Author: Brad Beckett

Realtor.com says whether you’re a near pro, a weekend duffer, or someone who just likes the idea of living near a course, you might just find your dream home on the green.  To that end, they recently crunched the numbers to find the best affordable golf towns in America.  They looked real estate listings on Realtor.com from the past year within a 10-minute drive from one or more of the 6,445 public and private golf courses in the country.  In addition, many of these places have a high quality of life and a cost of living below the national average…

Rental information site Zumper recently released their latest monthly National Rent Report for May, 2023.  According to their data, rent for 1-bedroom apartments was $1,504 (up 0.6% from April) and the median two-bedroom rent was $1,856 (up 0.8% from April).  Zumper says May marks the seventh month in a row of modest month-over-month changes in national rent prices..  Be sure to check out their list of the top 100 metro areas. “Generally, though, we’re seeing a return to pre-pandemic seasonal patterns: Renters typically start moving in the spring, with demand peaking during the summer and fall months, causing prices to…

We’ve been covering this issue for quite a while.  However, just before the long 2023 Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that narrowed the federal government’s jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act in the case of Sackett v. the EPA.  To that end the National Multifamily Housing Council and the National Apartment Association recently issued the following media release applauding that decision: The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA) applaud news of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Sackett v. EPA that has narrowed federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. Today’s decision…

On a recent episode of the Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast, Brian Hamrick talks with Madison Rifkin, CEO and Founder of Mount, a startup company that is focused on enhancing the guest experience by enabling hosts to effortlessly and securely provide adventure-filled memories by upselling amenities – specifically via equipment rentals such as bikes, e-bikes, scooters, kayaks, paddleboards, surfboards, snowshoes, and beach equipment.  She shares with Brian how you can increase your profits by renting out amenities at your properties.  Indeed… Click here to listen at RPOAonline.

As we have seen from recent home sales and migration data, people are “heading South.”  The U.S. Census Bureau is reporting that nine of the America’s 15 fastest-growing cities were in the South – with six being in Texas! “Georgetown, Texas, remained the fastest-growing city by percent change in 2022, with the highest rate of growth among all U.S. cities and towns with at least 50,000 people…” said Crystal Delbé, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

The NAHB’s Eye on Housing says single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) construction has cooled and investor interest has pulled back on tighter financial conditions.  Citing data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, they report there were approximately 14k single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) starts during the first quarter of 2023 – nearly 7% lower than Q1 2022.   They say demand by investors for single-family rental units (new & existing) has cooled in recent months as financial conditions have tightened. “The SFBFR market is a source of inventory amid challenges over housing affordability and downpayment requirements in the for-sale market,…

The National Association of Realtors is reporting that pending home sales were unchanged (from March) in April, 2023.  The NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index (a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings) remained at 78.9 in April.  However, the NAR says three U.S. regions posted monthly gains while the Northeast decreased.  Once again, limited inventory is the prime culprit. “Not all buying interests are being completed due to limited inventory…Affordability challenges certainly remain and continue to hold back contract signings, but a sizeable increase in housing inventory will be critical to get more Americans moving.”  Said the NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence…

The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in April, 2023 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 683k, which is 4.1% higher than March’s revised rate and is 11.8% higher than one year ago.  The median sales price of new houses sold in April was $420,800 with an average sales price of $501k.  There were an estimated 433k new houses for sale at the end of April representing a 7.6-month supply at the current sales rate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

Monday, May 29th is Memorial Day.  For most Americans the three-day weekend will mark the unofficial start of summer.  However, the solemn significance of the day is often forgotten.  It is actually a national day of remembrance for America’s military men & women who paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending freedom & liberty around the globe. Today’s infographic from Carrot-Top Industries reminds us that Memorial Day is about more than just cookouts and 3-day weekends, it’s about a path paved by others to enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted.  We hope you have a safe & happy Memorial…

A new report from Redfin says an increase of new rentals hitting the market coincided with a slowdown in tenant demand.  They say even though rent growth remains positive, for the past 11 months it has been gradually cooling, rising just 0.3% in April.  However, as we have seen in another post, they point out that rental vacancies have hit their highest levels in 2 years. “A lot of renters took on roommates or moved in with family when rents increased dramatically during the pandemic, which left more rentals and fewer renters needing places…Landlords who increased prices too quickly are…