Author: Brad Beckett

The folks over at Inman recently posted the “11 amazing real estate facts to entertain your brain.”  Sometimes it’s good to take in some factoids that help put everything into perspective….not to mention providing some good conversation starters. Who knew that brass doorknobs are antimicrobial? Click here to read 11 amazing real estate facts to entertain your brain, Inman

Black Knight Financial Services recently released their latest Mortgage Monitor Report (for December 2015) where they found that the mortgage payment-to-income ratio is still favorable by historical standards.  However, they say the long-term impact of rising interest rates and home prices on affordability varies with geography and warrants close observation moving forward. Key takeaways: ​​21% of median income needed to purchase national median-priced home; 2000 – 2002 average was 26% At current rate of home price appreciation and 50-basis-point-per-year rise in rates, eight states would surpass pre-bubble affordability levels within 12 months; 22 states would within 24 months 42% of…

In the January issue of FreddieMac’s Insight & Outlook, they report that while the single-family rental market expended (35% of all  rentals in 2013) during the recession, a new phenomenon is taking place with the emergence of Buy to Rent (B2R) firms.   They conclude that “while the data is mixed, there are some signs that large-scale firms intend to manage their large portfolios of single-family rentals as an on-going business.” In 2012, a new type of single-family rental business appeared. A few large investors, backed by private equity, started accumulating portfolios of single-family homes with the intention of renting and…

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced this week a multifamily insurance rate reduction designed to encourage capital financing of affordable and energy-efficient apartments. The rate reductions will take effect on April 1, 2016, and will directly impact FHA’s Multifamily Housing Programs and properties housing low- and moderate-income families and/or developments installing energy-efficient systems or building within federal energy guidelines. FHA estimates that the multifamily insurance rate reductions will spur the rehabilitation of an additional 12,000 units of affordable housing per year nationally, meaning over the next three years nearly 40,000 families could benefit from higher quality and affordable housing. Click…

What exactly constitutes a good credit score?  The chart below from Credit.org outlines what a good credit rating looks like based on numbers from FICO…..Happy Friday: Read more on Credit.Org.

The Scotsman Guide recently spoke with Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors about where the housing market is heading in 2016. What is the overall health of the housing market right now?  I would say it is in a good condition, a moderate recovery and certainly a sustainable recovery. The only negative sign would be that the home prices, or even rents, are rising fast in relation to people’s incomes. That would be the only hiccup. Otherwise the housing market is in a good state. Click here to read the full interview on the Scotsman Guide.

Joining a local REIA is one of the best ways to be successful in real estate investing.  Not only will you network and interact with  fellow investors, but you’ll also learn best practices from those who have “been there and done that” – potentially saving you a lot time, money and resources.  Along those lines, the good folks over at Inman posted an interesting article about the “three numbers you must memorize for real estate investing.”  In it, they suggest that there are three key metrics & data that investors need to not only be aware of, but checked regularly…

According to the new Zillow Rent Forecast, rent appreciation will level off over the next 12 months and slow to an annual rate of 1.1% by the end of the year.  Zillow is forecasting a decrease in the rate of rental appreciation amid a so-called rental affordability crisis that suggests renters in some markets are spending about  half of their income on rent. Some takeaways: National median rent at the end of 2015 was $1,381, and is expected to increase slightly to $1,396 over the next 12 months. The slowdown in rents means that, by the end of the year,…

HousingWire is reporting that a Utah-based real estate investment firm offered investors a guaranteed ROI in turnkey houses that the SEC alleges bilked $28 million out of over 250 people.  According to the SEC filing, Marquis Properties fraudulently represented that it sells interest in “turnkey real estate properties, promissory notes secured by real properties, and joint venture agreements to purchase real properties.” The SEC said in its complaint that Marquis, the company’s president and chief executive officer, Chad Deucher, and its executive vice president, Richard Clatfelter, Deucher and Clatfelter represent that Marquis locates, purchases, renovates, and sells single family and…

The Washington Post is reporting that one-third of realty transactions are plagued by delays, with some of them being fatal.  Citing data from an internal survey of 2,643 conducted by the National Association of Realtors, they report that 32% (nearly one third) of all real estate transactions experienced some sort of delay. When you break down that 32%, the delays were caused by: Buyer financing setbacks –  46% Home inspection issues –  14% Appraisals that diverge from the agreed-upon contract price –  21% Click here to read “One-third of realty transactions are plagued by delays, some of them fatal,” 1/20/16,…