Author: Brad Beckett

On August 11th, 2026 the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a final rule permanently eliminating beneficial ownership reporting requirements for U.S. companies and U.S. persons under the Corporate Transparency Act.  The rule takes effect upon publication in the Federal Register. According to the release, the rule makes permanent exemptions adopted in March 2025, eliminates update requirements for U.S. persons with FinCEN IDs, and removes reporting of U.S. company applicants by foreign companies. FinCEN will also delete previously reported information tied to U.S. persons.  FinCEN said the changes reduce regulatory burdens on American small businesses while maintaining national…

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing home sales dropped 1.7% in July, 2026 to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million.  Total housing inventory at the end of July was 1.54 million units, down 1.9% from June and down 0.6% from one year ago.  Unsold inventory sits at a 4.6-month supply at the current sales rate.  The median existing-home price for all housing types in July was $434,100 – the 37th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases. “Home sales have been remarkably stable, even amid the rising mortgage rate environment of the past few months…Year-to-date sales are…

The Visual Capitalist says that buying a car is only the beginning because every year after that, drivers face a steady stream of expenses from insurance to fuel to repairs and taxes – and they all add up.  Citing data from LendingTree, today’s graphic takes a look at the costs of car ownership by state.  Stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!!! Hat tip to the Visual Capitalist.

According to Apartment List’s National Rent Report for August, 2026, national median rent increased 0.2% in July to $1,388 – marking the 6th consecutive monthly increase.  They say while rents are still down 1.1% compared to one year ago, year-over-year rent growth has been inching up and the vacancy rate is inching down, which they say signals a modest tightening of rental market conditions. Click here to read the full report at Apartment List.

On a recent episode of Omaha REIA’s Kash & Dash Show, Ted Kaasch and Owen Dashner speak with Alex Beltrancwho shares how growing up in California during the 2008 housing crash initially pushed him away from real estate.   Eventually he earned his license, moved toward Beverly Hills, and lived out of his truck so he could afford to pursue luxury real estate without burning through his savings.  This episode covers taking risks, learning from failure, finding opportunity in unusual places, and designing a life around freedom rather than following a traditional path. What do living in a truck near…

According to ATTOM Data’s Mid-Year 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report there were a total of 227,548 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions) in the first six months of 2026. That figure is up 21% from one year ago and up 28% from the same time period two years ago.  In addition, ATTOM says among states with 500+ foreclosure filings in the first half of 2026, the largest year-over-year increases in activity were recorded in Idaho (up 59%), Colorado (up 57%), Georgia (up 52%), North Carolina (up 47%), and Mississippi (up 45%). “Foreclosure activity continued…

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 23k jobs in July, 2026.  The BLS said both the unemployment rate of 4.1% and the number of unemployed people, at 6.9 million, changed little in July. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the ADP National Employment Report for July, 2026, private sector employment increased by 44k jobs.   ADP says sector-level hiring was choppy last month, but pay sent a clear signal. Year-over-year pay for job-changers accelerated to its fastest pace of growth in nearly a year.  The ADP National Employment Report is an independent and high-frequency view of the private-sector labor market based on the aggregated and anonymized payroll data of more than 26 million U.S. employees. “Job-changers are highly sensitive to real-time economic conditions, and their rapid pay growth implies supply constraints in parts of the labor market. Typical…

The U.S. government is reporting that total construction spending in June, 2026 was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,166.5 billion, down 0.1% from May’s revised number.  However, June’s estimate is 3.2% lower than one year ago.  Residential construction came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $877.1 billion in June, which is 0.3% lower than May’s revised estimate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is reporting that personal income increased $54.9 billion (0.2% at a monthly rate) in June.  Disposable personal income (DPI – personal income less personal current taxes) decreased $48.3 billion (0.2%), and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $65.2 billion (0.3%).  Personal saving was $646.1 billion in June, and the personal saving rate (personal saving as a percentage of DPI) was 2.7%. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.