Author: Brad Beckett

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that pending home sales dropped 0.8% in June, 2025 and down 2.8% year over year.  The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings) came in at 72 in June.  The NAR’s explanation offers a mixed bag of variables: “The data shows a continuation of small declines in contract signings despite inventory in the market increasing. Pending sales in the Northeast increased incrementally even though home price growth in the region has been the strongest in the country.”  Said the NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Click here to read…

The U.S. government is reporting that the national vacancy rates for Q2 2025 were 7% for rental housing and 1.1% for homeowner housing.  The national homeownership rate for Q2 2025 was 65%.  In addition, approximately 89.6% of the housing units in the United States in Q2 were occupied and 10.4% were vacant. Owner-occupied housing units made up 58.2% of total housing units, while renter-occupied units made up 31.3% of the inventory.  Vacant year-round units comprised 8.1% of total housing units, while 2.3% were vacant for seasonal use. Click here to read the full release at the U.S. Census Bureau.

In a post earlier this week, we learned that foreclosure activity was up slightly during the first half of 2025.  Today’s graphic from ATTOM illustrates that foreclosure activity by state as well identifying the top 10 states.  Stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to ATTOM.

According to recent Census data analyzed by the NAHB’s Eye on Housing, in 2024 completed multifamily units recorded their highest level since 1986 coming in at 608k units.  In addition, the report says that for the 8th consecutive year, most multifamily units were in buildings with 50 or more units.  And, among those units completed in 2024, 95% were built-for-rent at a level of 580k. Cick here to read the full story at the NAHB’s Eye on Housing

According to the latest Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) Single-Family Rent Index (SFRI), U.S. single-family home rental prices increased 3.1% year over year in May, 2025.  Single-family rent prices in May were up 1.1% from April.  In addition, breaking it down, rent for detached units grew by 2.6%, and attached rental rates rose 2.8%. Annual single-family rent growth accelerated in May for the fourth consecutive month, signaling sustained momentum in the rental market….Monthly gains in the single-family rent index have consistently outpaced seasonal norms this year, suggesting that annual rent growth for 2025 is on track to exceed 3%.”  said Molly Boesel,…

On a recent episode of the Rent Perfect podcast David Pickron is joined by a very special guest—his father, Bill.  With over 80 years of life experience and decades of investing under his belt, Bill shares timeless wisdom on what it’s like investing in real estate across generations.  Together, David and his dad reflect on the ups and downs of father-son investing partnerships;  Why Bill is still buying rental properties at 80;  The lessons learned from land development vs. long-term rentals;  How Rent Perfect has changed the game for property management; And the story of how evictions led to building…

Zillow says saying yes to Fido or Mittens can help landlords lease faster.  They say recent data show that rental listings on their site allowing pets are typically leased eight days faster than those that don’t.  In addition they say 58% of renters have pets, up from 46% in 2019.  Interestingly, Zillow says almost half say they passed on a particular property because it was not pet-friendly. “…In a market where renters have more options, allowing pets can make the difference in finding a tenant quickly.”  Said Emily McDonald, Zillow rental trends expert. Click here to read the full report…

According to recent data from StorageCafe, the self storage sector continues to attract investor attention with transaction volume in Q1 2025 reaching $855 million, up 37% from one year ago.  They say this increase indicates renewed confidence in the asset class, reflecting solid demand and a diversifying consumer base.  In addition, the first quarter of 2025 revealed an interesting trend: non-REIT buyers accounted for nearly 85% of acquisitions. Some key points: Q1 2025 saw an $855 million increase in self storage sales nationwide – a 37% increase from Q1 2024. The total square footage of self storage facilities sold rose…

According to ATTOM’s Mid-Year 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, there were a total of 187,659 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions)  in the first six months of 2025.  That figure is up 5.8% from one year ago and up 1.1% from the same time period two years ago.  States with the greatest increases in foreclosure activity included Alaska (up 55%); Rhode Island (up 51%); Wyoming (up 46%); Utah (up 46%); and Colorado (up 41%). “Foreclosure activity continued its upward trend in the first half of 2025, with increases in both starts and completed foreclosures…

The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in June, 2025 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 627k, which is 0.6% higher than May’s revised rate but is 6.6% lower than one year ago.  The median sales price of new houses sold in June was $401,800 with an average sales price of $501,500.  There were an estimated 511k new houses for sale at the end of June representing an 9.8-month supply at the current sales rate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.