Author: Brad Beckett

Rental information site Zumper recently released their latest monthly National Rent Report for June, 2025.  According to their data, median rent for 1-bedroom apartments was $1520 and $1,910 (up 0.2%) for two-bedrooms. Be sure to check out their list of the top 100 metro areas.  In addition, they said on an annual basis, one-bedroom rent dipped 0.4%, marking the first year-over-year decline in 14 months. “The current plateau seen in our national rent prices likely reflects a more deliberate and strategic approach by property owners…This isn’t a sign of weak demand, renters are still out there, but with so much…

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 147k in June, 2025 with the unemployment rate dropping lightly to 4.1%.  In addition, the report says Job gains occurred in state government and health care.  However, contrary to what was seen over the past few years, the federal government continued to lose jobs. Click here to read the full report at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. government is reporting that total construction spending in May, 2025 was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,138.2 billion, down 0.3% from April’s revised number.  In addition, April’s estimate is 3.5% lower than one year ago.  Residential construction came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $888.9 billion in May, which is 0.5% lower than April’s revised estimate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.

Today, July 4th, marks 249 years of America’s independence!  Today’s infographic takes a look at the Fourth of July “by the numbers” and provides insight into this holiday that we Americans hold dear.  Whatever you do to celebrate, do it safely and have fun…..and, as always, Stay safe and have a Happy Friday!!! “On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth…

The latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has reported a 2.7% annual increase for April, 2025.  Their 10-City Composite increased 4.1% and their 20-City Composite increased 3.4%, year-over-year.  Yardi says the market is increasingly being driven by fundamentals rather than speculative fervor: “The housing market continued its gradual deceleration in April, with annual price gains slowing to their most modest pace in nearly two years…What’s particularly striking is how this cycle has reshuffled regional leadership—markets that were pandemic darlings are now lagging, while historically steady performers in the Midwest and Northeast are setting the pace. This…

FHFA Director William J. Pulte recently issued an order directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to consider crypto currency as an asset for single-family loans.  According to Pulte’s directive, cryptocurrency is an emerging asset class that may offer an opportunity to build wealth outside of the stock & bond markets.  In addition, prior to implementing any changes, each enterprise must submit their plans to the FHFA (after their respective boards approval) for review. “After significant studying, and in keeping with President Trump’s vision to make the United States the crypto capital of the world, today I ordered the Great Fannie…

On a recent episode of the Rental Property Owner & Real Estate Investor Podcast, Brian Hamrick talks with Stephen Petasky, who is leading the charge in the evolving luxury real estate market.  As Founder and CEO of The Luxus Group, he’s redefining high-end vacation homeownership through innovative co-ownership models, managing $100M+ in luxury properties across six countries. “…he’s here to share the four pillars of luxury that help create high-end experiences at scale.” Click here to listen.

According to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI), home prices U.S. house prices house prices fell 0.4% in April.  Year-over-year, house prices rose 3% from April 2024 to April 2025.  The FHFA HPI is the nation’s only collection of public, freely available house price indexes that measure changes in single-family home values based on data from all 50 states and over 400 American cities that extend back to the mid-1970s. Click here to read the full report at the FHFA.

According to ATTOM’s Q1 2025 U.S. Home Flipping Report, 67,394 single family homes and condominiums were flipped in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 8.3% of all home sales from January through March.  The report says the overall buying slowdown appears to be affecting home flippers – seeing their lowest quarterly number since 2018.  In addition, they point out that returns have also been falling, with the typical flipped home netting a 25% ROI (before expenses) in Q1 of 2025. That was down from 28% in Q4 2024. “The competitive home market means high prices, which is good for…

The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in May, 2025 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 623k, which is 13.7% lower than April’s revised rate and is 6.3% higher than one year ago.  The median sales price of new houses sold in May was $426,600 with an average sales price of $522,200.  There were an estimated 507k new houses for sale at the end of May representing an 9.8-month supply at the current sales rate. Click here to read the full report at the U.S. Census Bureau.