Author: Brad Beckett

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales were down 3.6% in December, however the year ended with overall sales up 1.1% – the best in 11 years.  The median existing-home price for all housing types in December was $246,800, up 5.8% from December 2016 and marking the 70th straight month of year-over-year gains.  Inventory at the end of December was down 11.4% at 1.48 million homes for sale, representing a 3.2-month supply. “Existing sales concluded the year on a softer note, but they were guided higher these last 12 months by a multi-year streak of exceptional job…

Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur?  Are you exhibiting any of the 10 signs that might reveal you have an “entrepreneurial mindset?”  The good folks over at FortuneBuilders say that the one thing that separates the good/not-so-good entrepreneurs from those that are great is having an entrepreneurial mindset.  Happy Friday!!! “If you’re a savvy business person who knows a thing or two about the industry, that’s great. But is your mindset one that is driven by client engagement, authenticity, increased visibility, and leadership? If not, it may be time to shift your mindset towards that of a true entrepreneur.” Hat…

How much debt do Americans have?  The folks over at howmuch.net recently put together an eye-catching map showing the average debt-load of Americans ranked by their respective state.  They utilized survey data after asking Americans how much debt they had – which included items such as a mortgage, credit cards, student loans, car notes and even medical bills.  Not surprisingly Hawaiians topped the list with an average debt load of $869,250. “There really isn’t a clear pattern on the map: there are low-debt states sitting right next to high-debt states.” Top 10 States Where People Have the Most Debt: Hawaii: $869,250…

Black Knight is reporting that the overall delinquency rate (representing loans 30 or more days past due, but not yet in active foreclosure) rose 3.47%  to its highest level since early 2016.  In addition, hurricane-related delinquencies represented 142,700 severely delinquent loans (20 percent of all such delinquencies nationwide). Click here to read the full report on BKFS.com.

Recently, National Apartment Expert Anthony Chara sat down with the RPOA Podcast to discuss how to increase your wealth exponentially with apartments & multi-family properties.  Chara has invested in over 1,700 units worth over $45 Million in value.  On this episode, he shares with Brian Hamrick how his apartment investments weathered the great recession, how he finds and funds his opportunities, the types of due diligence he does on the property and the market, and why its so important to know whether the city & state is tenant or landlord friendly.  He also shares the challenges he’s faced when taking…

We love top-10 lists and we love finding bargains.  In that vein, the folks over at Realtor.com recently put pen to paper to come with the most 10 most affordable U.S. metros.  To get there, they looked at the 500 largest metros in the country and then whittled it down to the top 10 with the lowest median home prices. “There are a lot of people in that first-time home-buyer group looking for starter homes, and they can’t afford it in many top metros,” says Robert Silverman, professor of urban planning at the University of Buffalo in New York. “If…

In their most recent Rent Affordability Report, ATTOM Data Solutions reported that buying a median-priced home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 240 (54%) of the 447 U.S. counties analyzed.  Interestingly, in 2017, this number was 66%.   The report looked at 50th percentile average rental data for three-bedroom properties in 2018 from HUD, along with Q2 2017 average weekly wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (most recent available) and Q4 2017 home price data from ATTOM Data Solutions publicly recorded sales deed data in 540 counties nationwide. “Although buying is still more affordable than renting…

Real estate data powerhouse HouseCanary recently said that the Mortgage Deduction is “Not A Big Deal … Except Where It Is.”  Okay…..so they took a look at  2017 loans (originated by MSA) that fell between $750k and $1 million to see how many would be impacted by the new tax reform laws. Among other things, they estimated that since buyers won’t be able to deduct at least part of their mortgage interest paid on a new home, this will lower overall affordability on homes priced between $750k and $1 million – which are considered luxury in most markets.   They also…

If you’re looking to invest in a property that is “da kine” look no further than a recent article in Honolulu Magazine about investing in the Aloha state.  As anyone who has ever been there knows, it is truly paradise….but the prices can be downright scary.  However, when you look at the appreciation potential it might be very lucrative, with the right property(s). One of the best options can be to start with a small condominium. The key is to find something that will create a positive cash flow so that your investment pays for itself. There are a lot…

The U.S. Government is reporting that privately owned housing starts in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,192,000.   This is 8.2% below the November’s estimate of 1,299,000 and is 6.0% lower than December 2016.  Single-family housing starts in December were at a rate of 836k, which is 11.8% lower than November.  December’s rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 352k.  Overall for 2017, there were an estimated 1,202,100 housing units started which is 2.4% higher than 2016’s figure of 1,173,800. Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally…