Articles
Ready to get your read on? Dive into the article archive to help you build wealth through real estate investing. We feature top subject matter experts exploring every facet of the industry.
Articles
Ready to get your read on? Dive into the article archive to help you build wealth through real estate investing. We feature top subject matter experts exploring every facet of the industry.
New apartment construction jumps 33% as renter nation trend takes hold
Buried in this week's government report on new home construction, is a sharp jump in multifamily apartment building construction of 5 units or more, something real estate investors should be watching. Construction of apartment buildings of this size jumped 33%, the highest level since January of 2006, according to the ...
Home Depot reports strong second-quarter sales and raises 2014 forecast
The nation's largest home improvement chain has reported sales of $23.8 billion for the second quarter of fiscal 2014, a 5.7 percent increase from the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Comparable store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 were positive 5.8 percent, and comp sales for U.S. stores ...
Fannie Mae downgrades outlook for housing this year and next
A pessimistic Fannie Mae has had downgraded the outlook for the housing market in a new report just released. The mortgage giant says housing activity appeared to have lost momentum at the end of the second quarter and near-term indicators suggest only minor improvement in the second half of the ...
Housing recovery decelerates as 59% of consumers believe the economy is on the wrong track
Consumer attitudes about the economy have grown more negative but Americans' attitudes toward the housing market remain mixed, although a steady improvement in their personal financial outlook may bode well for housing in the coming months, according to results from Fannie Mae's July 2014 National Housing Survey released by PRNewswire ...
Lower home ownership in future will keep rents higher for real estate investors
The growth in renters will continue as the national home ownership rate fell in the second quarter, and a majority of experts said they expect it to fall further in coming years as the Millennial generation delays home purchases and the age of typical first-time homebuyers rises, according to PRNewswire's ...
Zillow buying Trulia bringing together the two largest real estate websites
Zillow has reached a deal to buy Trulia for $3.5 billion making according to multiple reports which would make the combined entity the largest player in the online real estate listings space. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times both reported the deal was agreed to on Monday. “The ...
People in Illinois and other states want to move: What does that mean for real estate investors?
Gallup in a new poll has found that residents of some states would readily move if they could. This migration desire is something real estate investors should be aware of and plan for in their investments. While every state has at least some residents who are looking for greener pastures, ...
Who are the foreigners buying up American residential real estate?
All real estate may be local, but the buyers are not. Wonder why home prices are continue to be so high in California? Why are there so many cash buyers? The answer may be international buyers, with 55% of them buying in just four states: California, Florida, Texas and Arizona ...
Housing bubble inflating again mortgage bankers say
Mortgage bankers fear another real estate housing bubble, according to the latest quarterly survey of North American bank risk managers conducted for FICO, a leading predictive analytics and decision management software company, according to a release from PRNewswire. In the survey, 56 percent of respondents directly involved in mortgage lending ...
HomeVestors breaks growth record
Franchisee growth for HomeVestors is up for the first two quarters of 2014, breaking records set in previous quarters as the highest ever class enrollment of new franchisees, according to a release from PRNewswire. The Dallas-based company is the largest professional house buying network of independently owned and operated franchisees ...
Four convicted in $50 million North Carolina mortgage fraud case
A former government organized crime informant and a Ft. Lauderdale grandmother were convicted in federal court last week on conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud involving a $50 million luxury real estate deal in the North Carolina Mountains involving many Florida “straw buyers.” Domenico ‘Dom’ Rabuffo, 77, of ...
Home price appreciation cools as the weather warms
Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 8.8 percent in May 2014 compared to May 2013, according to a new report from CoreLogic. This change represents 27 months of consecutive year-over-year increases in home prices nationally. On a month-over-month basis, home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 1.4 percent in ...
Mortgage rates continue to drift lower
Mortgage rates were down for the second week in a row, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate sliding to 4.28 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey releassed by PrNewswire. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.31 discount and origination points. To see mortgage rates in ...
Tenants prefer online ratings more than referrals in seeking rental housing
Prospective renters place higher importance on online reviews than referrals from friends and family, according to a Kingsley Associates' study June 19 at the National Apartment Association Education Conference & Exposition in Denver, and reported by PRNewswire. The first-ever multifamily study on ratings and reviews entitled Highly Recommended: The Influence ...
Two real estate investment schemes shut down
Two real estate investment companies in Missouri have been shut down after investigations by the secretary of state’s office showed schemes where investor money was converted for personal use. Investment Midwest, operated by Renee Goodman, and Herman Beck and Ozark Investor’s Group, LLC, were both told to stop doing business ...
Mortgage rates inched up this week, but still remain low
Bankrate reports that mortgage rates inched up this week, but they remain attractive as more homebuyers and refinancers jump at the opportunity to grab a low rate. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 4.34 percent from 4.32 percent the previous week, according to the Bankrate.com national survey of large ...
Foreclosures down 5 percent in May, but some states still buck the trend
Foreclosure rates dropped 5 percent in May, the lowest monthly total since December 2006, but 21 states still posted monthly increases in foreclosure activity according to RealtyTrac® (www.realtytrac.com). In a release from Marketwired, the company said that foreclosure filings -- default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions- were reported on ...
Mortgage rates reversed course this week, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumping to 4.32 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey released by PR Newswire. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.34 discount and origination points. To see mortgage rates in your area, go to ...
Housing crisis still real for many, as appeal for renting grows new research shows
A new research study shows that 70% of the public continues to believe we are still in the midst of the housing crisis. Also, of interest to real estate investors, is that people believe the country’s housing environment is changing and home ownership is not viewed as a vehicle to ...
Home prices continue slowing, but up year over year topped by Dallas and Denver
Dallas and Denver home prices reached new highs in the latest data through March, released by by S&P Dow Jones Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller[1] Home Price Indices, according to a release from PRNewswire. The report shows the 10-City and 20-City Composite Indices gained 0.8% and 0.9% month-over-month. In the first ...
Mortgage rates drop for second week in a row
The benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 4.37 percent in Bankrate's weekly national survey, the company said in a release. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.30 discount and origination points. SURVEY RESULTS 30-year fixed: 4.37% -- down from 4.44% last week (avg. points: 0.30) 15-year ...
American Homes 4 Rent announces another public offering
American Homes 4 Rent, the second largest owner of single-family rental homes in the country, announced another public offering of its series C preferred shares that will be made available as the company continues to buy single family rental homes across the country. The company announced in a release "investors ...
Poll says Americans believe real estate is the best long-term investment
Housing prices are improving in many parts of the country and a new Gallup Poll says Americans now say real estate is the best long-term investment ranking ahead of stocks and gold. The economy and personal finances poll in early April asked Americans to choose the best option for long-term ...
Mortgage rates continue to drop
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 4.43 this week, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.33 discount and origination points. To see mortgage rates in your area, go to http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/. The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 3.48 percent, while ...
Lowest total in two years, but 9 million residential properties are still underwater
RealtyTrac reports that 17 percent of U.S. residential properties with a mortgage are still seriously "underwater" meaning the combined loan amount on the property is 25 percent or more above the current market value on nine million homes. “U.S. homeowners are continuing to recover equity lost during the Great Recession, ...
