Author: Brad Beckett

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), U.S. house prices rose 0.2% in August but were up 4.6% year-over-year.  The FHFA produces the nation’s only public, freely available house price indexes (HPIs) that measure changes in single-family house prices based on data that cover all 50 states and over 400 American cities and extend back to the mid-1970s.  FHFA HPIs are built on tens of millions of home sales and offer insights about home price fluctuations at the levels of the nation, census division, state, metro area, county, ZIP code, and census tract. Click…

According to the latest Yardi Matrix, U.S. multifamily rent growth inched upward in October, with the average rent coming in at $1,476, which they say is an all-time high.  In addition, they report year-over-year rent growth remained at 3.2%.  Yardi says that “although subject to some seasonality by metro, the multifamily market continues to consistently produce strong rent growth.” Click here to read the full report at YardiMatrix.com.

The National Association of Realtors say with rising housing costs showing no signs of a deceleration the percentage of first-time buyers remain at historic lows.  Today’s infographic takes a snapshot of today’s homebuyers using data from their recently released 2019 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers.  Happy Friday!!! Hat tip to the National Association of Realtors.

For some of our loyal readers this recent article from Builder.com might be a walk down memory lane.  However, for most of us it is interesting throwback to a totally different and “groovy” era of the Midcentury Modern.  Many of these homes will seem very familiar once you take a closer look…Who knows, you might have even lived in one or flipped a few of them? Click here to read the full story on Builder.com.

At their recent national meeting in San Francisco, the National Board of Realtors passed a resolution that bans “pocket listings” for realtors participating in its Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  The NAR’s board of directors took the step in a resolution entitled MLS Statement 8.0 (also known as the Clear Cooperation policy) which requires listing brokers to submit their listing to the MLS within one business day of marketing the property to the public, effectively ending the practice of “pocket listings.”  Local MLSs will have until May 1, 2020 to implement this new policy. “Within one (1) business day of marketing…

Kathy Fettke points out that we’ve seen a lot of volatility in the global economy these past few months with headlines are warning us about all sorts of economic uncertainties.  While it might be enough to upset the stock market, should real estate investors be concerned?  In a recent a recent episode of Real Estate News for Investors Kathy says it is important to understand that the real estate market is very different today than it was last decade and that the theme of 2020 will most likely be a “Slowing but Growing Economy.” Click here to read the transcript…

The NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reporting that after declining for six consecutive quarters, the home building component of America’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased during Q3 of 2019.  They attribute this gain to a housing rebound that started last spring, with the increase in single-family permits and starts.  Interestingly, they point out that while GDP in Q3 increased at 1.9%, the housing’s overall share increased by 14.6% over the same period. Click here to read the full story at the NAHB’s Eye on Housing.

What were the “hottest real estate markets” in October?  Realtor.com crunched the numbers and tells us that for the 4th straight month Ft. Wayne, Indiana topped their list of cities with high demand and low median days on the market.  To get their list, Realtor.com says homes in these hot markets received 1.5 to 2.5 times the number of views per home for sale compared to the national rate.  In addition, homes in these markets are seeing for sale homes move 16 to 29 days quicker than typical properties across the country.  Their list also shows that the Midwest continues…

According to data from the most recent American Community Survey (ACS), since the peak of the recession in 2008, the housing cost burden for U.S. homeowners has eased while it has remained stagnant for renters.  The ACS estimates the percentage of “burdened” households, or those spending 35% of their monthly income on housing costs) and provides a 10-year look at the trends from 2008 to 2018.  In 2018, for homeowners it was approximately 20.9% and for renters it was 40.6%.  Indeed… “The picture wasn’t quite as bright for the nation’s 43.8 million renters. An estimated 40.6% of rental unit residents…

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, a recent “chart of the week” from the Mortgage Bankers Association highlights the estimated and forecasted average annual change in U.S. population, by age group.  Among their findings, they say that while homeownership levels are strong among older groups, “even the relatively small renter share of the overall growth among older populations can mean significant demand for the apartment market.”  Indeed… “Housing demand in the U.S. is expected to grow considerably over the next decade, as the large Baby Boomer cohort grows into age groups formerly held by the Silent Generation, and Millennials…