Author: Brad Beckett

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing home sales got off to their fastest pace in nearly 10 years.  They report that total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, expanded 3.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million in January – which is 3.8% higher than a year ago and the highest since February 2007.  The median existing-home price for all housing types in January was $228,900, up 7.1% from January 2016 and marks the 59th consecutive month of year-over-year gains.  Total housing inventory at the end of…

Does the idea of being your own boss sound appealing?  Want to know how to get started?  The folks over at FortuneBuilders put together this handy infographic showing how you can launch a real estate business & become your own boss in 7 days.  And, while you’re at, a great place to help in that journey is by teaming up with  your local real estate investors association (REIA) – where you’ll meet like-mind folks who’ve been there, done that and can help you get started.  Happy Friday! Click here to read more on Fortunebuilders.

A recent study from the Mortgage Banker Association’s Research Institute for Housing America (RIHA) examined the shift of existing housing stock between owner-occupied and rental-occupied over time.  It found that between 2000 and 2014, roughly 6.5% of homes built prior to 2000 and 10.3% of homes built in the 1990s, shifted from owner-occupied to rental status.  The study also revealed that housing stock is more likely to move from owner-occupied to renter-occupied when the current occupant of a home is under water.  The RIHA study used data from the 2000-2014 Census and American Community Surveys and the 1985-2013 American Housing…

What are America’s cleanest and most polluted cities?  Who has the cleanest water, the most breathable air?  The folks over at Realtor.com looked at 150 metros using a range of criteria which included toxic chemicals released from factories, Superfund sites, and air & water quality to come up with their Top 10 Clean and Polluted Cities.  According to their findings, a pattern emerged: The cleanest cities are typically set amid agricultural communities, with a national forest and/or natural preserve and the most polluted cities are former industrial hubs in the Rust Belt and along the Gulf of Mexico.  Go figure….…

New research from GOBankingRates.com has found that the median cost of homeowners insurance directly corresponds with the median home values in that particular state.  In essence, if you live in Hawaii (median value $578,400) you’ll have the highest rates averaging just over $2k, however if you live in West Virginia (median value $99,700) you’ll experience the lowest with a median rate just under  $350.  Their entire 50-state list is interesting and worth a look. “Many factors determine the cost of homeowners insurance, such as the size of the specific property, its condition, age and composition, the cost to replace it…

Sometimes it just happens….the land itself is worth more than the structure that’s on it.  We’ve all driven through neighborhoods where “tear-downs” are in full season where the value of the land has appreciated but the homes have not.  In that context, the folks over at Realtor.com took data from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to put together a list of the top 10 cities where land value exceeds property value. “In San Francisco, you see some smaller investors who buy old, poorly maintained homes simply for what can be done to the lot, not the existing homes,” says…

Bloomberg is reporting that more and more single women are “skipping the spouse and buying the house.”  Citing statistics various industry sources they report that single women account for 17% of U.S. home buyers versus only 7% for single men.   They also find that single women buy at a slightly older age then single men, pay about $17k less and had a slightly higher foreclosure rate then single men. “…there’s one area of personal finance where single women are outpacing men in the U.S., and it’s a significant one: home ownership.” Click here to read the full story on Bloomberg.com.…

Rehabbing a home can take on many iterations however they all have one thing in common – making it better (or look better) than it was before.  The folks over at Redfin.com recently came up with a list of nine fairly simple things you can do to a home to make it appear more expensive, without spending a fortune. The top 9 things are: Paint the Floor Redo Outdated Light Fixtures Add Window Dressings Put up Crown Moulding Paint Your White Fridge Metallic Paint the Garage to Create a Faux Carriage Door Frame the Television Cover Old Floors With Laminate Try…

Many find it hard to buy rental property while holding down a full-time job. Kevin Guz, who now owns a HomeVestors franchise in Dallas, tells the story of how he got started on his lunch hour. How I bought my first rental duplex on my lunch hour By Kevin Guz For many part-time investors or investors embarking on that first rental investment property purchase the easiest excuse is, “I don’t have time.” If you have the desire to purchase investment real estate, and you are already involved in your career- you have a great full time job or full time…

A “huge misunderstanding” resulted in contractors recently gutting the wrong house in Ft. Worth, TX.  According to the Star Telegram, a demolition crew arrived at what they thought was a house they were hired to gut, however instead of verifying the address on the house they were looking for (in this case 2700) they only saw a number painted on the curb – which turned out to be the block number, not the house number!  So, they proceeded to gut out #2736 (which was the number written on the house).  Adding insult to injury, the owners of the newly gutted…