BiggerPockets Daily

If you’ve been on TikTok recently—and perhaps even if you haven’t—you may have heard about the viral new concept of a ‘‘silent depression’’ that’s apparently overwhelming younger people in the U.S.  No, we’re not talking about the country’s mental health crisis. We’re talking about what a few TIkTokers are referring to as the dire economic reality facing ordinary people trying to make ends meet. ...

Drawing from my background in regulatory compliance for global financial institutions, I have developed an appreciation for the intent of regulations that strive to safeguard public interests.  Regulations are not limited to finance—as you may be aware, short-term rental (STR) laws are a hot topic. As cities aim to refine STR laws to suit their unique community needs, the landscape and laws contin...

Before discussing how to calculate the number of properties needed to replace your current income, understand that retirement is not a one-time event. Retirement requires rental income that will enable you to maintain your current standard of living for the rest of your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much recent news in real estate has centered on home prices, which appear to still be rising. But what about the profits from home sales?  The latest Year-End U.S. Home Sales Report from ATTOM paints a less rosy picture of what’s going on in the real estate market. In fact, it’s showing that home sales profits dropped for the first time in a decade in 2023. So what are the figures, and what do the...

Got kids? Then, eventually, you’ll (most likely) also have college bills. And spoiler alert: They will be big.  While it’s certainly not a parental requirement, footing the college bill (or any part of it) and allowing your kids to graduate debt-free is an enormous gift—one of the biggest you can give your children. Conventional savings vehicles, like 529s, are amazing tax-free-withdrawal vehicles...

Choosing between commercial and residential real estate is a big decision for investors. If you choose the wrong strategy, you could be in over your head and potentially lose money.  We’ve created an investing in commercial real estate for beginners guide to help you understand what it means to invest in commercial real estate and what it requires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

With house flipping activity remaining high across the country, many investors are wrestling with this question: Is house flipping ethical? There are two sides to the argument, both of which we detail here.  The Quick Basics of House Flipping There is more to house flipping than what you see on television. It takes money, knowledge, and expertise to flip a home for a profit.  What is house flippin...

As an investor, you have many options when it comes to where you put your money. Day after day, whether you are driving to work or watching your favorite reality TV show, you’ll see advertisements telling you to invest in gold, stocks, digital currency, mutual funds, etc.  And because of those ads, people have become familiar with those types of investments. But very few people are familiar with t...

As part of its goal to increase affordable mortgage access for homebuyers in the United States, Fannie Mae announced in December that it would accept attorney-opinion letters (AOLs) in place of title insurance with more mortgages. While AOLs have been allowed by the government-sponsored enterprise on select mortgages since 2022, the decision expands eligible mortgages to include condo units and pr...

Goals provide us with direction and purpose, acting as the foundation for every significant endeavor. Your goals should be written down, but they don’t need to be lengthy or complex.  How to Get Started You can start with just the following items: Current situation: What is your current or anticipated financial capacity within a reasonable time frame? Get preapproved for an investor loan to determ...

Are you searching for your next big wealth-building strategy? Looking for ways to strengthen your portfolio? If so, it may be time to add passive investments to your portfolio if you haven’t already, specifically through turnkey.  Turnkey real estate is an increasingly popular option with a range of benefits, making it an appealing choice for individuals seeking passive income and long-term wealth...

Despite recent challenges in the commercial real estate space, one area has become surprisingly popular among institutional investors: retail. As demand for office space has declined, retail seems to have picked up, despite a tumultuous 2023. According to the Wall Street Journal, private investors snagged $1 billion more in retail assets than they sold in the third quarter of last year.  Predictio...

Cash-out refinancing is pretty common in real estate investing. An investor will cash in on the equity they have on an existing property and then use those funds toward a down payment on their next property. Rinse and repeat. That complicated process may soon be unnecessary thanks to a new fintech company. Downpayments, a Miami-based financial tech startup, has come up with a way for investors to...

It’s been nearly four years since COVID-19 burst onto the global stage. We’ve returned to normal, but “normal” just doesn’t mean what it used to.   Domestically, Americans are feeling worn out. Social tensions are high and have been for a couple of decades. Conservatives and the right wing waste no time in blaming it on the commander-in-chief. Meanwhile, the left repeatedly insists not enough is b...

The 70% rule in real estate can be helpful when comparing properties and making a final determination on which one is the best investment. Understanding the ins and outs of this rule is imperative to using it to your advantage.  What Is the 70% Rule? The 70% rule is a formula commonly used by real estate investors as a barometer when purchasing distressed properties for a profit. The formula calcu...

ATTOM’s Year-End 2023 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report shows that foreclosure activity increased last year from 2022 levels, but is this a cause for concern for investors?  The ATTOM report shows that foreclosure filings, which include default notices, auctions, and repossessions, stood at 357,062, up 10% from 2022 and 136% from 2021. These figures look much less alarming, however, when set in the c...

In my previous article, we delved into the essential elements of development zoning. We explored key zoning designations such as R or C, critical parameters including setbacks, FAR, and building heights, strategies for enhancing density via affordable housing, the role of neighborhood ordinances, and the distinctions between by-right and discretionary review processes. In this article, we’ll delve...

I’ve encountered the question “Should I buy or hold?” on several websites for several years. All I have seen are opinions such as “only hold a property for X years.” Here, I propose a simple process for deciding whether to sell or hold. First, what should you base your decision on? That’s simple: your investment goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buffalo, New York, will be 2024’s hottest housing market, according to a recent analysis by Zillow. While you may mainly know Buffalo as the place that regularly gets snowed in during the winter, it turns out that the city’s current combination of affordable homes, a thriving job market, and a multibillion-dollar federal regeneration project has produced market conditions every real estate investo...

What is important for Real Estate investors to know this week? Managing Editor of the BiggerPockets Blog, Matt Myre is here today to share the top 3 headlines that Real Estate investors need to know about to make better investing decisions. We’ll cover a House bill that was passed last week that could potentially bring back 100% bonus depreciation if made into law, the “Silent Depression” that Tik...

A traditional home refinance involves replacing an existing mortgage with a new loan to secure better terms or a lower interest rate. This process can reduce monthly payments, change the loan duration, and/or provide access to home equity for other expenses or investments. What Is a No Closing Cost Refinance? A no closing cost refinance is a type of mortgage refinancing where the lender covers upf...

Things are shaping up for homebuilders. In fact, one big name in the industry is projecting that 2024 will mark the “golden age” for homebuilding, thanks to falling mortgage rates and frozen existing home supply, among other factors. David O’Reilly, CEO of megalith developer Howard Hughes Corp., told CNBC last week, “We’re going to have the golden age of new home construction” in 2024, even callin...

If you’ve been reading the BiggerPockets Blog for any length of time now, you’ll have noticed that the Midwest has often been named as one of the best places to invest in real estate right now. It offers reasonable home and rental prices and stable job markets in major cities. The result is a buoyant housing market that has so far avoided the post-pandemic slump seen in other areas. But what if we...

Well, 2023 has been another wild year in commercial real estate. The headlines continue to scream trouble for CRE. Many are getting increasingly fantastic.  Some friends are asking me, “So…I hear it’s pretty tough in commercial real estate right now. How are you doing?” You may have wondered the same thing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m really a pretty nice guy. I’ve met hundreds of you in person and spoken to a few thousand more prospects/investors by phone or on Zoom. So, hopefully, most of you agree.  But as I write this, I’m a bit miffed. You see, our Wellings Capital team is like family. We love and care for each other. So, I hate to see anyone on our team taken advantage of. But it feels like that’s what happened here. ...