Author: Brad Beckett

This has to be one of the more interesting forms of new technology we’ve seen in a while.  Science site Phys.org is reporting that researchers have designed special “fire alarm wallpaper” made of environmentally friendly, nonflammable materials (go figure?) that can detect a fire as well as prevent it from spreading and even sound an alarm. Apparently, when the wallpaper material is exposed to heat, it is transformed from an electrically insulating state into an electrically conductive one, causing it to automatically trigger an alarm that generates warning sounds and lights. “Compared with flammable commercial wallpaper, the fire-resistant wallpaper is…

With 2017 tax season now firmly moving into the rear-view mirror, John and Jeff go deep into what you can do to reduce your tax bill and how to get the most out a year that’s already passed.  Be sure to take detailed notes and listen to this episode as it will put EXTRA money in your pocket immediately.  They say that this is the episode you’ll want to listen to 5 times unless you like giving money away to the IRS!!! http://media.blubrry.com/wholesalereformation/p/wholesalereformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/5-Tips-Tricks-To-NOT-Pay-The-Max-In-Tax.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Android | RSS Click here to listen on WholesaleReformation.com.…

According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey, the share of investor and vacation home buyers has been steady over the past two years, with investors comprising 15% of existing home buyers in February, 2018.   The NAR’s Economists’ Outlook blog says investors are still active, despite rising housing costs, because of a tight rental market that corresponds with a continued downtrend in rental vacancy rates. “As of 2017 Q1, the U.S. rental vacancy rate was 6.9 percent, which is below the eight percent rate that is considered normal —the rate during 1996–2000, the period before the housing market boomed…

What are the best cities for middle-class buyers?  Leave it to Realtor.com to put pen to paper and come up with a top-10 list of the best cities.  To come up with their list, they identified the middle class in each of the nation’s 100 largest metros by median household income for each area and then determining what these potential buyers could afford with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (at 5%) and putting 20% down. “The Pew Research Center defines middle-class Americans as those households earning between $42,000 and $125,000 annually—although most hew closer to the $59,000 median. As a group,…

Last year we posted about Zillow getting into the “instant offers” business where potential sellers submit their property address and get no-obligation offers from “qualified” investors. Their program has been going for about a year in Las Vegas and Orlando but recently they announced that Phoenix was being added to the mix.  Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting (provided by MarketWatch) that Zillow is getting into the home flipping business.  According to the report,  Zillow will purchase homes in Las Vegas and Phoenix, renovate and flip them within 90 days.  There goes the neighborhood…. Click here to read more…

Yes, you read that headline right….subprime mortgages are making a comeback and they have a new name;  “nonprime.”  Realty Check’s Diana Olick is reporting that although the subprime mortgage industry vanished after the so-called Great Recession it is now being reinvented as the “nonprime” market.  In addition, she reports that Carrington Mortgage is now offering mortgages to borrowers with “less-than-perfect credit” and that demand from both borrowers & investors is exceeding expectations.  Indeed…..things might get weird, again…buckle up. “California-based Carrington Mortgage Services, a midsized lender, just announced an expansion into the space, offering loans to borrowers, “with less-than-perfect credit.” Carrington…

Tuesday, April 17th is the filing deadline for U.S. federal income tax returns.  With that in mind, today’s infographic from PDFelement shows us how the tax system works, how revenue is generated and the basics about what Americans do with their tax returns. Interestingly, they point out that there has been a gradual tax revenue increase in the United States over the last 5 years.  Happy Friday!!!  Don’t forget to file your taxes! Hat tip to Wondershare’s PDFelement.

U.S. Property Taxes Levied on Single Family Homes in 2017 increased 6% to More Than $293 Billion, according to a recent report by ATTOM Data Solutions.  The conclusion was part of their annual property tax analysis covering more than 86 million single family homes across the U.S.  It shows that, in 2017, property taxes levied on single family homes totaled $293.4 billion.  This figures is 6% higher than 2016 and averages out to nearly $4k per home (an effective rate of 1.17%).  ATTOM’s report analyzed property tax data collected from county tax assessor offices nationwide at the state, metro and…

Are rising home prices making homeownership more difficult for many potential buyers?  According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal (reprinted on Realtor.com), roughly one in five conventional mortgage loans made this past winter went to borrowers spending more than 45% of their monthly incomes on mortgage payments and other debts, the highest proportion since the housing crisis.  In addition, they report economists are saying rising debt levels are a symptom of a market where home prices are sharply rising in relation to incomes, which they blame on a lack of supply. “Economists warn that lenders must tread…

We’ve had numerous posts about millennials, that generation born between 1982-2004.  It’s a fast moving demographic with a set of rules seemingly all their own.  With that in mind, a new report from ApartmentList.com found that 7.9% of non-student millennials receive help from parents with their monthly rent, and 17.1% expect help with a down payment when purchasing a home.  They got their numbers from over 13k respondents to a survey they conduct annually.  They also cited a recent USA Today/Bank of America poll where 40% of millennials received help from parents with everyday expenses, including rent, child care, phone…