ve ever wondered how local regulations might impact your Airbnb rental plans, you might get a few insights from a tourist destination in Southern California. Palm Springs and eight other nearby cities have been an attractive market for Airbnb investors, especially during the pandemic. But the backlash against short-term rentals has led to strict regulations, investor losses and a depressed housing market in many of those high-demand neighborhoods. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Airbnb rentals have become controversial in many U.S. cities as local officials grapple with a housing shortage for residents. But for some investors, curbing short-term rentals in a vacation hot-spot like the Coachella Valley didn’t seem like much of a threat. Until it was...
Tue, January 30, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 27th, 2024... you’ll hear the latest good news on inflation, how many tenants are struggling to pay rent, and where you can still find fixer uppers worth fixing... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . You can also sign up for a free RealWealth membership while you are there, if you haven’t already. You’ll find the help you need to create your own real estate empire as a RealWealth member. And please remember to <a href= "https://podcasts.ap
Wed, January 24, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 20th, 2024... what Fed officials are saying about rate cuts, metros with the highest single-family rent growth, and the most searched metro for rental listings... ...If you’re looking a metro that is getting searched the most by potential renters, then Atlanta may be your city. RentCafe says that Atlanta rental listings attracted the most attention from users, and the Georgia capital “the apartment market to watch in 2024.” It says users saved more listings for Atlanta than any of the 150 metros on the website. Other highly searched metros are Kansas City, Missouri; Cincinnati, Ohio; Arlington, Virginia; and Orlando, Florida. That’s it for today. You’ll find links to more info about all these stories in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . You can also <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_content=Real%20Estate%
Thu, January 18, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 13th, 2024... what the latest two inflation reports are telling us about the months ahead, why the US Supreme Court is debating a California builder’s fee, and how a new apartment surge is impacting investors... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . If you’d like to know more about how to buy real estate for investment purposes, sign up for a free membership at RealWealth.com . And please remember to <a href= "https://p
Tue, January 16, 2024
Do you have a checklist of essentials for a property you’d like to buy? Or you might be upgrading a home for sale, or renovating a property for future tenants, or making design choices for a development project. Whatever direction you are headed with real estate, it’s a good idea to know what’s trending right now in the real estate market. The National Association of Realtors just published an interesting list of real estate trends to watch over the next year, and I thought I’d share some of the insights from this article. The NAR article also advised readers that trends can change so make sure that you’re not “just” following trends, but doing something that makes sense for you and/or the future residents – something that will create “joy” is the way the author put it... ...That’s it for today. You’ll find a link to that article in the show notes at newsforin
Thu, January 11, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 6th, 2024... why economists are getting a more hawkish message from the Fed, what Zillow is listing as the hottest housing market in 2024, and the top growth states according to U-Haul. If you happen to be in the SF Bay area on Jan 20th, I'd love to meet you at our live event. You can get the details at GrowDevelopments.com under the event tab. I'll be giving my 2024 Economic forecast, plus I'll share about our newest syndication - a home development project in Klamath falls, OR, and I'll also be explaining what a syndication is. You can get the details at grow developments.com... ...If you’d like to learn how to invest in real estate, <a href= "https://realty.realwealth.com/join-now/?utm_content=Real%20Estate%20News:%20The%20Real%20Estate%20News%20Brief:%20A%20More%20Hawkish%20Fed,%20Zillow%E2%80%99s%20Hot%20Housing%20Markets,%20U-Haul%E2%80%99s%20
Sat, January 06, 2024
In this Real Estate News Brief for the final two weeks of 2023... you’ll hear the results of the last inflation report along with a few predictions for 2024 and some surprising data on the number of investors buying real estate in the Dallas area. We begin with a report on the Personal Consumption Expenditures index which is the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge. It shows the PCE dipped .1% in November for an annual rate of 2.6%. The core rate went in the opposite direction with a .1% increase for an annual rate of 3.2%. The core rate eliminates prices for food and gas. If you look at the data for “just” the last six months, the core rate was just 1.9% which is below the Fed’s target rate. Economist Andrew Hunter told CNBC: “Adding in the further sharp slowdown in rent inflation still in the pipeline, it’s hard to see any credible reason why the annual inflation rate won’t also return to the 2% target over the coming months.”... That’s it for today. You can read more about the storie
Thu, January 04, 2024
Happy New Year! And welcome to the 9th year of Real Estate News for Investors. I'm Kathy Fettke, and I want to take this moment to thank you for being a loyal listener. And a shout out to some of our very kind recent reviews. Thanks Chris W Ball for saying this show "is the most relevant, factual and considerate real estate information I get all week." and to Johnny Mously who said, "Love the news. The podcast gets to the current points. I admire her unbiased opinions. This show needs to be on autoplay every week." I appreciate that and yes, back when I worked at CNN, Fox and ABC, we were absolutely not allowed to have bias. We were required to present both sides of any story. Those were the days! Anyway, as we head into 2024, I wanted to share some exciting news on new technologies that can help drive your real estate business to greater success. As daunting as
Tue, December 26, 2023
Rental application fraud has always been a problem, but there’s a new trend on social media to share techniques for duping your future landlord. Deceptive tenants are learning from people boasting about their success at scoring luxury apartments with fake documents… and sharing tips on how to create them. Bisnow published an extensive report on the problem just recently. It’s called “How Renters Are Using TikTok, X to Defraud Landlords at Luxury Apartments.” But it isn’t “just” luxury apartments. It could be an apartment where there’s a lot of competition among tenants, so the less worthy ones give themselves a phony upgrade... ...The NAA says that many of this fraud cases involve professional criminals, but easy-to-follow instructions on social media, the most unassuming rental applicant could suddenly become a fraudster. The NAA published a great article on how landlords can protect themselves. You’ll find a link to that article in the show notes at <a href="https
Thu, December 21, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 16th, 2023… why homebuyers are happy about the Fed’s rate hike decision, how inflation is losing its battle against the Fed, and what Redfin says about the 2024 Housing Market. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a Fed decision that spread some holiday joy among homebuyers. Fed officials held their December meeting and announced that short-term lending rates would remain where they are, between 5.25% and 5.5%. And the forecast for next year is looking even better... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to subscribe to this
Mon, December 18, 2023
The Federal Reserve has put a little joy into the hearts of homebuyers this Holiday season. The December FOMC meeting closed with no rate hike, and instead hints of rate cuts next year. That drove the stock market up, with bond yields and mortgage rates coming down... ...And if you want even lower rates, the San Antonio and Jacksonville property teams listed on the Real Wealth website offer investor loans under 5%. Check it out at newsforinvestors.com . And if you want to better understand why home prices went up in 2023 in spite of rates reaching nearly 8%, check out my 2023 Housing in Review webinar under the Learn tab at newsforinvestors.com. You can read more about what the Fed is doing with rates and the impact on the housing market
Sat, December 16, 2023
There’s a new effort in Congress to keep big landlords from owning single-family homes. Democrats in the Senate and House introduced legislation that would ban hedge funds from owning rental homes and force them to sell off what they have over ten years. But that bill and a second one both appear to target any large real estate investor, not just hedge funds. The legislation is called the “End of Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act of 2023.” It was introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and by Representative Adam Smith of Washington. If passed, hedge funds would be unable to purchase any more single-family rentals, and would have to sell at least 10% of what they own per year, to American families. That would create a 10-year phase out of hedge fund ownership after which they’d be completely banned from owning them. As reported by Fast Company, the legislation doesn’t just refer to hedge funds, but to real estate investmen
Thu, December 14, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 9th, 2023… the latest big drop in mortgage rates, what Redfin is predicting for 2024, and another reason to live, work, visit, or invest in North Texas. We begin with economic news from this past week. Several financial institutions are predicting a noticeable economic slowdown in the fourth quarter. BofA is forecasting a GDP of just 1%. Goldman and the Atlanta Fed lowered their GDP estimate to 1.4 for Q4.. This follows a revised GDP of 5.2% in Q3, according to the Commerce Department. The job market is still strong however with a surprise decline in the unemployment rate in October. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says it fell from 3.9% to 3.7%. In November, U.S. companies added another 200,000 jobs which is a 50,000 month-over-month increase... Redfin Predicts a Better Year for Homebuyers ...Many of our RealWealth investors are taking advantage of that growth curve by investing in our North of Dallas Rental Fund. We hav
Tue, December 12, 2023
New York landlords are hoping to resolve unpaid rent issues without going to housing court. It’s a plan that could save time and money for both tenants and landlords, but tenant advocates are fighting against the proposal, claiming it will cause more harm than good. Landlords say tenant groups are angry because they weren’t consulted before it was proposed to officials. But, there’s a reason for that which I’ll share with you. New York is not known as a landlord-friendly state and is one of the proving grounds for rent regulation, usually favoring the tenant. In this case, the landlord group “Community Housing Improvement Program,” which is also known as CHIP, presented a plan that would give tenants the option for mediation after meeting with a financial advisor. If that isn’t okay with the tenant, then the case goes to housing court... ...You can read more about New York rent issues, by following links in the show notes for t
Wed, December 06, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 2nd, 2023... what the Fed thinks of the latest inflation report, how much home you can buy with a conforming loan in 2024, and where you’ll find a hot housing market and mushrooming population growth... ...I’m excited to share this next story with you about a Texas market that is expanding rapidly. It’s an area north of Dallas, in Collin County, which is attracting businesses and new residents at a very fast pace. According to the Texas Demographic Center, the county’s population is expected to double by the year 2060. Why are people and businesses flocking to this area? One - Texas is a business-friendly state, and two - there is no state income tax. The good news there. As Collin County Commissioner Susan Fletcher says: “With an average of 100 people per day, these new residents don’t just bring their cars, they also bring additional need for services and facilities impacting all areas of county government.” This headl
Fri, December 01, 2023
When asked how much money a person needs to be wealthy the magic number is currently about $2 million. But many people who have far less than that say they already feel wealthy today, for other reasons. So what’s the catch? According to a Charles Schwab survey, there’s more to “wealth” than a dollar sign. Earlier this year, Schwab conducted its seventh annual Modern Wealth Survey. It took place in early March with about 1,000 participants. While all those people suggested an average $2.2 million to be wealthy, almost half of them said they feel wealthy with just $560,000 because of other non-financial assets... ...If you’re not a member, please take a moment to sign up . It’s free and will help guide you toward the kind of financia
Wed, November 29, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 25th, 2023... you’ll find out why many Americans are choosing to rent, why apartment landlords are offering more concessions, and a trend reversal for home size. We begin this episode with a few economic reports that were released before the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. The weekly unemployment report shows a drop in the number of people filing for benefits. New jobless claims were down 24,000 to a total of 209,000. It was the first time in eight weeks that initial claims were down. The number of ongoing claims also fell slightly to 1.84 million. As MarketWatch reports, the job market remains strong in spite of the Federal Reserve's efforts to slow down the economy by increasing the cost of money through higher interest rates. This supports the belief that rates will be higher for longer, at least until initial jobless claims increase substantially... ...That’s it for today. You can get more details on these stories by
Tue, November 21, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 18th, 2023... you’ll hear about two great inflation reports, a big tax break for Texas property owners, and the latest on the former 4% withdrawal rule for retirees. We begin with economic news and two great inflation reports from this past week. The government released the latest CPI and PPI reports for October. The Consumer Price Index was “flat” for the month and that brought the annual rate of inflation down from 3.7% to 3.2%. When you strip away prices for food and fuel for the core rate, the numbers still suggest inflation stickiness. The core rate was up .2% with a slight decrease in the annual rate. It’s now at 4%. But, it’s a soft inflation reading overall... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.
Tue, November 21, 2023
Buying a new home might get you a nice interest rate from a builder offering buydowns, but what about the purchase of an existing home? If you find the right deal and a seller who has financial flexibility, you might be able to negotiate seller financing at a lower interest rate. It’s a strategy that has been more common among investors, but some realtors say they are seeing more of these deals as buyers try to lower their monthly mortgage payments... ...You’ll find links on this topic in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . You can also learn more about creative financing and real
Tue, November 14, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 11th, 2023... how many home buyers are lowering their payments, what the IRS will let you contribute to your retirement accounts in 2024, and the new IRS tax brackets that are going higher thanks to inflation... ...If you’d like to know more about how to buy rental properties in today’s tough market, please sign up for a free RealWealth membership . It’s quick and easy to sign up and will give you complete access to our website where you’ll find webinars, rental market data, sample properties, and our experienced investment counselors who can answer your questions for free. For links go to the show notes at <a
Fri, November 10, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 4th, 2023... where the Fed stands on short-term rates, what the Fed is expected to do next, and how mortgage rates are creating an economic “ripple effect.” We begin with economic news from this past week. The headline event was the Fed’s monetary policy meeting. As many economists expected, Fed officials kept the short-term Federal Funds rate unchanged at 5.25% to 5.5%. That’s a 22-year high. Fed Chief Jerome Powell said that he expects the economy to soften in the coming months which will help lower inflation. And he appeared to suggest in his comments that the rate-hiking cycle is over although further rate hikes haven’t been ruled out... ...That’s it for today. If you want to read more about these topics, check for links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-e
Thu, November 09, 2023
Many investors are wondering what the most worrisome near-term risks are in today’s economy. Twenty-five of the nation’s most informed professionals have offered their opinions in a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. There are a number of risk factors that made the list, but, unsurprisingly, inflation and the possibility of more rate hikes that could trigger a recession continue to be a top concern. The survey was taken a few weeks ago, from August 10th through October 4th. Among the people providing their opinions were brokers, analysts, academics, researchers, advisory professionals, and investment fund managers. Their responses indicate that persistent inflation and the Fed’s monetary tightening policy is at the top of the list because there’s a chance that further rate increases could trigger a recession... ...The full report has much more information. If you’d like to check it out, look for a link in the show notes
Sat, November 04, 2023
NAR plans to appeal a verdict in a case that many say will weaken the association’s grip on the real estate industry. NAR and several other defendants were convicted of conspiring to keep brokerage commissions artificially high. Many industry experts are now speculating on how this will change the way homes are bought and sold. But NAR said in a news release that this case is far from over. The class-action lawsuit included more than 260,000 people who sold homes in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois between 2015 and 2022. They objected to the commissions sellers were required to pay for agents on both sides of the deal. The fee is typically 5 or 6% of the sales price with the seller’s agent handing over half of that fee to the buyer’s agent. Many of the rules for this process are imposed by NAR. After a two week trial in Kansas City, Missouri, the jury handed over a guilty verdict against NAR, Keller Williams, and HomeServices of Americ
Thu, November 02, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 28th, 2023... inflation is still simmering, homebuyers come on strong in September, and the “Survive to 2025” mess from one real estate group. We begin with economic news from this past week that was highlighted by a report on inflation. The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, or PCE, rose more than expected in September. The government reported a .4% increase which translates into an annual rate of 3.4%. That’s still uncomfortably higher than the Fed’s 2% target. The core rate was up .3% for an annual rate of 3.7%. The core rate omits prices for food and fuel, which can be volatile. The PCE is the Fed’s preferred inflation tracker and is sure to be discussed during the Fed’s next policy meeting. MarketWatch reports that economists and investors are predicting that the Fed will “not” increase rates this time around... ...That’s it for today. You’ll find links to the full articles in the show notes at <a href="htt
Wed, October 25, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 21st, 2023... the mortgage rate milestone we didn’t want to see, proof that the laws of supply and demand are functioning in the housing market, and why five million U.S. homes are vacant in the midst of a housing crunch. We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke at the Economic Club of New York and said that inflation is still too high. But he acknowledged progress and says it’s still too early to know how the rate hikes will fully impact the economy. He didn’t say whether he was leaning toward the need for more rate hikes, but he did suggest they were possible. He says that officials will be keeping an eye on incoming inflation data but some analysts are speculating that we won’t see a new rate hike in November, and the chance of a rate hike in December is not that likely... ...That’s it for today. We’ll post links in the show notes to the original articles at
Fri, October 20, 2023
A new law in California is building on the ADU movement, by allowing homeowners to “sell” their ADUs as condos. The law was one of dozens signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in early October to boost the state’s housing supply. This law will give homeowners an opportunity to create wealth from the sale of the ADU, and buyers the opportunity to own more affordable homes. California Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco drafted AB 1033 to increase homeownership in a state that has grown too expensive for most buyers. Cities must “opt in” to this plan for the law to apply, but for those that do, property owners will be able to sell their ADUs, separately from their primary homes, as condominiums... That’s it for today. You’ll find a link to the LA Times article in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . If you’d like to know more about how to buy and sell real estate, please sign up for a free
Thu, October 19, 2023
You might a surge in the number of renters becoming roomies to share the high cost of rent, but a new study shows the opposite. A study by RentCafe shows a significant increase in tenants renting alone, the generations that are driving the surge, the cities they are choosing to live in, and how much extra income they need to go it alone. According to RentCafe, the number of solo renters in the U.S. was up 6.7% to 16.7 million people between the years 2016 and 2021. That’s about one million additional people renting alone. RentCafe says the biggest increase occurred in 2020, during the pandemic, when people were isolating themselves from Covid. During 2020, the solo renting phenomenon peaked at 17.7 million people, and then backed down somewhat... ...You can check all those statistics by following a link to the RentCafe article in the show notes at newsforinv
Mon, October 16, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 13th, 2023... two September inflation reports, a big jump in the rent-to-income ratio, and the 2024 COLA for Social Security recipients. We begin with economic news from this past week. Two inflation reports are among the headlines. The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, was hotter-than-expected, mostly due to rising shelter costs and gas prices. The Labor Department reported a .4% increase in September. That’s down from a .6% increase in August. The annual rate remained the same at 3.7%. The core rate omits food and energy, and was up.3% which is what economists had predicted. The annual core rate came down a bit from 4.3% to 4.1% which also met expectations... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/p
Fri, October 13, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 7th, 2023… what’s driving mortgage rate volatility, what the housing industry wants from the Fed, and why brokers are severing ties with the National Association of Realtors. As for economic news for the last week… The Treasury yield has been on a bit of an upward trend and hit 4.80% last week. That’s a 16-year high and bad news for mortgage rates because high Treasury yields translate into higher mortgage rates. But since I’m a little late getting this episode together after our jam-packed weekend, the update as of Tuesday October 10th is that Treasury yields have fallen a bit due a rush into government bonds. As reported by MarketWatch, investors were nervous about the economic impact of the Israel-Hamas war. I won’t go into details, but lower Treasury yields brought mortgage rates back down a bit. The Mortgage Bankers Association listed the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as 7.62% on Tuesday, October 10th... ...That’
Mon, October 09, 2023
The Supreme Court has said “no” to a New York rent control case that could have influenced rent control laws across the country. Two landlord groups had hoped the high court would void a law approved in 2019 on the grounds that it contributes to an unconstitutional taking of property. The lawsuit had the backing of other real estate organizations, but the lower courts ruled that states have the right to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants, and that’s the way the law currently stands... ...That’s it for today. For more information on this topic, check for links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . You can also sign up for a free RealWealth m
Tue, October 03, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 30th, 2023... what the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge says about August, how U.S. real estate values are setting new records, and why the typical American can’t afford to buy a home in 99% of the nation. We begin with economic news from this past week that ended with a last minute scramble to avoid a government shutdown. Congress passed a stopgap funding measure with just minutes to spare. That extends the current deadline for another 45 days and gives lawmakers time to hammer out their differences... ...For many consumers, housing affordability has gotten so bad that the typical American cannot afford to buy a home in 99% of the nation. Real estate data firm ATTOM analyzed median home prices over the last year in 575 U.S. counties, and determined that homes became unaffordable when buyers had to pay more than 28% of their paycheck for the home. If you include insurance and property tax, the buyer would need to devote 35%
Sat, September 30, 2023
It was one year ago that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a $250 million lawsuit against former president Donald Trump , accusing him of fraudulent business practices. Just this week, a New York judge has ruled that Trump is guilty of fraud in the building of his massive real estate empire. The judge claims that the he inflated the value of his assets and his own net worth as he negotiated real estate deals and asked for bank loans. The case will still be heard in court, but if this ruling sticks, it could have major implications for Trump’s financial world and a huge lesson for any investor who might consider adding a few zeros onto an asset valuation. Judge Arthur Engoron issued the ruling on Tuesday, September 26th. It comes in conjunction with a lawsuit against Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit claims that Trump and several of his family membe
Wed, September 27, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 23rd, 2023... the Fed’s forecast on inflation, future rate hikes and the GDP, why remote work is good for the environment, and calls for a major shake-up at NAR. We begin with economic news from this past week and a message from Fed Chief Jerome Powell. He announced the result of the committee’s September meeting, saying there would be no rate hike at this time, but a majority of Fed officials expect the need for one more quarter-point hike this year. The range is currently 5.25% to 5.5%. 12 Fed officials foresee another hike while seven don’t see them going any higher. Only “one” Fed official expects the need to raise rates above 6% next year... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us
Fri, September 22, 2023
The market for existing homes is so tight that even the big landlords are having a tough time finding them, but the new rental real estate playbook is all about build-to-rent homes. It’s no secret that renters want the single-family lifestyle, and builders are pumping tens of thousands of new rental homes into the market, with the biggest BTR boom in the South from Texas to Florida. According to stats from RealPage, more than 104-thousand BTR units are under construction across the nation right now. As of September of this year, more than 61,200 of them are in the Southeast section of the US , about 28-thousand five-hundred are in the Western half of the US, almost 13-thousand are in the Central states, and close to 17-hundred are in the Northeast. The RealPage definition of single-family includes fully detached, semi-detached, row homes, duplexes, quadruplexes, and townhomes... At RealWealth, we recently launched a new build-to-rent
Tue, September 19, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 16th, 2023... two more reports on inflation just ahead of this week’s Fed meeting, single-family versus multi-family rent growth, and why two background check companies were fined $5.8 million. We begin with economic news from this past week and another round of inflation reports for the month of August. The Consumer Price Index showed an increase in overall inflation but a drop in the core rate which eliminates pricing for energy and food. The overall CPI rose an unexpected .6%, mostly due to a surge in energy prices. That brought the yearly rate up from 3.2% to 3.7%. But when you strip the numbers down to the core rate, inflation was only up .2% and that small increase lowered the annual core rate from 4.7% to 4.3%... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestor
Fri, September 15, 2023
The Australian real estate tycoon who became notorious for his comments about millennials wasting money on avocado toast, is making new waves with comments about employee attitudes. Tim Gurner spoke out at an Australian Financial Review conference and told his peers that they have to “kill” this feeling of superiority among employees and to do that, employees, and the economy in general, would need to feel some pain.... ...You’ll find a link to the Fortune article in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to subscribe to this podcast , and leave a review! If you’d like to learn more about how to become your own boss through real estate investing, be sure to check out the RealWealth website
Wed, September 13, 2023
More big landlords and property managers are getting hauled into court over alleged rent-fixing. I recently reported on a lawsuit against RealPage and institutional landlords who use the company’s YieldStar rent-setting platform. Now there are similar allegations against Yardi Systems and 18 property management companies. Seattle-based law firm Hagens Berman filed the lawsuit accusing Yardi and the property management firms of a scheme to fix apartment rents nationwide. The attorneys say that the companies used Yardi’s RENTmaximizer tool to automatically raise rents so they wouldn’t compete with each other. That eliminated the need for discounts and other move-in deals to entice tenants... ...You can read more about the Yardi lawsuit by following a link in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com . And please remember to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-
Tue, September 12, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 9th, 2023... we’ll tell you the mortgage rate buyers are waiting for, the homebuying expectations for millennials, and a new super low 1% down payment program. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and comments from three Federal Reserve Bank Presidents about the possibility of more rate hikes. New York’s Bank President, John Wiliams, spoke at a conference and said that monetary policy is in a good place right now with the desired effects. But, he says: “Going forward, we will have to keep watching the data… and asking ourselves the question ‘is this sufficiently restrictive, do we need to maybe raise rates again?” He also says that worries about a recession have essentially vanished, although he expects the unemployment rate to hit 4% in the coming months. It’s currently at 3.8%.... ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes a
Sat, September 09, 2023
Are you thinking of buying land as a place to build your dream home or to own as an investment opportunity? With such a tight inventory of already-built homes, land sales are increasing across the country and so is a real estate scam known as title fraud. According to an attorney for the National Association of Realtors, title fraud has become a more popular tactic among real estate fraudsters than wire fraud. (1) We’re seeing more and more headlines about land that’s being sold without the property owner’s knowledge, and warnings from various authorities and real estate professionals about title fraud. It’s also being called “vacant land fraud” and “seller impersonation fraud” according to one story out of Nevada. (2) The Nevada Division of Insurance and the Nevada Real Estate Division have been warning residents about this kind of scam... ...You can read more about this topic and the precautions you can take to prevent it from happ
Fri, September 08, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 2nd, 2023... what the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge is telling us about July, the home buying slowdown among investors, and plans for a brand-new bustling city in the San Francisco Bay Area. We begin with the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge showing a slight uptick in July. The Personal Consumption Expenditure price index rose 3.3% compared to the previous year. That’s up from 3% in June. The core rate which excludes food and fuel was also up from 4.1% in June to 4.2% in July. The report is fuel for the Fed’s next meeting when officials will decide on whether to hike short-term rates once again...
Fri, September 01, 2023
Like any industry, there are plenty of stories within the real estate world about lawsuits, fraud, and scandalous behavior. Some of the latest headlines include the resignation of the president of the National Association of Realtors in the midst of a scandal, a huge class-action price-fixing lawsuit against RealPage and some of the nation’s biggest landlords, and a real estate influencer in Philadelphia accused of swindling starry-eyed first-time real estate investors. I thought I’d dedicate this episode to those stories and a few others... If you’d like to learn more about real estate investing without breaking any laws, please sign up as a RealWealth member. Membership is free and will give you full access to our website and resources, including our property teams and our investm
Tue, August 29, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 26th, 2023… tough talk on inflation from the Fed Chief, when and why we might see a surge in home prices, and what Texas is doing to manage a booming economy north of Dallas. We begin with economic news from this past week and comments from Fed Chief Jerome Powell. He delivered the keynote address at the Kansas City Fed’s annual retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He reiterated previous sentiments about making progress on inflation, but says it’s still too high and the central bank plans to “keep at it until the job is done.” He said: “We are prepared to raise rates further if appropriate, and intend to hold policy at a restrictive level until we are confident that inflation is moving sustainably down toward our objective” – which is 2%... ...The North Texas area is becoming a global technology hub as semiconductor companies move into the area. That’s creating tens of thousands of jobs, and with all those jobs, a surge in hou
Sat, August 26, 2023
Building a small rental unit on your property is a great way to create passive income, but housing experts say that accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, can also help solve the nation’s housing crisis. And there are a growing number of states that are allowing them. Plus, three states are actually paying people to build them! California was the first to legalize ADUs back in 1982 The law allowed homeowners to build a second unit but local governments hampered the effort with restrictions. Some municipalities charged hefty “impact fees” or imposed complicated and expensive permitting requirements. There may have also been restrictions on renting the units if the owner didn’t live on the property and problems qualifying for a loan to build an ADU... If you live in a place that allows ADU’s, It’s now time to check your yard for space to build an ADU that can bring you some passive income! You can also find out how to become a landlord at
Mon, August 21, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 19th, 2023... what economists say the Fed will do next, a new record high for U.S. home values, and the cities with the biggest need for new housing. We begin with the results of a poll among economists on whether the Fed is through with rate hikes. Reuters polled 110 economists for their opinion on what the Fed will do next. 90% of them believe the Fed will keep interest rates right where they are. About 80% don’t think we’ll see another rate hike for the rest of the year. And, a slight majority are anticipating a rate cut by March... Please sign up for free membership at our RealWealth website if you’d like to learn more about how and where to invest in real estate. You can also catch up on any episodes you’ve missed at <a href= "https://www.newsforinvestors.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopen
Sat, August 19, 2023
In addition to the tragic loss of lives in the Maui wildfire, residents and insurance companies are assessing property losses which are currently coming in at about $3.2 billion. But it won’t just be Maui residents paying for this fire. Insurance companies will be raising rates for everyone to help cover their losses. As reported by Barron’s, insurance companies won’t have any problem paying claims for fire losses in Maui. The U.S. property and casualty industry is well-capitalized with about $980 billion at the end of last year. That’s according to the Insurance Information Institute. The Institute’s Janet Ruiz told Barron’s: “The Hawaii insurance market is stable. Insurance companies are prepared to handle catastrophes.” But analysts and industry experts say insurance companies are already raising rates as natural disasters cause more and more damage across the U.S. and the Maui wildfire will only reinforce this trend. Insurance co
Wed, August 16, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 12th, 2023... you’ll hear what Fed officials are forecasting for housing inflation, why a New York judge tossed an Airbnb lawsuit, and the top ten cities for build-to-rent single-family homes. We begin with economic news from this past week that features two reports on inflation. The Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index was slightly higher in July than it was in June, although the reported figure for both months was .2%. The slight increase was enough to bring the yearly rate up a tiny bit, from 3% to 3.2%, but as MarketWatch reports, the fluctuation may not be enough to worry the Fed. The core rate, which eliminates prices for food and fuel, was also up .2% with an annual rate that was down slightly from 4.8% to 4.7%... If you’ve missed some of our episodes, you can catch up at https://www.newsforinvestors.com . And ple
Tue, August 08, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 5th, 2023... the government’s debt rating get a downgrade, typical mortgage payment rises, and wind risk data is now available on a popular listing website. We begin with economic news from this past week that features a downgrade on U.S. government debt. The Fitch credit rating agency lowered the U.S. government’s debt rating one notch, from AAA to AA+ saying the downgrade reflects “expected fiscal deterioration” that includes a rising amount of government debt and repeated problems with “governance” because of all the debt-ceiling battles in Congress... Please visit newsforinvestors.com to keep up with all the real estate news, and hit the “ Join for Free ” button to become a member of RealWealth. You’ll get access to all our real estate data on ma
Tue, August 08, 2023
The Federal government announced a plan to make it easier for builders to get new housing on the market. It’s part of the Biden administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan. This program, announced on July 27th, would reduce land use and zoning restrictions, increase financing for affordable energy efficient housing, and promote the conversion of under-used commercial space into homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The housing crisis is the result of an oversized demand for housing, a limited supply of affordable homes, and a whole lot of rules and regulations that make it difficult to build more homes. Each city and municipality has zoning rules and land use policies that lean toward low-densit
Thu, August 03, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 29th, 2023… the Fed’s latest rate hike, how the central bank’s economic forecast has changed, and good news about the dreaded IRS “knock on the door.” We begin with economic news from this past week and a Fed meeting that resulted in yet another rate hike. The Federal Reserve raised the benchmark rate a quarter point, to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%. That’s the highest it’s been in 22 years. In a news conference after the meeting, Fed Chief Jerome Powell said that inflation has moderated somewhat, but the 2% target is still a ways off. He wouldn’t say whether Fed officials are leaning toward another rate hike in September. He said it would be a meeting-by-meeting data-driven decision... Please remember to hit the subscribe button , and leave a review! If you want to learn
Fri, July 28, 2023
Fraud concerns are growing in connection with the Nightingale investment firm’s handling of investor funds. We just reported on the disappearance of millions of dollars raised on the CrowdStreet platform for two Nightingale deals. And now, CrowdStreet is worried about the management of a Nightingale office tower in Chicago, which was also partially paid for by CrowdStreet investors. In a previous podcast, we reported that Nightingale is accused of misappropriating more than $50 million that investors pumped into two high-end properties in Atlanta and Chicago. The deals never closed, and when the money went missing, CrowdStreet recommended the appointment of an independent manager. Shareholders agreed and hired Anna Phillips. She then placed the entities created for those deals into bankruptcy to help track down the money. Now CrowdStreet is taking a closer look at the Nightingale campaigns and wants to put Phillips in control of the
Wed, July 26, 2023
Some CrowdStreet investors are expressing disbelief, and rage, after learning that millions of dollars of their investment funds have gone missing! Investors pumped more than $60 million into two deals sponsored by Nightingale Properties on that platform, and Poof! The money has mysteriously disappeared! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As reported by Bisnow, Nightingale did a great job pitching the deals to CrowdStreet investors. One was Nightingale’s purchase of the Atlanta Financial Center for $182 million, which represented a $78 million loss for the seller and instant equity for the buyers. The Real Deals reports that more than 650 investors clamored into that deal with $54 million. The other
Wed, July 26, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 22nd, 2023... what economists are expecting from the Fed, why there’s so much optimism about a soft landing, and what landlords are seeing for rent growth in today’s market. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. We begin with economic news from this past week, and much of that news has been focused on what economists predict the Fed will do at this week’s meeting. There’s basically a consensus that the Fed will hike short-term rates another quarter point to squash inflation, and that that will likely be the final rate hike. But at the same time, most economists don’t expect Fed Chief Jerome Powell to say that out loud, and he has predicted the need for another two rate hikes. But he’s more
Wed, July 19, 2023
The rent control debate is gaining momentum at the top of the legal food chain. New York landlords are asking the Supreme Court to overturn lower court decisions on a 2019 rent stabilization law, and several national real estate groups are showing support. If the high court takes the case and rules in their favor, experts say it could “destabilize” rent stabilization laws across the nation. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The two landlord groups pushing for a Supreme Court review of the lower court rulings are the Community Housing Improvement Program and the Rent Stabilization Association. They are both based in New York, and claim that the 2019 “Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act” is u
Wed, July 19, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 15th, 2023... the best inflation news in a long time, why you might get some money back from BofA, and a ranking of state economies with two of my favorites at the top. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the big news came from two promising inflation reports. With a tiny .2% increase in June, the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, shows that inflation is slowing down. The June reading is down from a .3% increase in May, and brings the annual rate down from 4% to 3%. It’s the lowest rate of inflation we’ve seen since March of 2021. The core rate of inflation, which omits food and gas, rose the same .2%, but the annual rate is st
Wed, July 12, 2023
This is the 1300th episode of our news podcast! And to celebrate we are featuring another big win for our RealWealth investors -- the public opening of a man-made crystal lagoon in the Tampa Bay area that's now the nation's largest! The 15-acre Mirada Lagoon is part of a massive development project in Pasco County that was syndicated by us at RealWealth. It was supposed to open a few years ago, but thanks to the pandemic and supply chain issues, those plans were delayed until now! (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. We acquired the land for about 10 cents on the dollar nearly a decade ago, during the downturn. It was called Cannon Ranch at the time, and slated for 4200 homes on a golf course, but our team thought that consumers might be read
Tue, July 11, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 8th, 2023... what’s on the minds of Fed officials, how homebuyer competition is impacting prices, and what isn’t happening with the back-to-office migration. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and the release of the minutes from the central bank’s last policy meeting. As you know, members of the Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously in favor of a pause in rate hikes, but the minutes show that some members were in favor of another 25 point increase. The minutes also noted that the economy has been stronger than expected and that Fed officials don’t see a lot of “clear signs” that inflation is headed to their 2% target.
Wed, July 05, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 1st, 2023... where we stand on inflation and rate hikes, how many homes we need to meet demand, and the amount of money Americans expect to need in retirement. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and a report on the Fed’s preferred inflation measure. The government released the latest CPI on Friday which shows the lowest rate of overall inflation since April of 2021. Prices rose a mere .1% which brought the annual rate down to 3.8%. That’s down from 4.3% in March. At the core level, inflation remains a little sticker. It omits food and energy, and shows a .3% price increase with an annual rate of 4.6%. (1) The good news is that
Fri, June 30, 2023
Fraudulent applications for the government’s Covid-era Paycheck Protection Program helped push home prices higher in some markets. That’s the conclusion of new research from the University of Texas at Austin. It says that fraudulent PPP loan recipients increased their home purchase rate more than non-fraudulent loan recipients, and that that corresponded to higher home prices. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. The research paper shows that home price growth was much faster in areas with a high amount of “suspicious lending per capita.” In other words, areas with higher rates of loan fraud correlated with fraud recipients who also bought property. That may have increased prices due to competition among well-funded buyers, or maybe because
Fri, June 30, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 24th, 2023... what the Fed Chief is saying about another two rate hikes, where evictions are rising the most, and how the economy is impacting commercial real estate. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell about interest rates. He testified before Congress that U.S. inflation is still too high and that more rate hikes are likely this year. He told members of the House Financial Services Committee: “Nearly all FOMC participants expect that it will be appropriate to raise interest rates somewhat further by the end of the year.” But he also says that decisions will be made “meeti
Fri, June 23, 2023
The latest report on single-family rents shows that rent growth is still positive, but declining in step with the Fed-induced economic slowdown. CoreLogic just released its Single-Family Rent Index for April which shows another monthly dip and rent growth levels for various metros. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. The CoreLogic report shows that single-family rents were up 3.7% in April for all the U.S. metros included in the index. That’s down from 4.3% in March, and 14% from April of last year. The report shows single-digit rent increases for the most part. Las Vegas was the only exception with a negative reading of .8%. Despite the huge year-over-year decline, sin
Tue, June 20, 2023
California is hoping to solve a massive homeless problem with a change in the state constitution. One lawmaker is proposing an amendment that proclaims “adequate housing” as a fundamental right. It’s not clear what “adequate housing” would mean, but if it gets on the ballot, and it’s passed by voters, it would be the first such constitutional amendment in the nation. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 Assemblyman Matt Haney of San Francisco proposed the amendment which is currently working its way through the state legislature. The measure, called Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10, would make state and local governments responsible for upholding this mandate. There would have to be some guidelines as
Tue, June 20, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 17th, 2023... why we might see two more rate hikes this year, what the latest consumer price report is showing us, and the cities that are attracting the most attention from renters! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news that grabbed headlines this last week. Members of the Fed’s Open Market Committee decided to put their rate hike regimen on pause for the month of June, but said that two more rate hikes are likely later this year. The decision was unanimous for the pause, but not so for the rate hikes. Two members don’t see any further hikes, four are anticipating one more rate hike, and nine are expecting the need for two. Two more believe we’ll need
Mon, June 12, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 10th, 2023… what builders are saying about the lot shortage, where rent growth is highest and lowest, and the rising number of all-cash offers for homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week… which doesn’t amount to much. Economists are focused more on what’s coming up “this week.” The Fed’s June meeting is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday where members of the Federal Open Market Committee will be deciding what happens next with interest rates. CNBC reports that a majority of economists are predicting a pause on rate hikes, but that we could see another rate hike in July. (1) Much depends on where we stand on inflation right n
Fri, June 09, 2023
The Arizona governor is calling for new limits on construction in the Phoenix suburbs due to a dwindling supply of groundwater. Governor Katie Hobbs announced a pause on new subdivisions that don’t have a proven source of water. The policy comes after an analysis that says the supply of groundwater will fall short of demand over the next 100 years. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. Growth Putting Pressure on Water Supply Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the U.S. with more than 1.6-million people, but the entire metro area has closer to 5-million people. Those suburbs and outlying areas are also growing rapidly, and putting more and more pressure on groundwater supplies that do not replenish rapidly, especially during times of drought. Th
Wed, June 07, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 3rd, 2023... a new surge in job openings and job creation, a big drop in investor activity, and a new legal battle over short-term rentals in New York City. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news and several reports on the strength of the job market. The government reports that companies created a whopping 339,000 new jobs in May. That’s a sign of strength for the job market, but the report also shows a surge in unemployment from 3.4% to 3.7%. That’s the highest jobless reading since October. Some economists see that as a potential warning sign. But job market resilience is also showing up in a report on job openings which rose from a revised 9
Tue, June 06, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 27th, 2023... you’ll get the latest reading on inflation, how much home prices have come down in a year, and the long-awaited opening of Amazon’s HQ2. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Minutes from the Fed’s May meeting offer a few insights. They reveal that several officials believe we may not need more rate hikes to get inflation back down to the 2% level. Forward guidance also indicates a pause in hikes at the June meeting, although some Fed officials say rate hikes have not been ruled out. (1) And, with the latest report on inflation, there’s new concern that the Fed could be inclined to hike rates again. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released the April reading on the PCE index. It shows it going in the wrong direction ahead of the Fed’s next meeting. The
Tue, May 30, 2023
It’s another dose of bad news for office space providers. Researchers had previously estimated that remote work would take a 28% bite out of office values by 2029, but they apparently underestimated the impact. They are now predicting the decline will be closer to 44%. On the flip side of that coin, a drop in values will also make it easier for at least some of those buildings to be converted to badly needed housing, with the help of government incentives. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. As Bisnow reports, researchers had reported last year that office values would lose about $500 billion in value over ten years, from 2019 to 2029. Now those academic researchers from New York University and Columbia University are saying that office values have already surpassed that amount in just three years, from 2019 through last year. (1) Half a Trillion Dollar Loss in Value In New York Cit
Mon, May 22, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 20th, 2023... what the Fed Chief is saying about interest rates and potential rate cuts, how the FHFA is responding to a controversy over new rules for home loan fees, and why mall owners have become interested in pickleball. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the Fed chief’s response to predictions about what the central bank plans to do next. Jerome Powell spoke out at a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and said that Fed officials have made “no” decision yet on their next move. Many economists are expecting a pause in rate hikes, but the Fed is determined to bring inflation back down to the 2% level, no mat
Fri, May 19, 2023
A Senate hearing on recent bank failures turned into a prickly confrontation between bank executives and lawmakers. Former leadership for Silicon Valley, Signature, and First Republic Banks were hammered by lawmakers about why their banks collapsed. And there wasn’t a lot of agreement on the cause. Bank executives blamed the government and the media, while lawmakers blamed mismanagement and greed. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. Silicon Valley Bank made the biggest splash as the first bank to fall with about $210 billion in assets. Signature bank had about $110 billion when it was seized by regulators. They were the third and fourth largest banks in the U.S. so their failures raised huge concerns about the impact on the entire financial syst
Wed, May 17, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 13th, 2023... some good news about inflation, how a U.S. debt default might impact housing, and a new Gallup Poll on investor preferences. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with two inflation reports from this past week. The first was a report on the Consumer Price Index for April. The CPI shows a .4% rise in consumer prices which is a slight increase from the previous month, but it brought the annual rate below 5% for the first time in two years. It hit a high of 9.1% last summer, but is now down to 4.9%. The core rate, which omits food and fuel, was also down .4%, with an annual rate of 5.5%. Shelter prices rose the most, but those prices are slowing down. It’s inte
Fri, May 12, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 6th, 2023… why economists are expecting a rate hike pause, where homeowners are paying the most and the least for their mortgages, and new home search help from a chatbot! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the big news is, of course, the Fed’s rate hike. The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee followed through on an expected quarter point hike to the overnight lending rate, which puts the target range between 5 and 5.25%. It was the 10th rate hike in a row and a unanimous decision among committee members, despite calls for a pause from some Congressional lawmakers. (1) The Fed also appeared to suggest that it might now
Thu, May 11, 2023
When it comes to renting a home, landlords may see many more applicants with pets than they do parents with children. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of households with pets is almost double the number of households with children. That’s a trend that impacts the rental market as well as the home buying market, as pet owners look for housing and neighborhoods that will accommodate the needs of their children, and their pets. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. Census data shows that the number of families with kids under the age of 18 has been declining over the past 20 years. Last year, in 2022, just 40% of households had children. That’s down from 48% in 2002. A RisMedia article suggests two reasons for the decline: One, because
Sat, May 06, 2023
March wasn’t a great month for investor home sales. A new Redfin report shows that one in every seven homes sold by investors was sold at a loss. That’s 14% of investor sales or about triple the number from a year earlier, and the highest level of investor home sale losses since 2016. But there is a catch! These sales were mostly for investors who bought more recently and sold after a short length of time, such as flippers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. The housing market has slowed dramatically as home prices and mortgage rates make it tough to buy, and in some areas and for some people, tough to invest. It’s important to remember that the report is based on national statistics, and that six in seven of those real estate investors made mo
Tue, May 02, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 29th, 2023... you’ll get mixed news on inflation, results for the first quarter GDP, and a rate hike in South America that you never want to see here! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News Let’s begin our economic review with the latest inflation report. The Personal Consumption Expenditure Index for March was released on Friday and showed a tiny .1% increase in overall inflation. That brought the yearly rate down from 5.1% in February to 4.2% in March – the lowest it’s been since May of last year. But unfortunately, the news wasn’t as good for the PCE’s core rate. When you omit prices for food and gas, the core rate rose .3%, and brought the annual rate down from 4.7% to 4.6%.
Fri, April 28, 2023
Fannie and Freddie are changing some rules that could make home loans more expensive for people with high credit scores, and less expensive for those at the low-end of that spectrum. Critics say the rules amount to an unfair subsidy for high-risk borrowers, but the GSE’s say it’s a misconception about what they are changing. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. You may have seen the headlines already. One says: “A Bigger Subsidy for Risky Mortgages.” Another says: “Upside Down Mortgage Policy.” Another says this new policy will “screw Up the Homebuying Market.” The headlines refer to a new rules from the Federal Housing Finance Agency regarding loan-level price adjustments or LLPAs for conventional loans. They officially kick in on May 1st, alt
Wed, April 26, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 22nd, 2023… we have two new forecasts on whether we’ll see a recession this year, some good news about the cost of construction materials, and a report that shows how much wealthier you are if you own instead of rent. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with a look at economic news from the past week. There are a few new reports predicting that we’ll have a “mild” recession in the second half of the year. The Conference Board’s leading economic indicator index, or LEI, was down for a 12th month in a row in March. It fell 1.2%, which is the biggest decline in the last three years, according to MarketWatch. The index is a compilation of 10 indicators. One Conference Bo
Mon, April 24, 2023
Fannie and Freddie have a growing blacklist for certain properties that they won’t lend to, but it’s not public and it could surprise you when you’re trying to close on a deal. The Los Angeles Daily News first reported on this, saying the government-sponsored enterprises are placing condos, associations, and co-ops on the list for a variety of reasons, including deferred maintenance. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. The president of Philadelphia-based condo and co-op lending service provider CondoTek told the Daily News that the blacklist has now grown to more than 1,400 properties. Orest Tomaselli says just 16 months ago, there were only 900 properties on the list. New Tighter Standards After Condo Collapse Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Wed, April 19, 2023
Is climate change creating a real estate bubble we shouldn’t ignore? And who’s going to get hurt if that bubble bursts? Yale’s Climate Connections newsletter just reported on a study that claims there’s a massive bubble forming because property values don’t include climate risks like flooding and wildfires. The 2023 Nature Climate Change study also suggests six ways to reduce this risk and potentially keep this bubble from bursting. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. Although climate change skeptics may feel we are experiencing normal weather patterns, many people are concerned that severe weather events are increasing in number and intensity. We’ve been seeing increased storm-related flooding in some areas and more drought-related wildfire
Wed, April 19, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 15th, 2023… we have two inflation reports, the minutes of the last Fed meeting, and the results of a survey on an acceptable mortgage rate. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The government released two reports on inflation that show prices are rising more slowly, but that inflation is still too high. The Consumer Price Index or CPI shows a small .1% increase in March, mostly due to lower food and gas prices. Energy prices were down 3.5% while groceries fell .3% including an 11% tumble for egg prices. Grocery prices are still 8.4% higher year-over-year, but those declines helped slow the yearly rate from 6% to 5%, which is the
Tue, April 11, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 8th, 2023... reports show a slowly weakening job market, what could be a great year for single-family rentals, and a list of the top metros for home value growth and stability. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Although the job market remains strong, the latest reports show it is softening. For the week of March 25th, jobless claims hit 228,000. It’s the ninth week in a row that they’ve topped 200,000. They had bottomed out last fall when they dropped to a 53-year low of 182,000. They continued around the 200,000 level for several months and have been slowly rising since February. Government revisions also show that claims du
Fri, April 07, 2023
Commercial real estate is feeling the impact of high interest rates, slower rent growth, and the banking turmoil, but is that asset class really set to implode? Many of the headlines you see today would lead you to believe that that’s going to happen but some real estate insiders say: “Not so fast. We could be in for a buying opportunity.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. First, let’s take a look at what’s happening with apartment sales. Commercial real estate data company CoStar just released a preliminary report on first quarter sales that shows a 74% year-over-year drop. That’s the biggest slowdown since 2012 except for the second quarter of 2020, when the pandemic shut down the economy. From the start of the year to March 17th, sales were
Fri, April 07, 2023
Demand for badly needed housing has triggered another ban on single-family zoning. Lawmakers in Arlington County, Virginia, approved a controversial plan to eliminate single-family exclusivity, and allow as many as six homes on one property. The decision came after a contentious three-year debate, and is part of a growing trend to dismantle the long-standing concept for single-family communities. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. The policy was unanimously approved by a five-member county board after a battle that included a so-called “Missing Middle Housing Study.” The missing middle is a phrase that refers to housing that falls between apartments and single-family homes. It covers several kinds of housing including townhomes, duplexes, and
Mon, April 03, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 1st, 2023… new PCE numbers show inflation is weakening, where investors are reaping the biggest returns for single-family rentals, and how much apartment renters are saving if they don’t buy. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a favorable report on inflation. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released a report on the February Personal Consumption Index, or PCE, and it shows a mild .3% increase. That’s down from a .6% increase in January, and suggests that the Fed may be getting the upper hand on high prices. With this report, the yearly rate dropped from 5.3% to 5%, which is the lowest it’s been in more than a year and a half
Fri, March 31, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 25th, 2023... the Fed’s latest rate hike, the impact of high rates on banks, and the top states for tenant migrations. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve hiked the short-term rate once again by a quarter point. The benchmark rate is now 4.75% to 5%. There had been speculation that we’d see a half point rate hike because inflation hasn’t been coming down fast enough, but the failure of Silicon Valley Bank forced the central bank to be more cautious. (1) Fed Chief Jerome Powell said he was surprised at how quickly Silicon Valley Bank collapsed and even admitted that committee members considered a pause in ra
Fri, March 24, 2023
The Fed followed through on another rate hike despite the banking turmoil. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee raised the Federal Funds rate another quarter point on March 22nd. That brings the short term rate to a range of 4.75% to 5%. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. Fed Chief Jerome Powell said the collapse of two banks, and the near-collapse of a third, did force Fed officials to consider a pause in rate hikes. But he says they were persuaded to hike rates again because of stubbornly high inflation and a strong job market with strong wage growth. But Powell offered assurances that the central bank is prepared to protect the banking system. He also still believes there’s a path to a soft landing. (1) Powell says he expects the
Mon, March 20, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 18th, 2023… the latest reports on inflation, why homebuilders blame the media for skittish homebuyers, and what international buyers think about the U.S. real estate market. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with the latest economic news from this past week, and what a week it’s been. The banking crisis continues to underscore the impact that interest rate hikes can have on the economy. Economists are now predicting that the Fed may only raise rates a quarter point when it meets in the coming week, instead of the previously anticipated half point rate hike. (1) The latest inflation reports are also encouraging. The Consumer Price Index was up .4% in February. That
Wed, March 15, 2023
Just out, the Consumer Price Index for February and it shows that inflation cooled slightly for the month. Government figures show it rose .4% which brings the annual inflation rate down to 6%. It was 6.4% last month. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review. The report on the CPI also shows a .5% rise in the core rate of inflation, which omits volatile pricing for food and energy. That’s slightly higher than a .4% estimate for the core rate, but the annual core rate of 5.5% was inline with expectations. Economists Expect Soften Fed Policy Overall, inflation went down in February, but likely not enough to prevent another rate hike when the Federal Reserve meets next week. Economists expect the banking turmoil to soften the Fed’s stance however.
Tue, March 14, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 11th, 2023 and beyond… the collapse of three banks in one week, how this might change the Fed’s decision on a rate hike, and a new attempt to kill the 1031 exchange. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin the latest economic reports and the failure of a huge bank in Silicon Valley. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank happened in just 48 hours, after a $42 billion bank run. It’s now the second biggest bank collapse in U.S. history after the collapse of Washington Mutual in 2008. The crisis began when the bank said it needed to raise $2.25 billion to shore up its balance sheet, but that spooked investors which include some of the biggest tech companies and venture capit
Fri, March 10, 2023
The Fed may have a difficult time determining its progress against inflation later this year, as the two biggest inflation indicators contradict each other. The Federal Reserve prefers the Personal Consumption Expenditures index or PCE as a basis for its 2% inflation target. But due to the differences between the PCE and the Consumer Price Index or CPI, they might reverse their roles and cause confusion. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast , and leave us a five-star review if you like what you hear! The CPI is more closely watched by average Americans, and it’s been the one to show the highest level of inflation. But according to an analysis in the Wall Street Journal, as inflation subsides, it could drop below the PCE, making it difficult for the Fed to explain rat
Fri, March 10, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 4th, 2023... the Fed Chief's testimony before Congress for the current week along with a forecast on home prices and what national rent growth is doing for single family homes and multi-families. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with comments from Fed Chief Jerome Powell about the central bank's fight against inflation. He spoke before the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee on March 7th and 8th. Bloomberg reports that he softened his tone slightly on the second day, saying that Fed officials will wait for new data on Jobs and inflation before they decide on the size of a rate hike when they meet later this month. He did say the rate
Fri, March 03, 2023
Home values have been coming down since they peaked in June of last year. A Redfin report shows the U.S. total went as high as $47.7 trillion before it dropped to $45.3 trillion in December. That’s a 4.9% decline and the largest June-to-December percentage drop since 2008. The report also shows that home values in some markets are holding up well, with double-digit year-over-year gains. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast , and leave us a five-star review if you like what you hear! According to Redfin, December year-over-year home values were still 6.5% higher nationally, but that’s the smallest year-over-year increase since August of 2020. The analysis included data on 99 million U.S. residential properties in the top 100 metros for population. (1) Fight Against
Wed, March 01, 2023
I n this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 25th, 2023... the latest disappointing report on inflation, a Q4 report on investor home-buying activity, and a new prediction for institutional ownership of single-family rentals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and a report that inflation remains stubbornly high. According to the Personal Consumption Expenditures index or PCE, the cost of goods and services rose .6% in January. That’s the largest increase since last summer, and raises the annual rate from 5.3% to 5.4%. The core rate, which excludes food and fuel, was also up .6% and raises the annual core rate of inflation from 4.6% to 4.7%. The disappointing res
Wed, February 22, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 18th, 2023... a double dose of inflation data, why investors might save the day for the housing market, and what remote workers are worried about this winter. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The government released “two” inflation reports, that show we’re not making as much progress as we’d like in taming those high prices. The Consumer Price Index or CPI shows that the cost of living was up .5% in January, with a slight drop in the annual rate from 6.5% to 6.4%. The core rate, which omits food and gas, was also higher than expected at .4% for January and an annual rate of 5.6%. Most of the increase was due to higher ho
Fri, February 17, 2023
Population growth, job growth, and infrastructure growth are some of the essential ingredients for a healthy real estate market. They all feed into housing demand, and should be important considerations for determining where to buy rental property. A recent NAR report on population growth puts Florida and Texas at the very top of a national list for population growth in 2022. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. “Where People Moved in 2022” The National Association of Realtors published an article called “Where People Moved in 2022.” It is based on data from the Census Bureau data on net migration for each state. Not only did Florida have the highest number of
Thu, February 16, 2023
A debate over the definition of an accredited investor is underway ahead of an SEC meeting that could make it tougher to quality. The SEC Chairman is reportedly in favor of making the definition more restrictive, and that’s raising concerns among lawmakers, financial scholars and business startups who feel that opportunities for investing should be expanded, not diminished. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. What is an Accredited Investor? If you’ve been wanting to invest in a private placement, such as an apartment or storage syndication, but haven’t yet met the requirements of an accredited investor, you may be feeling the frustration. The SEC requires an individual to earn at least $200,000 a year as an individual, $300,000 a year as a co
Wed, February 15, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 11th, 2023... What’s ahead for single-family rentals and build-to-rent homes, along with a look at why Los Angeles landlords may be fuming right now, over a new law. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and comments from Fed Chief Jerome Powell, about last week’s surprisingly strong January jobs report. He said of the report: “It was certainly stronger than anyone I know expected.” (1) The blowout report surpassed expectations with 517,000 new jobs, and a decrease in the unemployment rate to 3.4%. (2) With 5 million more jobs than there are workers to fill them, Powell is concerned that competition for workers will lead to
Mon, February 13, 2023
Tension between the U.S. and China has spilled into the U.S. real estate market, with specific concern about the ownership of American farmland. There’s new legislation by two House members that would prohibit the purchase of farmland by Chinese citizens. There’s also an increasing number of states that are approving or considering similar limits or bans, including one that’s creating a lot of controversy right now in Texas. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As a headline in Fortune warns: “Forget the Chinese balloon – selling farmland to foreign nationals is the real worry.” You’ve probably been following the balloon incident. It was first spotted by a cattle rancher in Washington state, although defense officials said the next day that they wer
Fri, February 10, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 4th, 2023... another Fed rate hike with an encouraging forecast for the coming months, what Elon Musk is doing with Lennar in Texas, and why real estate agents are embracing an artificial intelligence chatbot called ChatGPT. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from the past week. The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee hiked short-term rates by another quarter point, as expected. That raises the Federal Funds rate to a range of 4.5 to 4.75%. It’s the highest it’s been since October of 2007, and will likely go higher before the Federal Reserve is convinced that inflation is subsiding. During a news conference, Fed Chief Jerome Powell said: “Wh
Sat, February 04, 2023
The Biden Administration launched a broad-based effort by federal agencies to “improve the quality of life for renters.” The announcement comes at a time when 40% of renters are struggling to keep up with their rent payments, but raises questions about how to make housing affordable in a way that is fair for both renters and landlords. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. U.S. Rent Growth Rents have been soaring across the country, as housing demand continues to outpace supply, but it has also been slowing down as the Federal Reserve works to slow inflation with rate hikes. According to Zillow, typical U.S. asking rents are $1,981, which represents a yearly growth rate of 7.4%. That’s down from a peak of 17.1% last February. (2) Rents and re
Thu, February 02, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 28th, 2023... what’s happening with inflation, a new surge in foreclosures, and the affordability of renting versus buying. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest report on the cost of goods and services shows that inflation is cooling off. The PCE index is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation and it shows a tiny .1% increase for December. That reduces the annual rate from 5.5% to 5%. When you eliminate the cost of food and gas, the monthly increase was .3% with an annual rate that’s down from 4.7% to 4.4%. PCE stands for Personal Consumption Expenditures. (1) We also have a new report on the GDP. The
Sat, January 28, 2023
It’s a worst-case scenario for homeowners in a suburb of Scottsdale, Arizona. Due to drought conditions in the Southwest, the water supply for Rio Verde Foothills has been shut off. Residents have been left scrambling for water. They have filed a lawsuit, but the bigger question is whether the building boom can continue in Arizona. Land has been inexpensive in Arizona but without enough water, is land really that cheap? Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Scottsdale supplied Rio Verde Foothills with water for decades, since it sprouted into existence in the 1970’s. It’s an unincorporated part of Maricopa county with about 600 homes and about 1,000 residents. The water was trucked in, but with a decades-long drought and a shrinking supply of water f
Thu, January 26, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 21st, 2023... why mortgage rates are looking more attractive, the new office space investing opportunity, and a new home design trend called “Barkitecture” that makes pets a priority. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and more evidence that prices are coming back down to earth. The government reports that wholesale prices were .5% lower in December. It was the biggest drop in the Producer Price Index since April of 2020 when the economy shut down because of Covid. The monthly decline brings the annual rate of wholesale price inflation down from 7.2% to 6.2%. (1) The Federal Reserve will be analyzing the latest reports on i
Sat, January 21, 2023
The Fed’s relentless effort to stomp out inflation is having a huge impact on one of the nation’s biggest builders. KB Homes reported a homebuyer cancellation rate of 68% in December. And the “housing market reset” isn’t over yet. Although the latest inflation reports show that inflation is subsiding, the cost of a home is still too high for many buyers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Inflation is Slowly Decreasing A report on the Consumer Price Index shows a decline of .1% in December with an annual rate of 6.5%. (1) It’s the lowest rate of inflation we’ve seen in more than a year, and a big drop from a peak of 9.1% last summer. Lower oil prices accounted for most of the latest decline. When you remove prices for fuel and food, the monthl
Wed, January 18, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 14th, 2023… the good news about inflation, a few new potentially hot real estate markets, and the recent surge in U.S. population growth. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and good news about inflation. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, consumer prices were down. The Labor Department reports that the Consumer Price Index fell .1% in December. The decline brings the annual rate of inflation down from 7.1% to 6.5%. It was up as high as 9.1% last summer. The core rate of inflation is considered a more accurate gauge of inflation because it eliminates food and gas prices which can be volatile. That rate was
Wed, January 11, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 7th, 2023... home loan rates are hitting home prices, rent growth slows on apartments and single-family rentals, and lumber prices have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve officials are seeing a long-term need for higher interest rates, according to the minutes of their last meeting. They raised the short-term rate by a half point at that meeting to a range of 4.25% to 4.50%. That’s after four three-quarter point rate hikes during past meetings. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari sees the federal funds rate going as high as 5.4%, or higher if inflation doesn’t settle back d
Tue, January 10, 2023
The commercial real estate market is in for a rough ride this year. Many mortgages become due in 2023, and refinancing could be impossible for some property owners because of high interest rates. That situation is expected to shake things up a bit, and lead to more defaults, subleasing, and vacancies. As a MarketWatch headline suggests: “The party is over in commercial real estate.” (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Lenders say there’s an estimated $450 billion worth of commercial real estate loans coming due within the next four years. Property owners will be forced to refinance at much higher interest rates, for properties that may have also lost value. It’s a double whammy that could result in property sales and/or bankruptcies. Higher R
Fri, January 06, 2023
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 31, 2022... we say goodbye to a difficult year for real estate and hello to a new year that’s filled with opportunity. You’ll also hear about changes to retirement account rules, what happened to builder confidence in 2022, and what one institutional investor thinks of single-family rentals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week that includes significant changes to how taxpayers save for retirement. The changes are part of the SECURE ACT 2.0 which was written into the $1.7 trillion federal spending plan just approved by Congress and President Joe Biden. Some of the more than 90 changes will take effect right away, while others w
Wed, December 28, 2022
California is eliminating a substantial subsidy for people who add solar panels to their homes and businesses. The new policy will reduce the amount of money that utilities are required to pay to homeowners who pump surplus electricity back into the grid. There’s now concern that the decision will hurt the solar industry in California, and potentially other states that may follow California’s lead. State regulators say the old policy is outdated, and the new one paves the way to the future. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The five-member California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously in favor of the proposal. They say it will promote grid reliability and distribute the cost of maintaining the grid more equitably, while incentivizing the use of rooftop solar with battery storage. CPUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen says: “The decision strikes the right balance between man
Mon, December 26, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 24th, 2022... we have the latest report on inflation, a surge in all-cash home purchasing deals, and the results of a survey on real estate as a wealth builder. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a new report that shows inflation is cooling off. The Commerce Department says the Personal Consumption Expenditure index shows that prices rose just .1% in November. That brings the annual rate of inflation down from 6.1% to 5.5%. The core rate, which eliminates food and gas prices, was up .2% with an annual rate that dropped from 5% to 4.7%. The PCE index is the gauge preferred by the central bank because it takes into account
Fri, December 23, 2022
Rent growth has been slowing down in step with the economy, but it’s still running hotter than it was before the pandemic. And that’s expected to encourage more jurisdictions to consider and or pass rent control legislation. Even Florida is turning towards rent control as an answer for high rents. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As Bisnow reports, rents remain “painfully high” for many Americans, despite slower rent growth for both single-family and multi-family rentals. (1) Year-over-year single-family rent growth hit a high of 13.9% in April of last year, but has been slowing down for the last five months. It’s still in the double digits, but is now 10.2%. Florida metros have seen the highest SFR rent growth with Miami and Orlando at the top
Tue, December 20, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 17th, 2022... the Fed’s latest rate hike, a 2023 top market forecast, and where you can “live like a hobbit” on Airbnb. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. As I mentioned in an update a few days ago, the Fed hiked short-term rates once again. This time, it was a half point increase. The previous four increases were three quarters of a point. That brings the federal-funds rate up to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. The Fed’s effort to stop inflation is expected to go as high as 5.25%. Several Fed officials expect rates to go even higher. Fed Chief Jerome Powell says of the need for more rate hikes: “We’re going into next year with hi
Sat, December 17, 2022
Blackstone is defending its decision to limit withdrawals from its $69 billion dollar real estate fund as investors become more cautious about what’s ahead. Fund managers say that redemption requests for the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, or BREIT, exceeded previously set limits, and that investors knew there would be only so much liquidity to pay existing investors. The only way to create more liquidity is to sell properties, and that doesn’t happen overnight. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Blackstone chief, Stephen Schwarzman, says the fund is performing well, and the high number of redemption requests are mostly from Asian investors who are facing financial stress in Asia. But there’s also growing concern about commercial real estate
Fri, December 16, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief updated to December 14, 2022… the Fed hikes short-term rates once again, two inflation reports show signs of improvement, and a video game called “The Tenants” showcases the job of a landlord. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin economic news with another rate hike by the Fed as it tries to control inflation. Fed officials decided on a half point rate hike, as most economists expected. That’s lower than the last four three-quarter point rate hikes, and puts the Federal Funds rate between 4.25% and 4.5%. Fed officials also indicated that they would keep rates high throughout 2023, so any reduction in the overnight lending rate wouldn’t happen until 2024. (1) Fed officials had just received t
Fri, December 09, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 3rd, 2022... new limits for 2023 conforming loans, the hours tenants need to work to pay rent, and a single-family rent growth slowdown that’s still good news for landlords. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The inflation gauge favored by the Fed showed a bigger drop in price growth, but a report on job creation and wage growth showed that the economy is still running too hot. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Index or PCE shows a .2% increase for the October core rate which is down from a .5% rate of growth in September. The current annual rate is now 5.2% for the PCE core rate which excludes food and gas prices. The im
Tue, December 06, 2022
Investors often use this strategy and now some housing activists are doing the same, hoping to beat investors with cash offers. It’s the cash offer on a home that often gives investors an edge, and one activist group in Milwaukee is hoping to level the playing field with funds to buy homes in cash that it will then sell to low-income families. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Act Housing is a nonprofit organization that wants to give low-income families an opportunity to buy homes that are often scooped up by investors with cash offers. The Wall Street Journal is calling them “activist house flippers.” In this case, the group would flip the homes for a minimal profit because it would sell them to families for close to the cost of the homes. (1)
Tue, November 29, 2022
There’s still time to get in on an affordable real estate deal that also gives you Portuguese citizenship, access to affordable, state of the art healthcare, university education in Europe, and easy access to Europe. Portugal’s Golden Visa program encourages foreign real estate investment in exchange for citizenship, and the minimum investment is just €280,000 which is about $280,000. But the opportunity might not last forever. The Portuguese government is in the process of making a decision on whether to end the program but anyone already signed up will be grandfathered in! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Portugal’s Golden Visa Program Portugal’s Golden Visa program has been around since 2012. It was created to help Portugal recover fr
Mon, November 28, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 26th, 2022... what the Fed is expected to do next, what investors did not do in the third quarter, and a new rent growth report. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with a light week for economic news as most of us enjoyed a day with family and friends for Thanksgiving. But there are a few things to report. The Federal Reserve released the minutes of its last meeting which shows that most of the voting members feel it’s appropriate to reduce the size of the rate hikes. They feel that aggressive measures are still needed, but that smaller hikes will give them an opportunity to evaluate the economic impact. They are hoping to avoid what they call a “hard landi
Tue, November 22, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 19th, 2022... the latest inflation slowdown, what the Fed might do next, and what homebuyers need to earn to buy the “typical home.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715 Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and another good report on inflation. The government reported on Tuesday that wholesale prices only rose .2% in October. That lowers the annual rate of inflation from 8.4% to 8%. It had been as high as 11.7% in March. That report along with one the week before on the CPI, show that inflation is slowing down, but officials at the Federal Reserve say they are still seeing the need for several more rate hikes. (1) St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard says that the centra
Tue, November 22, 2022
What’s happening with Airbnb? A Palm Springs superhost recently Tweeted about an unusual drop in bookings which opened a floodgate of complaints from guests. Although Airbnb is more successful than ever, there’s growing discontent in at least some markets and the conversation is bubbling over online with comments like (dramatic voice Kathy!) “The Airbnbust is upon us.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The Tweet about a drop in bookings was quickly picked up by Buzzfeed. It published an article with the title: “Couple Says An Airbnb Host Expected Them to Strip the Beds, Vacuum, And Do Chores, Plus More Stories from People Who No Longer Use the Service.” Viral Tweet: Big Drop in Bookings The article posted the tweet from the Palm Springs host who said he’s seen a drop in bookings for three to four months. He said his rental went from about 50% occupancy to liter
Wed, November 16, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 12th, 2022… what’s next after a really good report on inflation, the NAHB’s latest report on housing affordability, and the ten fastest growing U.S. cities. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a report on inflation that shows the Fed is making progress with its rate hikes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a lower-than-expected .4% increase in the October Consumer Price Index which brought the annual rate down to 7.7%. It was 8.2% in September. Stock market investors were pleased that inflation appears to be subsiding, and the Dow closed up more than 1,000 points. But that doesn’t
Mon, November 14, 2022
Is inflation pulling back or blowing up into a worldwide financial disaster? The latest CPI report shows that U.S. inflation has come down substantially, but just a week before that, the Fed hiked short-term interest rates by three-quarters of a percent in its battle against high prices. The CPI report is now changing what some economists believe the Fed will or should do next. But inflation is also a worldwide problem and some doom and gloom economists are worried about the possibility of “global hyperinflation.” Let’s take a look at a hedge fund warning and how real estate can protect you from this kind of uncertainty. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. First, the October CPI shows a lower-than-expected .4% increase in
Fri, November 11, 2022
For the first time ever, it now costs more per square foot for a home in the suburbs than it does for a home in the city. Redfin has been tracking this data since 2018, and says that the pandemic-inspired migration to the suburbs is still going strong, and that a typical suburban home now costs a dollar more per square foot than its urban counterpart. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As you know, homes in the suburbs were in high demand during the pandemic because people wanted space to work remotely and a place for their kids to play outside. While demand grew for the suburbs, it weakened for the cities, along with home prices. Although home prices in the city rebounded during the pandemic’s aftermath, demand continues
Tue, November 08, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 5th, 2022... the Fed’s latest rate hike, why the housing inventory is surging, and what one big bank is doing to help landlords collect rent. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and another jumbo rate hike by the Fed. For the fourth time in a row, the central bank raised the Federal Funds rate by three-quarters of a point. That brings the short-term rate to a range of 3.75 to 4%, which is the highest it’s been in 15 years. And the Fed says that rate hikes aren’t over. They will continue until inflation comes back down to about 2%. Fed Chief Jerome Powell suggested that smaller hikes of a half or
Fri, November 04, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 29th, 2022... a turnaround for the U.S. GDP, a new high point for mortgage rates, and faltering rent growth. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and an encouraging report on the U.S. GDP. The government reported a 2.6% growth rate in the third quarter. It was better than the Dow Jones forecast of 2.3%, but is also thought to be a rebound from two quarters of negative growth. According to CNBC, the upside came from a decline in the trade deficit, along with stable consumer spending, higher government spending, and a rise in nonresidential fixed investment. (1) A positive GDP isn’t eliminati
Mon, October 31, 2022
While the Federal Reserve is trying to slow down the economy and basically kill a few million jobs, some areas are just not cooperating. Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio have been gold mines for investors in recent years, and now that gold mine is moving north into the suburbs of North Texas. It’s not only attracting remote workers who want a lower cost of living, but the area is turning into the next big American technology hub that will create thousands of new jobs. That's why I started a single family rental fund that is buying properties near those jobs. If you want to find out more about our Texas Single Family Rental Fund, got to GrowDevelopments.com . Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target= "_blank" href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-po
Wed, October 26, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 22nd, 2022... what’s ahead with the Fed’s next meeting, the decline of the urban office, and the hybrid workplace challenge. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and forward-looking news about the Fed’s next meeting. Federal Reserve officials are set to hold their meeting on November first and second, and will likely approve a .75 rate hike. They will also be discussing the size of a potential rate hike in December that many economists foresee as a smaller increase. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said in a recent speech: “We will have a very thoughtful discussion about the pace of tightening at o
Mon, October 17, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 14, 2022... another round of inflation overload, a double whammy for home loans, and the big news from Social Security. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve officials released the minutes of their last meeting which show they are more worried about inflation than they are about going overboard with rate hikes. They feel that inflation is “unacceptably high” and is not falling as fast as they anticipated. They raised the short-term rate three-quarters of a point at the last meeting to a range of 3 to 3.25%. It was the third super-sized rate hike in a row, and many economists are exp
Mon, October 17, 2022
San Francisco voters will be faced with a ballot measure next month on whether to impose a “vacancy tax” on multi-family units that sit empty for too long. Proposition M is targeting real estate investors who park their money in properties that remain unoccupied. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Proponents of Prop M claim that the city’s housing shortage is at least partially due to investor-owned properties that sit vacant for long periods of time. And that by imposing a progressive tax on the vacant units, investors will be motivated to rent them out or sell them to someone who wants to live in them. Proposition M Exemptions Owners of vacant single-family homes and duplexes would be exempt. Although some
Thu, October 13, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 8th, 2022... what the job market says about rate hikes, where renters need to “catch up” on their rent, and why dating has become somewhat of a financial burden for millennials. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and signs that the labor market is cooling off. On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that the number of job openings fell substantially, from 11.2 million in July to 10.1 million in August. That represents the fourth time job openings have declined in the last five months and the second largest monthly drop ever. (1) The weekly unemployment report on Wednesday also shows tha
Tue, October 11, 2022
California has another tool in its toolbox to help close the housing gap. It’s legislation that will make it easier to convert dilapidated strip malls, half-empty office buildings, and weed-filled parking lots into multi-family housing. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 6 and Assembly Bill 2011 on September 28th. The legislation will allow the adaptive reuse of properties that are zoned for retail, offices, and parking in suburban and rural city centers. The new rules are expected to help California reach a goal of 2.5 million new housing units by the end of the decade. One million of those homes need to be affordable, according to the Statewide Housing Plan. It will
Thu, October 06, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 1st, 2022... what’s up with the GDP, inflation and jobs, why rent growth is slowing, and a new law for California job seekers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We have plenty of economic news to report, but first, a few words about Hurricane Ian which has ripped across Florida and South Carolina. Our hearts go out to the families and communities who have been affected. Ian was one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the U.S. and serves as a reminder for homeowners with a high-risk of flooding to check their insurance coverage. (1) Flood insurance is getting more expensive, but it’s better than coming up short after a big hurricane. According
Fri, September 30, 2022
We’ve been seeing signs of a housing market pullback, but it’s now official that home price growth is slamming on the brakes. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price data is considered the gold standard for home prices, and the July numbers are now showing the first month-over-month decline since 2012. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. National Home Price Index The report, released on September 27th, shows that national home prices were down .2%, for an annual rate of 15.8%. In June, the annual rate was 18.1%. CoreLogic says the difference between those two months is the steepest decline in the history of the index. (1) Managing Director at the S&P Dow Jones Indices, Craig Lazarra, says the slide in prici
Tue, September 27, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 24th, 2022... the Fed’s third big interest rate hike in a row, a record pile of uninvested cash, and the listing data that is changing house hunter choices. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a big interest rate hike by the Fed. The central bank has been getting more aggressive about tackling inflation, and hiked the Federal Funds rate by another three-quarters of a point. Fed officials also plan to continue hiking the funds rate until inflation recedes to the 2% level. They began raising it in March from a near zero level, and have now brought it to a range of 3 to 3.25%. Higher rates wil
Sat, September 24, 2022
With recent rate hikes and Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell saying there are several more to come, investors should expect a recession right around the corner. Some say we are already in one, and that could be true, except that unemployment is still very low, job creation is high, banks have high reserves and corporations are sitting on lots of cash. Retail sales are strong and consumers are still spending. Plus the Fed is planning to continue raising rates, which is not what they do during a recession. They lower rates in a recession. This tells me the economy has been racing at full speed, while the Fed is stomping on the breaks. That sounds like a volatile ride, and Powell admitted it could be a hard landing. Investors need to be wearing their seat belts, and maybe a helmet and pads. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target= "_blank" href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-est
Fri, September 23, 2022
The Federal Reserve followed through with its plan for another rate hike this week. Fed officials hiked short term rates by three-quarters of a percent. Fed Chief Jerome Powell also reiterated his determination to bring inflation levels back down to 2% with more rate hikes and warned that the housing market is headed for a “correction.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Powell said after the September policy meeting: “Our expectation has been we would begin to see inflation come down, largely because of supply side healing. We haven’t. We have seen some supply side healing but inflation has not really come down.” (1) Fed Hikes Short-Term Rates The Federal Open Market Committee raised the Federal Funds rate
Tue, September 20, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 17th, 2022... what the job market says about recession, why home prices might be peaking, and how much lot prices have contributed to high home prices. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Moody’s chief economist, Mark Zandy, says “we’re not even close” to a recession right now. He spoke at the National Multifamily Housing Council’s fall meeting last week. He says it’s difficult to even think we’re in a recession with such great data on the job market. We’ve got high job creation numbers, a high number of unfilled positions, a high “quits rate” which means that employees feel confident about qui
Fri, September 16, 2022
Rent growth is cooling off a bit for both apartments and single-family rentals. New data from Yardi Matrix shows that national rent growth declined slightly in August. That could be a sign of the housing market slowdown, but for landlords who are worried about their ROI - the year-over-year rent growth is still close to 10% for both asset classes. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Yardi data shows that average asking rent for single-family homes was down $2 a month in August, to $2,090. The year-over-year growth percentage was 9.5% or about 170 basis points less than July. In July, rents were up an average of $7 a month for an annual growth rate of 11.2%. So you can see, single-family rent growth has pulled back a li
Thu, September 15, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief, we'll look at economic news from the week ending September 10th, 2022... Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News Last Monday was Labor Day, and there were few reports issued during the rest of the week. But Fed Chief Jerome Powell rocked the stock market when he spoke at the Cato Institute. It was a conference on monetary policy, where Powell vowed to fight inflation with more rate hikes, and led economists to believe we’ll see another .75-1 basis point hike at the central bank’s meeting later this month. It would be the third such rate hike in a row, and would bring the Federal Funds rate into a range of 3.25 to 3.50%. (1) Powell said during the speech: “History caut
Sat, September 10, 2022
It looks like the pandemic housing boom is coming to an end. More and more sellers are slashing prices as mortgage rates rise and homes become less affordable for potential buyers. Some analysts are predicting that home values will drop by as much as 20% in markets that have gone up the most. And there are five markets at the top of that list. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Real estate experts are calling these overvalued markets “zoom towns” because they experienced rapid price growth during the pandemic. According to Rick Palacios at John Burns Real Estate consulting, home prices in Boise, Idaho, will be the first to get slammed. Palacios says: “It is the single market that we anticipate actually getting to price de
Fri, September 09, 2022
Proptech startup Pacaso is taking its public relations strategy to the next level. The San Francisco-based company helps people buy the second home of their dreams with a co-ownership model that has sparked a lot of controversy in some places. While the general perception of Pacaso is a belief that it contributes to the housing crisis, Pacaso is showcasing its model as part of the “solution.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Pacaso has caused a dust-up in several places as full-time residents fight back against short-term rentals. Many critics see Pacaso through this lens, but it’s not a short-term rental operation. Instead of renting the home out to a stream of different occupants over the days, weeks, months, and years, Pacaso homes are purchased by up to eight buyers and each buyer gets to use the home for a percentage of the year that corresponds to the buyer’s p
Thu, September 08, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 3rd, 2022... why rate hikes might backfire, why economists are seeing a sharp increase in the housing supply, and what Elon Musk is saying about owning a tiny home in Texas. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. A paper released at the Jackson Hole Summit argues that the central bank cannot control inflation by rate hikes alone. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Chicago Fed authored the report, and say rate hikes could make matters worse without a reduction in government spending. The federal debt is currently at 123% of GDP which is down slightly from early 2020 during the beginn
Wed, September 07, 2022
Orlando landlords are suing Orange County, Florida, to challenge a rent cap proposal that’s headed for the November ballot. Attorneys for two major real estate groups filed the lawsuit in mid-August and are seeking an injunction to keep it from going before voters. They say the proposal violates state law which bans rent control under most circumstances. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. If the measure is approved, it would not apply to single-family rentals or vacation homes. It would only apply to multi-family units, and cap any rent increases to the rate of inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index. The ordinance would last one year, and would need to be renewed by another vote to continue. But there’s a very high bar that the county must reach to get this approved. According to state law, a city or jurisdiction must prove there’s a housing emergency and
Sat, September 03, 2022
Tenant advocates are asking the White House for help in curbing what they call “rent inflation.” A coalition of tenant unions, community organizations, and legal groups is asking the Biden administration to declare a state of emergency and investigate ways to regulate rents. As reported by the Washington Post, these groups want the government to address rent growth with the same urgency as it has with high gas prices. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The coalition sent a proposal that would involve six government agencies for an “all-out government intervention” on rent inflation. The Consumer Price Index shows that overall annual inflation hit 9.1% in June, which is a 40-year high. That includes food and energy, wh
Wed, August 31, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 27th, 2022... the Fed Chief’s Jackson Hole message on rate hikes, the July dip in inflation, and why some home buyers say they have regrets. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715 Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell shook things up with some hawkish remarks in a speech at Jackson Hole. His comments triggered a major stock market sell-off with the Dow dropping more than 1,000 points. Powell’s speech focused on the central bank’s responsibility and resolve to get inflation back down to the 2% level. He said that could include another three-quarter point rate hike at the Fed’s September meeting, but Powell said the size of the rate hike will depend on al
Wed, August 24, 2022
Buildable lots have been in short supply this year, but data from one real estate company expects that to improve next year. Zonda’s New Home Lot Supply Index shows the year-over-year supply has decreased across the U.S. As of Q2, it was down 9.3%, but it doesn’t take into account lots under development, which are up substantially compared to last year. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Zonda’s chief economist, Ali Wolf, says: “While vacant developed lot inventory tightened slightly in the second quarter, the key number to track going forward is lots under development, which are up 28% compared to last year.” (1) 10% Year-Over-Year Decline The New Home Lot Supply Index came in at 38 for the
Tue, August 23, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 20th, 2022... a big plunge in home sales, rent increase impact on tenants, and Airbnb’s new anti-party technology. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715 Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a big drop in residential construction activity. The Commerce Department says that housing starts were down 9.6% year-over-year in July to their lowest level since early last year. Building permits also fell in July. They were down 1.3% compared to June. (1) HousingWire Data Analyst, Logan Mohtashami, says that homebuilders are pulling back until mortgage rates fall and home-buying activity picks up again. (2) One reason that home builders are pulling back is the cancellation rate among buyers. A
Thu, August 18, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 13, 2022… a surprise inflation report, how that might impact mortgage rates, and a solution for the housing crisis involving women and immigrants. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The report on the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, shows a bigger-than-expected decline in July. According to the Labor Department, the annual rate of inflation dropped from 9.1% to 8.5%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected a reading of 8.7%. The decrease was mostly due to a big drop in gas prices. The core rate, which omits prices for fuel and food, was also better than expected at 5.9%. (1) Producer pri
Wed, August 17, 2022
New home construction plunged in July, according to the Commerce Department. The reports shows that housing starts fell 9.1% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.45 million. That’s down from a revised 1.6 million in June, and the lowest level of new home construction since the start of the pandemic in 2020. (1) I'm Kathy Fettke. Single-family construction was down even more, at 10.1%. Permits for new homes were also down 1.3%. But the regional numbers are wildly different, with the Northeast seeing a 65.6% increase in total housing starts. The other three regions account for the big drop. Builders say more homebuyers are canceling contracts because of high prices for homes, mortgages, and the cost of living in general. One in five says they have reduced their home prices in the past month to limit contract cancellations. The Commerce Department says the average cost to build a home has gone up almost 38% since January of 2020. That, along wit
Wed, August 17, 2022
A Finnish company is hoping to give U.S. home buyers something they’ve been craving! Real estate software company CubiCasa just launched a product in the U.S. that produces a FREE floor plan that sellers can put into for-sale listings. According to the National Association of Realtors, it’s something that just 10 to 15% of U.S. listings include right now, but it’s third on a list of desirable listing features! Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Clear Capital purchased CubiCasa last September, so it’s now a subsidiary of Clear Capital, but it operates independently. CubiCasa says on its website that it’s the market leader for this kind of software in its home country, and is already being used in more than 170 countries ar
Fri, August 12, 2022
Housing costs have surged over the last year or so, but a new report shows that demand is still strong due to several factors, and that pricing pressures may ease up in the months ahead. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University just released its annual State of the Nation’s Housing report, and I’d like to share some of the highlights. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Home Price Appreciation Nationwide home price appreciation hit 20.6% in March of this year. That’s up from 20% in August of last year. The data shows record-high appreciation in 67 of the top 100 markets, and the rest were also up by at least 9%. Harvard researchers say higher home prices are keeping about 4 million renters from buy
Wed, August 10, 2022
We have a quick news update on today's inflation report. Investors have been waiting anxiously to see if inflation hit a peak in June and is now headed down, prompting the Fed to slow down on rate hikes. Well, we have good news. The report on the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, shows a bigger-than-expected decline in July. It shows that the annual rate of inflation dropped from 9.1% to 8.5%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected a reading of 8.7%. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The decrease was mostly due to a big drop in gas prices. The report says the gasoline index was down 7.7% which offset a rise in food and housing costs. When you look at the broader category of energy, that was down 4.6% because of a drop
Wed, August 10, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 6th, 2022... the Fed’s next move, a mortgage rate rollback for home buyers, and a new all-time high for single-family rents. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve policymakers say they are “nowhere near” the end of their fight against inflation. Four Fed Presidents spoke out on Tuesday, August 2nd, about their resolve to get inflation back down to 2%. San Francisco Fed Chief Mary Daly said that she is currently seeing a 50 basis point rate hike as appropriate in September, but she says: “If we just see inflation roaring ahead undauntedly, the labor market showing no signs of slowing,
Sat, August 06, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 30th, 2022... a negative GDP report, inflation heads higher, and the Fed’s latest rate hike. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve carried out its fourth rate hike this year to slow inflation, and the second increase of .75%. That puts the top end of the overnight lending rate at 2.5%. Higher rates make it more expensive for businesses and consumers to borrow money and that helps slow the economy, and the rate of inflation. (1) The latest reading on inflation was a report on the PCE or Personal Consumer Expenditure Index. That shows a 1% increase in June to a yearly rate of
Fri, August 05, 2022
The latest reports on inflation have given the economy indigestion. The Consumer Price Index hit 9.1%, the Producer Price Index hit 11.3%, and the Fed’s preferred gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index or PCE, hit 6.8%. They are all signs that inflation is much too high and the reason the Federal Reserve just hiked short term interest rates another whopping three-quarters of a percent. So what’s the best way to invest when inflation is working against you? (1, 2, 3) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Four Peaks Capital put together a great list of all the options that I received in an email which I will share with you in this episode. The company is mostly focused on large multi-family projects, but this
Fri, July 29, 2022
The quitting trend that started during the pandemic is still here, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Job market trends are important to real estate investors because housing markets rely heavily where people are working. In this episode, you’ll hear about how the job market has changed, why more workers are quitting or changing the way they work, and the kinds of jobs they are seeking. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. This quitting trend has been called The Great Resignation, but a new study by McKinsey and Co. describes it as The Great Attrition which is now turning into The Great Renegotiation. This is happening because more and more people are rethinking their work-life balance and renegotiating the terms of
Tue, July 26, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 24th, 2022... how Yellen would like to fix the supply chain, a return to 2007 housing affordability, and the latest way to make rental income off your property. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and reassurances from former Fed Chief Janet Yellen. She said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the U.S. economy is slowing down, but says that a strong job market is proof that we’re not in a recession. (1) Her words come before a week of important economic reports. Coming up in the week ahead, the second quarter GDP, inflation, consumer income and spending, and what is expected to be a t
Fri, July 22, 2022
Foreign investors are returning to the U.S. real estate market after a pandemic-related dry spell. A new survey by the National Association of Realtors shows a big increase in the dollar value of properties bought by foreign buyers in the last year. They had all but disappeared during the pandemic, but are slowly coming back – especially now that most travel restrictions have been lifted which makes it easier to visit properties before they buy. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The National Association of Realtors surveyed members about transactions they’ve done with international clients and released the results in a report called 2022 Profile of International Transactions in U.S. Residential Real Estate. (1) The trans
Tue, July 19, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 16th, 2022… a big surge in housing inventory, the rent growth rocket ship, and a supersized prediction for Social Security’s 2023 COLA. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and another surprise surge in the consumer price index. The Labor Department says the consumer price index or CPI rose 1.3% last month. That puts the annual rate of inflation at a 41-year record high of 9.1%. That’s up from 8.6% in May. The core rate was a little more encouraging. It excludes food and fuel because those prices are so volatile. That was up .7% for June, which brought the annual rate “down” a tenth of a percent to 5
Sat, July 16, 2022
Home buyers are getting cold feet because of high home prices and mortgage rates. A new report from Redfin shows the number of buyers canceling deals is now the highest it’s been since the beginning of the pandemic. The pullback is also impacting builders. A report by John Burns Real Estate Consulting says they are lowering prices as they try to offload inventory. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The Redfin report shows that homebuyers canceled 15% of the deals that went under contract in June. That’s about 60,000 deals and the highest percentage of cancellations since the early days of the pandemic. About a month ago, in May, 12.7% of the deals were canceled. And about a year ago, that figure was 11.2%. (1) More
Fri, July 15, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 9th, 2022... why the job market is reducing recession anxiety, the big mortgage rate turn-around, and Airbnb’s contest for unique listing ideas. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The job market is showing a lot of muscle, despite concerns about a recession. The government reported last week that companies created a whopping 372,000 new jobs in June. That’s well above Wall Street estimates for 250,000 new jobs. (1) Companies may have a hard time filling all those positions however due to a severe labor shortage. As reported by MarketWatch, there are two open jobs for every person looking for
Tue, July 12, 2022
Economists have been weighing each twist and turn of the economy to determine whether we are going “up” or “down.” Many are predicting a recession at some point, while a few say we’re already in a recession because the economy is contracting. But does this economy show the typical signs of a recession? One MarketWatch contributor doesn’t think so. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As you may know, two quarters of negative economic growth are usually interpreted as a recession. We’ve already seen negative growth in the first quarter. The economy contracted at an annual rate of 1.6%. And now, there are analysts and GDP trackers that are predicting the second quarter will decline as well. The Q2 numbers won’t be out until t
Fri, July 08, 2022
The housing market may be slowing down, but new homes are still a complicated, expensive process, mostly because of supply chain issues. One Bank of America analyst, who co-authored a new report on residential construction, says it’s like a game of whack-a-mole. He says: “Every time they find one thing that they fix, another one pops up.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. BofA just released its 2022 “Who Builds the House” report, which found that a shortage of building materials is one of the primary reasons for higher home prices. According to co-author Rafe Jadrosich, prices have risen at an “unprecedented rate” over the last few years because of the shortage of building materials. He told MarketWatch: “There’s always
Thu, July 07, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 2nd, 2022... why inflation appears to be slowing, what the GDP says about a potential recession, and the latest reports on rent growth. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The rate of inflation appears to have slowed a bit. The Personal Consumption Index, or PCI, was up .6% in May with a yearly rate that was unchanged at 6.3%, but the core rate was down slightly. The core rate doesn’t include prices for food or fuel, and the yearly rate for that dropped from 4.9% in April to 4.7% in May. The Federal Reserve feels the PCI is more accurate than the Consumer Price Index or CPI, because the PCI factors
Wed, July 06, 2022
Members of Congress are taking a deep dive into the single-family housing market to find out “Where Have All the Houses Gone?” In this investigation, they took a close look at the business practices of the nation’s largest landlords – the institutional landlords that buy huge lots of homes at one time. Although the results show an adverse impact on certain communities and potential homebuyers, housing experts argue that investor ownership of rental property is more of a symptom than a cause. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. This investigation began last fall when a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services sent a survey to five of the largest single-family rental companies in the U.S. Asked to partic
Fri, July 01, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 25th, 2022... what the Fed Chief is promising about inflation, what’s happening with home price cuts, and top destinations for home buyers, and investors. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Fed Chief Jerome Powell expressed his resolve, once again, to control inflation, but also warned that the Fed’s aggressive interest rate hikes could result in some job losses. The Fed raised rates by three-quarters of a percent at the June meeting, and is planning to hike it again in July by either a half or three-quarter percent. Powell acknowledges that the Fed misjudged the risk of inflation and should
Wed, June 29, 2022
If history tends to repeat itself, you might wonder whether it’s round two for the mortgage industry and the underwriting of risky loans – specifically, for short-term rental properties. It’s easy to get into a short-term rental with a loan that’s based on future rental income. It’s not a new concept for real estate investors, but it’s now becoming very popular for short-term rental investing as a way to pay for more expensive properties. On the other hand, it’s possible to cover that expense with the expected income. But, what happens to that loan if, let’s say, we have a recession and demand dries up for expensive short-term rentals? Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Non-Owner, No Income Loans You may already kn
Wed, June 22, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 18th, 2022... the Fed’s supersized rate hike, mortgage rate sticker shock, and the home equity bonanza. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the Fed’s biggest rate hike in three decades. The central bank hiked the federal funds rate by three-quarters of a percent which puts it between 1.5% and 1.75%. If inflation doesn’t show signs of slowing by next month, Fed Chief Jerome Powell said they might hike it by another three-quarters of a percent. He doesn’t expect that to be a common practice, but he said the Fed is determined to get inflation back down to 2%. (1) The rate hike came after two more hot inflation reports. The Consumer Price Index shows that inflation hit an annual rate of 8.6% in May, while wholesale prices came in at 10.8%. <p
Mon, June 20, 2022
There’s a lot of uncertainty in the economy right now as inflation pushes higher. The housing market is contributing to inflation with higher home prices, and now we’re seeing higher mortgage rates. As potential homebuyers get priced out of the market, real estate investors see the need for housing as a big opportunity for single-family rentals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Institutional investors have been very busy this year expanding their portfolios of single-family rental homes. As reported by HousingWire, they’ve sponsored at least 10 SFR securitization deals worth almost $8 billion. (1) ATTOM Data Solutions’ Rick Sharga says: The historically low inventory of homes to buy coupled with (rental) vacancy rates h
Fri, June 17, 2022
Reporting rent payments to credit bureaus is growing in popularity to help tenants build credit. But it’s not just something that helps tenants. According to the media website, Propmodo, it’s also a better way to do business for landlords. And there are a growing number of companies offering this service to both tenants and landlords. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Having a long history of on-time rent payments speaks well of a renter. That’s something every landlord looks for during the screening process. But until more recently, the only option for passing that information along to the “next” landlord is by word of mouth – from one landlord to another who’s checking references, typically by phone. For the
Thu, June 16, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 11th, 2022... inflation hits a 40-year high, demand grows for single family rentals, and a popular TV show inspires a Montana migration. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a report that shows the highest rate of inflation since 1981. The Consumer Price Index was up 1% in May to an annual rate of 8.6%. It was 8.3% last month. The increase is mostly due to rising gas and food prices. If you strip those out, the core rate was up .6% to an annual rate of 6%, which was actually down slightly from 6.2%. (1) The report is setting off alarm bells. Financial experts are now anticipating a 75 basi
Fri, June 10, 2022
A Phoenix-based construction company isn’t worried about the high price of lumber. It has replaced lumber with another building material that it claims is cheaper, more available, more resistant to natural disasters, and more energy efficient. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Amazing Building Material So what is this amazing building material? It’s basically a combination of foam and cement in layers. It can be used on all parts of a home including walls, floors, and ceilings. And lowers the cost of building the home by as much as 10 to 50%. Strata International calls the product SABS which stands for Saebi Alternative Building System. Strata is a green structural engineering company and Amir Saebi (Sigh-E
Thu, June 09, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 4th, 2022... what’s being done about inflation, how inflation is impacting homebuyers, and why lumber prices are actually falling. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and lots of talk about inflation. President Biden launched a new effort last week to tackle inflation. As reported by the Washington Post, he was apparently fuming to aides that not enough was being done to control inflation. That turned into a flurry of activity to get the ball rolling and send a positive message to the American people. He met with both Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell and Former Fed Chief Janet Yellen in the Oval
Wed, June 01, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 28th, 2022... you’ll hear about the “condo comeback,” a new wildfire risk assessment tool for your properties, and which states can save you the most money on taxes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and a bit of good news about inflation. The Federal Reserve’s preferred method for tracking inflation shows that price growth could be slowing down. The Personal Consumption Index or PCE rose only .2% in April. That brings the annual rate down from 6.6% in March to 6.3% in April. As reported by MarketWatch, it was the first time we’ve seen a pullback in a year-and-a-half. (1) The PCE is considere
Tue, May 31, 2022
It’s no secret that energy costs have been soaring. That goes for the money we spend at the pump, and the money we spend to heat and cool our homes. Homeowners can do things to increase efficiency, but renters typically get whatever comes with the unit and without knowing the cost for utilities before they move in. One group hopes to change that scenario with research that shows how energy labels in rental listings can be a win-win for both tenants and landlords. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715 Researchers with the “American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy” conducted a survey recently to find out how energy labels would impact a rental applicant’s preferences. They enlisted the help of about 2500 people in different parts of the country who used a fake listing website
Fri, May 27, 2022
The Biden administration announced an ambitious new goal to close the affordable housing gap in just five years. The plan includes financial incentives to build more housing, along with changes to zoning and land use regulations to potentially make it easier to create new housing. It also includes new financing policies for things like accessory dwelling units and manufactured homes, and solutions for the supply chain crunch that’s making it difficult for builders and renovators. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The White House released details of its Biden-Harris Administration Housing Supply Action Plan on May 16th. (1) It falls under President Biden’s effort to tackle inflation as a top priority and the need to addre
Wed, May 25, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 21st, 2022… forbearance claims hit a two-year low, rent levels are setting new records, and a new list of the “best places to live”. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from the past week, and comments from Fed Chief Jerome Powell about the central bank’s resolve to fight inflation. He told the Wall Street Journal that “restoring price stability is… something we have to do” and, he says, “there could be some pain involved.” (1) The Fed approved a 50 basis point increase for the federal funds rate at its last meeting. And, it expects to do the same at the next two meetings. The short-term rate is now within a range
Mon, May 23, 2022
As the country deals with high inflation in food, energy, and housing, many real estate investors are pivoting to keep up with changing market dynamics. Smart investors can thrive in challenging times, if they know where to look. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. I recently interviewed John Chang on my other podcast, The Real Wealth Show. John is the National Director of Research at Marcus & Millichap, and he offered some very good insights that I wanted to summarize here on Real Estate News for Investors. Marcus & Millichap’s John Chang Just to give you some background on John, he leads a team of real estate research professionals and is responsible for the production of the firm’s vast array of commercial
Fri, May 20, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 14th, 2022… why lumber prices are falling, what the FHA is doing to discourage investors, and the new Google mapping tool that could help house hunters. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Inflation appeared to slow down a bit last month. The government reported a slight decline in the Consumer Price Index from an annual rate of 8.5% in March to 8.3% in April. But that’s coming off a 40-year high, so we haven’t come down much. Plus, the so-called “core rate of inflation” - which omits prices for food and gas - was .6% higher. That was a disappointment on Wall Street because analysts had forecast a lo
Mon, May 16, 2022
Dealing with sea level rise along the California coast is not going to be easy. One of the options that cities are encouraged to consider is something called “managed retreat.” In a nutshell, that’s when homes are moved away from the coast as it crumbles toward the sea. With so many expensive California homes perched on oceanside cliffs, the idea has become very controversial. There’s even debate over the use of the term “managed retreat.” (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Managed retreat is a concept that’s been around for a while. It’s been used after natural disasters that have flooded whole communities. As reported by the SF Chronicle, The town of Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, began relocating about 600 homes in 197
Fri, May 13, 2022
The Real Estate News Brief; Fed’s Rate Hike Plan, Record Home Price Growth, Real Estate Career Surge In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 7th, 2022... the Fed fights inflation with rate hike, home prices hit new record high, and the popularity of a career in real estate. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and words from the central bank that touched off a dramatic roller coaster of gains and losses on Wall Street. Fed Chief Jerome Powell sat down with the press for an hour on Wednesday after a decision by Fed officials to raise the Federal Funds rate by 50 basis points. Powell said that inflation is too high but essentially nixed the idea of a 75 basis point rate hike.
Mon, May 09, 2022
The Supreme Court has refused to step into the battle over the cap on SALT deductions. Several states sued to lift the cap on state and local tax deductions but the high court refused to hear the case. That leaves the matter up to Congress which hasn’t produced results so far, or to the states which in some cases have offered a work-around. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The $10,000 cap on SALT deductions was one of the most controversial parts of the 2017 tax bill. Those deductions cover state sales, income, and property tax. Once upon a time, they were unlimited. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act or TCJA was passed by a Republican-controlled Congress under President Trump and provided $1.5 trillion in tax cuts. (1) The low c
Thu, May 05, 2022
The Real Estate News Brief - Week Ending April 30, 2022; Growing Demand for ARMs, The 7-Year Foreclosure, Top Complaints about Neighbors In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 30th, 2022... you’ll hear about the surging demand for adjustable-rate mortgages, the years it takes to foreclose in some states, and the top reasons people dislike their neighbors. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Before we start, I want to let you know that we are hosting our first live event in over 2 1/2 years on May 21st in St Petersburg Florida. I'll be there giving my 2022 Housing Update, and we'll also have property teams from 10 different markets to update us on what's going on in their markets and share available income properties. We'll also have a tour of rental properties in St Pete on Sunday and then Jacksonville on Monday. Check it out at newsforinvestors.com Economic News We begin with economic news from this past wee
Thu, April 28, 2022
Real Estate News - Construction Companies at Risk of Dangerous Cyberattacks There’s growing concern about the possibility of a dangerous cyberattack on automated systems used by construction companies. These programs are used for things like the measuring and mixing of materials used to support large construction projects. Some companies are taking steps now to protect themselves from hackers but cybersecurity experts say the threat level is rising, and the safeguards are lagging behind other industries. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. White House Warning about Cyberattacks Just a few weeks ago, the White House issued a warning about a possible Russian cyberattack linked to the Ukraine invasion. U.S. intelligence officials got together with m
Wed, April 27, 2022
Real Estate News Brief - Week Ending April 23rd, 2022 Top Investor Concerns, Foreclosure Activity, 40-Year Loan Option In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 23rd, 2022... the top concerns for investors, what’s happening with foreclosures, and a new 40-year loan option for some borrowers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and growing concerns about inflation. Fed Chief Jerome Powell says: “It’s absolutely essential to restore price stability.” He feels it’s appropriate to move more quickly with interest rate hikes and says that a 50-basis point rate hike is on the table for the Fed’s May meeting. He says: “Our goal is to use our tools to get demand and supply bac
Thu, April 21, 2022
The National Association of Realtors is hoping to bring a case before the Supreme Court on the use of “floor plans” for real estate deals. NAR and a coalition of real estate groups want the high court to overturn an appeals court ruling that claims the creation of a floor plan is a copyright violation, by anyone, including the homeowner who might want to post a floor plan online to help sell the home. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The lawsuit was filed last year by Missouri-based Designworks Homes, and the company’s owner, Charles James. They claim that two real estate companies violated copyright laws by creating floor plans to help with the sale of homes that James had built. Designworks lost the first case, bu
Thu, April 21, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 16th, 2022... the latest surge in consumer prices, where rents are growing the fastest, and the high cost of building new homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and another alarming report on inflation. The consumer price index jumped 1.2% last month to a 40-year high of 8.5%. The increase was mostly driven by higher prices for gas, food, and housing. If you eliminate gas and food you get a core rate of 6.5%. Some economists believe that inflation will ease up soon, when the price of oil stabilizes and some of the supply chain issues clear up. But other economists worry that we might continue to see prices going higher. (1) Whol
Sat, April 16, 2022
Cement is to the construction industry like dirt is to a garden. It’s essential for all kinds of buildings and infrastructure. But it’s also a huge greenhouse gas contributor. With the current push toward more climate-friendly technologies, two researchers from Massachusetts claim they have created a cement-like material that is not just carbon neutral, but literally sucks carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. So what is this intriguing new material? It’s called Enzymatic Construction Material or ECM. It was created at the Massachusetts-based Worcester Polytechnic Institute by researchers Suzanne Scarlata and Nima Rahbar. Carbon-Negative Foodprint In addition to its eco-fri
Thu, April 14, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 9th, 2022... the Fed’s inflation fighting game plan, first quarter housing affordability, and the metros with more new listings. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the Fed’s plan to rapidly shrink its $9 trillion balance sheet to help control inflation. According to the minutes of its March meeting, which were released last week, the Fed plans to reduce its bond portfolio by about $95 billion per month. (1) Fed policymakers haven’t made a final decision yet, but they say the reduction plan could begin next month. Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said at a conference that she expec
Wed, April 06, 2022
Real Estate News Brief - Week Ending April 2, 2022 Prices Move Higher, Fed Misstep Worries, Biden’s Housing Budget In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 2nd, 2022... consumer prices march higher, Wall Street worries about how the Fed will handle inflation, and Biden’s budget proposal for housing. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and more concerns about inflation. The core personal consumption expenditures price index increased 5.4% from a year ago. That’s the largest year-over-year increase in 40 years. The PCE is considered more accurate than the consumer price index or CPI, and is the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. The core rate excludes prices for gas and
Thu, March 31, 2022
A new theme park has opened in Texas that might help get kids, and adults, interested in the construction industry. It’s called “Dig World” in Katy, Texas, just west of Houston near Interstate 10. It’s designed to provide a real world experience with full-size construction machinery that you see at job sites. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Dig World opened its doors on March 17th, and provides 3-and-a-half acres of construction-related activities. (1) According to Dig World, it’s “designed to safely provide a hand-on experience for both children and adults in operating heavy equipment.” That includes: full-size Caterpillar Mini-Excavatprs, Skid Steers, and UTVs. What’s a Skid Steer? Okay, I had to look a few of them up! Bigrentz defined a skid s
Thu, March 31, 2022
The construction industry is reporting good news about the worker shortage. The Associated Builders and Contractors group says there’s been a surge of workers returning to the industry, and the workforce size is almost what it was at the start of the pandemic. But even with that progress, the workforce gap is still an issue. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The Labor Department says the industry added 60,000 jobs last month, in February. Nonresidential construction added about 29,000 of those jobs for an annual increase of 3.9%. Residential construction added about 31,000 jobs for an annual increase of 4.5%. That brings the total number of construction workers to 7.6 million but the industry still has many positions to fill. The unemployment rate for
Mon, March 28, 2022
The Real Estate News Brief - Week Ending March 26, 2022 Fed’s Next Rate Hike, Mortgage Rate Surge, Pets Who Sell Homes In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 26th, 2022... the Fed’s next rate hike, the latest surge in mortgage rates, and why pets might help sell homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve is ramping up for bigger rate hikes. Fed policymakers are saying that inflation is much too high, and that more aggressive action may be needed, including a 50 basis point rate hike in May. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said at an event last week: “With the labor market so strong, inflation, inflation, inflation is at the top of everyon
Fri, March 25, 2022
The latest attempt to create affordable housing in California is sending shockwaves through the real estate industry. And it doesn’t just impact investors. It’s a wake-up call to any California resident who likes the freedom to move to a new home when the urge strikes them! This new effort involves legislation that would create a steep capital gains tax for anyone who sells their home within seven years of buying it. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward of San Diego introduced the legislation. It’s called the California Speculation Tax Act. Under this Act, the sale of a home within three years of its purchase would trigger a 25% capital gains tax. The tax would be reduced 5% for each subsequent year and disappear if the owner
Thu, March 24, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 19th, 2022... we check on the Fed’s rate hike, look at a range of inflation projections, and get the latest update on single-family rent growth. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the first interest rate hike in four years. The Federal Reserve has said that a quarter point rate hike was likely at its March meeting to control inflation, and that’s exactly what committee members approved. That puts the overnight lending rate between a quarter and a half point. The Fed warned that another six rate hikes are likely this year and that half point moves are a possibility. Fed Chief Jerome Powell says: “I guess I would say the expectation st
Fri, March 18, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 12th, 2022... we'll take a look at how the Russian invasion of Ukraine could affect the U.S. housing market, the number of homes selling for more than 100,000 over asking price, and why a federal court blocked a ban on homebuyer “love letters.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, which includes the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. Housing experts have been weighing in on whether this will impact the real estate market. According to a blog post by the National Association of Realtors, Russian buyers account for less than 1% of foreign purchases. Most of that activity has been in Florida, Georgia and
Fri, March 11, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 5th, 2022... you’ll hear about the Fed’s rate hike plan, new figures on record high home equity, and why there’s a land rush for autonomous trucks. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and more aggressive talk about rate hikes to control inflation. Fed Chief Jerome Powell spoke before Congress and said he will support a quarter percent hike on the Federal Funds rate at the next policy meeting. He also anticipates that this will be one of a series of rate hikes this year, and that one or two of them would be more than a quarter point. (1) One big concern is the impact the war in Ukraine will h
Thu, March 10, 2022
Home builders are facing all sorts of supply chain issues that are contributing to higher prices and construction delays. Some are hoarding supplies in rented warehouses while others are putting in ghost orders for projects that don’t exist yet. Whatever magic tricks they have to perform, they are running into problems right up to the finish line, including the almost impossible task of finding a garage door. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. No Garage Door The dilemma facing builders prompted a recent headline in the New York Times that reads: “4 Bed, 3 Bath, No Garage Door: The Unlikely Woes Holding Up Home Building.” (1) Rick Palacios, Jr. of John Burns Real Estate Consulting told the Times: “Garage doors are a
Wed, March 09, 2022
Airbnb is offering free temporary housing for 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. It announced the effort in partnership with it’s charitable arm, Airbnb.org, and the generosity of its hosts. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As we’ve been hearing, many Ukrainians are fleeing their country because of the Russian invasion. The accommodations will be offered to people with immediate housing needs, paid for by Airbnb, the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, and hosts that offer their homes and discounts for those accommodations. Help During Moments of Crisis Airbnb sent letters to European governments detailing the support that’s being offered. They were signed by CEO Brian Chesky and other company officials. The letters went to officials in Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Romania. Airbnb says it will try to accommodate any special needs, including the possibility of
Wed, March 02, 2022
Rents are not just making a rebound after a dip during the pandemic. They are blowing right past the monthly cost of buying a home in more than half of the largest U.S. markets. A new realtor.com report says they’ve been rising so fast, it’s now more affordable to buy a home in 26 U.S. cities, than it is to rent. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. January was the eighth month in a row that rents have shown double digit growth in the U.S. Realtor.com says the year-over-year increase hit 19.8% in January. That kind of growth is almost double the monthly cost increase for buying a home – which started the year at 11%. Rent Growth Breakdown Rents have risen the most for studio apartments. Those rents are up
Tue, March 01, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 26th, 2022... mortgage rates move past the 4% level, homebuyers battle it out in January, and big investors target vacation homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715 Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Concerns about inflation continue. The Federal Reserve’s preferred monitoring tool, known as the PCE Index, shows a .6% increase in January for a yearly rate of 6.1%. (1) That’s slightly lower than the more widely known CPI or Consumer Price Index. It shows an annual rate of inflation, at 7.5%. Companies are raising prices because of labor shortages and supply chain issues. Russian military action in Ukraine is also contributing to inflation worries, especially for oil, grain
Fri, February 25, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 19th, 2022… what economists are saying about rate hikes, where rents are growing the fastest, and a new residential development plan for Disney fans. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and what economists are saying about inflation and rate hikes. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard believes the Fed should push rates up a full point in the near term. His comments about the need for more aggressive action is also pushing rate hike forecasts as high as seven this year. Bullard told CNBC: “I do think we need to front-load more of our planned removal of accommodation than we would have previously
Wed, February 23, 2022
Real estate investors were very busy in the second half of last year. A new Redfin study shows that they purchased a record share of U.S. homes in the fourth quarter. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The Redfin study shows that investors bought about 80,000 homes in the fourth quarter. That’s about 18.4% of all residential real estate sales for that time period. The investor home purchase share was 17.4% in the third quarter, and 12.6% a year earlier. (1) Share vs. Numbers While investors accounted for a record share of residential real estate purchases in the fourth quarter, the number of homes they bought dropped about 9% from the third quarter. They purchased about 88,000 homes in Q3 compared to 80,000
Thu, February 17, 2022
Some people in the Midwest are losing their homes because of a loophole in “quiet title” laws. Law experts say real estate opportunists are claiming that homes are abandoned, and are using the loophole to grab the home when homeowners are away. There are reports that this has been happening in Iowa but that quiet title laws in several states could be used to do the same thing. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Iowa Public Radio broke the story about a homeowner in Marshalltown, Iowa, outside of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. (1) Natalia Esteban had purchased the home in 2001 with her ex-husband, before they divorced. She moved to California in 2018, but kept the house in Marshalltown where she returned each summer.
Wed, February 16, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 12th, 2022… the latest reading on inflation, home price growth, and foreclosures. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest inflation report shows that consumer prices notched up another .6% in January. That brings the annual rate of inflation to 7.5%, which is the highest inflation we’ve seen in 40 years. Much of the increase is due to the high cost of food, energy and housing costs, which include rents. According to MarketWatch, Wall Street analysts only expected a .4% gain in January. (1) If you strip out food and energy for a core rate of inflation, it’s at 6%. That’s still twice
Sat, February 12, 2022
There’s a real estate boom going on in the metaverse! They hit $500 million dollars last year, and are expected to double this year, to one billion. The uptrend took off recently when Facebook announced plans to expand into the metaverse and changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms. CNBC reports that virtual real estate sales have gone up ninefold since Facebook’s announcement in October. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. According to metaverse data provider, MetaMetric Solutions, investors spent a total of $83 million in January sales alone. Analysts based their 2022 projections on that amount of spending throughout the year. But some analysts are anticipating more growth. Analytics firm BrandEssence Market Rese
Wed, February 09, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 5th, 2022... the growth of construction spending for single-family homes, worries over rising mortgage rates, and the futuristic auction of a Tampa Bay home. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and good news about the job market. The government says that U.S. companies added 467,000 jobs in January. That’s after the creation of 510,000 jobs in December. Wall Street economists has only predicted 150,000 new jobs for January and 200,000 for December. (1) There’s no lack of jobs, but many people have missed work recently because of the omicron surge. As MarketWatch reports, a record 7.8 mill
Sat, February 05, 2022
Las Vegas has unveiled a digital twin of its downtown area to help city planners deal with future growth and other issues, like climate change. It’s a virtual modeling system by a Chicago-based company called Cityzenith. It says that Las Vegas has completed an initial set up phase, and is now headed into phase two. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Cityzenith says its SmartWorld Digital Twin technology will help Las Vegas analyze issues involving mobility, air quality, noise pollution, water use, and carbon emissions coming from large downtown buildings. City planners will be able to analyze those emissions as they call for changes to reduce greenhouse gases to a net zero level. (1) Las Vegas Begins Phase Two
Sat, February 05, 2022
Airbnb is becoming more of a nomadic lifestyle hub than a vacation planning website. With the rise of remote work, many people are booking longer stays on Airbnb and taking their work with them, including Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky. He recently announced that he’ll be living on Airbnbs, and staying at a new place every few weeks. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The pandemic has unleashed a big revolution in the way people live and work. While some people are looking for bigger single-family homes with yards, others are ditching the stay-at-home life altogether and becoming digital nomads. Airbnb caters to this lifestyle perfectly, with accommodations that can be as flexible as the remote worker schedule. Longe
Thu, February 03, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 28th, 2022... the Fed’s rate hike plan, what investors are saying about 2022 challenges, and what buyers are doing to purchase a home more quickly. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. All eyes were on the Fed for changes in monetary policy after the central bank’s two-day meeting. Worries about more aggressive action by the Fed to combat inflation didn’t seem to be evident. Fed Chief Jerome Powell said that committee members are “of a mind to raise the federal funds rate at the March meeting” if economic conditions are appropriate for doing so. Wall Street economists are expecting a rate h
Tue, February 01, 2022
Build-to-rent communities are one of the hottest trends in rental real estate right now! Many people who can’t own their own homes still want to live the single-family lifestyle. Demand is so hot, almost 80% of the renters participating in a RentCafe survey said they were “interested in living in a community of single-family homes.” (1) And with such a tight supply of existing homes, newly constructed rental homes are getting the attention of investors. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The RentCafe survey includes responses from 3,300 renters, and 78% of them confirmed that interest is growing in single-family rentals. Rentcafe.com says that last year, in 2021, there were three times the number of searches for rental ho
Sat, January 29, 2022
The three top credit bureaus that have a strangle-hold on your credit score are getting a very poor performance report. A new analysis by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are “routinely” failing to respond to consumer complaints about errors. Their performance is allegedly so bad that the CFPB says only “two percent” of complaints were addressed last year. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. As you know, a good credit score is extremely important for things like getting a credit card or buying a home. In the case of a home purchase, a higher credit score means you’ll get a lower interest rate, and save tons of money over the life of the loan. Credit scores can
Fri, January 28, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 22nd, 2022… higher mortgage rates, home prices, and single-family rents. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The weekly unemployment report shows a surge in the number of applications. They were up 55,000 to a three-month high of 286,000. As MarketWatch reports, it’s a sign that the current wave of covid cases is impacting businesses and triggering some layoffs. Economists say that some layoffs may also be due to the end of the holiday season. (1) On the home-building front, December was a busy month for construction activity. The U.S. Census Bureau says home starts were up 1% compared to
Wed, January 19, 2022
Warnings about an “eviction tsunami” have yet to materialize. Extended moratoriums and rental assistance programs have delayed evictions in some areas, some housing experts had predicted 40 million evictions last fall. As reported by the news blog, fivethirtyeight.com, those experts are “still waiting.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Some renter protections are still in place or just now expiring in some states and jurisdictions, so an eviction surge could be looming in those areas. But housing experts had expected a U.S. eviction tsunami in September, after the national eviction moratorium was lifted. Although there’s been an increase in evictions, it hasn’t resulted in a tsunami, so far. Evictions at Low Leve
Wed, January 19, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 14th, 2022... what the Fed is saying about tighter monetary policy, the latest rise in consumer prices, and where mortgage rates are right now. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and confirmation hearings for Fed Chief Jerome Powell. President Biden nominated him to continue in his role as the central bank’s Chairman. Powell told the Senate Banking Committee that super low interest rates are no longer needed to prop up the economy, and that short-term rates should go higher to control inflation. The Fed has penciled in three rate hikes this year, but Powell says the central bank is prepar
Fri, January 14, 2022
Lumber prices are surging once more. You might remember when they hit a staggering level last spring. They aren’t back up to that level yet, but this new surge is, again, adding thousands of dollars onto the price of a new home and making homes that much less affordable. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The National Association of Home Builders reports that lumber prices have almost tripled over the last four months. That’s adding more than $18,600 to the price of an average new single-family home, and about $7,300 to the market value of a multi-family home. The multi-family price hike translates into about $67 dollars a month more that tenants have to pay in rent for a new apartment. (1) Lumber Price Look-Back</
Wed, January 12, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 8th, 2022... we’ll look at the cost of buying vs. renting, new FHFA fees for jumbo loans and second homes, and the WeWork/WeLive founder’s new focus on apartments. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve released the minutes of its December meeting with details about a more aggressive tapering plan and interest rate hikes. Fed officials plan to begin the tapering process after the first rate hike, which is generally expected to be in March. They are predicting the need for “three” quarter-percent rate hikes this year and another three next year. Possibly, two more after that. That
Sun, January 09, 2022
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 1st, 2022... investor hot spots for single-family homes, insurance premium price hikes, and Zillow’s list of most popular search areas. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from the last week of 2021. The year closed with fewer people asking for unemployment benefits. Initial jobless claims were down to 198,000, which is close to a 50-year low. Continuing claims also dropped. Government figures show they were down by about 140,000 to 1.72 million people. The numbers reflect a labor shortage and companies that are not eager to lay anyone off because it might be difficult to replace them. According to MarketWatch, econo
Wed, January 05, 2022
2021 was a record-breaking year for housing and real estate. Redfin compiled a list of 10 housing records that we experienced last year. And some of these themes are expected to continue into 2022. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. It’s been an unusual year to say the least. It was the second year of the pandemic and one where many Americans have changed where and how they live because of the COVID-19 and a surge in remote work. That has also changed the kind of homes they buy and rent. Redfin Chief Economist, Daryl Fairweather, says: “The ongoing pandemic, including its seismic effect on the U.S. economy and the way Americans live and work, has made 2021’s housing market anything but typical.” He says: “Remote wo
Fri, December 31, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 25th, 2021... why consumers are feeling optimistic about the economy, the latest surge in home sales, and which investors are getting a nice pay raise. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week and a busy Christmas holiday. There’s now just one week left to the year, and economists say the economy is showing signs of strength despite the current COVID-19 surge. Last week, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits held steady at just over 200,000 applications. That’s below pre-pandemic levels, which were averaging about 220,000 per week. The number of people already collecting chec
Mon, December 27, 2021
Solar advocates are sounding the alarm on proposed changes to California’s rooftop solar program. The changes would reduce the savings that solar customers enjoy, and potentially add a new monthly fee to connect to the grid. Regulators say reforms are necessary because non-solar customers are paying too much to maintain the grid, but solar supporters say the changes will discourage people from installing solar and make it difficult to meet California’s green energy goals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The California Public Utilities Commission released the proposal on Monday, December 13th. (1) There’s a long list of changes that include a reduction in the discount consumers would get for installing a solar system. T
Sat, December 18, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 11th, 2021... new FHFA conforming loans limits, tappable equity at a record high, and where drones may be used to inspect buildings. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, including a report that shows inflation has hit a 39-year-high. The government reported a .8% increase in consumer prices last month. That puts the yearly rate at 6.8% which is more than 3 times the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Higher prices for gas, motor vehicles, housing, and food account for most of the increase. The Fed expects inflation to fall below the 3% level by the end of next year. Some economists expect it to take lo
Tue, December 14, 2021
Real estate investors who pay cash could face more scrutiny from the federal government. The Treasury Department is proposing new regulations on shell companies, like LLC’s, as a way to crack down on money laundering through real estate deals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Government’s Plan to Stop Money Laundering Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Wally Adeyemo, discussed the government’s plan to fight corruption at the Brookings Institution. He addressed the issue by saying: “Corruption thrives in the financial shadows--in shell corporations that disguise owners’ true identities, in offshore jurisdictions with lax anti-money laundering regulations, and in complex structures that allow the wealthy to hide the
Fri, December 10, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 4th, 2021... the $2 trillion real estate milestone, the homebuyer’s search for suburban homes, and the brick-and-mortar store comeback. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Pending home sales surged higher in October. The National Association of Realtors says they were up 7.5%. That’s substantially higher than the .7% predicted by MarketWatch economists. Contract signings were higher in all four U.S. regions, but the Midwest had the biggest gain of 11.8%. (1) Home price growth has cooled off a bit. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city price index shows a 19.1% year-over-year gain in Sept
Wed, December 08, 2021
Demand for manufactured housing is growing as a way to close the affordability gap. Factory-built homes were once viewed as a low-quality alternative to site-built homes, but that’s no longer the case. Factory-built homes are now built to similar standards but they cost less because it’s less expensive to build any kind of product in a factory. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Manufacturing housing is enjoying a rebirth of sorts. Factory-built homes were known as “mobile homes” in the 1970s, and there are plenty of them still in existence today. But the newly designed and produced manufactured homes are quite different, according to industry experts. Site-Built vs. Factory-Built Jim Ayotte is the executive
Mon, December 06, 2021
A lot of the nation’s empty commercial space is being put to good use. A recent report by RentCafe shows a huge surge in the conversion of vacant commercial buildings into apartment complexes. This so-called “adaptive reuse” trend began more than a decade ago, but accelerated substantially this past year, especially for the conversion of unused office space. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscrib e and leave us a review. A recent report by RentCafe says that, by the end of this year, developers will have created 20,100 residential units within old commercial buildings. Add that number to the 12,000 units created last year, and the decade kicks off with a total of 32,000 apartments created by converting commercial buildings into apartment homes. <
Wed, December 01, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 27th, 2021... the winter forecast for home sales, what investors are doing with their money, and who’s suing lawmakers over real real estate “love letters.” Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a Fed that’s growing more concerned about inflation. Central bank officials still believe that prices will rise more slowly next year, but they are acknowledging that inflation pressures could last longer than they anticipated because of labor and supply chain shortages. These issues have pushed the yearly inflation rate to a 32-year-high of 6.2%. If you recall, inflation was close to “zero” about a year ago. The situation could prompt the Fed to begin the tapering of
Tue, November 23, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 20th, 2021... home price forecasts for next year, single-family rent growth, and a new record for build-to-rent home starts. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The number of people applying for unemployment keeps dropping. Last week, just 268,000 people applied for state benefits. That’s getting close to pre-pandemic levels which were in the low 200,000’s. The number of people already getting state unemployment benefits is also lower. That number dropped to a total of 2.08 million. (1) Home starts were down slightly in October as builders struggled with supply chain issues and a labor sh
Tue, November 23, 2021
The 4% rule is a well-known withdrawal rate for retirees, but a new Morningstar report challenges the current standard, saying it is now “outdated.” The formula for determining how much you should withdraw from your retirement is complicated however, because every person’s financial needs, tolerances for risk, and resources are so different. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Morningstar researchers analyzed the 4% withdrawal rate in a report called: “The State of Retirement Income: Safe Withdrawal Rates.” (1) Their analysis includes forward-looking estimates on portfolio performance and inflation, and determined that the current rate of 4% should be reduced to 3.3%. “The State of Retirement Income” They used a 30-year window of time for their calculations, a 90% probability for success which means there’s a 90% chance you will “not” run out of money during your
Sat, November 20, 2021
Supply chain problems continue as container ships pile up at U.S. ports. The number of ships waiting to offload off the Southern California coast just hit a new record. That’s despite a new 24/7 schedule to get ships unloaded. There’s also a new ‘pop-up container yard’ on the other side of the country to help get things moving. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. A record 111 container ships were sitting outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on November 10th. According to an Insider blog, that tops a previous record set on October 21st for 108 ships. (1) Not Enough Dock Workers Consumer demand has been surging and there’s been an effort to speed things up but there aren’t enough dock workers and truck drivers to unload and deliver all the goods. Insider says the size of the backlog is unprecedented. Prior to the pandemic, there may have been as m
Wed, November 17, 2021
Amtrak is about to get a $66 billion upgrade that could open up new real estate markets. The funding is part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It’s also the largest amount of government funding for passenger rail in Amtrak’s entire 50-year history. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Amtrak’s CEO Bill Flynn is overjoyed. He had previously laid out a plan for Amtrak upgrades and expansion during the early months of the Biden administration. He told NBC News: “We have a clear vision for how we want to grow our business and reach more of America.” Amtrak Connects US The plan is a 15-year strategy called “Amtrak Connects US.” It calls for improvements to existing rail service as well as
Tue, November 16, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 13th, 2021... the two Fed Chair finalists, the top property investing sector, and the billions earned from a pandemic fee on refinancing loans. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. President Biden is reportedly close to a decision on who he’ll nominate as chief of the Federal Reserve. Fed Chief Jerome Powell’s four-year term is up in February, and it appears that Biden is now deciding whether to keep Powell or replace him with Fed Governor Lael Brainard. Brainard is considered more progressive than Powell. She’s described in a Barron’s article as more “dovish on monetary policy and stronger on bank regulation.” Some Fed watchers also believe that Brainard is more in tune with Biden’s economic agenda, but Powell has strong support from moderate Democr
Wed, November 10, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 6th, 2021… why it’s a “banner year” for homeseller profits, how much an ADU will increase your home value, and which states are attracting the most newcomers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve has announced its “taper timetable.” The Fed is currently buying Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities at a rate of $120 billion a month an economic stimulus. It now plans to reduce that amount by $15 billion per month in November and December, with similar reductions expected next year. If there’s no adjustment to the pace of reductions, the tapering process would be complete by mid-2022. Although the Fed believes the economy is strong enough to begin the taper, Fed chief Jerome Powell says: “We don’t think it’s time yet to raise inte
Thu, November 04, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 30th, 2021... the rebound of big city rents, the state and local property tax bonanza, and a tragic reminder to check smoke alarms in rentals. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest report on the GDP shows a big slowdown in the third quarter. The Commerce Department says the economy downshifted from 6.7% in the second quarter to just 2% in the third. (1) The slowdown was expected but the Wall Street Journal had anticipated a beefier 2.8%. Economists say we’re experiencing slower growth because government stimulus money is drying up while businesses struggle with supply chain issues and the nation continues to deal with the coronavirus. Consumers are working and spending money however, which keeps the economy on the growth side. Consume
Wed, November 03, 2021
Zillow has officially announced the end of it’s iBuying program, Zillow Offers. The announcement comes just a few weeks after the company said it wouldn’t be buying any more homes this year. And then there were reports that Zillow would be offloading thousands of homes at a discount. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The iBuying frenzy has been growing among several competitors including Zillow, Redfin, Opendoor, Offerpad and others. There was a pause in those programs during the pandemic, but the iBuyers were back in full swing this year. And Zillow was one of the more exuberant ones. Home Price Forecasting But Zillow apparently miscalculated the value of the homes it was buying. The company’s financial results show a $304 million write-down for the homes that were purchased for more than it can sell them for. It expects to lose another $240 to $265 million fo
Mon, November 01, 2021
Investors were busy in the second quarter of this year. They increased their share of purchased residential properties. But even though they bought more than consumers, they spent less. So where are these great deals? The RealtyTrac report has a few answers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. RealtyTrac published the results of its analysis with data from its parent company, ATTOM Data Solutions. (1) It found that investor purchases accounted for 15.4% of all U.S. residential purchases in the second quarter of this year. That’s up 3.9% from Q2 of last year when investors accounted for 11.5% of all home purchases. (2) If you compare Q2 to Q1 of this year, investor purchases were about the same. Although the numbers
Tue, October 26, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 23rd, 2021... the Fed’s new rate hike schedule, a new wave of foreclosures, and a rent growth surprise for some single-family homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week with comments from Fed Chief Jerome Powell. It looks like the timeline for interest rate hikes has been pushed up again. Last month, there was more of a debate as to whether it would happen in 2022 or 2023. Powell indicated that conditions for a rate hike would probably be reached next year. That includes the Fed’s goal of maximum employment. The inflation requirement has already been met. That’s when inflation remains above 2% for a sustained period of time. Powell also said that now is the time to begin tapering the Fed’s bond-buying strategy. Policymakers will discuss a tapering pla
Sat, October 23, 2021
If you’re selling your home and you have a green thumb, you might want to plant a tree. Or pay someone else to plant one for you. According to a new survey by Trees.com, some real estate agents believe that just “one” healthy tree can increase property values by 30%. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Trees.com started off as a blog in 1997 which has evolved over time into a shopping site for plants and trees, along with plenty of educational material. (1) The survey was done last month with the help of 1,250 licensed real estate agents, and 78% of them said that poor landscaping has a negative impact on the value of a property. The Value of a Well-Positioned Tree When it comes to the best way of upgrading your landscaping, 59% of the agents said “add a tree.” 20% of the agents said that one tree will increase the property value by 30%. That’s one in five of the
Sat, October 23, 2021
It’s a big first for cryptocurrency and real estate. The nation’s second largest lender says it successfully accepted mortgage payments, in crypto, from a handful of borrowers. It was part of a pilot program by United Wholesale Mortgage that was successful, but is now being put back on the shelf, for a later date. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. UWM announced the good news this last week. It says that it “successfully evaluated and accepted the first-ever cryptocurrency mortgage payment in September and five more… in October.” (1) It was the first time that any U.S. lender has accepted cryptocurrency as a home loan payment. UWM CEO Mat Ishbia said in the announcement: “As we said last quarter, we were going to look into accepting cryptocurrency and test it to see if it’s a faster, easier and cheaper solution and thanks to our innovative technology team members, the
Thu, October 21, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 16th, 2021… more home loans for the self-employed borrowers, a surge in jumbo loans, and a rise in closing costs. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Inflation ticked higher again. The government reports a .4% increase for September, mostly due to higher prices for food, gas, and rent. That raises the yearly rate of inflation from 5.3% to 5.4% which is more than double what the Federal Reserve considers “ideal.” But the Fed pays more attention to the PCE or Personal Consumption Expenditures index which is lower but still more than double the Fed’s target. Economists, along with the Fed, say that
Sun, October 17, 2021
Technology is taking big steps in the housing industry with 3D printed homes. Developers are pushing them as “cheaper, stronger, and more efficient” than traditional homes, and the idea is gaining ground. With affordable housing in short supply, energy efficiency becoming a mandate, and the threat of more severe weather-events, 3D printed homes could provide a desirable eco-friendly option. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. A husband and wife team are building a 3D printed home in Tallahassee, Florida, that they expect to put on the market next month. It will be a 3-bedroom, 2-bath 1,440 square foot home with an asking price between $175,000 and $225,000. One of the big benefits for this kind of home in a state li
Sun, October 17, 2021
Manufactured housing appears to be making a comeback. Boosting the supply of prefab homes is a major part of a new government initiative. Factory-built housing is also getting the attention of real estate investors looking for hard-to-get rental homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The Biden Administration announced its Housing America initiative last month. One component of that initiative is to increase the supply of manufactured homes. Other components include things like down payment assistance, the rehabilitation of existing homes, new loan options for manufactured homes, and collaboration with local governments to reduce zoning limitations. (1) Prefab Homes Gaining New Respect The manufactured housing component could be a game changer for a market that has so few affordable options. And with improvements to the manufacturing process, prefab homes are
Tue, October 12, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 9th, 2021... new conforming loan limits, self-touring option for home buyers, and a way to save gas when you’re house hunting. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with two economic reports, from this last week, on the job market. The one for unemployment shows that initial state claims were down 38,000 to 326,000. Economists say it’s a sign of a strengthening labor market. The unemployment numbers keep dropping and are getting closer to pre-pandemic levels, but we’re not quite there yet. Before the pandemic, initial state claims were in the low 200,000s. Ongoing benefits were also down 98,000 this last week, to a seasonally adjusted 2.71 million. (1) The number of people collecting benefits from a total of eight state and federal programs dropped dramatically at the start of the mon
Sat, October 09, 2021
The build-to-rent trend is creating intense competition for land. There are reports that land brokers are getting a growing number of calls from investor groups who want to build single-family rental communities. And there’s a limited amount of suitable tracts of land, so competition is fierce. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Forbes just published an article on this build-to-rent “land rush.” It says that for every veteran buyer, land brokers are getting 50 calls from groups who are new to this residential construction niche. BTR “Land Rush” Because there just aren’t enough existing homes on the market to meet investor demand, the build-to-rent trend is gaining traction. And that has off a stampede of sorts, for land. Forbes says that “a site that is well-suited for build-to-rent will typically get between 10 and 25 offers.” This is also a new situatio
Sat, October 09, 2021
Real estate investors have experienced some big swings in the market over the past decade. We’ve gone from dirt cheap foreclosures after the housing meltdown, to more difficult investing opportunities today. According to a new survey, that’s discouraging many small scale real estate investors, but difficult doesn’t mean impossible. It means you need to be flexible, adaptable, and smart about your choices. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Real-estate data company RealtyTrac conducted an investor sentiment survey among 300 real estate investors from across the country. (1) It shows that 48% of them feel that the investing environment is worse or even “much” worse than it was just one year ago. And it wasn’t that much better a year ago. The same survey shows that 45% felt that way in 2020 during the first year of the pandemic. RealtyTrac defines small scale mom-and-pop
Tue, October 05, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 2nd, 2021... we’ll look at inflation frustration for the Fed, a mortgage rate surprise, and a new checklist for today’s homebuyers. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and new predictions about inflation. Fed Chief Jerome Powell says that inflation has been worse than expected because of supply-chain bottlenecks, but he still expects prices to settle back down next year, once those supply-chain issues are resolved. He said during a forum with central bank leaders: “It’s frustrating to see the supply chain problems not getting better, in fact they are probably getting worse.” (1) The annual rate of inflation is about 4.2% right now, according to the Fed’s preferred PCE index. The more popular CPI is about the same. It is currently at 4.3%. When
Sat, October 02, 2021
If you’ve been wondering just how many renters are moving to the suburbs, there’s a new report that will give you a really good idea. RentCafe says that, over the past decade, dozens of suburbs have transitioned from a majority of homeowners to a majority of renters. And it’s projecting that dozens more will follow in the next five years. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. RentCafe looked at data for 1,105 suburbs in the nation’s 50 largest metros, and found that in 242 of those suburbs, renters outnumber homeowners. (1) But of those 242 renter-dominated suburbs, 103 suburbs transitioned to a renter majority in just the last ten years. It also says that 57 more are likely to do so over the next five years. Renters Migrating Toward the Suburbs RentCafe says that: “During the past decade, the migration toward the suburbs developed fast.” It says: “The number of su
Wed, September 29, 2021
Demand is going through the roof for rentals in the Tampa Bay region, and so are the rents. According to one data firm, the hot housing market and a steady stream of new residents have pushed apartment rents up 22% since the beginning of this year. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Real estate data firm CoStar says that rents are moving higher because of an influx of new residents, and without enough rentals to meet that demand, there are no signs of a rent-growth slowdown. USF Financial Professor Lei Wedge explained the situation to local News Channel 8. (1) He listed four basic reasons that rents are moving higher so quickly. He says: 1 - There are lots of people moving to Tampa every day, and when people can’t afford to buy, they are “rushing into the rental market.” 2 - There are more renters in the market than the supply of rentals. 3 - Because “hom
Mon, September 27, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 25th, 2021... what the Fed is saying about rate hikes, tax changes that could deflate your self-directed IRA, and ultra-white paint that could replace your AC. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a Fed meeting on monetary policy. The Fed’s senior policymakers are now saying they could raise interest rates sooner than they expected. They had previously anticipated higher rates in 2023, but are now saying they could raise the short-term rate by a quarter point, sometime next year. Higher interest rates will help control inflation which is currently running around 4%, or “double” what the Fed would like to see. (1) New claims for unemployment benefits jumped to a one-month high of 351,000. The surge is due to a backlog of claims in Californ
Fri, September 24, 2021
It’s a big deal in a state where homeowners have fiercely fought any changes to single-family neighborhoods. California Governor Gavin Newsom is catching up on his “to do” list after the recall election, and just signed two important pieces of housing legislation. One is SB 9 which eliminates single-family zoning in most neighborhoods across the state. The other is SB 10 which makes it easier for cities to build multi-family apartment buildings in some areas. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Senate Bill 9 is especially significant after years of homeowner opposition to previous efforts to increase housing density in single-family neighborhoods. This bill allows for single-family parcels to be split in two, and duplexes to be built on each half, which allows for a total of four units on one lot. The other bill will streamline the approval process for the development of m
Tue, September 21, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 18th, 2021… inflation eases up overall, but rents and building materials soar, while mortgage rates hold steady. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from the past week. Concerns about inflation have eased up a bit. Prices rose at their slowest pace in August since about seven months ago. The consumer price index was up .3% which brought the annual rate down a tenth of a percent to 5.3%. The core rate, which strips out prices for food and gas, was only up .1% to an annual rate of 4%. That’s down from 4.3% in June. MarketWatch economists say that could be a sign that the recent price surge is peaking. (1) There’s been a lot of debate about the risk of higher inflation and whether it will remain above the 2% mark. The Federal Reserve isn’t worried. It expects price
Thu, September 16, 2021
It wasn’t too long ago that housing experts were predicting the demise of the garage, because of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, and a desire to live “car free.” Many people have also turned their garages into additional living space. But now, with electric vehicles becoming more popular, EV owners want a place to safely charge their cars overnight and that’s making the garage, once again, a more indispensable part of our homes. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Having an electric car is still an expensive purchase for many people, but for those who can afford one right now, it’s important to have a convenient and secure way to charge it up. That’s not going to be a charging station blocks or miles away. Most people will want a charging station at home, so the car can power-up while they are sleeping. The Wall Street Journal acknowledged this new trend in an article called “Electric-Car Charging Stations Give the Home Garage a Po
Wed, September 15, 2021
Contractors have been struggling with a worker shortage that began with the Great Recession, and then was made worse by the pandemic. If one worker on the job site gets sick with the virus, the entire project can be stalled for at least 2 weeks. And now, things are becoming even more complicated as more clients are wanting all workers on their property to be vaccinated. But many available workers are pushing back. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Getting the job done has been tough for contractors dealing with supply chain shortages, rising prices for the materials, and permitting issues. Add to it that the number of new coronavirus cases hit a 7-day daily average of 166,000 on September 1st. According to data in the New York Times, the case count has come down a bit since then but is still above 152,000. Some healthcare professionals are predicting another surge this month
Sat, September 11, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 11th, 2021... a record high for home equity, a drop in Zombie foreclosures, and the house flippers’ hunt for homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. It was a short week because of Labor Day, with not much economic news after that. The weekly unemployment report shows that initial state claims fell to a new pandemic low of 310,000. The average number of claims before the pandemic was just 90,000 less, at 220,000 per week. (1) Continuing claims were also down to almost 12 million for state benefits and 7 other state and federal programs. That number had risen above 30 million during the pandemic. Last week was also the last full week for many of those benefits. Bank of the West chief economist estimates that 7.5 million people will d
Fri, September 10, 2021
Los Angeles is fast-tracking its green energy plan. The City Council approved a plan for 100% renewable energy by 2035. That’s inline with President Biden’s goal, and a decade sooner than LA’s previous plan. The City Council decision comes after a comprehensive study that looked at everything from greenhouse gas emissions, public health, and cost versus benefit analysis to electricity demand, rooftop solar, and other renewable energy options. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. LA hopes to “set the stage for the country” and the rest of the world with LA100. (1) The transition would create about 9,500 clean energy jobs and cost between 57 and $87 billion, but according to LADWP General Manager Martin Adams, much of the investment would also coincide with infrastructure replacement that is already on the city’s “to do” list. He says: “When this study started three-and-a-
Thu, September 09, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 4th, 2021... new FHFA rules on the foreclosure bidding process, the for-sale homes needed for a “normal” market, and the renters who don’t think they will ever be homeowners. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The number of people applying for unemployment has dropped again. The Department of Labor reported that 340,000 people filed for state claims last week. That’s a decline of 14,000 from the week before and the lowest it’s been since the start of the pandemic. Continuing claims are also down, to a total of 2.75 million, and the total for all 8 state and federal programs is 12.2 million. That’s down from 30 million at the peak of the pandemic. (1) More disappointing is the August report on hiring. The Wall Street Journal had estimated an
Sat, September 04, 2021
Airbnb is stepping in to help Afghan refugees now pouring into the U.S. It’s offering free housing to 20,000 of them with the help of Airbnb hosts. The temporary lodging will be paid for by Airbnb’s non-profit arm, Airbnb.org, along with contributions from Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky and donations made to Airbnb.org’s Refugee Fund. (1) Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Airbnb has been helping disaster victims since Hurricane Sandy hit New York City in 2012. Sandy was one of the worst hurricanes in history and displaced thousands of people. At the time, an Airbnb host asked the company if she could offer her place for free to a few of the victims. The idea was well received, and Airbnb quickly coordinated an effort to get other hosts to do the same. More than 1,000 hosts helped out. Housing Help for Disaster Victims Since then, Airbnb says that hosts have pro
Fri, September 03, 2021
The eviction moratorium roller coaster continues. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the moratorium, saying: “it is up to Congress, not the CDC, to decide whether the public interest merits further action here.” And now, three federal agencies are asking state and local governments to implement eviction moratoriums or extend the ones they currently have. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. The Supreme Court issued an eight-page ruling on August 26th. (1) Realtor associations and landlords in Alabama and Georgia had sued, saying the CDC had gone beyond the reach of its authority. Scotus Rules Against Moratorium In the ruling, the justices said: “The moratorium has put the applicants, along with millions of landlords across the country, at risk of irreparable harm by depriving them of rent payments with no guarantee of eventual recovery. Despite the CDC’s determi
Mon, August 30, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 28th, 2021... which lender will let you pay in Bitcoin, why a Covid-19 vaccine will get you a discount on closing costs, and the rising popularity of patios, for outdoor living. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We have economic news from this past week, but first, big news on the latest federal eviction moratorium. If you haven’t heard, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked that mandate after a new legal challenge by the Alabama Association of Realtors and a group of landlords. The plaintiffs argued that the CDC doesn’t have the authority to issue this kind of mandate. The justices agreed, saying the policy should’ve come from lawmakers, and not the CDC. (1) As Newsweek reports, progressive members of Congress are now considering legislation that would reinstate the moratorium, as the nation continues t
Sat, August 28, 2021
Tiny homes can be a great option for the minimalist lifestyle and affordability, but don’t let the cost of insurance take you by surprise. A new study shows a huge difference in the cost of tiny home insurance depending on where you live and the risks associated with that location. It’s still cheaper overall to insure a tiny home than it is a larger home, but insurance will take a bigger bite out of your housing budget if you live in a high-risk area. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Tiny Home Insurance Cost Analysis ValuePenguin did a cost analysis that compared insurance for tiny homes and larger homes across the nation. (1) Tiny homes are generally around 400 square feet in size. ValuePenguin compared those to homes with 2,100 square feet. It found that on a national level, the average cost of insurance for a standard-sized home is 106% more expensive than it is for a tiny home. So tiny home owners are saving money on insurance,
Fri, August 27, 2021
Real estate guru Robert Kiyosaki isn’t placing ALL his eggs in the real estate basket. He’s recommending Bitcoin as a way to protect yourself against the death of the dollar. The Rich Dad, Poor Dad author believes that the dollar is going to fail, and when it does, it will “crash the whole economic system.” (1) Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Thanks for joining me and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button for our podcast. Kiyosaki has been tweeting a lot lately about Bitcoin. He just tweeted: “BITCOIN to $50,000. Great news for Bitcoin holders. Bad news for mom and pop. The primary reason I invest in Bitcoin, gold, & silver is because I do not trust our leaders, the Fed, Treasury, nor the stock market. Unfortunately mom and pop who save money do. Take care.” According to Benzinga, he pointed out in an email that “Bitcoin is up over 200% from last year” and that other cryptocurrencies are also up significantly. He asks his r
Thu, August 26, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 21st, 2021... we’ll look at second quarter home prices, a big surge in rents for single-family homes, and a softening demand for vacation homes. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Fed released the minutes of its last big meeting in July and acknowledged what many economists have been saying, that the current surge in U.S. inflation could continue into next year. That’s mostly due to a shortage of labor and materials as the nation deals with the latest wave of the pandemic. MarketWatch reports that the Fed’s July summary mentioned the delta variant six times after not one mention of the virus in June. The Fed previously said that high prices might last a little longer, but in this summary, Fed officials also acknowledged that the “spread of
Fri, August 20, 2021
Transcript 00:00:00 Intro Music [Speaker] Kathy Fettke The housing market appears to be settling down a bit as we head into the Fall. Home price growth is stabilizing and buyers are facing a bit less competition. According to Redfin, the percentage of deals tangled up in bidding wars last month dropped to the lowest level since January. (1) Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Redfin is reporting a steady decrease in buyers submitting competitive bids. Competition peaked in April when 74.1% of the offers written by Redfin agents faced competition. In June, competition dropped to about 66.5%. And last month, in July, only 60.1% of the offers went head-to-head with other buyers. Redfin calls it a bidding war when a buyer faces at least one competing offer. Homebuying Conditions Have Improved Redfin says that homebuying conditions have improved over the summer. It says that prices are stabilizing due to an
Wed, August 18, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 14th, 2021… where lot values are surging, how rent payments can help new home buyers, and a contest for tiny home designs. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. Economic News We begin today’s episode with economic news from this past week. Two inflation reports show that prices are still heading higher. The consumer price index was up .5% in July. That’s down from .9% in June which prompted some economists to say that inflation is moderating. But the yearly rate is 5.4% which is the same as June, and well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. The core rate is a bit lower. That omits prices for energy and food. It was up .4% to a yearly rate of 4.3% which is slightly lower than the June rate. (1) Although the numbers show that inflation is backing off a little, it’s still a whole lot higher than it was last
Mon, August 16, 2021
Transcript 00:00:00 Intro Music [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: The second-richest man in the world has traveled to space and returned home to a 375-foot tiny home. Tesla founder Elon Musk followed through with a promise to downsize his life. He sold off almost all his mansions and physical possessions and recently moved into a tiny pop-up home in Boca Chica, Texas, where his company SpaceX is located. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Thanks for joining me and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button for our podcast. Musk’s new home is made by Las Vegas start-up Boxabl, which calls the tiny home a “casita.” (1) The 375-square foot space is divided pretty equally into a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom with spacious nine-and-a-half foot ceilings. Boxable delivers the casita in a large box that can be towed behind a big rig or even a pick-up truck. To be more precise, it folds down to just eight-and-a-half feet wide
Sat, August 14, 2021
Transcript 00:00:00 Intro [Speaker] Kathy Fettke In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 7th, 2021... another single-family eviction moratorium, legislation to extend Opportunity Zones, and sellers who use spy cams at showings. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The job market picked up speed in July with the creation of 943,000 new positions. Most of those jobs are for leisure and hospitality, but a large portion were also government jobs. According to MarketWatch, July’s hiring spree is the largest in about a year. It also helped reduce the unemployment rate from 5.9% in June to 5.4% in July. (1) The weekly unemployment report also shows that fewer people applied for benefits. Initial state claims dropped to 385,000 for the last week of July. That’s the lowest number we’ve since the start of the pandemic. Continuing cla
Wed, August 11, 2021
Transcript 00:00:00 Intro [Speaker] Kathy Fettke Doing an office exclusive on your home may not get you top dollar. There’s a new study that shows homes listed on the MLS sell for substantially more than those that are sold off the MLS. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Thanks for joining me and don’t forget to hit the subscribe button for our podcast. We recently did a podcast on private listings, which are also known as pocket or whisper listings, because they seem to be growing more popular. It covered the pros and cons of keeping your home off the MLS for both buyers, sellers, and brokers. While some sellers like to sell privately to keep their identities, situations, or belongings private, it’s really the brokers who benefit. By selling privately, the broker may share the information, and the commission, with another broker, But in many cases, the seller’s broker will earn the entire buyer/seller commission
Tue, August 10, 2021
Transcript 00:00:00 Intro Kathy Fettke [Speaker] In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 31st, 2021… an inflation surprise for the Fed Chief, where single-family rents are growing the most, and a pet’s influence on home buying decisions. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Fed Chief Jerome Powell uttered words that many economists had predicted -- inflation has risen higher and faster than he expected. But he still believes that prices will settle back down. As to when it will happen, he says that inflation will probably return closer to the central bank’s 2% mark in the next year… or so. There was “no” change to the Fed’s bond-buying strategy, or short-term interest rates. (1) The unemployment lines were a little shorter last week. Initial jobless claims were down 24,000 to 400,000. That’s after a surge that brought them to a t
Tue, August 03, 2021
For the full transcript, click on the Notes tab on the podcast player for this episode on our website: www.NewsForInvestors.com . Transcript 00:00:00 Intro Music [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: With all the talk about the housing gap, you might think it’s because we have very strong population growth. But in reality, the opposite is true. The birth rate has dropped again, and population growth is close to zero. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast. It helps us rank, and helps people find us! This episode is all about the status of the U.S. birth rate and population growth, because it’s so important to the present and future health of our economy. The economy needs to growth and for that to happen we need workers. A low growth rate now, means fewer workers in the coming years. Status
Sat, July 31, 2021
For the full transcript, click on the Notes tab on the podcast player for this episode on our website: www.NewsForInvestors.com . Transcript 00:00:00 [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: Americans behind on their mortgage payments are facing the end of a long pandemic-induced foreclosure ban. The moratorium officially ends on July 31st for federally-backed mortgages, and with forbearance programs also coming to an end, the government is offering new options to keep borrowers from losing their homes. Hi I’m Kathy Fettkie and this is Real Estate News for Investors. The pandemic left millions of Americans unemployed and struggling to pay their mortgages. Many went into forbearance programs that allowed them to put their payments on pause. Black Knight says the number of loans in forbearance peaked last August and September at about 4.4% of all active mortgages. But those numb
Fri, July 30, 2021
For the full transcript, click on the Notes tab on the podcast player for this episode on our website: www.NewsForInvestors.com . Transcript 00:00:00 Intro Music [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 24th, 2021… why refi’s are getting cheaper, what investors are doing with this hot market, and how homeowners are making money from their backyard swimming pools. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a jump in the number of people applying for unemployment benefits. Initial jobless claims were up 51,000 to 419,000 in the last week. It’s the highest level in two months, but the increase is “not” due to the pandemic. As MarketWatch reports, claims were higher in auto manufacturing states like Michigan, Kentucky and Texas
Mon, July 26, 2021
Audio Transcript 00:00:00 Music Intro [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: Competition is so fierce among homebuyers, that we’re seeing a surge in all-cash offers. A new Redfin study shows that all cash-offers are up almost 5% nationwide in the last year. There are also a host of start-ups that help buyers make cash offers and they are expanding. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. The Redfin study found that all-cash offers rose from 25.3% last year to 30% this year. (1) Redfin used county records dating back to January 2001 for this study. You may remember the last big surge happened during the recession when cash offers grew to as much as 34.1% in 2011 and 2012. We’re not quite there yet, but the lack of inventory is making the market much more competitive. Surge in Cash Offers Many of those cash offers were from investors, but in today’s market, people buying their own homes are coming up with cash. A Redfin real estat
Thu, July 22, 2021
Transcript 00:00:00 music [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: The MLS isn’t the only place to find homes for sale. There are studies that show more and more sellers are opting for exclusive listings, and that is limiting buyer options. Also known as “pocket” or “whisper” listings, buyers might want to work with an agent who has them. But beware, pocket listings are best for the broker, and not always the best option for buyers and sellers. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. There are many reasons for the current shortage of homes for sale. The pandemic delayed many seller plans to list their homes. The record low mortgage rates encouraged many to refinance with dirt cheap loans and remodel instead of moving. Many baby boomers are choosing to “age in place” which keeps those homes off the market. And there’s been a housing gap, in general, for many years. But there are headlines out there that blame another phenomenon. According to the Was
Wed, July 21, 2021
Audio Transcript: 00:00:00 Intro Music [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 17th, 2021... what the Fed says about the June inflation report, why there’s been a surge in listings, and where homebuyer love letters are now banned. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and an unexpected bump in the consumer price index. The government reported a .9% increase in prices for June. According to MarketWatch, that’s the largest monthly increase since 2008, mostly due to higher prices for used cars. But prices are also climbing for food, energy, clothing, plane tickets and hotels. The June bump brings the 12-month rate up to 5.4%. The core rate, which eliminates prices for food and energy, was also up .9%, but the 12-month rate is less. It currently stands at 4.5%. (1) Fed Chief Jerome Powell told members of Congress that
Fri, July 16, 2021
Transcript: [Intro music 00:00:00] Kathy Fettke [Speaker]: It looks like the sellers are coming out of hiding. Redfin is reporting an increase in listings, and a new survey by Fannie Mae shows that more and more people feel that “now” is a good time to sell. (1) But there are also signs of a pullback among homebuyers. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. It’s been a sellers’ market throughout the pandemic, as buyers compete for a dwindling supply of existing homes. But now that the pandemic is easing and home prices have hit record highs, sellers are more motivated to put their homes up for sale. New Listings Jumped in June Redfin says new listings jumped 4% in June, compared to June of last year. That’s the biggest increase since 2019, before the pandemic. But the total number of active listings is still well below levels they were at a year ago. CNBC reports they are off by 32%. But that’s also the smallest year-
Wed, July 14, 2021
Transcript: [Speaker] Kathy Fettke: In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 10th, 2021... what lenders are saying about a mortgage slowdown, why ARMs are suddenly attractive, and which cities are attracting people who are relocating. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest unemployment report shows a slight rise in new claims, but the total number of claims continues to fall. As of June 19th, the number of people collecting benefits was 14.2 million. Economists expect that number to fall faster in September when extra unemployment benefits expire and people are forced to go back to work. (1) And there should be plenty of jobs available. The Labor Department’s latest report on job openings shows a record 9.2 million. That’s exactly double the number of job openings from a low point during the pandemic, and the third month in a row t
Mon, July 12, 2021
Transcript: Kathy Fettke: The U.S. needs millions of homes to meet the current demand for housing, and is depending on builders who can’t find enough workers to do the job. According to one source, the industry needs to hire 1.5 million more construction workers from now through the year 2023. So where have all the workers gone? Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. The construction industry is in hyper-drive right now to satisfy a critical demand for new housing and for upgrades to existing homes. More people are working from home making “home” a much more important part of our lives. It’s a perfect time for builders to expand their businesses but they are limited by the number of workers available. Where Are All the Construction Workers? Solar installer, Matthew Messer, is the owner of New York Solar Maintenance. And he says he’s out in the field working seven days a week because business is booming and he can’t get enou
Sat, July 10, 2021
Audio Transcript: Kathy Fettke: The housing market has been booming, but not for everyone. Many Americans are struggling financially as the economy recovers from the pandemic. High home prices are impacting both homebuyers and renters, and we could see a wave of foreclosures and evictions when pandemic moratoriums expire. Those are just a few of the challenges mentioned in “The State of the Nation’s Housing 2021.” It’s put together by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Home sales have been soaring in the past year. Many Americans have been on a home-buying binge as the country shifts to a post-COVID reality. Existing home sales were up 20% year-over-year from September of last year through February, and new home sales were even higher. They rose 30% year-over-year from June of last year through February. Home Sales and Prices Are Soaring Existing homes have
Wed, July 07, 2021
Transcript: In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending on the 4th of July, 2021... what the U.S. Supreme Court decided about the CDC eviction moratorium, the surprising drop in price for lumber, and a new credit card that helps you get money for the down payment. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest unemployment report shows that fewer people are applying for benefits, probably because the COVID-era benefits are being phased out. The Labor Department says that 364,000 people applied for benefits. That’s 50,000 less than the week before. Initial claims are now below the half million mark. The total number of people collecting benefits from all eight state and federal programs is 14.7 million, which is another pandemic low. (1) There are plenty of job openings for people looking for work. Companies pumped 850,000 new positions into the market
Tue, July 06, 2021
Transcript: Installing solar panels on your home could give you a big boost in value. A new study from Porch.com shows that the average solar-powered home is worth $680,000 which is almost 50% more than the average home in a given area. But it also depends on where you live. Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Porch.com tallied the number of listings and the average sales prices for the top 500 most populated U.S. cities. It then eliminated the cities that didn’t have at least five solar-powered homes for sale. That left 175 cities in 29 states, and the District of Columbia. (1) It also surveyed homeowners to ask them about home prices in their areas, and how much more solar-powered homes were going for. But the difference in the added value was substantial from city to city. Wide Range in Added Value Pensacola, Florida had the biggest increase in value for homes with solar. The average is $615,000 which is three-
Fri, July 02, 2021
The Miami condo collapse has got a lot of people wondering about the safety and integrity of their own buildings. The 12-story oceanside condo partially collapsed while people were sleeping. At the time of this podcast, 18 people are confirmed dead and 145 are still missing. As crews continue their search through the rubble, there are reports that the building was in dire need of repair. There were 136 condos at the 40-year-old Champlain Towers South building. More than 50 of them collapsed on June 24th at 1:30 a.m. Eyewitness Accounts of the Collapse The investigations are only beginning to get underway, but there’s growing evidence that the building’s pool deck had a major design flaw, and the concrete under that slab was in bad shape. A Tik Tok video may reveal a lot about what happened. Adriana Armiento took the video from across the street. It shows the entrance to the condo garage just moments before the building came down. You can see what looks li
Tue, June 29, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 26th, 2021... mortgage rates are back above 3%, forbearance programs are dwindling, and California renters could get their back rent paid off. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest report on inflation shows the PCE index rose 3.4% in May, compared to a year earlier. (1) That’s the largest annual increase in almost 30 years, according to CNBC. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index tracks changes in the price of goods and services. It’s considered a more wide-reaching index than the Consumer Price Index, and is the one used by the Federal Reserve. The weekly unemployment report shows the job recovery may be hitting a speed bump. (2) The Labor Department says that initial jobless claims only fell 7,000, and are still above 400,000. MarketWatch says that Wall Street economists had expected a much bigger drop in new claims. The total number of people collecting unemploym
Mon, June 28, 2021
Single-family rents are increasing at their fastest rate in almost 15 years. A new CoreLogic report shows that rent growth for single-family homes was up 5.9% year-over-year in April. That’s the fastest rate of growth since 2006, before the housing meltdown and the Great Recession. Demand for detached homes has mushroomed because of the pandemic. Many Americans want more space inside their home as well as a place to go outside for fresh air. Remote work has also allowed for a migration to smaller cities and more remote locations. There’s also a lack of affordable for-sale homes to satisfy demand at lower income levels. All those factors are pushing people into rentals, and with that kind of demand, rents are moving higher. CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index tracks SFRs. (1) That includes detached homes and single-family homes that are attached to other single-family homes, like condominiums. It analyzes the same group of ho
Wed, June 23, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 19th, 2021... what the Fed is saying about rate hikes and tapers, how much single-family rents have grown, and where homebuyers are moving. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The Federal Reserve is starting to make plans for rate hikes and tapering due to the risks of higher inflation. In a statement after its monthly meeting it said that it might hike short term interest rates two times in 2023. It also continued to say that recent price hikes were temporary, but Fed Chief Jerome Powell said in the news conference that inflation could rise faster and last longer than he and his colleagues had anticipated. The Fed had forecast an annual rate of 3% this year, but it recently surged in May to a 13-year high of 5%. Powell also said that the Fed has had its first discussion about tapering. It is currently purchasing $80 billion in Treasurys and $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities to h
Wed, June 23, 2021
What a difference a month makes! Lumber prices were at a staggering all-time high at the beginning of May. Over the last few weeks they’ve dropped more than 20%. In the securities world, that’s enough of a drop to call it a “bear market.” Prices are still much higher than they were before the pandemic, but they have ratcheted down substantially from their peak. Lumber prices topped $1,500 for a thousand board feet at the end of May, on May 28th. Since then, they have tumbled from their $1,515 high to $1,210, according to an industry trade publication cited by Fortune. (1) That’s a tad more than 20%. Lumber Prices Drop 20% This is great news for homebuilders and do-it-yourselfers who’ve stalled on projects because of the high prices. The National Association of Homebuilders says that the cost of lumber has added an extra $36,000 to the price of a new home, compared to April 2020. It also added about $119 a month for rent on a new apartment. In the midst of
Fri, June 18, 2021
Solar energy is not a fringe concept anymore. Experts say it’s becoming more mainstream, but that supply chain issues are impacting the industry right as it’s picking up speed. One reason for the growth of solar is that prices have been dropping, but experts say there’s been a recent surge in the cost of components, labor, and freight, similar to what we’re seeing in many industries, including construction. And that could cause a major setback for solar. The website oilprice.com is calling it: “The Worst Setback for the Solar Boom in a Decade.” (1) With concerns about climate change and an international push toward clean energy, the industry is getting hit with unforeseen expenses. The oilprice blog cites the tripling of steel prices and higher prices for fuel, freight, and polysilicon. It says that many solar companies are in a “wait-and-see mode,” hoping that prices for solar components and freight charges will stabilize at a lower level. Solar Panel Prices Spike
Fri, June 18, 2021
The high cost of lumber has challenged the construction industry this past year, but there may be some relief in sight. Prices have been pulling back a bit, but how far will they go? Industry experts are expecting a building boom, and that could put more pressure on the price of lumber and other materials in short supply, like paint. As reported by CNBC, lumber futures have been pulling back in the last month, after a huge surge during the pandemic. (1) For July deliveries, they were down more than 5% to $1,158 per thousand board feet. That’s off about 30% from a record high of $1,711 on May 10th. Lumber Prices Off Their Record High But even with that pullback, lumber prices have risen more than 200% in the last year. And that’s adding about $36,000 to the average price of a home, according to a recent report. (2) One lumber industry insider told CNBC that it might make sense to hold off a bit on a project if you can, because of high wood costs. Kyle Litt
Mon, June 14, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 12th, 2021… inflation hits a new 13-year high, homeowners make big gains in equity, and “The House that SHE Built” in Utah. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest inflation report shows another surge in consumer prices. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a .6% jump in the consumer price index last month. That puts the annual rate at a 13-year high of 5%. The core inflation rate, which excludes food and energy, also jumped .7% to a 29-year high of 3.8%. The Federal Reserve has assured Americans that these price increases are the result of a fast economic recovery, and will only be temporary. Some economists worry that the higher prices won’t come back down, but as MarketWatch reports, the debate is expected to “play out over the next year.” (1) The number of people filing for unemployment continues to drop. The government reported just 376,000 new claims for the w
Wed, June 09, 2021
A London-based company is betting on the need for climate risk management for governments, companies, and investors around the world. Cervest just announced $30 million dollars in new venture capital funding to grow its climate intelligence platform called Earthscan. According to media website Axios, the money will be used to expand the company’s presence from London to the U.S. and other countries in Europe. (1) The Cervest website calls the service “on-demand climate intelligence.” It promises to help you “understand how current and future climate events will affect your physical assets.” Understanding Climate Change Risk Founder and CEO, Iggy Bassi, said in a press release: “Climate volatility has thrown us into a new era where climate intelligence needs to be integrated into all decisions. Organizations that fail to do so risk being blindsided by climate events such as the recent floods and fires in Australia, the droughts in Europe and the winter freeze in
Tue, June 08, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 5th, 2021… a lawsuit over the CDC eviction moratorium is heating up, what remote workers are saying about going back to the office, and the important role that pets are playing in the homebuying process. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a job market that continues to improve. The weekly jobless report shows another pandemic low for initial jobless claims. They were down to 385,000, according to the Labor Department. That’s down from 405,000 for the previous week. More than 15.4 million Americans are still receiving unemployment benefits. (1) The latest home price report from CoreLogic shows that prices were up 13% year-over-year in April. That’s the highest annual gain since February of 2006. It’s been driven mostly by competition among buyers for a tight inventory of homes as well as the low mortgage rates. Economists say we might see slower price growth as more homes come
Fri, June 04, 2021
Airbnb just unveiled a big upgrade to its platform as the company gears up for a post-pandemic travel surge. (1) The upgrade includes more than a hundred changes with a focus on flexibility. Airbnb says that people need more flexible options because they are traveling more often, searching for new destinations, and are staying for longer periods of time. Airbnb says the changes it made to its platform were inspired by a comprehensive analysis of its booking data and travel has changed because of the pandemic. According to the Airbnb Report on “Travel & Living”: “We are shifting from traveling at all the same times to all the same old places, to many of us living anywhere, at any time, for however long.” Airbnb describes this as “a world in which living and traveling are one and the same.” (2) Airbnb’s Report on Travel & Living The report says the number of people who see traveling as more of a lifestyle today is almost the same as the number of people who see tr
Wed, June 02, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 29th, 2021... what the GDP is expected to do in the second quarter, how much single-family rents have shot up, and what developers are saying about off-the-grid homes. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest update on the GDP shows the first quarter holding at 6.4%. Economists had expected a revision to 6.6% but stronger imports apparently offset an increase in consumer spending. (1) Looking ahead to the second quarter, economists are expecting an annualized growth rate of 8.2%. And JP Morgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, thinks we’ll continue to see this kind of growth for the next few years. Inflation hit a 13-year high in April. According to the PCE index, it jumped to 3.6%. (2) That’s the strongest reading of the personal consumption expenditure index since 2008. It’s also well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. Great news on the job market. The government reports jus
Sat, May 29, 2021
The U.S. Senate is taking a close look at the YIMBY Act. The Yes in My Backyard legislation was first introduced in 2019, but was put on hold because of the pandemic. It addresses the national housing shortage by encouraging local policies that will increase affordable housing, including changes to zoning restrictions in single-family neighborhoods. Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana and Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii reintroduced the YIMBY Act a few weeks ago. (1) YIMBY is a reaction to the well-known NIMBY concept for Not in My Backyard. Inside the YIMBY bill is a list of 20 policies that local governments or states could adopt to increase housing affordability and availability. HUD Block Grant Funding Although the bill doesn’t mandate the adoption of these policies, it requires the elimination of discriminatory land use policies and affordable housing barriers before jurisdictions receive HUD block grant funding. To qualify for the annual gra
Thu, May 27, 2021
Warren Buffett is launching a new business venture that could shake things up in the building industry. A Berkshire Hathaway-owned construction company has teamed up with a New York City architect on a new way to make modular mainstream. The plan is based on a way to make the modules more transportable and keep local contractors and workers involved. First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the initiative launched last week between tech-construction company MiTek and Architect Danny Forster. (1) They started working on this initiative about a year ago with backing from Berkshire Hathaway. The investment is reportedly worth millions of dollars. Modular Units Would be Collapsible The modular units would be made of steel boxes that can be attached to and stacked onto other units. But unlike the bulky building blocks of other modular construction projects, these will be made to “fold” so they can be transported more easily. As reported by Fast Company: “Instead of
Tue, May 25, 2021
Investor interest in single-family rentals is making a post-COVID comeback. A new report by Redfin shows an increase in the purchase of single-family homes by investors after three straight quarters of declines during the pandemic. Redfin says there was a 2.7% increase in the number of homes bought by investors during the first quarter of this year. That’s about 1 in every 7 homes compared to about 1 in every 10 homes during the previous three quarters. Cautious Approach During Pandemic Redfin says that investors held back at the beginning of the pandemic and were slow to jump back in. Even though the housing market recovered quickly, many investors took a more cautious approach because of job losses, unpaid rents, and the eviction moratorium. Redfin’s senior economist, Sheharyar Bokhari says: “Investors are likely starting to feel more comfortable because the economy is in recovery mode.” And, they may also see the declining inventory of homes as an oppo
Mon, May 24, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 22nd, 2021... the government’s rental assistance program is helping landlords, rent growth speeds up, and the housing boom is adding value to opportunity zones. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a Treasury Department announcement that it has distributed $6 billion in rental assistance in the last two weeks. And more money is on the way. (1) A total of $21.6 billion was allocated to the program as part of a stimulus package approved in March. Another $25 billion had been approved in December. The funding is important to help pay off tenant debt to landlords as eviction moratoriums expire. More Americans are heading back to work. The latest unemployment report shows that initial jobless claims were down 34,000 last week, to 444,000. (2) That’s the lowest number we’ve seen in more than a year. More than 16 million people are still getting unemployment checks, but that number is
Fri, May 21, 2021
We’ve been hearing a lot about the risk of inflation lately. With government money flooding into the market and the economic recovery in high gear, we’ve already seen some price jumps. The Federal Reserve has tried to calm fears by telling us that prices will settle back down, but rent prices are probably not among them, and higher rents, or what’s known as shelter inflation, is a big part of the Consumer Price Index. A recent Business Insider blog makes a case for rent growth as a catalyst for inflation -- that rents are starting to go up after a decline during the pandemic, and are not likely to “settle back down.” (1) The blog cites Morgan Stanley economists who say that rent prices are “flashing signs of more persistent inflationary pressures” and Goldman Sachs economists who say “special factors that suppressed inflation during the pandemic” have eased up. They feel that as other prices rise and pull back because of the reopening, that rents will continue to accelerate a
Tue, May 18, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 15th, 2021... a surprise jump in consumer prices, a looser lending environment, and how government regulations impact home prices. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week that includes a few good reports on the job market. Unemployment claims fell again, to a new pandemic low. Initial state claims are now down to 473,000. That’s the fifth week in a row they have dropped, and reflects a huge hiring effort by U.S. companies as the economy continues to recover. The March report on job openings shows 8.1 million unfilled positions. That’s up from 7.5 million in February. They had dipped to as low as 4.6 million soon after the start of the pandemic. But the problem now is finding enough qualified employees to fill all those jobs. Some people blame generous unemployment benefits, while others argue that many parents have kids at home and no childcare, or that COVID-19 may still be a threat fo
Sat, May 15, 2021
The housing market is firing on all cylinders, and it’s revving up for a home sale record. Redfin is forecasting $2.5 trillion in U.S. home sales this year. That’s more than the GDP of France, and about equal to the combined value for Amazon.com and Facebook. Redfin says home sales will probably rise about 17% year-over-year in 2021. That would be a bigger jump than we saw during the pandemic last year, when demand skyrocketed for single-family homes. It will also be the biggest jump in sales since 2013. As we’ve been reporting, the housing market has gone through a huge transformation because of the pandemic. It brought mortgage rates to a record low and triggered a migration of people to new markets because of the remote work trend. In April, Redfin conducted a survey among remote workers and about 60% of those people expect to continue working from home at least part time. That kind of shift is work habits and demand for work-at-home space has helped to push
Fri, May 14, 2021
Call it a perfect storm of conditions to keep home prices on a steady upswing as buyers clamor after too few homes. I had the opportunity to talk to HousingWire’s lead analyst Logan Mohtashami about the unusual situation we’re seeing, and whether all those scary headlines about a housing bubble are true. The housing market has been breaking all sorts of records. It’s never been so hot. Asking prices have hit an all-time high. Selling prices have hit an all-time high. The share of homes selling over list price is also breaking records. I noticed a crazy headline the other day. It said: The East Bay real estate market is so hot, houses are selling for more than $1M over asking price.” That’s a jaw dropper for sure! That headline appeared in the SFGate in reference to the San Francisco East Bay. One realtor said in the article that it’s not that surprising when they get an offer like that. Josh Dickinson says: “When my clients see a house for $1.9 million they’re almost c
Wed, May 12, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 8th, 2021… what’s happening with the CDC eviction moratorium, why you should sell your home in May, and which rental markets are the most competitive. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and a new court ruling “against” the CDC’s eviction moratorium. A U.S. District Court Judge in Washington, D.C. ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not have the authority to issue the moratorium. It struck down the ban but the Department of Justice immediately filed an appeal which will be heard within another two weeks. In the meantime, the court issued a temporary stay on the District Court’s decision. Realtor associations in Georgia and Alabama filed the lawsuit along with two housing providers and their property management companies. The National Association of Realtors also supported the lawsuit. NAR believes the best solution is to provide rental assistance to the tenants w
Sat, May 08, 2021
It’s easy to see that the housing market has remained strong throughout the pandemic, but quantifying that impact is no easy task. That kind of data crunching can help explain what happened, and what’s likely to happen in the near future. It’s also the kind of analysis that HouseCanary has done, with results that show the full-impact of the pandemic on housing. HouseCanary is a data analytics company with a focus on residential property valuations. Founded in 2008, the San Francisco-based company has put together a database of information on homes, mortgages, and neighborhoods across the U.S. and it uses that data to provide value-based solutions for people in the real estate industry. In this report, HouseCanary analyzed single-family listing volume, new listings, and median listing price information in 41 states and 50 metropolitan areas for a two-year period -- from March of 2019 to March of this year. The report is called: “One Year Later: Understanding COVID-19’s
Sat, May 08, 2021
An appeals court decision has ruled in favor of a development project in Berkeley that will give the state more control over local housing decisions. Some people are calling it a win for developers and the state’s effort to create more housing in California, but not everyone is celebrating. The decision was based on Senate Bill 35, which addresses the housing crisis with construction mandates for cities and counties. In this case, it ends a six-year battle to keep the Berkeley project from going forward. SB 35 went into effect in January of 2018 as one of a number of bills meant to address a critical need for more housing. If a municipality doesn’t provide its fair share of housing to meet regional needs, developers can apply for approval under SB 35 and get their projects fast-tracked, by the state. Projects must meet several requirements to quality, including. 1 - The construction of multi-unit housing with two or more residential units. 2 - A location that is
Tue, May 04, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 1st, 2021… the economic recovery boom, home price growth, and what builders are doing about lumber prices. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and the results of a two-day policy meeting by the Federal Reserve. Fed Chief Jerome Powell acknowledged a big improvement to economic conditions, and the Fed no longer feels that COVID-19 presents a “considerable risk” to the economy. But Powell says the central bank is committed to its current stimulus strategy. As you know, short-term interest rates are near zero, and the Fed is buying $120 billion in Treasury and mortgage-backed bonds every month. Economists say the economy is poised for a boom in 2021. In fact, first quarter GDP was 6.4%. Incomes were also up more than 21% last month, and spending was up more than 4%, thanks in part to government stimulus and those $1,400 checks. Many Americans also have more money saved than normal, an
Fri, April 30, 2021
The marketing of co-owned vacation homes in a scenic part of Northern California is causing an uproar among full-time residents. Real estate company Pacaso is buying single-family homes within driving distance of busy metro areas, and reselling them to as many as eight buyers. It’s an idea that has evolved during the pandemic. But it’s also creating a debate over the impact of co-owned homes in single-family neighborhoods. Pacaso was planning to launch its co-ownership plan in a few vacation spots before the pandemic began, but like everything else, those plans were delayed by COVID-19. Over those next several months, the Pacaso strategy changed. The pandemic highlighted the importance of “home” and created new vacation preferences. Pacaso’s original idea for co-owned vacation homes that might involve air travel morphed into one focused on a one to two-hour drive from home. At the helm of Pacaso are two Zillow executives -- former Zillow co-founder and CEO, Spencer Ras
Thu, April 29, 2021
Home prices have been rising so fast that comps have become wildly unreliable. That’s making it difficult for sellers to set accurate listing prices, and for buyers to get homes appraised for what lenders are willing to loan. Home valuation tools like Zillow’s Zestimate and others are also struggling with a volatile pricing environment, and are often off by an insanely high amount. In a report by Inman, realtor Tim Collom in Sacramento, California, said that estimated home values by companies like Zillow and Redfin are “always” off, and it’s getting worse. He says: “They’re not off by $10,000. They’re off by like $100,000 to $200,000.” If you go by percentages, he says they can off by as much as 10%, and that even experienced real estate agents are having a difficult time keeping up with the trends in home prices right now. Tools like the Zestimate are automatic valuation models or AVMs so they rely on software to automatically update figures. There’s been a lot of cri
Mon, April 26, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 24th, 2021... new home sales blast off, existing home sales stall, and mortgage rates are doing what we like them to do! Economic News We begin with a slow week for economic news. There were no reports on the MarketWatch calendar from Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday, the weekly unemployment report showed there were fewer first-time filers. Those initial state claims were down about 12,000, to 574,000, while continuing claims fell by 34,000 to a seasonally adjusted 3.68 million. The total number of claims for eight state and federal programs is still quite high, at 17.4 million. New home sales blasted off this last week to their fastest pace since 2006. The Census Bureau reports that sales rose 20.7% month-over-month, to a seasonally-adjusted rate of 1.021 million homes. Inventory remained about the same, although it’s down 7% from where it was a year ago. Existing home sales didn’t do as well
Mon, April 26, 2021
The prediction that millions of homeowners would face foreclosure due to job losses from COVID 19 shutdowns does not seem to be materializing. There are some who say that delinquent borrowers have a way to avoid that fate this time around. Unlike the Great Recession, they have a lot more equity in their homes which they won’t want to lose. When the housing market crashed in 2008, it was the result of easy lending. Home loans were easy to get, often with no down payment or verification of income. In some cases, buyers would get money back for buying a home, or qualify with a teaser rate, not the real rate. That, of course, drove prices up and created a housing bubble. The bubble burst when those loans eventually came due and people couldn't afford the payment. Seems like an obvious problem, doesn't it? As more and more loans reset, more people went into foreclosure, flooding the market with distressed inventory far below market value. Anyone who wanted to sell their hom
Thu, April 22, 2021
It may seem like the housing market is as hot as it can ever be, but a new survey shows that millions of Americans could be on the verge of relocating, sparking even more buyer activity. The survey is part of Zillow’s first-ever “Mover Report.” It shows that people are waiting for pandemic worries to go away as they ponder new homes and new locations. Zillow researchers were motivated to find out more about the spring home shopping season, and the people and emotions that are making it happen. What they found was that as many as eight million homeowners say they are more likely to sell their homes and relocate because of the pandemic. And that’s on top of a market that’s already experiencing high demand and low inventory. But these homeowners will also be putting their own homes on the market which is why Zillow is calling it The Great Reshuffling. Many of the potential sellers have been thinking about doing this for quite some time, but have held back due to pa
Wed, April 21, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 17th, 2021... home builders are stepping on the gas, rents are headed “up” once again, and the best days to list your home. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell offered more clarity on when the central bank plans to start the tapering process. The Fed has been buying $120 billion worth of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities each month since last summer as an economic shot in the arm. It also cut interest rates to zero. The Fed expects to begin tapering when the economy reaches full employment and a stable rate of inflation at 2% or slightly more. And, Powell says, that would happen well before any interest rate increases. After the 2013/2014 tapering process began, it took another two years for a rate hike. Powell says the Fed will follow a similar strategy. He didn’t give a date as to when this would happen. Some economists are predicting that
Sat, April 17, 2021
Airbnb is taking another proactive step to prevent house parties over the Fourth of July weekend. It launched a new campaign called “Summer of Responsible Travel” which bans one-night rentals and last-minute bookings for guests who don’t have a history of good reviews. The July 4th holiday is turning into what many feel is the BIG REOPENING after more than a year of social isolation from the pandemic. Airbnb said in a statement: “We also know that public health and safety experts are still saying mass gathering should not happen.” And that’s why the short-term rental company is introducing the new rules. They are similar to ones that Airbnb implemented for Halloween and New Year’s Eve last year. Airbnb describes the summer travel initiative as an 8-point plan to help hosts, guests and communities remain safe. At the top of that list of rules is a ban on parties that could spread germs, and could also disturb neighbors. To help with the enforcement of this rule,Airbnb h
Fri, April 16, 2021
There’s a new plan brewing to help delinquent borrowers and prevent another wave of foreclosures. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to extend the foreclosure moratorium through the end of this year and is currently asking for comments on the plan. But does the CFPB have the authority to do this? According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, 2.7 million homeowners were in forbearance programs as of January 31st of this year. That’s down from a pandemic peak of some 6 million homeowners, but it’s a substantial number of homes at risk of foreclosure. Black Knight estimates the number of mortgages that are currently 90 or more days past due is about 2 million. And that’s about five times higher than before the pandemic began. The real estate data firm expects some improvement through the end of June, when the current foreclosure moratorium expires, but it expects that 1.8 million mortgages will still be seriously delinquent. The MBA says the delinquenc
Tue, April 13, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 10th, 2021... an economic forecast from the International Monetary Fund, home price growth around the world, and a survey on having pets at work. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and an upbeat forecast from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF raised its 2021 U.S. economic outlook from 5.1% to 6.4%. It expects to see a slowdown next year to 4.4% which is stronger than the Federal Reserve’s 3.3% prediction. The IMF also expects that pandemic-related losses for other major economies will be smaller than what we saw after the financial crisis. It is expecting global growth to be just slightly less than the U.S. this year, and about the same next year. The IMF also expressed support for the Fed’s “go slow” policy on interest rate hikes and tapering. The IMF’s chief economist, Gita Gopinath, says: “They have pledged to, kind of, given sufficient advance warning if they are goin
Fri, April 09, 2021
Home buyers are making all sorts of sacrifices in today’s market. Without enough homes to meet demand, some buyers are eliminating contingencies and offering way more than the listing price. That may be a simple transaction if you’re paying cash, but for those getting a loan, a “gap” between the sky-high amount offered to clinch the deal and the appraised value of the home could be a deal breaker. A lot of buyers are resorting to extreme measures to win the home they so desperately want to buy. They may offer $50,000, $100,000 over asking and waive ALL contingencies, meaning that if they back out, they lose their deposit. And then when it comes time to get the house appraised, buyers are finding out that the lender will only cover, let’s say, 80% of the appraised value. That means the buyer’s down payment must include the other 20% PLUS any amount the buyer offered to win that home. That’s left some buyers scrambling to make up the difference for what’s being called “t
Fri, April 09, 2021
Remote work has become a dream come true for many people. But, can it also become too much of a good thing? One UC Berkeley researcher predicts that cities will thrive again once the pandemic is under control. His arguments are compelling and support the idea of a metropolitan or suburban lifestyle with fewer days at the office and commutes that are easier because highways are less congested. UC economist Enrico Moretti spoke with Vox about his forecast for the return of “superstar cities.” He talks about how highly skilled workers like to congregate in different metros, and why that trend is probably not going to go away -- although some amount of the urban to suburban shift may remain. Living in the suburbs is still within driving distance of the city and many major companies, making it an attractive option for a hybrid work schedule. The academic term for the clustering of different industries in certain cities is called “agglomeration.” Moretti says it’s one of the
Wed, April 07, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 3rd, 2021... an economic update from Fannie Mae, a surge in consumer optimism, and the return of the cicadas. Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and an updated economic forecast by Fannie Mae. The mortgage guarantee enterprise is expecting real GDP growth to hit 8.4% in the second quarter of this year, and 6.6% for the full year. It is anticipating the GDP to settle down a bit in 2022. Currently, risks to the economic recovery are viewed as neutral. That includes the future path of COVID-19 and its variants, the easing of social restrictions, and whether consumers will start spending more money from their personal savings. The housing market is expected to remain resilient with purchases hitting $1.82 trillion this year. That’s up from $1.61 trillion last year. Rising interest rates are not expected to have much of an impact. Fannie Mae’s chief economist Doug Duncan says: “While we for
Wed, March 31, 2021
When the world shut down because of COVID-19, few people thought their work routine would change so drastically. It’s now more than a year since the virus forced people into a remote work environment, and with the pandemic threat diminishing, there are big questions about the best way to shift to a more hybrid model that combines workplace with work-from-home. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, March 31, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 27th, 2021… the state of the economy from Treasury Secretary Yellen and Fed Chief Powell, what some see as a co-working rebound, and a new demand for golf course homes. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/23/economy/janet-yellen-jerome-powell-economy-recovery/index.html 2 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/consumer-spending-sinks-in-february-and-inflation-creeps-higher-11616763768?mod=economy-politics 3 - <a href= "https://www.marketwatch.com
Mon, March 29, 2021
The push continues for a solution to lumber shortages and skyrocketing lumber prices. A large number of sawmills were shut down early last year, creating a major shortage of lumber for the construction industry. While there’s hope that sawmills will return to full capacity as people get vaccinated and social distancing mandates are relaxed, the National Association of Homebuilders is urging policymakers to find solutions right now. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.nahb.org/advocacy/top-priorities/material-costs/solving-the-lumber-crisis 2 - https://nahbnow.com/2021/02/record-high-lum
Sat, March 27, 2021
Individuals across the U.S. are getting a new round of stimulus checks worth more than $410 Billion. This is the third time the government has handed out money because of the pandemic. While many people are still suffering financially, the economy is also recovering, and that’s raising a lot of questions about whether people should save, spend, or invest their checks. So what should individuals do with their stimulus checks? I thought I’d cover some of the ideas and recommendations I’ve been seeing in the news, and what many people say they are planning to do with their checks. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-16/biden-stimulus-check-1-400-best-investment-id
Mon, March 22, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 20th, 2021... why homebuilder confidence took a dip, why we won’t have a spring home-buying season, and superstitions that discourage homebuyers. We begin with economic news from this past week, and new assurances from the Federal Reserve about economic growth and inflation. While Fed officials expect to see a GDP OF 6.5% this year and inflation slightly higher than 2%, they have no plans to raise interest rates in 2021. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-sees-no-rate-hikes-through-2023-despite-some-inflation-overshoot-11616004261?mod=MW_article_top_stories 2 - <a href= "https://www.marketwatch.co
Sat, March 20, 2021
New risk reduction policies at Fannie Mae could make it harder to get loans for single-family second homes and investment properties. The GSE sent letters to lenders saying it will impose a new 7% limit on the acceptance of those kinds of loans. Fannie is currently accepting a higher percentage. So what does that mean for investors? www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, March 18, 2021
Dozens of New York City landlords are being accused of discriminating against people with housing vouchers. A housing rights watchdog group filed a federal lawsuit against 88 brokers and landlords after an undercover operation that involved recorded phone calls. The state of New York made it illegal to discriminate against tenants based on their source of income in 2019. That includes people who use Section 8 vouchers to pay their rent as well as other forms of assistance like child support, alimony, foster care subsidies, and veterans benefits. There are a few exceptions that include rentals in one- or two-family homes but only if they are occupied by the owner. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/source_of_inco
Mon, March 15, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 13th, 2021… a $1.9 Trillion economic rescue, iBuyer 2021 rebound, and a Zillow hiring spree. We begin with economic news from this past week, and the approval of a $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 relief package. The National Association of Realtors is applauding the high-dollar stimulus plan because there are several provisions that will help the housing market, including another $21.55 billion in rental assistance. Landlords who are owed back rent will benefit from those funds, and the previous $25 billion approved in December. $1,400 stimulus checks for individuals will also help the back rent situation. There’s also money to help homeowners struggling to pay mortgages, as well as small businesses, schools, and local governments that are low on cash. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - <a href= "https://magazine.realtor/daily-
Mon, March 15, 2021
The pandemic has increased renter preferences for certain amenities, and one New York City website has come up with an interesting list of “must haves.” It’s a top 10 list that was compiled from search results in December and January by apartment listing website StreetEasy. People have been spending more time at home since the start of the pandemic, and that’s changed a lot of priorities about our home space. Although there are many preferences on this list that are geared toward apartment buildings, several apply to any kind of rental situation. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://streeteasy.com/blog/apartment-amenities-new-yorkers-want-most/ 2 - <a href= "https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/11/realestate/which-amenities-are-most-popular.html
Fri, March 12, 2021
“The 2020’s will be the decade of the hyperloop.” Those are the words of Virgin hyperloop co-founder Josh Giegel just a few months after the company conducted its first passenger test. Giegel was one of the two people on board the. Virgin now expects its system to be up and running for the public by the end of this decade. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://virginhyperloop.com/ 2 - https://www.radio.com/kxnt/articles/press-release/virgin-hyperloop-has-successful-test-in-nevada-desert 3 - https://virginhyperloop.
Wed, March 10, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 6th, 2021… new concerns about inflation, signs of a job market rebound, and gender bias in the mortgage market. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a stock market roller coaster that had real estate investors breathing a sigh of relief. Many of the high-flying tech stocks went south in response to concerns about inflation after Treasury yields spiked a few times. Economists are also worried that the $1.9 trillion fiscal stimulus package that Congress is trying to pass will overheat the economy, and that recent signs of inflation are just the beginning. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.marketwatc
Sat, March 06, 2021
Selling a home is about to get cheaper as the result of an antitrust lawsuit. Because of a settlement between the National Association of Realtors and the Department of Justice, the fees that sellers pay to buyers will be publicly displayed on listing pages. Redfin is already doing it in many markets, and other real estate websites are expected to follow suit in the coming months. That kind of transparency typically results in more competition and lower rates. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, March 06, 2021
A Texas judge has ruled the CDC’s nationwide eviction moratorium is unconstitutional. It’s been in effect since last spring because of the pandemic, and has put some landlords in a tough spot because they can’t afford to support tenants who aren’t paying rent. The ruling stopped short of an injunction, and it’s now being appealed by the Department of Justice. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, March 02, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 27th, 2021... a Fed update on economic policy, an FHFA reprieve for tenants and homeowners, and a rise in demand for rural land. We begin with economic news from this past week, and comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. He told Congress that there are signs the economy is recovering but that substantial improvements are still needed in the job market, and that inflation needs to get closer to the 2% mark. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, March 02, 2021
California landlords may face a new excise tax. AB 1199 would impose a tax on landlords to pay for the privilege of renting or leasing property in California. Some people feel it’s an end run to the failed Proposition 15 in the last election which would’ve eliminated Prop 13 protections for commercial property. AB 1199 would also create a public registry of rental property information including the names of the individual property owners. www.NewsForInvestors.com Access over 500 Free Webinars here! Links: 1 - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1199 2 - <a href= "https://ca
Thu, February 25, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 20th, 2021… how rents are doing in smaller markets, whether Opportunity Zones are turning profits, and an easy place to find flood risk data for individual properties. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, February 25, 2021
Every year, California residents face a profusion of new laws, and this year, there are several new laws that will have a big impact on real estate. I’ve covered a few of them before, but they are important enough to mention again along with a few others for our California listeners and for people interested in what California is doing as a potential trend-setter for other states. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, February 23, 2021
The numbers keep going up for the housing market. Redfin reports that competition is so fierce among buyers that a majority of homes are going under contract within two weeks. That’s also driving home prices to new record highs. Redfin reports that median asking prices are up 10% from a year ago, to a new all-time high of $334,770. It also says that median sale prices are up 15% year-over-year to $318,750. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, February 17, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 13th, 2021... new comments from the Fed Chief on the risk of inflation, a new extension for government forbearance programs, and a forecast on homebuyer demand. We begin with economic news from the past week, and Fed Chief Jerome Powell’s commentary about inflation. He spoke before the Economic club of New York saying he doesn’t expect a big jump or a sustained increase in inflation right now. He says: “Inflation has been much lower and more stable over the past three decades than in earlier times. In the 1970’s, when inflation would go up, it would stay up.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, February 13, 2021
Will it be another great year for single-family homes? After a surge in demand for single-family homes last year, the big question on many investor minds is whether this is “a fad or a real trend.” The Urban Land Institute and PWC just published a yearly report on real estate trends, with some insights on where the single-family market may be headed. www.NewsForInvestors.com Link: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/asset-management/real-estate/assets/pwc-emerging-trends-in-real-estate-2021.pdf
Thu, February 11, 2021
With eviction moratoriums in place for nearly a year now, one might assume that investing in rental property would not be prudent. If people lose their jobs and can't pay rent, how can the landlord pay for their bills like the mortgage, property taxes and insurance? Yet, in spite of these unprecedented challenges, some metro areas have actually seen rents rise - according to a recent CoreLogic report that tracks rent collections. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, February 09, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 6th, 2021... new record-highs for Houston real estate, good news about renter credit scores, and a big “first” for the 3D printing of homes. We begin with economic news from this past week and the latest job market reports. New applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in nine weeks. The government says that 779,000 people filed for state unemployment benefits during the last week of January. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, February 06, 2021
Realtors are expecting another “booming” year for Central Florida real estate. 2020 was better than they expected and they say it looks like 2021 will follow along that path. Inventory is tight, but some economists expect more existing homes to hit the market, once the pandemic is under control. Builders are also working to fill the inventory gap in the for-sale and rental markets. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, January 30, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 30th, 2021… the Fed’s latest policy decisions, more good news about home sales, and a Zillow forecast on home values. We begin with economic news from this past week, and another meeting of the Federal Reserve that ended with no policy changes and signs that short-term interest rates will stay right where they are for several years. The Fed also said it has no plans to taper its monthly purchase of $120 billion in bonds until it sees “substantial further progress” in a job market recovery, along with inflation that sits above 2% for some amount of time. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, January 29, 2021
Remote workers may face a surprise tax bill if they live and work in different states. With the rapid expansion of the remote workforce and the ability to live anywhere, remote workers who cross state lines may owe taxes in more than one state. And a recent survey shows that most workers don’t realize that. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/27/unexpected-state-tax-could-be-around-the-corner-for-remote-workers.html 2 - https://abcnews.go.com/US/working-home-due-covid-double-tax-hit/story?id=74864155
Wed, January 27, 2021
We have some year-end totals for the number of home loans that are past due, and at risk of foreclosure. A new report by Black Knight shows that 2020 ended with almost 3.4 million loans in some stage of delinquency, and that seriously delinquent loans were up 250%, but they are well off their pandemic peaks. There’s also new data on places where foreclosures are already rising, and many of those locations are in California. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: https://www.blackknightinc.com/black-knights-first-look-at-december-2020-mortgage-data/ https://www.housingwire.com/articles/2020-ends-with-3-4-mil
Tue, January 26, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 23rd, 2021… another extension for the Federal eviction ban, homebuilder Lennar to become a single-family landlord, and no more free rental listings on Zillow. We begin with economic news from this past week, and the likely return of former Fed chief Janet Yellen as the new U.S. Treasury Secretary. The Senate Finance Committee approved her nomination on Friday the 22nd. The Senate is expected to vote today, and if confirmed, she'll be the first woman to lead the department in its more than 230-year history. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/yellens-nomination-to-be-u-s-treasury-secre
Thu, January 21, 2021
The vaccine rollout is underway, and people in real estate are speculating on how it will help or possibly hurt some aspects of the housing market. 2020 was of course a very difficult year for many sectors of the economy, but not housing. What changes can we expect in the coming year? www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/vaccines-housing-market/
Tue, January 19, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 16th, 2021... a new COVID relief bill that extends the federal eviction moratorium, proposes more rental assistance, and authorizes new stimulus checks, plus bitcoin fortunes at risk over lost passwords, and reports on unemployment, inflation, consumer sentiment, and mortgage rates. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, January 19, 2021
Buying a condo in some fun-filled tourist destination could disqualify you from an FHA loan. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have both announced that certain condo buildings may be disqualified for FHA loans if there are too many short-term rentals in the complex, even if the condo “you” are buying won’t be used in that manner. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, January 15, 2021
As the inventory for existing homes dwindles and demand for rental homes grows, investors are working with builders on the construction of new rental homes in markets across the country. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, this new surge in activity is the result of a pandemic-induced desire for more spacious homes in the suburbs combined with Americans who can’t afford to buy those homes. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, January 13, 2021
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 9th, 2021... inventory hits a new low, where home prices are rising fast, signs of an urban exodus reversal, a stimulus check glitch, and reports on unemployment and construction spending. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, January 09, 2021
California and New York have long been two of the nation’s top states for business, but due to a changing business climate, many companies are migrating to more business-friendly and less expensive areas. Savvy real estate investors are flocking to these locations to get ahead of the wave. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, January 09, 2021
A new president, plus a shift of power in the Senate has some Americans popping the cork in celebration, and others trembling in fear of the coming changes. Today we'll take a look at some of those changes, and how today's new leadership may affect real estate investors. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, January 04, 2021
2020 was an extremely difficult year for many people and many businesses, but not for U.S. housing. While the coronavirus swept across the nation without mercy, infecting millions and blowing holes in the economy, the housing market actually got stronger. Let’s take a look at where we began the year and where we are now. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, December 31, 2020
Oregon landlords are taking the state to court over an eviction moratorium that now runs through June of next year. Lawmakers also approved a compensation fund for landlords, but landlords say it will provide nowhere near enough money for landlords who are owed months of back rent. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/housing-assistance/Pages/landlord-compensation-fund.aspx 2 - https://rentalhousingjournal.com/oregon-passes-150-million-landlord-compensation-fund/ 3 - <a href= "https://katu.com/news/following-the-money/about-13-of-oregonians-unable-to-pay-rent-in-july-la
Tue, December 29, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 26th, 2020, mortgage rates hit another all-time low, new stimulus help for renters and landlords, best grocery store for home values, and reports on the GDP, the job market, consumer spending, and new and existing home sales. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/historic-increase-in-u-s-gdp-in-third-quarter-revised-to-33-4-annualized-rate-11608644494?mod=economy-politics 2 - https://www.marke
Thu, December 24, 2020
The Holidays are celebrated in many ways. But one theme that seems to cross over all belief systems is that this time of year is a time of giving, giving to those you love and also giving to those less fortunate than you. While this altruistic behavior stems from religion, it's also an important ingredient for success. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.realwealthnetwork.com/real-wealth-foundation/ 2 - https://www.operationsmile.org/ 3 - https://mentorsinternational.org/ 4 - https://www.yocinc.org/ 5
Mon, December 21, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 19th, 2020... single-family rent growth picks up, remote work migration could surge, a creative new venue for indoor restaurant dining, and reports on the job market, residential construction, and another new low for mortgage rates. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, December 18, 2020
Tis the season for a more than a normal amount of Christmas decorating. With pandemic stay-at-home orders and curfews, demand is skyrocketing for Christmas trees, holiday lights and other decorations. It’s a way to shake off the pandemic gloom, and bring an otherwise difficult year to a close with a few festive memories. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, December 16, 2020
There’s a home equity bonanza going on right now. Over the last year, the value of mortgaged homes has gone up $1 trillion. CoreLogic research shows the year-to-year increase is 11% from the third quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2020. That’s great news for borrowers, especially those at risk of foreclosure because of the pandemic. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.corelogic.com/insights-download/homeowner-equity-report.aspx 2 - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/10/housing-is-doing-something-it-hasnt-done-since-the-bubble-achuthan.html 3 - <a href= "https://www.cnbc.com/2020/
Wed, December 16, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 12th, tenants who owe back rent, CEO 2021 forecast, tiny home popularity, NAR’S new non-profit, and reports on unemployment, inflation, consumer sentiment, and mortgage rates. www.NewsForInvestors.com Reference Links: 1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-surge-to-3-month-high-coronavirus-trigging-more-layoffs-11607607903?mod=economic-report 2 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-job-openings-rose
Sat, December 12, 2020
Airbnb made big headlines as it re-launched its plan for an IPO. The home-sharing company started trading on December 10th as ABNB on the NASDAQ. But that’s only half the story for Airbnb. It also announced Airbnb.org to help relief workers and medical staff find shelter during a crisis, like the pandemic... www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://news.airbnb.com/airbnborg/ 2 - https://www.airbnb.org/ 3 - https://www.reuters.com/article/global-aid-airbnb/update-1-airbnb-nonprofit-to-focus-on-findin
Fri, December 11, 2020
If you are interested in Opportunity Zones, you should expect some changes to the program under the new Biden Administration. The program is getting bi-partisan support, but Joe Biden and his team feel it’s not doing enough to help distressed neighborhoods. The Biden website talks about reforming Opportunity Zones, to make sure they provide benefits to the local community and not just the investors getting the tax breaks. www.NewsForInvestors.com Links: 1 - https://www.nreionline.com/investment/cre-pros-laud-biden-s-proposed-changes-opportunity-zone-program 2 - <a href= "https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/The-Impact-of-Opportunity-Zones-An-Initial-Assessment.pdf" target="_blank" rel= "noreferrer noopener"
Tue, December 08, 2020
In this week’s Real Estate News Brief, the FHFA extends the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and reports on unemployment, pending home sales, construction spending, mortgage rates, homeownership affordability for renters, Airbnb IPO plans, and the surging demand for build-to-rent homes. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, December 04, 2020
Co-living appears to be doing quite well, despite the pandemic. A new report from Cushman & Wakefield shows a rent collection dip toward the beginning of the pandemic, and a rebound from there. Even though we’re still dealing with the pandemic, co-living companies are moving forward with plans for major expansions across the U.S. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, December 04, 2020
California voters approved a real estate measure that will help older homeowners, but it could have a big downside for their children. Proposition 19 allows seniors, the disabled, and disaster victims to take their low property tax base with them to a new home. But it also reduces that protection for their heirs. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, December 03, 2020
In this episode, reports on the GDP, unemployment, consumer spending, home sales, home prices, and consumer confidence. Also - mortgage rates, conforming loan limits, mortgage activity, the importance of friendly neighbors, and real estate gratefulness. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, November 26, 2020
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is proposing a change to flood insurance rules that could bring costs down. The proposal would allow borrowers with government-backed loans to buy flood insurance from private companies instead of the National Flood Insurance Program. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, November 25, 2020
As the coronavirus pandemic gets worse, some states are beginning to implement new restrictions and lockdowns on non-essential services. That’s reigniting a battle on whether real estate should be considered “essential.” Here are a few talking points in defense of the industry. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, November 25, 2020
The Federal Reserve and the Treasury are at odds over the need for economic relief, while unemployment claims rise. Good news on the housing market and mortgage rates, although NAR warns about high home prices. The latest rent collection numbers, and a few words of wisdom from Jamie Dimon about the traits of a successful leader. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, November 21, 2020
With Joe Biden set to become the 46th President in January, there’s plenty of talk about how his policies will impact housing. This is especially important as the red hot housing market becomes less affordable for both owners and renters, and builders are unable to fill the inventory gap. Biden’s plan includes a $15,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, expansion of the Section 8 voucher program, and billions of dollars for new construction, renovations, and energy retrofits. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, November 19, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 14th, 2020… homebuyers on pause, big earnings for a cloud-based national realty, and a fraud warning for landlords and property managers. We begin with economic news that was impacted by a tense political standoff over the presidential election and a surging number of coronavirus cases. Home buyers hit the pause button, and consumer confidence fell to a three-month low, but the housing market is still booming. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, November 17, 2020
Hubzu’s new mobile app, Homesnap’s new home pricing tool, SafeShowings expansion in California, and a mysterious money-raise for a tech venture by ex-Zillow execs. Hubzu is making it easier to have on-the-go access with a new mobile app. The online marketing platform gives users a way to find and bid on residential real estate auctions that include foreclosures, short sales, and retail sales. The app will give users mobile access with iOS and Android phones. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, November 14, 2020
It’s the first time since the Great Depression that a majority of adults are living with Mom and Dad. Blame it on the pandemic, college closures, and job losses. A study by Pew Research shows that 52% of young people are living with one or both parents.
Mon, November 09, 2020
The latest economic news on economic policy, the job market, construction spending, mortgage rates, California rent control, zombie foreclosures, and a builder’s effort to reduce his carbon footprint. We begin with economic news from this past week and another vote by the Federal Reserve to leave overnight interest rates right where they are, near zero. Board members met for their monthly meeting in the midst of a contentious presidential election. It now appears that former vice president Joe Biden will be our next president, although President Trump's team is calling for recounts and litigation. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, November 05, 2020
Several housing organizations filed a lawsuit accusing Redfin of a modern-day form of redlining. At issue is the level of service that Redfin offers to different communities and whether minority communities are being shortchanged. Redfin denies any discriminatory practice, saying decisions are based on legitimate business reasons. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, November 04, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 31st, 2020... a report on the strength of the economic rebound, a forecast on 2030 home prices, and the primary reason that people are looking for new homes. It’s been a volatile week for the stock market as investors worry about the pandemic and the presidential election, but there are some strong economic reports to share, including one on the third quarter GDP. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, October 31, 2020
New California law gives owners, tenants, non-profits, and local governments a chance to outbid investors who buy foreclosures. It also bans the “auction bundling” of foreclosed homes, and prevents foreclosure blight with big fines. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, October 29, 2020
The Mortgage Bankers Association is forecasting another busy year for lenders. It’s predicting that American home buyers will be taking out a record number of home loans in 2021 while refinancing activity slows down. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, October 28, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 24th, 2020... the home buying frenzy continues, the government extends its forbearance program, and the Federal Reserve talks about the possible issuing of digital currency. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, October 23, 2020
A company that helps people live “off-the-grid” in floating sea pod homes is now offering a different kind of live-work-play experience. Ocean Builders is converting a former cruise ship into a floating condominium complex off the coast of Panama for digital nomads, expats, researchers, start-ups, and crypto businesses. And you can own one for as little as $25,000. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, October 22, 2020
California voters will tackle three thorny real estate issues on November 3rd. One will raise taxes on a significant group of taxpayers, while another will provide a property tax reprieve, and a third will allow new rent control measures for virtually all rental properties, including single-family homes. In this episode, you’ll hear more about Propositions 15, 19, and 21 in the 2020 California election. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, October 20, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 17th, 2020, mortgage rates hit a new low, the pandemic migration hits 16 million, and condos are headed for a comeback. We begin with economic news from this past week that shows mixed results. On the employment front, jobless claims surged to a 7-week high. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, October 17, 2020
If you’re thinking about hosting a Halloween party at the end of the month, you won’t be able to do it at an Airbnb. Airbnb announced a ban on one-night whole house reservations for Halloween weekend. It’s not only a way to keep peace with the hosts and with neighbors, but a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, October 17, 2020
The federal government issued new guidelines on the CDC eviction moratorium. It clears up some questions that legal experts have been debating on what landlords can and can’t do including when eviction proceedings can begin. While it clarifies certain aspects of the moratorium for property owners, some scholars say it may also make it more confusing. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, October 12, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 10th, 2020... Fed Chief calls for more stimulus, the job market recovery cools off, and a haunted house appears on Zillow. We begin with economic news from this past week, and comments from Fed Chief Jerome Powell about the need for more stimulus. In a speech to the National Association for Business Economics, he said it’s better for Congress to offer too much support than too little. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, October 12, 2020
The Small Business Administration says it has begun PPP loan forgiveness after some frustrating delays. The Paycheck Protection Program was introduced in April, and tens of thousands of small business owners have been waiting to have those loans forgiven. Banks say the process for converting loans into grants has been complicated, but the SBA says it now expects to move quickly on the approval and payoff of those loans. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, October 10, 2020
There’s a new twist on the old timeshare. It’s a start-up called Pacaso that takes the timeshare model and expands it to something closer to owning your own single-family vacation home. Instead of owning a second home and all the costs that go along with it, Pacaso finds co-owners to share the expense. Scheduling for use of the home is flexible, and allows for much greater access than a timeshare. And, Pacaso takes care of all the management. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, October 10, 2020
Home buyers searching for affordable markets may be changing the political landscape. A new Realtor.com analysis shows that blue state home buyers are searching for new homes in red states. It’s unclear if these search results represent actual migrations, but they could indicate a shift in voter preferences for several important swing states. And that could have an impact on the upcoming presidential election. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, October 06, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 3rd, 2020... the sale of new homes hit a big milestone in September, small business owners are feeling optimistic about survival, and why the daily commute could be gone for good. We begin with economic news from this past week that has been overshadowed by news that President Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, October 05, 2020
Official reports on consumer prices show that inflation is on the low side, but the true cost of living feels a little different. The cost of things that people are actually buying have risen sharply during the pandemic -- things like food, cleaning products, used cars, medical care, and real estate. Although the Fed feels that we’re likely to see an extended period of low inflation, some economists say “inflation is already here.” At least one financing expert is also predicting that this low mortgage rate bonanza is about to end. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, October 02, 2020
Many people have reported an unusual side effect of the pandemic. They say they’ve been having more intense dreams than normal, and can often remember them when they wake up. Sleep experts call them “quarandreams.” And oddly enough, many of them are focused on “real estate.” Sleep experts say it’s not surprising that people are dreaming more vividly right now. It could be due to more stress because of the virus, more time to sleep without interruption, or less noise to interfere with sleep. Or maybe something else entirely. But the real estate-focused subject matter may be something to pay attention to because a house often represents our current emotional state. And according to experts, dreams are a way we send a message to ourselves about what we may want or need. In this case, Realtor.com teamed up with author and sleep analyst, Layne Dalfen, to come up with a list of common real estate dreams and what they might mean. <a href= "http://www.NewsForInvestors.com" target="_blank"
Mon, September 28, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 26th, 2020... home sales hit new highs, remote workers head south, and a new color-of-the-year for your wall. We begin with economic news from this past week, and testimony from Fed Chief Jerome Powell that rattled stock investors. As you know, Wall Street doesn’t like uncertainty, and that’s what Powell dished up for members of Congress last Tuesday. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, September 28, 2020
The presence of a Whole Foods on the ground level of an apartment building provides a big bump in rental rates for landlords. There’s a new study that shows renters will pay a premium to live so close to a high-end grocery store. The so-called “premium grocer effect” also applies to single-family neighborhoods with an impact on home prices and equity, if there’s a favorite grocery store nearby. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, September 26, 2020
Existing home inventory is down. It’s gotten much worse since the start of the pandemic. Realtor.com says there are almost 400,000 fewer homes on the MLS than there were at the same time last year. The lack of inventory is pushing home prices higher, and reducing the number of days it takes to sell a home. That’s pushing many homebuyers and investors into the new home market. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, September 23, 2020
The pandemic has turned many office employees into remote workers, and for some, that could mean the freedom to move to a new, less expensive location. Some businesses are even encouraging employees to move, with a bonus. But there is a catch. Employees who move to a place with a lower cost of living, may also get a pay cut, and that’s not sitting well with some of them. Payment processing company Stripe is one company that is encouraging employees to move. It has offices in 16 cities around the globe and almost 3,000 employees. It’s giving $20,000 to employees who move from some of the bigger cities like San Francisco, New York, and Seattle, but is also telling them they’ll get a 10% pay cut. The pay cut will correspond to a lower cost of living in the city they move to. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, September 21, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 19th, 2020... the Federal Reserve offers an improved 2020 forecast for U.S. economic growth, empty nesters are getting their adult kids back, and the Detroit rental market has gotten “wacky.” We begin with economic news from this past week, and an update on economic policy from the Federal Reserve. The Fed said in a statement it expects to keep short-term bank rates near zero until the end of 2023, and that inflation would have to rise above 2% for “some time” before rates are increased. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, September 18, 2020
A decline in rent growth for single-family homes brought on by the pandemic appears to have stabilized. The CoreLogic Single-Family Rent Index shows that it moved higher in July at a year-over-year rate of 1.7%. It had sunk to 1.4% in June. While that’s good for the nation, metros vary and some have more catching up to do than others. The pandemic swept across the country in February, forcing businesses to close and leaving a huge number of people unemployed. Many single-family landlords lowered their rents to keep tenants in place. That brought a steady rate of rental increases in the SFR marketplace to a much lower level. According to data from CoreLogic, they were rising at an average of 2.9% during the first quarter of the year. From there, they slide to 1.7% in May and then 1.4% in June. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, September 16, 2020
There was a slight uptick in foreclosure filings in the U.S. as the pandemic continues and an agreement on a new stimulus to help ailing homeowners has stalled. Real estate data firm CoreLogic released a report that shows serious delinquencies spiked in June. Without government assistance or major job market improvement by the end of the year, those delinquencies could turn into foreclosures. The CoreLogic report shows that 2.9% percent of U.S. home loans were overdue by 90 to 119 days in June. That’s the highest they’ve been in 21 years, according to CoreLogic’s chief economist Frank Nothaft. He says: “If there are new government programs, maybe that alleviates some of the risks, but given what we know today, we could be looking at a serious delinquency rate that is four times higher at the end of 2021 than it was before the start of the pandemic.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, September 16, 2020
A national eviction ban is now in place that protects tenants for the rest of the year without offering any help for landlords. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it as an emergency health measure to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. But it does little to solve the problem of unpaid rent for landlords, who have bills to pay, or tenants, who face a giant balloon payment when the moratorium expires. The CDC order went into effect on September 4th and runs through December 31st. That gives tenants a four-month reprieve from their rent obligations, if they don’t have the means to pay. Local eviction bans that provide equal or greater protection for tenants take precedence, so properties already covered by a COVID-19 eviction ban, are likely exempt from the national ban. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, September 16, 2020
Corporate landlords are defying the federal eviction ban with a surge in new filings. According to one report, institutional landlords filed more than 900 eviction cases in eight metro areas during the week after the ban was announced. The ban attempts to protect tenants who can’t pay their rent because of the pandemic, but the moratorium is not preventing landlords from challenging tenant claims about their finances. The Private Equity Stakeholder Project was already tracking evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic before the CDC announced a national moratorium on evictions, and that in early August, the big landlords had only filed 165 eviction claims. The organization attempts to connect investors with the people and communities that are impacted by private equity investments. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, September 15, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 12th, 2020... mortgage rates dipped into record territory once again, apartment rent collection numbers, and a housing market that is on a “sugar high.” We begin with economic news from this past week, and a mixed report on the job market. The number of people applying for jobless benefits rose slightly this last week. Continuing claims were also slightly higher than they were the week before. But, the government reported a 1.4 million increase in newly created jobs, and an unemployment rate that fell from 10.2% to 8.4%. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, September 10, 2020
The pandemic is not dampening enthusiasm for Crystal Lagoons. In fact, the Crystal Lagoons company says it’s expanding its model for lagoons built for public access, and expects post-pandemic demand to rise. It says people will want to enjoy a vacation-like atmosphere without going on a plane. At Real Wealth, we are looking forward to the 2020 opening of a lagoon connected with one of our developments in Florida. We’ve been excited about Crystal Lagoons since they were first introduced several years ago as a way to create a tropical beach paradise of any size on just about any piece of property in the world. They change the real estate concept of location, location, location to “wherever you want to build,” because these lagoons “create” a location. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, September 10, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending September 5th, 2020... upbeat reports on new jobs and unemployment, another nationwide eviction moratorium, and a pandemic-inspired boom in the purchase of second homes. We have the latest economic news from this past week, and some good news about the job market and residential construction. But, overshadowing those headlines is an announcement from the federal government for a new nationwide eviction moratorium. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, September 04, 2020
Some California landlords say a new tenant protection law increases their risk of foreclosure, although the new law is better than the one it replaces. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB-3088 on August 31st just hours before previous eviction moratoriums expired. Because it includes an emergency clause, it went into effect right away, protecting tenants for another five months. Newsom approved the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 after “feverish” negotiations by lawmakers and landlord groups. They hammered out AB-3088 as a compromise bill while the clock ticked down on the deadline. Without a deal, the Sacramento Bee says as many as four million California tenants would have been at risk of eviction, for unpaid rent. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, September 04, 2020
Lumber has become a sizzling hot commodity during the pandemic, and when commodities sizzle, so does the price tag. The cost of lumber has shot sky high since April, and that’s adding thousands on to the cost of new homes and renovations. For some, it isn’t a matter of price. It’s a matter of whether you can get the lumber you need. In a report by Fortune, research by Random Lengths shows that lumber prices have soared 134% year-over-year due to a lumber shortage and high demand. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, September 01, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 29th, 2020... the Fed unveils a new monetary policy that will allow higher inflation, home sales surge to the highest level since 2006, and the FHFA announced a delay in the new fee on refinance loans. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a new inflation control strategy from the Federal Reserve. Fed officials unveiled the new policy this last week after approval by all 17 committee members. The Fed will now shoot for an “average inflation target” of 2%. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, August 29, 2020
The pandemic isn’t the only reason that demand is growing for single-family rentals, but it is one of them. And with an already tight supply of existing homes that can be turned into single-family rentals, the build-to-rent strategy is gaining momentum. There’s a new report out from RCLCO Real Estate Advisors that says that demand for single-family rentals will likely outstrip supply for the next ten years, creating “a strong opportunity” for developers, builders, and investors. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, August 25, 2020
The CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are responding to a massive backlash over an unexpected refinancing fee. In a letter to lenders, they wrote that the uproar was unwarranted, saying it won’t make much of a difference to a homeowner’s monthly payment. And the fee will help the mortgage guarantee companies continue their work of helping others. If you haven’t heard of the fee yet, it’s a half point surcharge on the cost of a refi that takes effect on September 1st. For the average $280,000 refi, that’s about $1400 added into the amount that is being financed. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, August 22, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 22nd, 2020... home sales are soaring, rent collection is near normal, and Airbnb bans party homes. We begin with economic news from this past week, and lawmakers that are still battling it out over a new stimulus package. An agreement could be reached soon that includes another $1,200 stimulus check, but the two sides are still about $1 trillion apart on the total amount of a deal. Still being debated are the unemployment bonus, the extension of eviction moratoriums, and new funding for schools and local governments. The Republicans are calling their proposal the Heals Act while the Democrats are calling theirs the Heroes Act. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, August 22, 2020
The job market is undergoing a big transformation right now because of the coronavirus. Many businesses have adopted work-from-home policies, for at least the near term, to keep the virus from spreading at the office. The situation has raised questions about whether we’ll see businesses resurrect an upgraded version of the office workspace, and for one big company, that answer appears to be “yes.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, August 20, 2020
We typically steer away from politics in this podcast but a change in the presidency could bring about tax changes that impact real estate investors and high-income taxpayers. Some of our listeners have requested a podcast on what Democratic nominee Joe Biden is proposing if he becomes president, so I thought I’d dedicate this podcast to what we know of his plan. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, August 18, 2020
The death of a California real estate investor has uncovered what appears to be a 30-year-old Ponzi scheme and hundreds of victims who don’t know if or when they’ll get their money back. Kenneth Casey died suddenly of a heart attack in May which led to a post-death audit and the discovery of financial irregularities at his two companies. In addition to an SEC investigation, investors are now hoping that a bankruptcy filing will help them recover some of the millions that they have invested. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, August 14, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 15th, 2020... a new pandemic low for jobless claims, the kind of homes that are pricing higher, and a poll on the future of Social Security. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a stalemate in Congress over a new round of stimulus relief. Both sides are blaming the other for the hold-up while millions of Americans are coming up short on money they need to pay bills. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, August 14, 2020
Refinancing your home just got more expensive. In the midst of the current mortgage refinancing boom because of low rates, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac just announced a new half point fee. They say it’s the result of market uncertainty, but real estate and mortgage industry leaders say it’s a money grab that’s happening at a very bad time for homeowners. The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the fee on August 12th saying there would be a new half point fee on most loans backed by Fannie and Freddie starting next month. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, August 14, 2020
Millennials are now the largest generation, and their homebuying years are underway, but they are behind the eight ball when it comes to having the money to purchase a home. Born between 1981 and 1996, they are dealing with their second financial crisis, and many haven’t recovered yet from the first one. According to some financial experts, this second career slump could keep them from generating the same kind of wealth as past generations. It may also keep many of them in rental housing for much longer than they expected. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, August 11, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 8th, 2020... some positive news about mortgage rates, a new disclosure rule for landlords, and where people “hide out” at home. We begin with economic news from this past week that is highlighted by negotiations in Congress for a new economic stimulus package. At the time this podcast was written, the two sides were at an impasse, the $600-a-week unemployment bonus had expired, and eviction moratoriums were ending. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, August 08, 2020
As millions of Americans remain out of work and forbearance programs expire, there are new predictions about a surge in foreclosures. An analysis by ATTOM Data Solutions shows that foreclosures could more than double in the next year because of delinquent loan payments. The analysis includes best to worst case scenarios with the middle case showing a rise from 145,000 current foreclosures to about 336,000 in quarter two of next year. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, August 07, 2020
If you are a real estate investor, you’ve probably thought about climate change and how it may impact your portfolio. We’ve been warned about rising sea levels, storm surges, more severe hurricanes, and more destructive wildfires, but one future risk that hasn’t gotten as much attention is the risk of a water shortage in areas that don’t get much rain or snow. According to a new risk assessment study by the Blackrock Investment Institute, it’s a financial risk that many investors may not be factoring into their portfolios. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, August 04, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 1st, 2020… we have a sharp drop in the gross domestic product, a real estate market that defies gravity, and a new way to feel like you are taking a vacation with your laptop. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a new record for the U.S. GDP, but not in a good way. The government says the gross domestic product dropped a whopping 32.9% from April to June, on an annualized basis. That’s the worst drop in GDP ever, with the closest being in mid-1921. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, August 04, 2020
The pandemic is changing the way people think about money, and how much they feel they need to be wealthy. The Charles Schwab 2020 Modern Wealth Survey was taken in January of this year, before the U.S. was hit by the pandemic, and again in June, several months after the pandemic began. The results reveal changes in both attitudes and behavior, when it comes to money. More than half of the people who participated in the survey say COVID-19 has had a financial impact on them or a close family member. But the sudden economic uncertainty that the pandemic has created, is also having a good effect on how people are handing their money. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, August 01, 2020
If you’ve thought about buying real estate in a self-directed Roth IRA but would like to get more money into that account, 2020 may be the year to do a Roth IRA conversion from a traditional IRA or 401k. The conversion will trigger a tax event, but due to current circumstances, you might save a bundle of money doing that conversion this year. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, July 28, 2020
Millions of U.S. properties are at substantial risk of flooding, and some say that risk is growing due to climate change. But it hasn’t been easy to determine a property’s flood risk. Many states don’t have flood history disclosure requirements, and FEMA maps don’t tell the whole story. A non-profit academic research group hopes to close that information gap with a new visualization tool that calculates flood risk for 142 million properties across the U.S. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 25, 2020
Demand for warehouse space is skyrocketing as more and more people shop online, and that is providing another option for struggling malls. Mall owners with vacant space on their hands or retailers with an online presence are turning retail space into warehouse space for e-commerce. And there’s plenty of room for this trend to fly. A new report from commercial real estate services firm JLL says we may need another 1 billion square feet of warehouse space by 2025. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 25, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 25th, 2020... numbers surge for both new and existing home sales, first-time homebuyers may get penalty-free access to retirement accounts, and critics pounce on Airbnb’s request for donations. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a real estate market that is not bogged down by the coronavirus. The Commerce Department reported that the pace of new home sales surged 13.8% in June. That’s the highest level in 13 years. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 25, 2020
An Iowa landlord got caught in an impossible situation. He said “yes” to an emotional support dog, and that dog ended up bothering another tenant who had allergies. The allergic tenant sued because she rented the apartment with the understanding that no pets were allowed, and the court sided with her because she was there first. The case itself has an important lesson for landlords dealing with the conflicting needs of its tenants. This has not been an easy dispute to resolve. The case worked its way to the Iowa Supreme court where Chief Justice Susan Christensen acknowledged that the landlord got himself into a “pickle” trying to satisfy the needs of both tenants. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, July 24, 2020
A crowdfunding company that raised hundreds of millions of dollars from thousands of investors appears to have fallen into a black hole. Prodigy Network was already on shaky ground financially when founder Rodrigo Niño died a few months ago. And now, it’s not clear who’s running the company. The website is still blazing a message of prosperity, but calls and emails are going unanswered. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, July 22, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 18th, 2020... home construction is booming for a second month in a row, mortgage rates are at a 50-year low, and drive-in theaters are popping up across the country. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a housing market that is rebounding nicely from the pandemic. The Commerce Department reported that housing starts continued a surge that began in May. They were up 17.3% in June, after a 17% increase in May... www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, July 17, 2020
If you want to stretch your real estate investing dollars as far as you can, you may want to look at Detroit. Motor City is the number one large metro for the amount of residential square footage you can get for your money. You might run into some competition as a summer buyer however. There are reports that the Detroit real estate market is booming right now, despite concerns about the pandemic. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, July 17, 2020
Mortgage rates have never been this low. Freddie Mac reported on July 16th that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell below the 3% mark to just 2.98%. That’s the lowest they’ve been in the 50 years that rates have been tracked. Those low rates are great for buyers, but they are also the results of the current crisis. Mortgage rates tend to drop when investors pour money into the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond. When there’s more demand from investors buying up Treasurys, bond prices rise as yields go down (just like in real estate, when prices rise and cash flows decline). Investors who typically buy bonds also buy mortgage-backed securities for the same reason -- for safety, even if the return is lower. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, July 16, 2020
Multi-millionaires around the world are renewing their call for a wealth tax. This time, they say it’s needed to help heal the world from this pandemic. There are 83 ultra-wealthy individuals who signed an open letter this last week, asking their respective governments to raise taxes for people like them. They call themselves “Millionaires for Humanity” and say this tax should be imposed “immediately, substantially, and permanently.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 11, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 11th, 2020... new record-low mortgage rates, where rents are rising, and what to expect from home prices. We begin with economic news for the past week, and some progress on getting back to work. The Labor Department reported that initial jobless claims hit a seasonally-adjusted four-month low of 1.31 million. That’s down from 1.41 million the week before last. Those figures don’t include benefits handed out through a temporary federal-relief program or state programs. If you include those figures, the total number of people receiving benefits is more like 31.5 million. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 11, 2020
Businesses large and small lined up for the government’s Paycheck Protection Program, and now many of them may be lining up for an audit. The program was designed to help companies that were hurt by the coronavirus with loans that are forgivable if employees are kept on the payroll. But loans were approved quickly, without a lot of documentation, and now many businesses may have to prove that they truly meet the loan criteria, or give the money back. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, July 10, 2020
Two national reports on rent collection show that most tenants are meeting their rent obligations, although the results are slightly lower than last month. Eviction moratoriums are also being lifted in some markets, making it possible for landlords to address a difficult financial situation with an eviction, if needed. The National Multi-Housing Council keeps track of rent collection for apartments. In the Council’s rent collection report for July, it says that 77.4 percent of renters made a full or partial rent payment by July 6th. Property managers usually give renters five days to pay their rent, so they can report “on time” payments by the 6th. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, July 09, 2020
The latest jobs report shows a stunning 4.8 million jobs were added back into the economy in June. That’s on top of 2.5 million jobs that were added in May. Both represent the two biggest monthly gains in U.S. history. Although they “shattered expectations” as the White House wrote in a headline, there’s more to know about the status of the current job market. The COVID-19 pandemic that shut down our economy put 22.2 million people out of work during the first two months of the crisis. The addition of 8.3 million jobs in the last two months is an impressive turnaround, but it still leaves millions of formerly employed people without a job. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 04, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending the Fourth of July 2020... market optimism after a report on pending home sales, good news about jobs, and a new FICO score that could help borrowers with below-average scores. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a report on pending home sales that sent the stock market soaring. They were up a record 44.3% from April to May, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s the largest monthly increase ever. It also followed two months of serious declines, but is evidence of what some economists say will be a “V”-shaped recovery for the housing market. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, July 04, 2020
If you have gold in your financial portfolio, beware of any holdings connected to Kingold Jewelry. It’s now at the center of a massive gold fraud scandal. And what adds another layer of intrigue is the company’s location, in Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the current pandemic. The gold scandal is not connected to the pandemic, but is it creating new shockwaves connected to China. According to a report by Zero Hedge, 83 tons of fake gold were used to secure loans and insurance policies for Kingold. The gold is supposed to be worth 16 billion yuan or about 2.2 billion dollars but it was discovered that the gold bars were just gold-plated copper. It’s believed to be the biggest gold counterfeiting scandal in recent history. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, July 02, 2020
The pandemic is giving many of us “shakephobia.” Shaking hands is a common way to express good will and is often used during the closing of a business deal. It’s also a great way to spread germs, and maybe not a wise thing to do as the coronavirus spreads. I thought I’d dedicate this podcast to ways you can avoid a handshake without offending the person you are greeting. The handshake has been around for a long time. The message a handshake delivers is one of trust, respect, equality, and, in business, agreement. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, July 01, 2020
It’s headline news for residential real estate. The National Association of Realtors is reporting a mammoth 44.3% increase in pending home sales for the month of May. That’s after a decline during the previous two months when the pandemic was at its peak. Economists see this as a sign of a “V-shaped” recovery that could help lead the economy out of the current recession. The market for existing homes was pretty much at a standstill for two months. Sellers didn’t want to list their homes out of fear of the selling process -- that buyers touring homes would bring germs. Stay-at-home orders also kept the number of buyers to a minimum, especially those who wanted to see a home in person before they signed on the dotted line. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, June 30, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 25th, 2020... new home sales are surging, real estate investors are feeling optimistic, and a home buyer priority that can make or break a sale. We begin with economic news from this past week, and some promising signs for the housing market. The government reported a big surge in the sale of new homes in May. They were up a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 16.6%. In May of last year, they were up 12.7%. The Northeast experienced the biggest increase. Sales were up 45.5% in that region. The national median sales price for a new home is $317,900. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, June 26, 2020
Efforts to eliminate signs of racism have swept across the country. From the toppling of confederate statues to the retiring of the Aunt Jemima image by Quaker Oats, individuals and businesses are getting rid of racist symbols. The word “master” is something that’s used in the real estate world to describe the main bedroom in a house. In one city, realtors have decided to replace that word on the MLS because it “can” invoke thoughts of slavery. The Houston Association of Realtors stopped using the words “master bedroom” and “master bathroom” on June 15th. Instead, the association is describing those rooms as “primary bedroom” and “primary bathroom.”
Fri, June 26, 2020
If you’re in the market for a single-family home, chances are you’ll have competition this summer. Searches for single-family homes have surged as many more people clamor after the privacy of a home with a yard in the midst of this pandemic. A Redfin report says interest in single-family homes hit a four-year high last month. Tampa is at the top of the list for an increase in single-family web searches, probably due to things like Florida’s great weather, low home prices, low taxes, and a friendly business environment. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, June 20, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 20th, 2020… competition heats up among home buyers, mortgage rates hit a new low, and what tenants are doing to manage their finances. We begin with economic news from this past week, and testimony from Fed Chief Jerome Powell on the state of the economy. He told members of Congress that some economic data points to a “modest rebound” right now, but he also warned of significant uncertainty about how the recovery may take place. The nation is still at the mercy of COVID-19 as cases rise in some states and new safety measures are put in place. Several states and cities have ordered that masks are worn in public, including California. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, June 20, 2020
There are big changes to the Paycheck Protection Program that benefit independent contractors and sole proprietors. The changes include more lenient requirements for how you spend the money, an easier process for loan forgiveness, and a longer period of forbearance. But the deadline to sign up is approaching at the end of the month, so if you haven’t applied yet, the clock is ticking. The deadline to sign up for the Paycheck Protection Program is currently June 30th. That didn’t change in the latest update. The changes were authorized in legislation called “The Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act of 2020, which was sent to President Trump’s desk for final approval on Friday, June 5th. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, June 18, 2020
The Fed has launched a new lending program to help struggling companies and get people back to work. The Main Street Lending program was announced in March to help small to medium businesses that were doing well before the pandemic, and it’s rolling out now at local banks. The loans are not forgivable like those in the Paycheck Protection Program but the terms are generous, and they do fill a lending void for businesses that were too big to qualify for the PPP program. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is administering the $600 billion program, but loans are provided through local banks that have registered to participate... www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, June 16, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 13th, 2020… the Fed’s plan for the economy, why small businesses are optimistic, and a sudden surge in short-term rental reservations. We begin with economic news from this past week and word from the Fed that the federal funds rate will probably stay right where it is, at zero, for the next couple of years. Fed Chief Jerome Powell said in a news conference after the mid-year meeting: “We’re not even thinking about raising rates.” He didn’t mention negative rates either which is something that other countries have done. Powell also said the Federal Reserve would use a “full range of tools” to support the economy. That includes the buying of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to provide lending liquidity to the market. The Fed’s current balance sheet is about $7 trillion dollars. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, June 12, 2020
The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer unleashed anger across the country over the mistreatment of Blacks throughout American history. Inequality can manifest in many ways and in many parts of our culture, despite laws that outlaw discrimination. Our housing and financial markets are no exception. Although the practice of redlining was banned more than 50 years ago, Redfin says that Black families continue to feel the impact. Redlining came into being in the 1930s. The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation rated neighborhoods on their overall likelihood of default or “mortgage security.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, June 12, 2020
The Federal Reserve offered a mid-year update on the economy, after skipping the last update in March due to the pandemic. After a two-day meeting, Fed Chief Jerome Powell delivered his comments in a virtual meeting with reporters. He highlighted the fact that we are in the midst of a difficult and challenging time with great uncertainty about the future. But that said, he offered a potential timeline for a recovery that could make us economically whole over the next couple of years. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, June 11, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 6th, 2020... a pleasant surprise about job growth, a forbearance slowdown, and home design that discourages germs. We begin with economic news from this past week and a surprise report on the job market that sent the stock market soaring. The government’s job growth report shows a 2.5 million hiring increase for the month of May. That brought the unemployment rate down to 13.3% from a high of almost 15%, because of the pandemic. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, June 11, 2020
The government is doing everything it can to prop up the housing market. But when those props disappear, will we see foreclosures? Investors capitalized on the foreclosure crisis during the Great Recession. Many single-family homes were snapped up at fire-sale prices, and turned into rentals. But, investors hoping for a similar situation may be waiting for quite some time. According to some experts, we will probably see a surge in defaults and foreclosures, but not at such a grand scale and not for several months or even a couple of years. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, June 08, 2020
Some of the nation’s biggest landlords are betting on a surge in demand for single-family rentals in the suburbs. JPMorgan Asset Management and American Homes 4 Rent announced a joint venture to build 2,500 new single-family rentals in western and southwestern high-growth markets. They say the deal will capitalize on a post-pandemic desire to move away from apartments in crowded cities. It will also help address a lack of existing home inventory. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, June 06, 2020
It was only a few months ago that cities were worried about how to keep their low-income residents. Now there’s concern that the need for social distancing is chasing big companies and their highly-paid employees away. The post-pandemic office environment is going to be different, and there are signs already that businesses are rethinking their office space needs. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, June 03, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 30th, 2020... mortgage rates have hit a new record low, landlords keeping tenants with shorter terms, and buyers want homes with outdoor features. We begin with economic news from this past week, and signs of life in the housing market. New home sales were up .06% from March to April, although they were down more than 6% from April of last year. But the increase beat analyst expectations, with the biggest rise in the Northeast. Home sales were up almost 8% in that region. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sun, May 31, 2020
Choosing between an Airbnb and a hotel will now include COVID-19 risk factors for many people, and at first glance, some travelers may think hotels are better at keeping things clean. But there are several factors to consider when choosing a place to stay overnight, including cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Both lodging options have their benefits and their risks. An article in the New York Times gives hotels the edge over home-sharing services like Airbnb and VRBO. It says that, for years, Airbnb has disrupted the travel industry with more affordable, home-like accommodations, but that COVID-19 is now disrupting the disruptor, in reference to Airbnb. That includes other home-sharing options as well, like VRBO. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, May 29, 2020
States across the nation are giving businesses the green light to reopen, but where are the employees? It seems that a very generous unemployment bonus, authorized by the CARES Act, may be contributing to a decision to remain unemployed. The government is handing out a $600-a-week bonus on top of regular unemployment benefits/ Now, many are getting more from unemployment than they did when they were working. The fact that people are getting this bonus has probably contributed to high rent collection numbers. People have had the money they need to keep up with their obligations. That’s the whole point of the extra money, to keep people as close to financially whole as possible. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, May 23, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 23rd, 2020... we have a new start to the economy, builder confidence, and markets where home prices are rising. We begin with economic news from this past week, and the beginnings of an economic reopening for all 50 states. Although reopening guidelines are different from state to state, many are lifting restrictions on recreational activities for Memorial Day weekend, with the appropriate social safety measures. There’s been a decreasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths across the nation and in Europe. Africa and other parts of the Americas are still seeing an increase. So the world is not out of the woods yet. But the holiday weekend may mark a turning point for the U.S. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, May 22, 2020
While many short-term rental owners can’t attract guests right now, others can’t get rid of them. There’s word that wealthy guests are squatting in fancy summer rentals because of the coronavirus ban on evictions. That’s putting owners in a tough spot. There’s word that property owners are worried they could miss out on the summer tourist season. It’s not clear if this is happening in other areas, but the New York Post writes that some short-term guests in the Hamptons are refusing to leave, once their reservations have ended. Local landlords and real estate brokers say these tenants moved into their water-front accommodations before the eviction ban went into place and are now saying they can’t afford to pay the rent, or to move anywhere else. And these are not cheap places or low-income guests. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, May 20, 2020
The Florida governor is taking steps to restart the vacation rental business but some short-term rental operators are not very happy about the rules. Governor Ron DeSantis banned most short-term rentals in March, while allowing hotels and other kinds of lodging to remain open. Some have filed a lawsuit over a vacation rental ban that they feel has unfairly singled them out. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sun, May 17, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 16th, 2020... a $3-trillion relief bill that will help landlords, a new surge in mortgage applications, and a heart-warming rent payment story out of St. Louis. We begin with economic news from this past week, and House approval of a $3-trillion relief package that includes $100 billion for a national rental assistance program and $75 billion in mortgage relief for multi-family landlords. It also provides another round of stimulus checks for individual taxpayers, and almost $1 trillion to state and local governments faced with steep declines in tax revenue. It’s not clear how the legislation will fare in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently said that the three coronavirus bills already approved are enough for the time being. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, May 16, 2020
A return to normal means winning the war against COVID-19 and one weapon in our war chest could be a UVC light bulb. Man-made UVC devices are not new, but their use is expanding as a way to kill the virus. Amazon just announced the development of a UVC robot to disinfect warehouses and Whole Foods grocery stores. There’s also another development at Columbia University that could easily kill this virus and keep future ones from ever getting a foothold. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, May 15, 2020
A national rent tracker for apartments shows that May rent collection is better than April. That’s not what many people expected given the massive number of job losses and efforts by a small number of activists encouraging a rent strike. Property teams within our own network are also reporting good results for single-family rentals. The National Multifamily Housing Council says that by May 6th, 80.2% of tenants had made a full or partial payment on their rent. Last month, only 78% of tenants had done so. The survey included 11.4 million apartment households and was done the first week of May. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, May 11, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 9th, 2020… an economy in turmoil, words of encouragement from Warren Buffett, and a pick-up in mortgage activity. We begin with economic news from this past week and another round of job losses. The latest weekly report shows an additional 3.2 million unemployment claims for a total of more than 20 million jobs lost in April. That’s brings us to about 33 million jobs lost since the pandemic began. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, May 09, 2020
The Tampa housing market could be among the first to come roaring back to life after the economy opens back up, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Dallas was named as a potential post-pandemic boom market as well, along with a few other areas. John Burns Real Estate Consulting is well-respected for doing in-depth research on the real estate industry, and specifically for national builders. This latest report looks at geographic opportunities for real estate investors within three categories. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, May 08, 2020
We’re in the midst of severe economic shock right now. There are over 30 million job losses in one month, closed businesses, and a 4.8% drop in the GDP, but somehow home prices are rising in some places. That may be a disappointment for homebuyers and real estate investors looking for a deal, although some researchers see lower prices in the coming months. Home prices dropped dramatically during the housing crisis ten to twelve years ago, but that’s not what’s happening this time around so far. As the Wall Street Journal points out, we’ve been dealing with a tight inventory for years and, right now, supply has gotten even tighter because sellers don’t want to list their homes and because many builders have put things on pause. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, May 06, 2020
The lure of the big city might be fading a bit. A new Harris Poll shows that a growing number of people would like to move away from the city, and that preferences for other lifestyle habits are changing. The poll includes a wide range of questions from how people intend to buy their food in the future to whether they are worried about dying from the virus.. This particular Harris Poll has been tracking coronavirus trends since mid-March and includes more than 300 questions. It appears that many of the questions have been added in more recent weeks, such as the ones about migrating to more rural areas. Each “wave” of the poll is done weekly over a three-day period with the latest information from the last week of April. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, May 04, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 2nd, 2020, First-Quarter GDP, a new low for mortgage rates, and a surge in demand for single-family homes. We begin with economic news for this past week and the staggered reopening of some state economies. At least 30 states have started allowing businesses to carefully reopen, or have announced plans to do so this month, but each state has different guidelines and timelines. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, May 01, 2020
Many U.S. malls are at risk of closing for good because of the pandemic. A new analysis by Green Street Advisors is predicting that coronavirus shutdowns will push department stores into bankruptcy, and force more than half of all U.S. malls to close by the end of the year. If you are a homebuyer or investor, you should check on the status of a nearby mall to see if it might affect your property value. Green Street says there are 1,000 malls still operating in the U.S. and about 60% of them are anchored by department stores... www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, April 30, 2020
California is not known as a landlord-friendly state, and a few new laws are adding to that reputation. In addition to statewide rent control that caps rent increases and makes it difficult to evict bad tenants, at least two cities in the San Francisco Bay Area have completely outlawed the use of criminal background checks to screen tenants. These “fair chance” housing laws are designed to prevent homelessness among the formerly incarcerated, but are they fair to landlords? www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, April 29, 2020
Real estate is holding strong among Americans who see it as the best way to invest. This marks the fifth year in a row that real estate has taken the number one spot in a Gallup poll on investing preferences. It was conducted in early April, after the recent COVID-19 stock market sell-off. It’s no secret that I’d choose real estate over stocks, but this poll shows that many other Americans feel the same way. 35% of the pollees chose real estate as their preferred method of investment while 21% chose the stock market. That’s a bigger gap than last year. Stocks lost six percentage points, while real estate held on to 35. Gold and bonds both trail stocks but they took points away from stocks as people put more emphasis on those options. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, April 27, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 25th, 2020... the staggered reopening of the U.S. economy has begun, two small business rescue programs are being refunded, and the home sale slump could be reversing. We begin with economic news from this past week, and plans, by some states, to slowly restart their economies. The state of Georgia is taking the first steps with the cautious reopening of some businesses on Friday, April 24th. While states, like Georgia and South Carolina, are planning to ease stay-at-home restrictions, others are extending them because modeling shows they are still at risk. A model maintained by the University of Washington shows that Montana could safely reopen on May 1st, and that Alaska, Hawaii, North Carolina, Vermont and West Virginia could do so on May 10th. At least half the states should wait until May 25th or later. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, April 23, 2020
We’re sure to see some changes in the post-pandemic economy, and one of them could be an increased demand for single-family rentals. Potential homebuyers who have been furloughed or have lost their jobs no longer qualify for mortgages. Those who do have their jobs may not have the down payment, high credit score or reserves needed to get a loan. But with the concern that social distancing could be a longer-term way of life, they may also prefer to rent a single-family home instead of an apartment if they are forced to remain renters for awhile. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, April 21, 2020
A recent change in lending could impact real estate investors, especially if more lenders follow suit. Over the weekend, JPMorgan Chase stopped accepting HELOC applications. The bank posted the notice on its website saying it’s a temporary suspension due to the current economic uncertainty created by COVID-19. Lenders have also been tightening loan standards. Chase says it will continue to review already-submitted applications for home equity lines of credit, and HELOCs that have already been issued are not affected. But investors who might want to jump on a real estate buying opportunity by tapping into their home equity, face a shrinking pool of funding options. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sun, April 19, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 18th, 2020... we’ll take a look at whether the pandemic will impact home prices, the good news about rent collection, and what banking regulators are doing to help home sales. We begin with economic news from this past week, which hasn’t been great but there are a few bright spots, including plans to loosen up “stay at home” orders over the next several weeks. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, April 18, 2020
If you are a landlord in need of financial help from the disaster loan program and you haven’t applied yet, you’ll now have to wait until Congress agrees to provide more funding. The Small Business Administration announced on Wednesday, April 15th, that the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, and the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, have both run out of money and will not be accepting new applications. Already submitted applications are still being considered, but the process is slow-going. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, April 15, 2020
Rent default reports are coming in and they are not as bad as some headlines might lead you to believe. You may have seen reports that 30% of renters were unable to pay their rent in April because of pandemic-related lay-offs and furloughs. But that’s somewhat misleading. There has been an increase in defaults, but it’s not 30% above normal. In this podcast, we’re going to take a look who’s paying, who isn’t, and what landlords can do to increase rent collection while they also help tenants survive this crisis. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, April 13, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 10th, 2020… a new deadline for the 1031 exchange, a housing market rebound, and a pullback by lenders. We start with economic news from the past week… but first, important news about the 1031 exchange. The IRS published a notice on Thursday, April 9th, announcing extended deadlines for 1031 exchanges because of the coronavirus. The new deadline is July 15th for anyone with a deadline between April 1st and July 15th. That applies to both the 45-day deadline and the 180-day deadline. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, April 11, 2020
The Federal government is pumping trillions of dollars into the U.S. economy to offset damage from the coronavirus pandemic. But, as businesses remain closed and much of the U.S. workforce unemployed, we will likely see some amount of damage -- including the sale of distressed properties. While that’s never a good thing for the seller, it creates a potential buying opportunity for the real estate investor. The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of institutional investors are sitting on piles of cash for what could be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to buy properties at a big discount. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, April 10, 2020
Forbearance will help save property owners who can’t pay their mortgage, but who’s going to save the mortgage service companies that have to pay the bond holders? Major players in the housing industry say that without a bailout, companies like Quicken Loans, Freedom Mortgage, Mr. Cooper, and other nonbank mortgage companies could have a serious liquidity problem. FHFA Director, Mark Calabria, doesn’t agree. He says there’s no evidence of a systemic failure among nonbanks. The pandemic has triggered concerns about another foreclosure crisis because of all the job losses. That prompted the creation of a mortgage forbearance program for homeowners as part of the $2 trillion Cares Act. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, April 09, 2020
Airbnb has set up a fund to help hosts dealing with coronavirus cancellations. Travelers ditched plans for vacations, work trips, and family get-togethers when the virus spread. And then, Airbnb promised full refunds. Airbnb’s “Host Relief Fund” will help cover some of the lost revenue, but many hosts are coming up short. We don’t know yet how the coronavirus will impact the overall housing market, but for Airbnb hosts, the impact was felt almost immediately. Big events that draw huge numbers of people to destination hot spots were cancelled, and along with them, Airbnb reservations. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, April 07, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 4th, 2020... rent payments are now due, new data on top population growth cities, and how renters are dealing with their plans to move. We begin with economic news from this past week, and the distribution of stimulus checks to American consumers. Adults earning less than $75,000 will get the full $1,200 amount. Parents will also receive $500 for each dependent child. The IRS is expecting those payments to start going out by the end of April. That should help many Americans pay their bills, including the rent. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, April 02, 2020
Just days after the largest stimulus package in history was signed, talks have begun on what could be “phase four” of the coronavirus stimulus plan. A few of the ideas being discussed include major infrastructure spending and a rollback on the cap for SALT deductions. President Trump signed phase one of the virus rescue plan in early March. It authorized $8.3 billion for the initial response including money for state and local governments, virus research, testing, and vaccine development. Phase two was signed on March 18th for $100 billion that expands unemployment benefits and provides tax credits to employers for paid sick leave. Phase 3 is the big one so far. The $2.1 trillion dollar package went into effect on March 27th and includes major relief for consumers in the form of direct bank deposits or checks, tax deferrals, state aid, loans to small and large businesses, and some grants for several impacted businesses like airlines. <a href="http://www.NewsForInvestors.com" targ
Tue, March 31, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 28th, 2020… ugly numbers for job losses and economic growth, a possible “snapback recovery”, and encouraging news about medical supplies. We begin with economic news from the past week and a $2.2 trillion dollar COVID-19 rescue package that helps individuals and companies. The short list of money hand-outs includes $100 billion for hospitals and virus-related healthcare, $290 billion for an infusion of cash into consumer pockets, $350 billion for small-business loans, and $500 billion for hard-hit industries, like the airlines. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, March 31, 2020
There’s something in it for everyone. The federal government approved a $2 trillion dollar virus relief package last week called the CARES Act. That stands for “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security.” The legislation is almost 900 pages long so it’s not a quick read, but details are emerging on what’s inside. And, there is help for people in the real estate industry including real estate investors and landlords. I want to talk about the CARES Act, but first, I’d like to mention another big announcement on Monday, March 30th. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory that said real estate should be considered an essential business. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, March 27, 2020
As unemployment claims soars due to “Shelter in Place” mandates in cities across the nation, lenders who offer non-qualifying mortgage loans are also shutting their office doors. There have been several headlines recently about lenders suspending non-QM loans which could impact real estate investors. An article in HousingWire on March 20th suggested that non-QM lending is the latest victim of the coronavirus. (1) Non-QM loans had become more common in recent years for borrowers who don’t have a traditional income source, and need alternative methods of income verification. Many real estate investors fall into this category. And due to the uncertainty created by the virus, several lenders have recently announced they are suspending non-QM loans. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, March 26, 2020
The U.S. was expecting to have one of the best spring home-buying seasons in years, until we got hit with the Coronavirus daily news. Still some markets continue to boom, while others are on a time-out. In California, where there’s a statewide shelter-in-place order, the California Association of Realtors also advised against any open houses, home tours or face-to-face meetings with clients. (1) That scene is playing out in other markets as well, even as low interest rates dangle like a carrot in front of our noses. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, March 25, 2020
There’s been a lot of talk about rent moratoriums and eviction bans for struggling tenants, but what happens when landlords can’t pay mortgages and other expenses for those very same rentals? There’s been a growing chorus of questions and lobbying efforts in regard to relief for property owners, and some big announcements about forbearance options that apply to landlords in both the single-family and multi-family realm. It’s now critical that people are able to “shelter in place” to help stop the spread of the virus. Many local governments have issued orders to stay at home, except for essential needs that include jobs that are also considered essential. While some people are going to work and returning to the safety of their homes, many more are laid off and sheltering in place 24/7. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, March 24, 2020
An invisible enemy is attacking, and it doesn’t seem to matter where you are or who you are.. The Coronavirus is quickly spreading to all parts of the world. Whether people are sick or not, many can’t go to work, and that could mean missed rent payments -- especially for people living hand to mouth. So what is the appropriate course of action? Headlines across the nation are echoing the same idea -- that cities, counties, states, and even the nation, impose a temporary moratorium on evictions while this virus scenario plays out. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, March 21, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 21st, 2020... we have economic news that’s contaminated by the coronavirus, a tax day reprieve, and mortgage moratoriums. We’re in an unprecedented situation right now as this microscopic virus threatens the health and safety of everyone in the world. It’s gotten to the point of statewide lockdowns in California and New York to help slow the spread of the virus. Other states are likely to follow. There are also bans on non-essential travel across the northern and southern borders, but President Trump says we’re not at the point of a national lockdown, just yet, although other nations have done so. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, March 19, 2020
There’s nothing more unifying than a common enemy, and that’s what the nation is facing right now -- a fast-moving virus that can be as mild as a common cold or flu for most people, but absolutely deadly to others. The Federal government and the Federal Reserve are taking drastic steps to shore up the economy, while individuals and families are going into survival mode. It’s not the end of the world, however. Good things will come out of this. As exponential tech entrepreneur and futurist Peter Diamandis said in a blog about the virus, “With Pause, Comes Opportunity.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, March 17, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the second week of March.. we have coronavirus repercussions, mortgage relief options, and something that might lift your spirits from Airbnb. We begin with economic news from this past week and a half. So much has happened because of the coronavirus. The Fed cut interest rates to zero and launched a $700 billion stimulus program. President Trump acknowledged that the pandemic is “really bad” and issued guidelines to help prevent the spread of the virus. Cities across the nation are shutting down bars, restaurants, and public gatherings. Stores are dealing with panicked buyers. Officials are encouraging people to shelter in place. There’s talk of shutting down our borders and postponing the Presidential election. The stock drop has now erased about 80% of the gains seen since the 2016 election, or what was previously called “The Trump Bump.” Companies will be reporting their first quarter earnings and many are expected to miss their forecasts. The
Sat, March 14, 2020
What a week. While the Coronavirus and its effect on Wall Street, the economy and of course, our health and safety has dominated our conversations, I’m going to focus on how it could affect the U.S. housing market. As we know, home sales were headed for a hot spring season because of low mortgage rates and a strong economy. And then the coronavirus came along. It has brought mortgage rates even lower, but it’s also causing an economic disruption like we haven’t seen before. Will it be a minor blip on the charts? Or… is this the black swan event that could usher in that recession so many people have been fearing? www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, March 11, 2020
The mortgage business is blazing a new trail right now. Rates have fallen to a record low. They have almost hit 3%, but they aren’t as low as they could be. Experts say they should have dipped below 3% by now but that busy lenders are holding back on lower rates to help control demand. It’s anyone’s best guess as to what happens next, but it’s quite possible that even lower rates are on the way. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, March 09, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 7th, 2020... we have an emergency interest rate cut, all-time low mortgage rates, and a virus-inspired surge in real estate investing. We begin with economic news from this past week, and a quarter percent rate cut by the Fed. The central bank cut rates to help protect the economy from the effects of the coronavirus. The overnight lending rate is now from 1 to 1.25%. Fed Chief Jerome Powell offered reassurance that the U.S. economy is still strong, but he says the spread of the virus will likely affect economic growth. But, he says “we will get to the other side” and “return to solid growth and a solid labor market as well.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, March 07, 2020
States that aren’t tax-friendly to retirees are making some changes to keep their seniors from moving away. Maryland is one of them. The governor says that high taxes are driving seniors to places like Florida which is the most tax-friendly state in the nation for all age groups. But the tax situation is especially important for people trying to stretch their retirement dollars, and there are big differences in the kinds of tax breaks you get from each state. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, March 05, 2020
Pet-friendly rentals are becoming a “must-have” for many renters. Zillow says that 46% of renters have pets, and 48% won’t rent a place without that option. For many landlords, it’s much easier to say “no.” But while they are avoiding a few risks, they are also missing out on some big benefits, including additional rental income. There are several benefits to going “pet-friendly” starting with a larger pool of applicants because almost half the renter population has a pet. To offset the potential risk, many pet-friendly landlords charge an additional amount each month for the pet, along with a pet deposit. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, March 04, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 29th, 2020... we have an early launch to spring sales, concern about the coronavirus, and top cities for population growth. We begin with economic news from this past week. The spring homebuying season is off to an early start. New home sales rose 7.9% in January. That’s more than 18% higher than January of last year. It’s also the highest level of sales since July of 2007. That’s despite higher home prices. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, February 29, 2020
As homeownership gets more expensive, Millennials are getting more resourceful. The National Association of Realtors says the number of first-time buyers who bought homes with housemates doubled in 2019. It wasn’t a huge percentage, but some experts say it could be the future of housing -- at least for people trying to buy their first homes. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, February 28, 2020
Nebraska isn’t waiting for the ax to fall on housing affordability. State lawmakers are debating legislation that will allow the upzoning of single-family neighborhoods. It’s called “The Missing Middle Housing Act” to address future housing issues before they become a problem. CityLab described the effort as a way to “win the battle before the war begins.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, February 26, 2020
HUD is hoping to make it easier for landlords to comply with Fair Housing Rules by issuing new guidelines on assistance animals. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says there’s been a huge increase in the number of requests for emotional support animals, including many that are not legitimate. The agency says the new guidelines offer some clarification of the rules and step-by-step guidance for landlords. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, February 25, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 22nd, 2020... the spring construction boom, the latest surge in foreclosures, and the new Gen Z homebuyers. We begin with economic news from this past week. The latest report on existing home sales shows a dip in January. According to the National Association of Realtors, they were down 1.3% to an annual pace of 5.46 million homes. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, February 20, 2020
A sleepy town in North Carolina has become the victim of its own popularity. Lake Wylie is a lakefront community that has mushroomed in size since the year 2,000. Unfortunately, population growth has outpaced the town’s ability to keep up, and local officials have placed a temporary ban on new development. This is just one example of a city that needs “smart growth” instead of “fast growth.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, February 19, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 15th, 2020... the benefits of mortgage shopping, 401k millionaires, and moving for love. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, February 13, 2020
The U.S. has a population problem and it’s not because we have too many people. The nation’s birth rate is declining. It’s half of what it was when the baby boomers were born, and is currently at a record low -- so low, that the incoming generation can’t replace the outgoing one. According to some social scientists, that could have a serious impact on our future -- both socially and economically. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, February 13, 2020
There’s been a lot of worry about the cost of California’s new solar power requirement for new homes. But the January 1st start date has now come and gone, and it appears the mandate has had little impact on home buyer demand. There has been a small decline in affordability for some people, but according to real estate experts, the mandate appears to be a “non-event.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, February 11, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 8th, 2020… new lower mortgage rates, the city with a 5-year rent freeze, and a Netflix series about gentrification in Los Angeles. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, February 07, 2020
Concern about the Wuhan coronavirus is pushing mortgage rates lower. That may seem like a weird cause and effect relationship, but there is a good reason for it. The latest rates for a 30-year mortgage have fallen to their second-lowest level in three years. Freddie Mac reported last week that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.51% and the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage was down to 3%. That’s for the week ending January 20th. If you compare it to the average for that same mortgage in January of last year, it’s almost 1% lower. And some economists expect rates to fall further as the coronavirus spreads. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, February 07, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending February 1st, 2020... the latest decision on interest rates, the cost of renting vs. buying, and the theft of $10.5 million from RealPage by hackers. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, February 01, 2020
Calls for a wealth tax are getting louder because of a growing gap between the ultra-rich and the not-so-rich. Oxfam International released a report ahead of the World Economic Forum that says the world’s 2,153 billionaires have more wealth combined than 60% of the global population. That’s about 4.6 billion people. The global anti-poverty organization also says the wealth gap has a much greater impact on women than it does men. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, January 31, 2020
Chicago landlords have a new tenant screening law to abide by called the Just Housing Amendment. It is now part of the Cook County “Human Rights Ordinance” to help people with a criminal record get housing. Landlords need to know about the required screening process to avoid big fines. There’s also a similar ordinance that was just approved in Oakland, California. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, January 30, 2020
New rules in Cincinnati will force landlords to provide security deposit “options” to tenants. It’s the first such ordinance in the nation to help tenants who can’t afford a large cash deposit. The new rules are not sitting well with some landlords who say all-cash deposits are necessary to help protect their properties. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, January 25, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 25th, 2020... we’ll look at homeseller profit, FICO score changes, and the financial impact of “curb appeal.” www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, January 25, 2020
Having a good enough credit score to get a loan may not be good enough to save you thousands of dollars in interest. LendingTree did an analysis on the cost difference between a fair credit score and a very good credit score, and the result may surprise you. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Wed, January 22, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 18th... we look at home affordability, foreclosures, where people are moving, and renter preferences in 2020. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Fri, January 17, 2020
Rental housing has changed a lot in the last decade, and the start of a new decade gives us a chance see where we are today. These trends are crucial for landlords to know about. By putting them all together, it’s easier to see the big picture and whether any adjustments are needed. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Thu, January 16, 2020
The nation sailed by a big milestone in 2019 for the longest economic expansion on record and many economists expect the good times to keep on rolling. But there are plenty of variables looming in the year ahead, and quite a lot of disagreement about which way the wind might blow. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Tue, January 14, 2020
In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending January 11th, 2020... rental rates in 2019, renting vs. owning, and why you shouldn’t abbreviate 2020. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Mon, January 13, 2020
The rules for tax-deferred retirement accounts are changing as of January 1st. A new law called the SECURE Act takes effect on January 1st. It was signed into law by President Trump as part of the 2020 government spending bill. Investment advisers say it will allow more U.S. workers to participate in these plans. There’s also a bit of bad news for people who will inherit an IRA. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sun, January 12, 2020
The new year is bringing lots of new laws. Since many of our members and listeners are in California, I’m going to dedicate today’s podcast to a round-up of laws that could affect the real estate world in California. Of course, California often sets a precedent for other parts of the nation as well, so they may be of interest to anyone in real estate. www.NewsForInvestors.com
Sat, January 11, 2020
In our Real Estate News Brief for the week ending on January 4th, 2020... a look ahead at real estate in 2020, a security camera data breach, and an experiment in basic income. www.NewsForInvestors.com
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