Author: Brad Beckett

This Tuesday, March 19th, is the first day of Spring!  That means now is a great time to start thinking about your property’s landscaping.  Whether it’s a rental or a new flip, a good-looking lawn will always add value and improve curb appeal!  The folks over at The Home Depot put together this handy infographic with some Spring fertilization tips to help make your lawn look great…..As always, stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! Did you know….Members of National REIA receive a 2% biannual rebate, 20% off interior & exterior paints & primers, volume pricing, access to an exclusive…

Recent analysis from the NAHB’s Eye on Housing reveals young adults living with their parents, by state and percentage.  Interestingly, they do point out that young adults ages 25-34 continued their post-pandemic trend of moving out of parental homes with the share of those living with parents or parents-in-law dropping to 19.1% in 2022.  However as the chart below shows, the South & coastal areas seem to have the highest share of young adults living at home. “…data reveals substantial differences across states, with the Southern and Northeastern states registering some of the highest shares of young adults remaining in parental…

On a recent episode of the Rent Perfect podcast David Pickron says there are few things that landlords hate more than having to process and eviction – the headache and cost of these unfortunate incidents always affect their bottom line. Rent Perfect President David Pickron and Legal Counsel Denny Dobbins share their insights on what causes evictions and how to avoid them. Click here to listen on Spotify.

According to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Insights (HPI) report, home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased year over year by 5.8% in January 2024, which they say might be the highest rate of appreciation expected this year.  CoreLogic says annual home price growth is projected to slow to 2.6% by January, 2025.  The states of Rhode Island, New Jersey and Connecticut took the top three spots for annual home price gains for the fourth consecutive month. “U.S. annual home price growth strengthened to 5.8% in January 2024…And while the acceleration continues to reflect the residual impact of strong appreciation…

According to recent data from the Tax Foundation individual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, and account for roughly 38% of state tax collections with forty-three states (and D.C.) levying individual income taxes.  As you can imagine, there is no one size fits all when it comes to how each state levies taxes: “States’ approaches to income taxes vary in other details as well. Some states double their single-filer bracket widths for married filers to avoid imposing a “marriage penalty.” Some states index tax brackets, exemptions, and deductions for inflation, while many others do not. Some…

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 275k, in February 2024.  The unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 3.9% in February, with the number of unemployed people increasing by 334k,to 6.5 million.  Once again, employment in the government sector continued its rise adding 52k jobs in February. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We’ve seen a lot of stories about squatters lately….it’s a serious and apparently growing problem.  The New York Post recently reported that a couple’s plan in Queens, New York, to move into a $2 million dream home and retire in with their disabled son has become a “nightmare” as they’re now doing battle with a squatter who “claims” he had an agreement with the previous owner.  Adding insult to injury (and we have seen this before in other situations), the squatter has even been advertising rooms for rent. “An online listing shows Flores advertising “The Prince Room” for $50 a…

The National Law Review is reporting that the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to combat and deter money laundering in the U.S. residential real estate sector by increasing transparency.  Comments on the proposed rule are due within 60 days of its Feb. 16, 2024, publication in the Federal Register. “The proposed rule would require certain professionals involved in real estate closings and settlements to report information to FinCEN about non-financed transfers of residential real estate to legal entities or trusts. FinCEN’s proposal is tailored to target residential real estate transfers considered…

We have posted a lot about the dangers of cybercrime…It’s serious business.  According to a recent data illustrated by Statista, the global cost of cybercrime is expected to surge in the next four years, rising from $9.22 trillion in 2024 to $13.82 trillion by 2028.  Please, stay [cyber] safe and have a Happy Friday!!! “As more and more people turn online, whether for work or their personal lives, there are more potential opportunities for cyber criminals to exploit. At the same time, attacker techniques are becoming more advanced, with more tools available to help scammers.” Hat tip to Statista.

According to Apartment List’s National Rent Report for March 2024, national median rent rose 0.2% to $1,377.  They say this increase is in line with the rental market’s typical seasonal pattern. “…for the last two years seasonal declines have been steeper than usual and seasonal increases have been milder. So on a year-over-year basis, rent growth remains in negative territory at -1 percent, where it has sat for the last several months. In other words, as the market cools, apartments are on average slightly cheaper today than they were one year ago…” Click here to read the full report at…