Real Estate News: Real Estate Investing Podcast

Choosing between an Airbnb and a hotel will now include COVID-19 risk factors for many people, and at first glance, some travelers may think hotels are better at keeping things clean. But there are several factors to consider when choosing a place to stay overnight, including cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Both lodging options have their benefits and their risks.   An article in the New Yor...

States across the nation are giving businesses the green light to reopen, but where are the employees? It seems that a very generous unemployment bonus, authorized by the CARES Act, may be contributing to a decision to remain unemployed. The government is handing out a $600-a-week bonus on top of regular unemployment benefits/ Now, many are getting more from unemployment than they did when they we...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 23rd, 2020... we have a new start to the economy, builder confidence, and markets where home prices are rising.   We begin with economic news from this past week, and the beginnings of an economic reopening for all 50 states. Although reopening guidelines are different from state to state, many are lifting restrictions on recreational activiti...

While many short-term rental owners can't attract guests right now, others can't get rid of them. There's word that wealthy guests are squatting in fancy summer rentals because of the coronavirus ban on evictions. That's putting owners in a tough spot. There's word that property owners are worried they could miss out on the summer tourist season.   It's not clear if this is happening in other area...

The Florida governor is taking steps to restart the vacation rental business but some short-term rental operators are not very happy about the rules. Governor Ron DeSantis banned most short-term rentals in March, while allowing hotels and other kinds of lodging to remain open. Some have filed a lawsuit over a vacation rental ban that they feel has unfairly singled them out.   www. NewsForInvestors...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 16th, 2020... a $3-trillion relief bill that will help landlords, a new surge in mortgage applications, and a heart-warming rent payment story out of St. Louis.   We begin with economic news from this past week, and House approval of a $3-trillion relief package that includes $100 billion for a national rental assistance program and $75 billio...

A return to normal means winning the war against COVID-19 and one weapon in our war chest could be a UVC light bulb. Man-made UVC devices are not new, but their use is expanding as a way to kill the virus. Amazon just announced the development of a UVC robot to disinfect warehouses and Whole Foods grocery stores. There's also another development at Columbia University that could easily kill this v...

A national rent tracker for apartments shows that May rent collection is better than April. That's not what many people expected given the massive number of job losses and efforts by a small number of activists encouraging a rent strike. Property teams within our own network are also reporting good results for single-family rentals.   The National Multifamily Housing Council says that by May 6th,...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 9th, 2020… an economy in turmoil, words of encouragement from Warren Buffett, and a pick-up in mortgage activity.   We begin with economic news from this past week and another round of job losses. The latest weekly report shows an additional 3.2 million unemployment claims for a total of more than 20 million jobs lost in April. That's brings u...

The Tampa housing market could be among the first to come roaring back to life after the economy opens back up, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Dallas was named  as a potential post-pandemic boom market as well, along with a few other areas.   John Burns Real Estate Consulting is well-respected for doing in-depth research on the real estate industry, and specifically for national b...

We're in the midst of severe economic shock right now. There are over 30 million job losses in one month, closed businesses, and a 4.8% drop in the GDP, but somehow home prices are rising in some places. That may be a disappointment for homebuyers and real estate investors looking for a deal, although some researchers see lower prices in the coming months.   Home prices dropped dramatically during...

The lure of the big city might be fading a bit. A new Harris Poll shows that a growing number of people would like to move away from the city, and that preferences for other lifestyle habits are changing. The poll includes a wide range of questions from how people intend to buy their food in the future to whether they are worried about dying from the virus..    This particular Harris Poll has been...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending May 2nd, 2020, First-Quarter GDP, a new low for mortgage rates, and a surge in demand for single-family homes.   We begin with economic news for this past week and the staggered reopening of some state economies. At least 30 states have started allowing businesses to carefully reopen, or have announced plans to do so this month, but each state has...

Many U.S. malls are at risk of closing for good because of the pandemic. A new analysis by Green Street Advisors is predicting that coronavirus shutdowns will push department stores into bankruptcy, and force more than half of all U.S. malls to close by the end of the year. If you are a homebuyer or investor, you should check on the status of a nearby mall to see if it might affect your property v...

California is not known as a landlord-friendly state, and a few new laws are adding to that reputation. In addition to statewide rent control that caps rent increases and makes it difficult to evict bad tenants, at least two cities in the San Francisco Bay Area have completely outlawed the use of criminal background checks to screen tenants. These "fair chance" housing laws are designed to prevent...

Real estate is holding strong among Americans who see it as the best way to invest. This marks the fifth year in a row that real estate has taken the number one spot in a Gallup poll on investing preferences. It was conducted in early April, after the recent COVID-19 stock market sell-off.   It's no secret that I'd choose real estate over stocks, but this poll shows that many other Americans feel...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 25th, 2020... the staggered reopening of the U.S. economy has begun, two small business rescue programs are being refunded, and the home sale slump could be reversing.   We begin with economic news from this past week, and plans, by some states, to slowly restart their economies. The state of Georgia is taking the first steps with the cautio...

We're sure to see some changes in the post-pandemic economy, and one of them could be an increased demand for single-family rentals. Potential homebuyers who have been furloughed or have lost their jobs no longer qualify for mortgages. Those who do have their jobs may not have the down payment, high credit score or reserves needed to get a loan. But with the concern that social distancing could be...

A recent change in lending could impact real estate investors, especially if more lenders follow suit. Over the weekend, JPMorgan Chase stopped accepting HELOC applications. The bank posted the notice on its website saying it's a temporary suspension due to the current economic uncertainty created by COVID-19. Lenders have also been tightening loan standards.   Chase says it will continue to revie...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 18th, 2020... we'll take a look at whether the pandemic will impact home prices, the good news about rent collection, and what banking regulators are doing to help home sales.   We begin with economic news from this past week, which hasn't been great but there are a few bright spots, including plans to loosen up "stay at home" orders over th...

If you are a landlord in need of financial help from the disaster loan program and you haven't applied yet, you'll now have to wait until Congress agrees to provide more funding. The Small Business Administration announced on Wednesday, April 15th, that the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, and the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, have both run out of money and will not be accepting new...

Rent default reports are coming in and they are not as bad as some headlines might lead you to believe. You may have seen reports that 30% of renters were unable to pay their rent in April because of pandemic-related lay-offs and furloughs. But that's somewhat misleading. There has been an increase in defaults, but it's not 30% above normal. In this podcast, we're going to take a look who's paying...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 10th, 2020… a new deadline for the 1031 exchange, a housing market rebound, and a pullback by lenders.   We start with economic news from the past week… but first, important news about the 1031 exchange. The IRS published a notice on Thursday, April 9th, announcing extended deadlines for 1031 exchanges because of the coronavirus. The new dea...

The Federal government is pumping trillions of dollars into the U.S. economy to offset damage from the coronavirus pandemic. But, as businesses remain closed and much of the U.S. workforce unemployed, we will likely see some amount of damage -- including the sale of distressed properties. While that's never a good thing for the seller, it creates a potential buying opportunity for the real estate...

Forbearance will help save property owners who can't pay their mortgage, but who's going to save the mortgage service companies that have to pay the bond holders? Major players in the housing industry say that without a bailout, companies like Quicken Loans, Freedom Mortgage, Mr. Cooper, and other nonbank mortgage companies could have a serious liquidity problem. FHFA Director, Mark Calabria, does...