Author: Brad Beckett

The U.S. government is reporting that total construction spending in January, 2026 was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,190.4 billion, down 0.3% from December’s revised number.  In addition, January’s estimate is 1% higher than one year ago.  Residential construction came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $933 billion in January, which is 0.8% lower than December’s revised estimate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to their latest estimate, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is reporting that America’s real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.7% in Q4 2025. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

What countries produce the most oil?  Well, according to data illustrated in today’s graphic by Statista, the USA tops the list with 22% of the share of the world’s oil.  Drill baby, drill….. As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!! Hat tip to Statista.

A recent report from Zillow says unsold listings are making up a growing share of the rental market — the second-largest on record and trending upward.   They say 2.3% of homes listed for rent on Zillow were recently listed for sale – the last time the share of “accidental landlords” was higher was in November 2022.  States with the largest share of these accidental-landlord properties are Texas and Florida, along with Denver, Portland and Nashville markets. “As the market continues to rebalance, sellers are facing a different reality than they did a few years ago…Bargaining power is tilting toward buyers…

A recent Chart of the Week from CNBC shows us the real estate markets with the most office space under construction.  While New York City leads Dallas is hot on their heels.

On a recent episode of the Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast,  Brian Hamrick talks with Dr. Jordan Romano, an Ivy League–trained physician who has built a strong real estate portfolio not by chasing headlines or spreadsheets but by going extremely hyper-local, staying curious, and learning to see what others overlook.  Jordan shares how he uses on-the-ground observation, municipal GIS tools, zoning knowledge, and simple pattern recognition to uncover opportunities that don’t show up in a typical MLS search. “This is a practical, detailed, and refreshingly honest look at what happens when you invest deeply in one market…

As we’re still catching up with the lost data from the government shutdown, here’s the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis;   Personal income increased $113.8 billion (0.4% at a monthly rate) in January.  Disposable personal income (DPI – personal income less personal current taxes) increased $219.9 billion (0.9%), and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $81.1 billion (0.4%).  Personal outlays (the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments) increased $85.8 billion in January.  Personal saving was $1.05 trillion in January, and the personal saving rate (personal saving as a percentage of DPI) was 4.5…

Local Market Monitor recently released their monthly National Economic Outlook where they share their thoughts on developments taking place in the U.S. economy. “The growth of jobs had already fallen from a 1 percent rate a year ago, to almost zero in the past few months. And there already seemed little chance of a quick turnaround because every major sector of the economy – except for healthcare and restaurants – is losing jobs; the problem is wise-spread.” Click here to read more at Local Market Monitor.

The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in January, 2026 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 587k, which is 17.6% lower than December’s revised rate and is 11.3% lower than one year ago.  The median sales price of new houses sold in January was $400,500 with an average sales price of $499,500.  There were an estimated 476k new houses for sale at the end of January representing an 9.7 month supply at the current sales rate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

The American Land Title Association is reporting that a federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas issued a ruling vacating the FinCEN Residential Real Estate Rule in its entirety.  ALTA says  the ruling found that FinCEN exceeded its statutory authority under the Bank Secrecy Act and ordered the rule be set aside.  They say this is inconsistent with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which last month issued a decision in Fidelity National Financial v. Bessent. In addition, FinCEN.gov has issued guidance confirming that reporting persons are not currently required to file reports under the…