Author: Brad Beckett

The U.S. government is reporting that privately‐owned housing starts in January, 2025 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,366,000, which is 9.8% lower than December’s revised number and is 0.7% lower than one year ago.  January’s rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 355k.  Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,483,000, which is 0.1% higher than December’s revised number and is 1.7% lower than one year ago.  Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 427k…

The National Association of Realtors says nearly 90% of metros experienced home price increases in Q4 2024, as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate ranged from 6.12% to 6.85%.  In addition 14% of the 226 tracked metro areas posted double-digit price gains over the same period, up from 7% in the third quarter.  Indeed….Stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! “Record-high home prices and the accompanying housing wealth gains are definitely good news for property owners…However, renters who are looking to transition into homeownership face significant hurdles.”  Said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Hat tip to the Realtors!

Is it better to buy or rent?  That’s an age-old question that really depends on a lot of variables – especially an individual’s station in life.  According to their 2025 Rental Affordability Report, ATTOM says both owning & renting remain difficult for average U.S. workers, commonly consuming 25-60% their wages. However, they point out that major ownership expenses on typical single-family homes require a smaller portion of average wages than renting three-bedroom residences in close to 60% of the 341 county-level markets with enough data to analyze.  Indeed… Buying or renting a home in the U.S. these days can be like…

Local Market Monitor, a National REIA preferred vendor, recently released their monthly National Economic Outlook where they share their thoughts on developments taking place in the U.S. economy. Click here for more information about Local Market Monitor.

On a recent episode of the Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast, Brian Hamrick talks with Avery Carl, CEO of The Short Term Shop and one of the nation’s leading experts on short-term rental investing.  Avery provides a deep dive into the operations of short-term rentals, how to strategically analyze and choose markets, and offers actionable advice on managing properties, no matter the size of the portfolio. “Short-term rentals can be a great path to financial freedom, but they also come with challenges that can derail even experienced investors. Knowing how to approach this asset class strategically is…

According to the latest Yardi Matrix Multifamily Report, multifamily rents are off to a positive start for 2025 with the average U.S. advertised rent increasing $3 nationally in January to $1,746. Year-over-year rent growth was up 20 basis points to 0.8%. “Multifamily got the year rolling in a positive direction, with rents in January breaking a six-month negative growth streak….[HOWEVER]…One of the questions the industry faces in 2025 is whether demand will repeat 2024’s red-hot level.” Click here to read the full report at Yardi.

Storagecafe says interstate moving is at an all-time high, with a record-breaking 7.5 million Americans making the move across state lines in 2023 (roughly the same over the past 10 years).  They say today’s moving trends tend to be driven by necessity rather than lifestyle.  However, they point out that people are moving less frequently than they used to. Some key points: About 7.5 million Americans moved to a different state in 2023, a number that’s stayed relatively stable over the past 10 years. Seven out of the top 10 best states for net migration are in the South. Texas…

According to the latest ICE Mortgage Monitor, foreclosure starts hit an 11-month high, but remain below pre-pandemic levels.  In addition, the number of homes for sale in 2024 increased 22% leaving for-sale inventory at its best level since mid-2020.  The ICE Mortgage Monitor provides a view of the current mortgage market, including loan-level performance, home price trends data, secondary market metrics and public records. “While the share of homeowners past due on mortgage payments remains low by historical standards, we expect mortgage performance to become a growing topic of conversation in 2025, especially among FHA and VA mortgages.” Click here…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that they will launch a U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Task Force to review how HUD is spending American taxpayer dollars. According to a release, the task force will be composed of HUD employees who will examine how to best maximize the agency’s budget and ensure all programs, processes and personnel are working together to advance the purpose of the department.  Indeed… “HUD will be detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent to serve rural, tribal and urban communities…Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are no longer in a…

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4% in January, 2025.  The all items index was up 3% for the 12 months ending in January.  The index for shelter rose 0.4% in January, accounting for nearly 30% of the monthly all items increase. Click here to read the full release at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.