Kathy Fettke
Avoiding Buyer’s Remorse in Real Estate
Buyer’s remorse is something we want to avoid, especially when it comes to real estate because it comes at a high price. We consider, evaluate, and scrutinize all the options to make a decision, but quite often, homebuyers wish they had done things differently. Trulia just came out with a ...
Tax Reform: A Closer Look at the Possibilities
When President Trump was running for office, he made a lot of big commitments. Whether you love him, hate him, or are just trying to ignore the current political climate entirely, his success or failure in keeping those commitments will affect your real estate investing strategies and returns. One of ...
The “New” Underwater Threat for Miami
Being “underwater” is what a lot of homeowners experienced during the housing meltdown, but for people in Miami, that term is gaining a whole new meaning - one that is perhaps, more fitting. There are about 2.5 million people in Miami-Dade County, and if the latest scientific analysis is right, ...
Where High Property Taxes Kill Cash Flow
This is a transcript of a previously-aired “Real Estate News” podcast broadcast by Kathy Fettke, co-CEO and founder of the Real Wealth Network. Property tax is one of the costs that can vary a lot in the United States. It can run from an extreme high to an extreme low ...
Renting: The New American Dream
This is a transcript of a previously-aired “Real Estate News” podcast broadcast by Kathy Fettke, co-CEO and founder of the Real Wealth Network. The old American Dream maybe isn’t for everybody… At least if it comes with a mortgage. That’s why a new American Dream, renting, seems to be taking ...
With more and more websites showing available properties for sale, are we looking at the death of the MLS? One article on the topic actually featured a picture of a mushroom cloud. If the days of MLS really over, how would that affect the real estate industry? In the past, ...
Homeownership Spikes as Compared to Rentership
It’s something we haven’t seen in 11 years. The latest report from the Census Bureau shows that homeownership rose faster than renter households during the first quarter of this year. Should real estate rental investors be worried? The Census Bureau’s Homeownership and Vacancy Survey shows a homeownership rate of 63.6 percent during ...
Baby Boomers Enjoy a Boost in Home Equity
Retiring Baby Boomers are enjoying a big boost in home equity that could help pay for their retirement. But a new survey shows there’s a surprising lack of understanding about home equity products, like reverse mortgages, among both seniors and their financial advisers. According to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders ...
Tax Tips for the Sharing Economy
The new "sharing economy" may create some tax confusion this year. People who are new to the world of Airbnb, Uber, WeWork and other web-based data-driven payment portals may find taxes have suddenly grown quite complicated. The IRS launched its new Sharing Economy Tax Center last August but it's probably ...
BEWARE. Fed Rate Hike Could Burst Bubbles
The Federal Reserve followed through on its latest promise to raise interest rates. Fed Chief Janet Yellen announced a quarter point hike in the federal funds rate in March. But the increase has little to do with the ripple effect on mortgages and consumer loans, and more to do with ...
Snap IPO Millionaires to Snap Up Property in Silicon Beach
The little private app that erases your chats and snaps just became public. And for many newly made millionaires, it’s been a very friendly little ghost. Snapchat, the app that teenagers opted to use once they discovered that Mom and even Grandma could comment on their Facebook pages, has made ...
Invitation Homes IPO Good for Buy-and-Hold Investors
The nation’s largest landlord is now trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Invitation Homes made its stock market debut on Jan. 31, 2017, as the largest IPO this year and a positive sign for the single-family rental market. The company claims it has almost 50,000 single-family rentals in 13 ...
Cities with Most Underwater Mortgages Still Offer the Best Bargains
Another one million previously underwater homes are now above the water line. ATTOM Data Solutions released its 2016 Year End Home Equity and Underwater Report that shows just 5.4 million properties are still seriously underwater. Let’s take a look at what this all means for investors. While 5.4 million properties ...
Red Flag Warning for Commercial Property Owners
This may be the year that billions of dollars in commercial mortgages go belly-up. These loans were financed in 2007 and are maturing this year. That means some commercial property owners will be faced with huge balloon payments and for some, a major headache to pay them off. The Federal ...
Detroit Lights Up, Sparking Investor Attention
Detroit has flipped the switch on a plan to light up the streets at night and is now attracting the attention of investors who see bargain basement prices and a whole lot of potential. The once-bankrupt city just completed a four-year project to replace "all" the city's streetlights. 88,000 mostly ...
Trump Suspends “Fiduciary Rule” for Financial Planners
Another swipe of the pen by President Trump will delay - indefinitely - a new rule that was intended to protect consumers from bad financial advice. President Trump signed a "Memorandum on the Fiduciary Duty Rule" the same day he signed an executive order to re-examine Dodd-Frank regulations. This rule would ...
US Remains No. 1 Choice for Foreign Real Estate Investors
It's a yearly ritual to find out where international investors will put their money. And, the latest AFIRE survey shows that 95 percent plan to maintain or increase their investments in the United States. But investor "caution" is also rising. The survey by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real ...
We just ended a year with a huge jump in homes that fell out of contract ("failed sales") and went back on the market. It's not clear why this happened but there are several possible reasons, including problems with loans, appraisals and inspections. According to Trulia, 3.9 percent of homes ...
2016 Home Sales Highest in a Decade
The numbers are in. Sales of existing homes in 2016 were the highest in a decade, but inventory levels were the lowest in recorded history! What does this mean for real estate investors? Every month the National Association of Realtors releases its report on existing homes sales nationwide. But month-to-month ...
Open Playing Field in Arizona for Airbnb
Arizona is blazing a new trail for the future of short-term rentals. As cities across the nation restrict or even ban the renting of properties on a short-term basis, a new Arizona law allows them anywhere in the state, without limits. The bill was passed by Arizona state lawmakers in ...
3D Printing to Disrupt Construction Industry Within 3 Years
The future of home construction is on the verge of what could be a huge transformation. 3D printing technologies are advancing rapidly for the construction of homes and other buildings. And according to some ambitious entrepreneurs, we may see widespread use of that technology in the not-too-distant future! One of ...
Oakland Warehouse Landlord May Face Murder Charges
The tragic warehouse fire that killed 36 people in Oakland on Dec. 2, 2016, should never have happened. The building was never fit for habitation. The first lawsuit has been filed against the landlord and eight other defendants, all of whom may face murder charges. This is going to be ...
Most real estate agents tell their clients that the three most important things to consider when buying property are location, location, location. I disagree. Here’s why: If you sold a house in Stockton, California, in 2006, you might have received $400,000. If you sold that same house in 2009, you ...
Will Fed Rate Hike Crash the Market Again?
The Federal Reserve finally raised rates for the first time this year at its December meeting and suggested there could be three more rate hikes next year. There are varied opinions about what this could mean for real estate, so let’s tackle it! After threatening to do so for several ...
BEWARE! If you own an apartment building or other commercial structure that was constructed in the 1950s, ’60s, or ’70s, you need to be aware of potential PCB contamination and any liability associated with it. PCBs could be the new "asbestos" in apartments and commercial buildings, as well as in ...
