Author: Brad Beckett

Various reports in the media over the past week have highlighted the recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision to classify some sub-contractors as “joint employees” and the confusion it has sown – especially in the home building industry.  CNBC’s Realty Check reports that while [the] “NLRB’s ruling was based on a case in another industry, so it remains to be seen exactly how it would apply to the builders.” “The homebuilding industry, which is primarily made up of small businesses who rely greatly on the work of subcontractors would overwhelmingly be harmed by the new standard,” said Tom Woods,…

According to a recent article on the theRealDeal.com, fear of further currency devaluation in China will bring on a flood of real estate investment in the American market – which they see as a high-return investment with moderate risk and politically stablity, as compared to China. “The Chinese see US real estate as a relatively moderate risk, high-return investment….More and more Chinese buyers will also be eyeing residential property as an investment, according to Svenja Gudell, the chief economist at Zillow.  She said she expects to see a different kind of Chinese buyer seeking property in the US: A reduction…

We’ve all heard the phrase “the New Normal” and how it seems to continually pop up in our ever-changing lives.  A recent article posted by the National Association of Realtors has a new take on the New Normal as being “the situation of the Millennial generation.” In addition, according to recent several reports millennials love home ownership: “…or at least the idea of a owning a home of their own. A whopping 80 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds say they are ‘optimistic about residential real estate,’ according to a Prudential/HSF Affiliates  survey taken in the second quarter…This generation also embraces…

What are the best places in America where renting a home beats buying one?  TheStreet.com, using data from ReatlyTrac & HUD, have come up with a list of 10 places where renting a home is less expensive than buying one.  They are: San Francisco Seattle Suffolk County, NY Denver Washington, D.C. Portland, OR Los Angeles Port St. Lucie, FL Asheville, NC Lincoln, NE Read the complete story here.

New data released today by S&P Dow Jones Indices showed that home prices have continually risen over the last 12 months.   The data, from the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, report a 4.5% annual increase om June, versus a 4.4% increase in May. “Nationally, home prices continue to rise at a 4-5% annual rate, two to three times the rate of inflation,” says David M. Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Click here to read the full report.

According to new data released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce, sales of new single-family homes rose this month in signal that the housing market is rebounding strongly. According to the report: Sales of new single-family houses in July 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 507,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 5.4 percent (±14.8%)* above the revised June rate of 481,000 and is 25.8 percent (±22.6%) above the July 2014 estimate of 403,000. The median sales price of new houses…

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a notice of proposed rule-making and request for comments on changes to the regulations issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that cover who is exempt from overtime pay within certain categories of employees. The Obama Administration estimates that upwards of 5 million workers would fall under this rule within the first year. It is vitally important to understand the scale and scope of impact that this proposed rule will have on real estate investors (small businesses) and appropriate comments should be made through Regulations.gov. Who is and who is not exempt for…

According to a recent survey by Zillow, 63% of experts said rent control ordinances are “government intrusions into the marketplace that, however well-intentioned, always create more problems than they solve.” Read more here:  Experts: Rent Control Causes More Problems Than It Solves

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a recent 5-4 decision held that disparate-impact-based discrimination claims are within the jurisdiction of the court and fall under the Fair Housing Act. The National Law Review recently posted an analysis of that decision that found it: “…potentially exposes financial institutions to a higher degree of risk and scrutiny of their lending programs, policies and procedures by regulatory agencies and potential private sector plaintiffs, even though the decision is consistent with the position taken by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) in its regulations issued in 2013 and with a series of Federal…

Thanks to new technology, anyone with “a few bucks and an appetite for risk” can add real estate to their investment portfolios.  A recent article by FOXNews.com’s Robert Massi discusses new methods of capital aggregation through crowdfunding and offers advice before investing in such endeavors. Read the full story at:  Real estate investing: Not just for millionaires, FoxNews.com, 8/13/15