Author: Brad Beckett

The NY Post is reporting that a recent HUD audit found more than $5 billion in taxpayer funds went to “questionable” rental assistance recipients during the final year of the Biden administration – including around 30k deceased tenants and 1000’s of potential non-citizens.   The Post says HUD will now reach out to public housing authorities and other entities to confirm the extent of the fraud and either pause or revoke funding.  In addition, criminal referrals could be made if warranted. HUD’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer uncovered $5.8 billion of the “questionable” payments out of nearly $50 billion in…

The U.S. Census Bureau says sports betting tax revenues have skyrocketed in recent years as more states got in on the action. Their recent analysis shows that from Q3 2021 (when data collection started) until Q2 2025, the national total of state sales tax revenue from sports betting soared 382%.  They say this revenue (extracted from the gambling industry) helped fund schools, roads, highways, law enforcement and interestingly, gambling addiction treatment. Sports betting became possible in May 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Since then, a majority of states have legalized…

We love these migration reports….they reveal a lot of interesting data about where people are going to and coming from.  Today we’re looking at  Atlas Van Lines’ 2025 Migration Patterns Study. In 2025, Atlas’ interstate moves held steady compared to years past, aligning with recent U.S. Census data. Despite this, overall mobility remains low today, primarily due to affordability constraints such as the high cost of homeownership and limited inventory. The continued volume of interstate moves, even as the median age of first-time homebuyers climbs and home sales slow, highlights the industry’s role as a consistent facilitator of necessary life…

The latest S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has reported a 1.4% annual increase for October, 2025.  Their 10-City Composite posted 1.9% increase year-over-year and their 20-City Composite posted a 1.3% year-over-year increase.  They say data show the housing market settling into a much slower gear: “October’s data show the housing market settling into a much slower gear, with the National Composite Index up only about 1.4% year over year – among the weakest performances since mid-2023…This figure is essentially unchanged from September’s 1.3% annual gain and represents less than a third of the 5.1% average home…

A recent report from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) explores the current state of corporate ownership of residential property across the U.S.  Analyzing data from over 500 counties, the report recommends steps communities can take to preserve and protect affordable housing.  Interestingly, they point out that across the counties studied, 8.9% of residential parcels are owned by corporations of various sizes. Much of the academic and media attention on the surge in corporate real estate investment has focused on units of housing. This analysis enhances that conversation by focusing on residential parcels.…

According to ATTOM data’s latest flipping report, there were 72,217 single-family homes & condominiums flipped Q3 2025, accounting for 6.8% of home sales from July through September.  In addition, they found that the typical profit margin for a flipped home in Q3 was 23.1%, down from 26.5% in Q2 and down 29.8% from one year ago. “Home flipping activity and profitability continued to decline in Q3 2025 with typical return on investment dropping to 23.1%, the lowest since 2008,” said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. Click here to read the full report at ATTOM.

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that pending home sales were up 3.3% in November, 2025 and were up 2.6% year over year.  The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings) came in at 79/2 in November.  They say momentum is building: “Homebuyer momentum is building. The data shows the strongest performance of the year after accounting for seasonal factors, and the best performance in nearly three years, dating back to February 2023…Improving housing affordability–driven by lower mortgage rates and wage growth rising faster than home prices–is helping buyers test the market. More inventory…

Happy New Year….and hello winter.  In case you missed it, December 21st was the first day of winter.  And, with that in mind, especially for those of us in areas of the country prone to snow, today’s graphics from Weather.gov are a good reminder about how to deal with Ice & snow and winter storms.  They’re worth sharing…  And, as always, Stay safe, stay smart and have a Happy Friday!! Hat tip to Weather.gov.

A recent article on HousingWire says Google is entering the “portal wars” with posting MLS listings on their search site in certain cities.  According to the report, Google is testing embedded home listings in mobile search, which HW says could impact portal stocks and raise industry questions.  Currently, embedded listings are being seen in the markets of Denver, Chicago and Austin. Click here to read the full story at HousingWire.

On a recent episode of the Rent Perfect podcast David Pickron and Scot Aubrey dive into one of the wildest situations a landlord can face. At 12:15 AM, one of David’s tenants sent him a shocking video of a furious downstairs neighbor pounding on their door, yelling profanities, and accusing them of “walking too loudly.”  The audio is, well, intense and the confrontation is real.  And, the police were called and caught the neighbor lying directly to their face. “This isn’t just drama—it’s a real case study in landlord safety, tenant relations, and the unexpected responsibilities that come with property…