Author: Brad Beckett

According to their annual Migration Patterns report, Atlas Van Lines said that, in 2017, 11 U.S. states reported a change in migration status over their 2016 numbers.  In addition, 23 states were balanced (moves in and out of the states were roughly equal).  However, an perhaps interestingly, their data showed an overall decrease in the number of moves in 2017.  Atlas has annually conducted the Migration Patterns study since 1993 which tracks the nation’s interstate and cross-border (U.S. to Canada) moving patterns as reflected in moves handled by Atlas Van Lines.  Next week we’ll see what United Van Lines says…

Rental information site Zumper recently released their National Rent Report for January showing that the median national rent for 1-bedroom apartment was $1,255 (up 2.1% from last month) and $1,388 (almost no change) for a 2-bedroom apartment.  San Francisco continues to dominate their National Rent Index of 100 cities at $3,400/$4380 with Ft. Wayne, Indiana rounding out the bottom at $500/$580. Zumper analyzes rental data from over 1 million active listings across the United States. Data is aggregated on a monthly basis to calculate median asking rents for the top 100 metro areas by population, providing a comprehensive view of…

The U.S. Census Bureau is reporting that total construction spending in November was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of$1.25 trillion, which is 0.8% higher than October and 2.4% above the November 2016 number.  Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $964.3 billion, which is 1% higher than October. Residential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $530.8 billion in November, which was also 1% higher than October’s figure. Nonresidential construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $433.5 billion in November. Click here to read the full report.

As reported by HousingWire, the American Enterprise Institute’s Center on Housing Markets and Finance’s Edward Pinto gave four points he expects to see in the U.S. housing market in 2018. They are: The historically tight supply of single-family homes will tighten further in 2018 after hitting a record low in November 2017 The national home price boom that began in mid-2012, will continue, and given the unprecedented low levels of inventory, will even accelerate further First-time buyers will face even higher home price gains for entry level homes First-time buyers will continue take on even more leverage in an effort…

The January issue of the Scotsman Guide features a Q&A interview of incoming National REIA President Doug DeShields, who shares his insight & wisdom on the vital role real estate investors play in the housing industry.  In particular, Residential Edition editor Will McDermott asked Doug about the issues facing real estate investors, what areas are hot, the status of flipping, doing rehabs and more.  It’s a good read and a great way to start the new year! What is the biggest issue facing real estate investors today? One of the biggest problems is finding houses to buy to fix up…

As we start the new year and with it a reset on all the important housing data that’s collected, studied and analyzed, Redfin recently out out their list of the most competitive neighborhoods for home buyers in 2017.  They cite extreme competition which caused homes to fly off the market and kept inventory low and prices high, all across the country.  In addition, they report that homes found buyers after a median 45 days on market – which is 6 days less than in 2016. “The 2017 housing market was the most competitive we have seen since 2013, when…

We will soon be starting another year and with it come the obligatory resolutions and potential life-changing promises that are part of our new year traditions.  However, whatever you do, just make sure you take time to count your blessings, take stock of what’s important in your life and know that whether it is New Year’s Day, next week, or even next Monday, it is always the first day of the rest of your life….so make the most of it!  Happy Friday and here’s to a wonderful and prosperous 2018!!! Hat tip to History.com for the infographic.

In her “2018 Playbook” CNBC’s Diana Olick takes a quick look at what happened in 2017 and we can expect in the real estate world for 2018.   Those predictions include slightly higher home sales, home builders slowly increasing production and potential sellers are staying on the sidelines. “Three years of low inventory is taking its toll on buyer demand in terms of tour and offer activity,” said Redfin chief economist Nela Richardson. “People still want to buy homes, especially before mortgage interest rates increase and prices rise even more. But there just aren’t enough homes for sale, especially at lower-…

Urban sprawl is coming back big in 2018, or at least that’s what Zillow says due to limited building space in the nation’s urban areas.  They also predict that current homeowners will remodel their homes instead of selling (making inventory even tighter) and new homes will be designed with both millennials and aging baby-boomers in mind. Specifically they predict: Inventory shortages will drive the housing market: Builders will turn their focus to entry-level homes Millennials will move to the suburbs Many homeowners will remodel rather than sell: Baby Boomers and millennials will drive home design Homes prices will continue to…

In a recent episode of News for Investors, Kathy Fettke talks about the recent Tax Reform legislation which passed Congress and was signed by the President as well as the latest on America’s most expensive zip codes, and a new trend for working adults who live in rentals. Click here to read the transcript.