Real estate investing has been a very popular topic over the last few years. Real estate investors with rental properties have been in a good place during the last few years. The surge of homes in foreclosure meant that properties were ripe for the taking - and at record low prices. As the housing market recovers, however, the number of homes available is dwindling and some investors are choosing to leave the business...it just isn’t as easy anymore.
2 min read
Real Estate Foreclosure Rates Fall Lowest Since 2006
Some investors have ongoing concerns regarding the real estate market, particularly when it comes to a relatively weak demand for homes. There’s some news to be celebrated right now, however. The number of lenders that have initiated real estate foreclosures has fallen to the lowest level it’s been in almost 8 years.
3 min read
Why Repair?: Weighing in for Real Estate Investors
For real estate investors, property renovation can be a tricky business. In most cases, repairs and renovations are done primarily to boost the property value of an investment property. Investors go to great lengths upgrading kitchens and adding on an extra bath to see gains in their bottom line. In some cases, the repairs and renovations are being done to boost the rental rates of properties.
3 min read
Buying a Property With Your Head, Not Your Heart
There’s nothing wrong with falling in love. Unfortunately, we all have to keep our heads on straight when it comes to love. Getting your heart involved in something is always a risk - especially when it comes to a significant financial investment.
2 min read
What the State of the U.S. Economy Means for Real Estate Investors
Plenty of factors figure into the state of the U.S. economy. When the economy crashed a few years ago, the housing market was largely blamed. Very slowly, we’ve been climbing out of this economic hole. The general public opinion of the recovering economy, however, is still mixed and hasn’t changed much from 2009. In a study by the Pew Research Center in February of this year, a reported 61% of Americans were hearing a mixture of good and bad news surrounding the U.S. economy and its recovery, 33% heard mostly bad news, and only 5% heard mostly good news.
3 min read
Why Rent? Insights for Real Estate Investors
While rent rates continue their slow climb, surprisingly, the vacancies in apartments are on the downswing. Reis reported a 3.2% rent increase in 2013, compared to the vacancy decline of 4.1%. That trend doesn’t seem to be changing, as it's similar to the statistics of 2012. More and more people are turning to renting despite rising costs. One would think that wouldn’t be the case, but it’s good news for real estate investors.
3 min read
Homebuyers Pushed Out: What Does it Mean for Real Estate Investors?
It’s a tough time to buy a home. The real estate buying market has been unforgiving lately as home prices are on the rise. We have seen several cases in Dallas where properties are listed and shown multiple times within a 24-hour period and followed up with multiple bids.
3 min read
What Real Estate Investors Need to Know About Tax Breaks in 2014
While the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes, that doesn’t mean tax laws are unchanging. For 2014, many tax laws that people have counted on for good tax breaks are expiring — and not all of them are certain to be renewed. Not only that, but both representatives of the White House and Congress are calling for major tax reform that could have some other major changes in store.
