Author: Brad Beckett

The U.S. government is reporting that privately‐owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,416,000, which is 5.1% below than July’s revised number.  August’s rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 375k.  Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,470,000, which was 0.9% higher than July’s revised number.  Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 381k in June. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

We started seeing this trend a few years ago, well before the Coronavirus pandemic.  Now comes more data from Statista in the form of today’s infographic.  Citing recent data from Pew Research, it shows that 52% of Americans aged between 18 and 29 now live with a parent – which they say is the highest share recorded since the Great Depression-era!  And some of you were looking forward to finally being empty-nesters, indeed…  Stay safe and Happy Friday!!! “The share of young adults currently living with their parents is higher than any previous measurement recorded in surveys and decennial censuses.…

A recent Redfin report says record-low inventory has “created a complete storm of insanity” in small, affordable markets with an exodus of buyers leaving the West Coast.  In fact, they point out several key points to bolster their claim.  Among them are: Median home sale price increased 12% from 2019 to $318,473—the highest on record. Pending home sales climbed 21% year over year, the largest increase since the four weeks ending October 18, 2015. New listings of homes for sale were up 7% from a year ago—the largest increase since the four weeks ending September 23, 2018. During just the…

Are you a member of a local REIA (real estate investors association)?  In a recent episode of the Rent Perfect podcast, David Pickron spoke with Alan Langston, President of Arizona REIA (AZREIA), to discuss the importance of having your local REIA as part of your investing “team.”  Alan explains how your local REIA can be a literal university for learning the in’s and outs of investing in properties and why having a “well thought out plan” can help take your investments to the next level. Click here to listen at Buzzsprout.com. Click here to find a REIA near you! Rent…

Who owns rental properties in America?  Members of National REIA will not be surprised to learn that of the 19+ million rental properties across the nation, 72% are owned by individual investors.  The NAHB’s Eye on Housing recently took a deep-dive into the Census Bureau’s Rental Housing Finance Survey (RHFS) to examine the characteristics of rental housing in the United States.  The RHFS provides measures of financial, mortgage, and property characteristics of rental properties across the country on a current and continuous basis. Another interesting tidbit:  The majority of rental properties in America (86%) are single-unit properties.  Indeed… Click here…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4% in August.  Interestingly, they point out that the index’s sharp rise for used cars and trucks accounted for over 40% of the increase.  Over the past 12 months, the all items index has increased 1.3% before seasonal adjustment. “The monthly increase in the seasonally adjusted all items index was broad-based; a sharp rise in the used cars and trucks index was the largest factor, but the indexes for gasoline, shelter, recreation, and household furnishings and operations also contributed…” Click here…

The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, recently filed a complaint and request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia to challenge the authority of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) nationwide eviction moratorium.  The now infamous CDC order was issued on September 4th, 2020 to temporarily stop residential evictions in the name of preventing the further spread of COVID-19.  The NCLA’s client is a landlord from Virginia that is suffering significant economic damages, including over $8k in unpaid rent, monthly maintenance…

Local Market Monitor, a National REIA preferred vendor, recently released their monthly National Economic Outlook where they share their thoughts on developments taking place in the U.S. economy. National Economic Outlook By Ingo Winzer (September 10, 2020)  New data from the second quarter of 2020 show that the average home price was up 4 percent in the past year, the lowest increase since 2013. Prices were already slowing before the pandemic, so this isn’t a surprise, but it’s now pretty sure that the slowing will continue for several years. The good news is that there probably won’t be a crash.…

The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) says that 76.4% of apartment households made a full or partial rent payment by September 6th, 2020.  This figure represents a 4.8 percentage point decrease in the share who paid rent through September 6, 2019 and compares to 79.3% that paid by August 6th.  The  data comes from the NMHC’s Rent Payment Tracker which uses data from 11.4 million professionally managed apartment units across the country. Click here to read the full report at NMHC.com. Click here to view the NMHC’s Rent Payment Tracker.

Friday, September 11, 2020 marks the 19th anniversary of the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks on our great nation back in 2001.  Today’s infographic from Maps of the World gives us a brief overview of that tragic day in an ongoing effort to never let the memories of those who died fade away nor the events of that day be forgotten.  More information about that fateful day can be found at History.com.  Stay safe and have a Happy Friday! “On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks…