Tag Archives: economy
U.S. Homeownership Hits 17-Year Low
Posted on 08. May, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
Homeownership in the U.S. fell to a 17-year low in the first quarter while an increase of Americans opted to rent following the housing collapse. According to the Commerce Department, the seasonally adjusted homeownership rate fell to 65.2 percent, the lowest since the fourth quarter of 1995.
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Rising Rents Are Hot But Facts Show They’re Cooling Down
Posted on 19. Apr, 2013 by Marc Courtenay.
Single family housing rents rose once again in the first quarter of 2013. Yet signs are beginning to reveal themselves that the seemingly endless months of rising rents may be coming to an end. The reasons are numerous but the biggest is a marked increase in the supply of rental units.
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U.S. Housing Starts Rise
Posted on 16. Apr, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
Housing starts in the U.S. jumped in March while multifamily projects reached a seven-year high. According to the Commerce Department, housing starts rose 7 percent to a 1.04 million annual rate, the most since June 2008.
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Housing Rebound Continues Unabated With New Home Sales Soaring
Posted on 05. Apr, 2013 by Marc Courtenay.
Believe it or not the housing industry is making a stellar comeback. After a collapse in residential construction during The Great Recession which began in 2008, new home construction is leading the housing recovery. The Commerce Department reported on March 19, 2013 that housing starts rose in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 917,000.
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Investors Buying Up Homes, Becoming Landlords
Posted on 26. Mar, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
The housing market is slowly improving with investors fueling the recovery. Investors currently make up about 32% of the home sales nationally, according to the National Association of Realtors.
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Homebuilder Confidence Drops in March
Posted on 18. Mar, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
Homebuilder confidence unexpectedly fell for a second month in March. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of builder confidence dropped 2 points to 44 this month.
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Developers Help Buyers Qualify and Home Sales Soar
Posted on 13. Mar, 2013 by Marc Courtenay.
The home-buying market is on fire, especially for newly built houses. New home sales surged almost 29% in January compared to January 2012. This is the highest annual sales rate in four years according to figures released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, Feb. 26th. Existing home sales also rose in January 2013 by 9.1%. Ironically, even though new houses (new construction) cost buyers approximately 37% more for the same square footage as previously owned houses, it’s the new homes that are selling at the hottest pace.
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Historic Mall Converted into Micro-Apartments
Posted on 04. Mar, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
One of America’s oldest shopping malls in downtown Providence, RI shut down by the recession will now be converted into micro-apartments and micro-retail.
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America On The Move (Infographic)
Posted on 07. Feb, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
According to the Geographical Mobility 2012 report by the United States Census Bureau, Americans are finally relocating after record low numbers in 2011. So what finally got them to pack up and move out?
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As Goes Housing So Goes Property Management
Posted on 30. Jan, 2013 by Marc Courtenay.
It seems like every month we’re reading or hearing about the resurgence in home sales and prices. I’m confident that in most regions of the country the bottom has been established for the housing market, yet it’s good to see more clues (data) that confirm that the housing bust is over for now.
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Three Forces Driving Real Estate Sales and Prices
Posted on 08. Jan, 2013 by Marc Courtenay.
An investor friend of mine called recently to ask if I could recommend some competent property managers in our area. Fortunately I knew of several so I gave him the names plus the pros and cons of each one (my way of being helpful and objective). In the course of our conversation he told me that mid-range houses were being snapped up by income-oriented investors the same day they were put on the market for sale.
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Top 10 Turnaround Housing Markets In 2012
Posted on 04. Jan, 2013 by Bryan Ives.
The U.S. housing market is beginning to show signs that it has turned a corner. According to the latest home price report from Trulia, asking home prices were up 5.1% in 2012.
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The Rent Index and What it Suggests for Property Managers
Posted on 10. Dec, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
On almost a daily basis I hear anecdotal reports of syndicated investors as well as rogue opportunists seeking to find bargain houses that they can buy, fix up and rent out. At the same time the number of Americans who can’t qualify for a mortgage or don’t have enough money for a down payment is on the rise.
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Fannie and Freddie Hold Off on Foreclosures for the Holidays
Posted on 04. Dec, 2012 by Bryan Ives.
Homeowners facing foreclosure will not be evicted from their homes this holiday season announced Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
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“Landlord’s Market” Expected in 2013 for Apartment Rentals
Posted on 29. Nov, 2012 by Bryan Ives.
2013 will be a “landlord’s market” for multifamily housing according to a forecast released Monday by the National Association of Realtors.
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Housing Prices Are Rising But Mortgage Loans Hit 16-Year Low
Posted on 09. Nov, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
Is now a good time to buy a house? Yes, if you’re able to do so. For the third month in a row the price of the average house in most regions of the country moved higher, albeit not by an impressive amount. When it comes to the number of home sales, the picture didn’t look so bright last month.
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Rents are Climbing and Occupancy Rates Remain High
Posted on 24. Oct, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
Third quarter 2012 results are encouraging for property managers and residential rental property owners nationwide. This trend has been ongoing now for over a year, and it’s not a surprise in lieu of the many challenges and expenses that potential home buyers face, including the ability to qualify for a mortgage.
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Mortgage Meltdown’s Impact On The Rental Market (Infographic)
Posted on 09. Oct, 2012 by Bryan Ives.
In our latest infographic, we explore how the rental market changed after the mortgage meltdown.
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San Francisco Considering Tiny Apartments
Posted on 28. Sep, 2012 by Bryan Ives.
San Franciscans are currently divided over the possible construction of tiny apartments.
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The Case-Shiller Housing Index Moves Higher; Now What?
Posted on 26. Sep, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
Just when the Federal Reserve needed some incentive to stimulate the economy or inaugurate a new and improved version of Quantitative Easing, the housing market showed yet another sign of rebounding. The S&P Case-Shiller 20-city housing report was issued on August 28, 2012 and it demonstrated yet another monthly improvement in the housing market across the U.S.
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Home Affordability Index Hits Record Level, But Mortgage Supply Tight
Posted on 21. Aug, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
Whether property managers and their clients will continue to see vacancies drop and rent prices go higher will be partly dependent on how easy it is for people to buy instead of rent. The big U.S. banks are reporting an improving number of applications for mortgages as the housing market searches for a bottom and interest rates hit new all-time lows.
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Mortgage Lenders Under-the-Gun to Reduce Fees and Paperwork
Posted on 09. Aug, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a name you might not have heard of but they wield a good amount of influence and authority in the world of mortgage lending. That’s because they are an official part of the U.S. government and their site is an official government web site.
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The State of the Nation’s Housing 2012
Posted on 01. Aug, 2012 by Marc Courtenay.
There is plenty of good news in this exhaustive report. Home sales have risen, home prices have fallen, and so far the number of vacant rental units (supply) has kept up with the demand. If you’re a rental property owner this report is sure to please in many ways.
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Housing Market Slowly Climbing Back
Posted on 27. Jul, 2012 by Bryan Ives.
According to real-estate website Trulia, recent numbers from their monthly report show that the housing market is 32% of the way back to normal.
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NARPM Florida State Chapter Property Manager Conference 2012
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Marc Courtenay: Thanks for your comment. Please consider sharing t...
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Ryan @ Green Bay Commercial Real Estate: At least in our market (Green Bay) it seems to be ...
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Tammy Davis: Great Advice!...
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Sandy: I have strong doubts that this was a professional ...
