Author: Brad Beckett

Student housing can be a great place to invest but you have to do your due diligence and know the market. New data from Axiometrics (a RealPage company) shows that enrollment, which is a major indicator for student housing, experienced a slight drop last year according to their Axio175 report.  According to their data, enrollment grew an average of 0.7% over the fall 2016 semester among the 175 universities – down from the 1.3% average growth pace in each of the previous three years.  Interestingly, when the Axio175 universities are broken down in three groups based by enrollment size, the trend…

Where are America’s fastest growing suburbs?  That’s the question Realtor.com recently put pen to paper to in order to determine the hottest bedroom communities all across the country.  To get their list, they analyzed over 7k zip codes, focusing on the ones outside a city’s limits and within an hour’s commute in rush hour to the center of the nearest urban area. They calculated home appreciation over the last three years, the increase in the number of home listings, population growth and factored in the share of new construction at the county level. “These  [are places that]  have what people…

Whether you’re paying the heating bill for your tenant or you’ve noticed that the summer heat has increased your own energy bills, you’re feeling it!  According to a recent report from WalletHub, energy costs can consume between 5 & 22 percent of a family’s total after-tax income.  To that end, they crunched the numbers to determine the most and least energy expensive states.  They looked at monthly energy bills in all 50 states (and D.C.) then utilized a special formula that accounted for the following residential energy types: electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil.  Be sure to…

According to a new report from Ellie Mae the average millennial borrower’s credit score varied greatly from city-to-city in May.  The data was part of their latest Ellie Mae Millennial Tracker which measures closed loan application trends for U.S. homebuyers born between 1980-99.  They report that the average FICO score for all closed loans to Millennials in May held steady for the third month in a row at 721, the lowest average for Millennial borrowers since April 2017. “You would expect to see higher average FICO scores in the largest coastal metropolitan cities where loan amounts are higher, which we…

The NAHB’s Eye on Housing recently took a hard look at building data from the U.S. Census Bureau and found that the average completion time of a single-family house is around 7.5 months – which normally includes about a month from authorization to start and then another 6.5 months to finish.  They found that the average completion time in 2017 was the same as it was in 2016, however it was slightly more than in 2015. “The time from authorization to completion varies across the nation and depends on the geographic location, metropolitan status, and whether the house is built…

Are dying golf courses an opportunity for investors?  In a recent episode of Real Estate News for Investors, Kathy Fettke discusses the decline in the popularity of golf and how the real estate that many distressed golf courses are situated on are prime for redevelopment.  According to her report, the trend (opportunity) is already well underway. “Industry experts say, the average size of an 18-hole golf course is 150 acres. That’s big enough for about 600 new single-family homes. If you add townhomes and apartments to the mix, you could create new housing for thousands of people.  And, most of…

What are the 10 most expensive states to live in?  A recent study by CNBC looked at the out-of-control living expenses in many of these states that make it difficult for residents to enjoy the best possible quality of life.  They looked at several key metrics (including cost of living, home prices, food prices, energy, etc) and then ranked all 50 states.  No surprises here….however each states’ individual breakdown is pretty interesting. Here are CNBC’s 10 most expensive states in which to live: Hawaii California Massachusetts New York Alaska Oregon Maryland Connecticut Rhode Island New Jersey Click here to read…

While foreclosure starts are decreasing across the nation, they actually increased in 40% of local markets, according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ Midyear 2018 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.  There were 362,275 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings (including default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions) in the first six months of 2018.  This figure is 15% lower than one year ago and down 78%  from a peak of 1,654,634 in the first six months of 2010.  Interestingly, recent FHA loans (originating in 2014-15) have seen above average increases in foreclosure rates. “Localized foreclosure flare-ups in the first half of 2018 can no…

The demographic makeup of any given area is vital for understanding the housing needs of its residents.  Today’s infographic from the U.S. Census Bureau gives us a nice snapshot of the median age of residents in every county in America.  Notice how it gets more purple the farther north you go (except Alaska)…..Happy Friday! Hat tip to Census.gov.

Online real estate marketplace Roofstock recently released a list of the 29 real estate submarkets to watch, based on data from their nationwide collection of property managers.   Their list includes six major areas’ submarkets and it is probably worth a look – especially if you’re seeking new markets in which to invest.  They also say they will continue adding to this list.  Indeed….Do your due diligence, gather good intelligence and you’ll be on the right path. “Getting your foot in the right real estate market at the right time can feel a bit like throwing darts blindfolded. While housing…