Author: Brad Beckett

It is pretty apparent that the current situation our country is experiencing with the Coronavirus will affect the housing market.  A recent Wall Street Journal article (reposted on Realtor.com) said the lowest mortgage rates on record are colliding with the prospect of an economic downturn and will ultimately set the stage for an unpredictable housing market this spring. Indeed… “Early indications suggest that rock-bottom borrowing costs may not be enough to lure many home buyers amid the current uncertainty. Economists are tamping down earlier expectations that cheap rates and a strong job market would boost the housing market in 2020…

Notwithstanding the current Coronavirus situation,  the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1%  in February, the same as January.  Breaking it down, the food index increased 0.4% over the month, the food at home index rose 0.5% (its largest monthly increase since May 2014) while the index for energy fell 2.0% in February.  The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services. The CPI reflects spending patterns for each of two population groups: all urban consumers and urban wage earners…

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.  Notably, they predict that the population of renters will increase because fewer people will have the financial confidence to buy a home. National Economic Outlook – March 2020 By Ingo Winzer March 12, 2020 – Although I’ll quote the latest data on jobs (from February) events have already overtaken the statistics. The spread of the corona virus threatens to have a dramatic effect on the US economy. And not just in the…

Spring will soon be here! (the first day is March 19th) That means now is a great time to start thinking about your property’s landscaping – whether it’s a rental house or a flip you’re about to spruce up, a nice lawn will certainly add value and improve curb appeal!  The folks over at The Home Depot put together this handy infographic with their Spring fertilization tips…..Happy Friday!!! *** Did you know that members of National REIA receive a 2% biannual rebate, 20% off interior & exterior paints & primers, volume pricing, access to an exclusive appliance & cabinet program…

Most landlords require their tenants to have renters insurance. It is an invaluable financial product that ends up protecting the property owner as well as the tenant in the event of a catastrophe.  For the most part, compared to homeowners insurance, renters insurance is relatively inexpensive.  However, as the folks over at howmuch.net point out, the rates can drastically vary across in different parts of the country.  Nor surprisingly, the states with the highest renters insurance costs saw the lowest percentage of insured renters.  Even though they point out that the likelihood of natural disaster seems to drive its adoption…

A new report from Redfin finds that telecommuting increases 25% after a move.  In other words, they found that people are relocating to more affordable cities because they are able to do more of their work remotely.  In addition, their data also found that the most common reason for moving was affordable housing followed by proximity to family.  Indeed…. “The job market is very tight and employers want to hold on to people, so companies are much more willing now to allow workers to move,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. “Plus, technology has enabled employers to let staff work…

We saw last month that during the final quarter of 2019 the homeownership rate increased to 65.1%, the highest level in 7 years.  A recent “chart of the week” from the Mortgage Bankers Association took a deeper dive into the numbers to breakout the homeownership rate by age.  They find that older homeowners are staying put longer than previous generations.  Indeed…. “Households headed by a person 65 years old or greater (green line) had the highest proportion of homeowners in last year’s fourth quarter (by age group) at 79%. If we drill down within the 65+ age group, the homeownership…

With record tight inventories all over across the country Realtor.com reminds us that few markets are immune.  However, they did take a look at a look at the numbers across the board and pinpointed the places they say are “easiest” to buy a home as well as those locations where it is pretty hard.   Their analysis looked at the number of listings per 1,000 homeowner-occupied households in the 100 largest metros in the Q4, 2019.  Indeed… “Inventory is falling—even in the easiest markets to buy a home,” says realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “For buyers, it means there are fewer…

According to a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data, total household debt increased by $193 billion (1.4%) to $14.15 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2019 – marking 22 consecutive quarters of increases.  Interestingly,the proportion of credit-card debt that was in serious delinquency increased 5.32% – the highest in 8 years.  As for mortgages (the largest component at $9.56 trillion), the total share of the balance increased by $120 billion.  Indeed…. “Mortgage originations, including refinances, increased significantly in the final quarter of 2019, with auto loan originations also remaining at the brisk…

According to ATTOM Data’s year-end 2019 U.S. Home Flipping Report, over 245k single family homes & condos were flipped in 2019, up 2% from 2018 – the highest point since 2006.  In addition, they report that while flipping itself was at an 8-year high, the profit margins continued dropping to an 8-year low themselves at $62,900.  Indeed…. “Home-flipping profits across the U.S. dropped again in 2019 as the business of buying and selling houses absorbed its worst year since the housing market was mired in the fallout from the Great Recession. This happened as the cost of buying properties continued…