Author: Brad Beckett

After analyzing recent housing data from the Commerce Department, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) says the number of single-family homes built-for-rent has posted solid gains over the last year.  Their analysis showed that built-for-rent accounted for 4.5% of total housing starts in the 2nd quarter of 2016.  However, they cautiously said  that “as homes age, they are more likely to be rented. Thus, the primary source of single-family rental homes is not construction but the existing housing stock.” Click here to read the full report at the NAHB’s Eye on Housing.

According to recent data from Zillow, 13.7% of American homeowners in urban regions and 11.2% of homeowners in suburban areas are underwater on their mortgage.  This compares to nearly a third of homeowners who were underwater after the burst of the housing bubble.   Interestingly, negative equity is nearly equally spread across urban and suburban areas across the country. Zillow says that in 13 of the nation’s largest metros, the share of urban and suburban homeowners who are underwater is within two percentage points. “At its worst, negative equity touched all kinds of homeowners in all kinds of markets,” said Zillow…

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) are reporting that 39 states added construction jobs between July 2015 and July 2016 while construction employment only increased in 23 states and the District of Columbia between June and July, according to analysis of Labor Department data.  Association officials said construction employment likely declined in many states as firms have growing difficulty locating qualified workers to hire. “Depending on market segment and geography, many firms report they are having a hard time finding enough workers to keep pace with demand,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer for the association.  “While there…

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Ransomware attacks have spiked this year targeting users at all levels.  In fact, the FBI says that over 4k ransomware attacks have occurred since the first of the year – representing a 300% increase since 2015.  Not only is this the fastest growing malware threat but it has also become quite lucrative for would-be thieves.  Interestingly, according to the WSJ, Bitcoin has now become the preferred payment for cyber-thieves due to its anonymity and ability to send & receive form anywhere in the world. Ransomware works by infecting your computer with a virus…

Nightly Rentals, The Hottest Investment Right Now? How to earn 2-5 times the gross profit of traditional rental properties. By Christian Bryant, President of IRC Enterprises I am sure by now you have heard of the many nightly rental websites that allow property owners to advertise their homes, apartments, and even extra rooms for rent on a nightly basis. There have of course been some controversies over this new industry as it takes revenue away from the hotel industry and thus decreases the amount of taxes that local cities receive from the transient tax. One way or another, you have…

A couple weeks ago we learned that, nationally, foreclosures were trending downward.  However, looking deeper into that data (courtesy of ATTOM Data Solutions’ ReatyTrac) reveals that 13 states have actually seen year-over-year increases in the number of foreclosure starts – with Delaware leading the pack with a 113% increase.  Overall, data show that one in every 1,540 U.S. housing units had a foreclosure filing during the month of July. The states showing an increase in foreclosure starts are: Delaware: foreclosure starts jumped 113% Arizona:  up 76% Utah: up 63% Connecticut: up 50% Oregon: up 20% South Carolina: up 3% Massachusetts:…

Color….it makes it all pop!  It’s what you first see, and it’s probably what you remember about a property – good or bad.  The folks over at Home Depot put together this quick & easy guide to color theory and effective use of a color wheel for those painting projects.  Who knew that red can increase muscle reaction time, raise your blood pressure and stimulate risk taking?  Or that yellow and orange stimulate the appetite.  Happy Friday…. Click here to read more on the Home Depot Blog

A couple of months ago we posted about the seller who wouldn’t move out, as strange as that was we’ve now we’ve now learned about a Florida woman that bought a house that was built on the wrong lot. According to the news report, the homeowner purchased her house in 2009 from a now-defunct builder who apparently built the house on the wrong lot instead of the adjacent one that she actually purchased! Interestingly, the survey company hired for the home’s closing failed to discover the error as well. Now, 7 years later, and to the homeowner’s complete surprise, the lot’s…

Are there a growing number of renters who choose to rent, versus buy, even though financially they would have no problem purchasing a home?  We already know that homeownership rates are at historic lows as more & more Americans are choosing to rent (for various reasons).  Recently, new research from Zillow looked at renters in America’s 35 largest housing markets to determine their distribution.  They analyzed the self-reported credit scores and incomes of renters actively searching for a home during the first half of 2016 to assess which large housing markets have the most highly qualified renters. Key takeaways: Housing…

We’ve seen that student housing can a be very lucrative investment.  However, not all markets are created equal.  The data-crunchers over at Axiometrics recently reported the top 10 highest and lowest student housing rent-growths for this fall.  Nationally, the average rent was $618 per bed per month for Fall 2016….Interestingly, the rent varies depending on the distant from campus. “The strongest university markets are not necessarily those with the most new supply, nor necessarily the largest universities. While the following schools might not have Power 5 athletic programs or the most degree offerings, their student housing is showing the strongest…