Knowledgebase
All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.
Knowledgebase
All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.
Mississippi Investors Plead Guilty to Bid-Rigging
Mississippi real estate investors who agreed not to bid against each other at foreclosure auctions are now facing fines and even jail time. Last week, three more investors pled guilty to designating a winning bidder in advance of auctions and accepting payoffs from each other in exchange for agreements not ...
3 Keys to “Making Magic Happen” in Your Real Estate Email Marketing
You’ve heard the phrase “Your network is your net worth" in terms of real estate marketing and email marketing, but when Charles Blair, “Mad Scientist” and founder of the Baltimore area’s Real Deal meetup, says it, he means something entirely different from just getting out there and introducing yourself to ...
Floodplain Codes to Change in Houston, Texas
The Houston City Council is hoping to prevent a repeat of the damage the city’s infrastructure suffered in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and the changes to municipal codes could affect some real estate investors. The council recently passed a new ordinance it designated as “designed to retool and strengthen ...
Co-Living No Longer a Wall Street Concept
This article was originally featured in April 2018 Think Realty Magazine and written by Aaron Norris, VP of The Norris Group. Co-living is all the rage in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. While these “hacker houses” or “adult dorms” are not new in concept, there are some major players ...
Millennials Will Spend Nearly $100,000 on Rent Before Turning 30
According to a new study from RENTCafé, Millennials will not only spend more on rent in their first decade as adults; they will also spend nearly half their income on their rental housing. “Many Millennials find renting more affordable and hassle-free than buying,” observed RENTCafé blogger Florentina Sarac. However, she ...
Younger Homeowners May Overestimate Their DIY Abilities
It is not surprising a study of homeowners of all ages indicated older homeowners have more experience with home repairs. What is surprising, however, is the high degree of confidence younger homeowners have in their ability to perform these repairs. According to Porch.com’s recent “Do You DIY” survey, which asked ...
Ginnie Mae Cracks Down on Lenders “Targeting” Veterans
In early 2018, federally owned Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) threatened a small group of lenders with expulsion from its primary mortgage bond program if the lenders did not address problematic policies Ginnie Mae alleged targeted servicemembers and military veterans. It appears two of those lenders, reportedly ...
New York Mayor Proposes Fine for Retail Landlords with Vacancies
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is worried about storefront vacancies in his city, and he believes a “vacancy tax” on the property owners might solve the problem. “I am very interested in fighting for a vacancy fee or a vacancy tax that would penalize landlords who leave their ...
“Best States” Ranking Released for 2018
Iowa, a Midwest farm state in the heart of the United States and host of the winter caucuses, takes first place in U.S. News’ recent “Best States” rankings, which assess and rank how well states perform in serving their citizens’ needs. The study considers health care, education, opportunities, the state’s ...
Investor Spotlight: Memphis Investment Properties
This article was originally published in April 2018 Think Realty Magazine. Memphis Investment Properties (MIP) has been actively investing in the Memphis, Tennessee, real estate market for nearly four decades. the company offers complete turnkey real estate investing services, meaning that real estate investors who wish to own rental real ...
Regional Spotlight: Washington, D.C.
This article was originally published in the April 2018 Think Realty Magazine. When the national housing market collapsed in the mid-2000s, Washington, D.C., homes lost nearly $120,000, on average, from their overall value. Median home prices in the area bottomed out in July 2009 around $355,000, a steep fall from ...
Chief Economist Talks Homeownership, Housing Policy, and Market Turning Points in 2018
This article was originally published in April 2018 Think Realty Magazine. When Lawrence Yun talks about real estate, the discussion revolves around what he refers to as “turning points” in national and local markets. “My role, as chief economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is to look at ...
Q&A: The Art (and Data) Of Effective Flipping
Daren Blomquist, senior vice president of communications at ATTOM Data Solutions (formerly RealtyTrac), has spent nearly two decades analyzing housing data and providing the real estate industry with insight on housing statistics and trends. Blomquist, who is also the managing editor of ATTOM Data’s monthly newsletter, excerpts of which may ...
Renovation Rockstars: Bread-and-Butter House With A Surprise
When Florida real estate investors John and Corinne Tesh first heard from the owners of this “bread-and-butter” Florida block house, they expected the property might be a challenge. Hurricane Irma had just swept through Florida, leaving devastation – and a lot of motivated sellers – in her wake. Bread-and-Butter House: ...
A Surprising New Trend in New Construction
Apparently, no one is calling them “ranch homes” anymore, but that’s what they are. Furthermore, one-level homes are gaining popularity in the homebuying market once again, and developers are taking note. According to Builder Magazine, one-level, ranch-style houses are once again in demand after decades of buyers requiring multiple levels ...
The New York Real Estate Market Already in a Correction
In a city renowned for skyscraper-high real estate prices, property values in many of those skyscrapers are falling. According to a report from Stribling & Associates, median sales price for a New York, New York, apartment has fallen more than eight percent since the first quarter of 2017. Average sales ...
3 Value Plays To Create Community
The following article was written by contributor Tammy Phelps-Keglovich and was featured in April 2018 Think Realty Magazine. I’ve spent more than 20 years as a real estate investor, and here is a very important lesson I’ve learned: ere’s what they tell you, and then there is the real investing world ...
Stock Market Volatility Could Stall Loan Demand
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), total mortgage application volumes are falling. Those applications, which include applications for home purchases and refinancing, fell 3.3 percent last week compared to the week previous even though interest rates remained relatively low. Mike Fratantoni, chief economist for the MBA, blamed stock market ...
Consumer Buying Patterns Continue to Hurt Traditional Shopping Malls
Vacancy rates in large U.S. shopping malls are rising, prompting some analysts to speculate that a shift in shopping mall space usage is coming. As an increasing number of “anchor stores,” such as J.C. Penney and Sears, close their doors across the country, large malls are finding new uses for ...
Renovation Rockstars: Fire Recovery Rehab
When Vernon Vaughan of FairAndFastHomebuyers.com first spotted the promising address on Hubzu.com, he believed he was investigating the purchase of a vacant lot. “I swung by the property on the way to the movies with my twin boys and was very surprised to find a house!” he recalled. “I made ...
3 Money-Saving Strategies Hands-On Investors Miss
When you think about all the in’s and out’s of managing a fix-and-flip project or other renovation, you probably immediately leap to the processes of keeping the timeline on track, managing the inevitable budget adjustments as new issues come to light during the process, and building enough “cushion” into the ...
5 Markets Where the Middle Class Can Still Afford a Home
If your real estate strategy relies on middle-class buyers being able to afford your properties, then you might want to take a closer look at these metro areas. As the housing affordability crisis looms as the next big issue for our national housing market, an increasing number of would-be homebuyers ...
Appraiser’s Board to Ease Certification Requirements
Property appraisers no longer need a college degree in order to receive their certification, and they do not have to put in nearly as many hours as they used to in order to obtain and maintain that certification, either. According to a recent announcement from the Appraisal Foundation’s Appraiser Qualifications ...
3 Code-Cracking Tips for a Fast Sale
This article was originally published in March 2018 Think Realty Magazine. As a full-time realtor and full-time investor, I see things from a different perspective from a lot of investors and many agents and brokers. I know that sometimes a small change costing pennies on the dollar for an investor ...
Affordability Still Out of Reach for Median Wage Earners
ATTOM Data Solutions, released its Q1 2018 U.S. Home Affordability Report, which shows that median home prices in Q1 2018 were not affordable for average wage earners in 304 of 446 U.S. counties analyzed in the report (68 percent). The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the ...
