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☆ Single-family rentals were stars of real estate during the pandemic. Now the sector faces its biggest challenges yet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The SFR sector is facing fresh challenges this year, however, two KBRA analysts said. If you were an institutional investor looking to invest in real estate during the height of the pandemic, single-family rental properties were probably on your list. Home prices were rising quickly, and borrowing costs were low, underpinning the fundamentals of residential real estate. What's more, real estate research and investment-banking firm Zelman & Associates has estimated there's $110 billion in investor capital waiting to be spent on homes. Labor and supply costs have risen consistently, and massive home price appreciation is resulting in higher real estate taxes.

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☆ Black homeowners had the smallest wealth gains over the past decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Middle-income homeowners gained $122,100 in wealth, with homes appreciating 68% over the past decade, according to the report. The study considered a household low-income if it earned an income no greater than 80% of the area median income. Middle-income homeowners are those with incomes over than 80% of the area’s median income but less than 200%. Black homeowners experienced the smallest wealth gains among any other racial or ethnic group, accumulating $115,000 in wealth in the last decade. Along with the wealth gains accumulated over the past decade, homeowners also reduced their debt by 21%.

☆ How to Get a Mortgage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +15 min

“Houses cost more than the money invested to purchase them,” says Brian Rugg, chief credit officer at mortgage lender loanDepot. Research mortgage loan types and lendersThere are two basic categories of mortgage: private and government backed. “Look at customer reviews from past borrowers,” says Alex Shekhtman, a mortgage broker and founder of LBC Mortgage in New York. “Mortgage lenders use appraisals to protect their investment in the home,” says Liz Lopez, a real-estate agent at RelatedISG Realty. Since mortgage payments are made in arrears—meaning you pay on the first of the month for the previous month’s charges—you won’t owe a mortgage payment until the start of the second month following your closing date.

☆ Boomers Are Buying up Homes, Blocking Millennials From Housing Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The housing market is not a generation-versus-generation cage match. "So the fact that they are now trailing behind the baby boomer population just speaks to the difficulty of the housing market today." A lot has changed in the housing market since the NAR's survey period. In a housing market of "haves" and "have nots," equity-rich homeowners have the edge over hopeful first-time buyers. Millennials know that they have time on their side, since boomers will eventually age out of the market entirely.

☆ An NYC real estate investor explains why the 'golden age' of being a landlord is over and he's switching to 'safer' investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A major NYC landlord told Bloomberg this week that he's selling off the bulk of his properties. He says the shifting political power of tenants and increased costs of being a landlord are why. Ben Carlos Thypin told Bloomberg this week on the "Odd Lots" podcast that he's pursuing an "orderly liquidation" of his properties. Power is slowly shifting from landlords to rentersWhen directly asked by Bloomberg about whether there ever was a "golden age" for landlords, Thypin pointed to research showing how policies in the 1950s helped create a boom for property owners. She added that real estate policies tend to target the creation of new properties, rather than protecting tenants in existing ones.

☆ When Is The Best Time to Buy a House?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

By Michele LernerAs with much else in real estate, the best time of year to buy a house depends on location, market conditions—and you. “But the best time of year to buy a house depends a lot on the type of buyer.”The spring housing marketTraditionally the housing market’s most active season, spring can be the “best” time of year to buy or the “worst” time of year to buy, depending on your perspective. Best time to buy for: Buyers who hope to move before the holidays or at least before the end of the year. Best time to buy for: Buyers and investors looking for a better deal. “Sometimes it’s the right time to buy a house when you’ve found ‘the one’ that feels right for your family and your circumstances,” Bloch says.

Women still earn 18% less than men, but a new report shows a rise in homeownership for single women. Fintech CEOs say that increased advocacy for women's rights contributed to the rise in single women's homeownership. See 30-year mortgage rates right now »Here are the top three states where single women own more homes than men:In Florida , 4.55% more single women than single men own homes, with a total of 854,297 single women homeowners in the state. In Maryland , 4.53% more single women own homes, with a total of 141,740 single women homeowners in the state. In Delaware, 4.5% more single women own homes, with a total of 28,551 single women homeowners in the state.

ABLE accounts provide those with disabilities an opportunity save enough to purchase a house without putting their benefits at risk. Can ABLE account funds be used for a down payment on a house? Tim Elliot, another ABLE account owner and ABLE NRC ambassador, found out about these accounts through an internet search. Home-related expenses an ABLE account can coverOne of the more popular uses of an ABLE account for hopeful homeowners is saving for a down payment. How to open an ABLE account and start saving to buy a homeTo open an ABLE account, you'll need to choose a state program to participate in.

☆ 5 alarming stats on U.S. economic inequality in Pulitzer-prize winning author's new book
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(Desmond's findings are based on data from a number of sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Pew Research Center.) (Desmond analyzed tax data from a number of sources, including the Office of Management and Budget.) watch now"Most families who enjoy those subsidies have six-figure incomes and are white," Desmond writes. "There is growing evidence that America harbors a hard bottom layer of deprivation, a kind of extreme poverty once thought to exist only in faraway places of bare feet and swollen bellies," Desmond writes. Racial wealth gap is as large as in the '60sLooking at the work of other authors and Federal Reserve data, Desmond found that the racial wealth gap is as wide today as it was more than five decades ago.

Investors say that through rental conversions they are making more homes available to people who cannot afford to buy or who would prefer to rent. Housing groups say the growth of this business has come at the expense of lower-income residents because rental conversions reduce opportunities for residents to build wealth through homeownership.

Our experts answer readers' personal loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess personal loans). Our Experts for the Best Personal Loans With No Origination FeesWe consulted personal loan and financial experts to give their insights into finding the best personal loans with no origination fees. See our full ratings methodology for personal loans »Best personal loans without origination fees LightStream Personal LoanSoFi Personal LoanDiscover Personal LoanWells Fargo Personal LoanPenFed Credit Union Personal LoanUSAA Personal Loan Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Personal Loan With No Origination Fees Frequently Asked QuestionsCan you get a personal loan without an origination fee? How to Choose the Best Personal Loan With No Origination FeesTo select the best personal loan for you, look at the factors that are most important to you.

☆ The premium Americans are paying for a mortgage versus rent hasn't been this big since the housing bubble peaked 17 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The monthly payment for a newly purchased home at the end of 2022 was $1,176 more than apartment rent. That premium is the widest it has been since 2006, near the peak of the housing bubble. Expensive real estate prices and high interest rates are driving the gap been mortgages and rent. Limited housing inventory in the US has kept prices elevated, and the Fed's aggressive interest rate hiking campaign over the last year has made mortgage payments more costly. On Thursday, mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported that mortgage rates fell for a second consecutive week, offering some relief in affordability.

☆ Two millennial founders share how they invest in real estate for financial stability while building their own businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Real-estate investments can help business owners find financial stability if done correctly. Two founders revealed how they invest in real estate for extra income. Rowan didn't go on a homebuying spree, but is slowing adding to her real-estate investments. It's OK to start smallRowan said her slow approach to real-estate investing is attractive to millennials, who have a lower rate of homeownership compared to previous generations. "If you're investing $100, you're not going to make a huge return, but you're still going to make the same percentage as the person that invested $100,000," she previously told Insider.

☆ Evergrande Restructuring Is a Warning to China’s Other Creditors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China Evergrande has finally laid out a debt-restructuring plan for its offshore creditors. The pain for its long-suffering debt investors, however, isn’t over yet. That also gives a warning to owners of other offshore property debt. Many investors piled into those bonds on the assumption that Beijing would never allow a truly widespread property bust because of the fraught politics of homeownership in China. That assumption proved wrong, and now they are likely to pay a steep price.

☆ Gen Z Investing in Real Estate, Buying Homes Early, Learning From Millennials' Mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Unlike millennials before them, Gen Zers have grown up during a boom in home prices. In a 2020 survey by Gen Z Planet, a research and advisory firm, 87% of Gen Z respondents said they wanted to own a home in the future, while just 63% of millennial respondents said the same. The survey suggested that 68% of Gen Zers viewed homeownership as a way to build wealth, compared with 60% of millennials. But the ranks of Gen Z homeowners will almost certainly grow in the coming years as they scale corporate ladders and amass savings. All this new technology and information is fueling the real-estate-mogul dreams of ambitious Gen Z investors.

☆ Snakes, rats and reptilian squatters: single family rental investors get a rude awakening as landlords
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Single-family-rental landlords are like most other homeowners, just at scale. Indeed, rising interest rates have drastically reduced access to capital for everyone, including single-family landlords who've borrowed heavily to finance their purchases. Here are a few stories of the wild world of institutional single-family-rental property management. An iguana stuck inside a Divvy Homes property in Florida. Single-family-rental landlords face the twin challenges of customer service and homeownership, often at the same time.

☆ Conservatives scoff at Trump's 'leftist plan' to build 10 new American cities featuring flying cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Trump recently announced a plan to build up to 10 new American cities on federal land. But some right-wing critics have attacked it as a "leftist plan" to create walkable "15-minute cities." Fox News left its in-house comedian, Greg Gutfeld, to handle the coverage of Freedom Cities. A conservative member of the UK parliament recently called 15-minute cities an "international socialist concept" that "would take away your personal freedoms." But Freedom Cities don't sound like 15-minute cities at all.

☆ 90% of homeowners didn't realize how expensive it would be—here's what surprised them the most
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Additionally, 73% of those surveyed said they had regrets about buying their home, with expensive maintenance and hidden costs cited as the most common reasons. Only 35% of homeowners say they had no feelings of buyer's remorse after buying their home. Rapidly rising home prices may also explain why nearly a third of homeowners say they overpaid for their home. Of those with regrets, homeowners say they've been surprised by the cost of the following items. With the benefit of hindsight, 57% of homeowners say they would have approached buying a house differently had they realized the true cost of homeownership.

Financial planner Nicole Morong says buying a house isn't the best decision for six types of people. But financial planner Nicole Morong at Peterkin Financial says buying a house isn't the best financial move for everyone, and most people who feel pressured to do so can't actually afford it. See Insider's picks for the best mortgage lenders for first-time buyers >>"Affordability is more than whether or not you can pay the monthly mortgage," Morong says. If you do, Morong says you're probably better off renting than owning a home. You don't have an emergency savings fundAn emergency savings fund is three to six months worth of living expenses, typically kept in a high-yield savings account so that it's easily accessible in case of an emergency.

☆ The typical home for sale in the US has had its price cut, been on the market for months, and comes with at least one sweetener for buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

This year's home buyers still have to dig deep to afford the typical home for sale in the US. With the median home-sale price at $352,750 and mortgage rates hovering above 6%, housing affordability is at an all-time low. But that doesn't mean prospective buyers have to throw in the towel. There are more homes available for sale, and many home sellers are taking additional and unusual steps to sell their properties. In short, housing market dynamics are shifting, giving some buyers a better shot at achieving homeownership.

To help you get started, CNBC Select rounded up a list of the best mortgage lenders first-time homebuyers should consider. Types of loans offered: The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. Fees: Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees. Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees.

☆ Meet the typical Tesla owner: A white man with a household income over $130,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla drivers are typically white men, a study that analyzed Model S, 3, and X owners found. The typical Tesla owner has a household income over $130,000 per year, per the study. The average Tesla owner is an upper middle class white male, according to a study from Hedges & Company, a digital marketing firm for automakers. The analysis found Tesla drivers largely come from the upper middle class (commonly referred to as individuals that have household incomes over $100,000 per year). Hedges and Company's analysis mostly lines up with other studies of Tesla drivers when it comes to gender and income.

☆ A Black couple settled with the appraiser who valued their home almost $500,000 lower than when a white friend posed as the owner, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Black couple decided to "whitewash" their home and had a white friend pose as the owner. Their home was revalued at $1.48 million and they've now settled with the appraiser, per NBC News. That second appraisal valued the home at $1.48 million – a $487,500, or 49%, increase from Miller's appraisal just three weeks earlier, per the filing. This case isn't the first time discrepancies between Black and white homeownership have been discovered. And last year, the New York Times reported on a Black couple in Maryland who filed a lawsuit after their home was valued $278,000 higher when a white colleague pretended to own the home.

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☆ Millennials in their 30s are sitting in an economic quagmire that could stick with them through retirement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jason Lalljee | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In the long run, this generation may also be hit by cuts in Social Security benefits. In the longer run, millennials' retirement may also be affected if Social Security benefits are cut. Millennials in their 30s are accruing debt faster than their peersWhile Experian and Credit Karma research show Gen X has the highest average debt, millennials still hold a lot of debt too — and are accumulating it faster than anyone else. Millennials face looming retirement insecurityIf all of that wasn't enough, millennials' retirement situation in the future could be different from Gen X and baby boomers. Additionally, millennials' retirement safety nets are likely to be affected if they can't get full Social Security benefits.

Real estate crowdfundingReal estate crowdfunding is a strategy that allows enterprises to raise capital from large groups of individuals. Real estate investment trusts (REITs)If you want to wade into real estate, investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT) will provide exposure to the market without the time and cost commitment of buying your own property. Invest in your own homeFinally, if you want to invest in real estate, look closer to home — your own home. Strategies for successful real estate investingWhatever form your real estate investment takes, certain strategies will stand you in good stead. Pure investment plays — which don't involve hands-on management from you — include real estate crowdfunding, investing in real estate limited partnerships, and buying into real estate investment trusts.

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