Author: Brad Beckett

We’ve read a lot about how the lack of inventory has contributed to the rising costs of housing nationwide.  With that issue in mind, the National Association of Realtors put together an interactive graphic highlighting the issue by showing areas of country where housing is in short supply and where it is plentiful.  Interestingly, it uses building permit data correlated with job creation data from the Department of Labor. Click here to read see the interactive chart at the National Association of Realtors.

We have posted a lot about how government intervention (i.e. rent control and other consequences of excessive regulation) has perverted the marketplace and has actually hurt the ability of real estate investors (and others) to provide quality, affordable housing.  Now comes the latest “America’s Rental Housing” report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies that says “it has become harder than ever for middle-income Americans to pay the rent.”  Indeed, it has, but maybe not for the reasons and solutions they present – such as climate change and the so-called “promising strategies” that local governments have been pursuing.  Not surprisingly,…

In case you didn’t notice, there is a presidential election taking place this year on November 3rd and along with it come all of the requisite primaries and caucuses happening across the fruited plain.  It’s exciting and it’s part of the rich fabric of America!  Previously, we’ve posted about the importance of staying informed about local issues as well as developing working relationships with elected officials.  And, let’s not forget that most of those men & women who represent us in Washington are up for election this year!  For now, let’s focus on that ever-so-lively race to be the nation’s…

RENTCafe is reporting that the average apartment rent for January came in at $1,463, up 3% from one year ago.  RENTcafe gathers their data from the Yardi Matrix, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other public (government and third-party) databases. “Rents are likely to maintain an upward streak throughout 2020, as the number of renters continues to rise in the U.S. The demand for apartments is high, including among those renting by choice.” Click here to read the full report at RentCafe.com.

This might be good news if you’re a landlord:  A recent survey from FreddieMac reveals that affordability issues remain a top concern for those looking to rent or purchase a home.  However, the survey found that 84% of renters (which they call unprecedented) say renting is more affordable than owning AND a majority of renters (62%) say they are satisfied with their current rental experience.  Interestingly, 73% of renters feel that minor or no renovations should be made to their rental property – which FreddieMac says is a strong sign that they’re happy with their current rental.  Indeed…. “while vast…

Generation Z might be sneaking up on us but mark our words, they will not be ignored.  We have had a few posts about this rising cohort and now we’re starting to see them enter the housing market.   A recent report by Realtor.com looks at recent mortgage origination data to give us a snapshot of each generation’s share of homebuying.  There is a lot of good data in this report including a list of the largest 100 metros, ranked by Generation Z’s Home Loan Origination Share. Some takeaways The Generation Z share of primary home loan originations is about 2%…

Marijuana legalization is a “burning” topic all across the country.  We have even had several posts on the subject.  However a new report from the National Association of Realtors seeks to shed light on legalization’s impact on the real estate industry.  They point out that in states where marijuana is legal, the product is grown, harvested, stored, sold, and consumed within the state lines.  And as such, this activity increases demand for land, warehouses and retail locations for the product.  In addition, they discuss the issue of marijuana being used in rental properties, HOAs creating rules, and title questions about…

Monday, February 17th is President’s Day.  And since real estate investors all know that “cash is king,” today’s infographic from NerdWallet reminds us that the cash we carry (with a few exceptions) has portraits of our most revered Presidents.  Have a Happy President’s Day and of course, Happy Friday!!!! Hat tip to NerdWallet.

We have seen from recent moving data that Idaho is the top moving destination for folks seeking an interstate relocation.  And, if you’ve ever been there you can hardly blame them – the state is gorgeous.  A recent story in the Wall Street Journal (reposted on Realtor.com) takes a look at a small town in Idaho experiencing rapid growth in population, mostly from California transplants. “…Over the past nine years, Star’s population has doubled to more than 10,000. Most of the growth has come from people like the Turnipseeds who uprooted from the West Coast to the greater Boise area—known…

According to new research from Zillow, the combined value of every residential home in the United States was $33.6 trillion at the end of 2019, up 3.4% ($1.1 trillion) from a year ago and 51% ($11.3 trillion) from the start of the decade.  Not only that, but the growth in 2019 alone was higher than the entire 2018 GDP of all but 15 nations.  Indeed… “In 2010, the U.S. housing market was struggling to regain its footing in the wake of one of the largest economic and housing downturns on record. But a decade of economic recovery marked by low…