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In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 12th, 2023... you’ll hear what Fed officials are forecasting for housing inflation, why a New York judge tossed an Airbnb lawsuit, and the top ten cities for build-to-rent single-family homes.   We begin with economic news from this past week that features two reports on inflation. The Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index was slightly higher in July than it was in June, although the reported figure for both months was .2%. The slight increase was enough to bring the yearly rate up a tiny bit, from 3% to 3.2%, but as MarketWatch reports, the fluctuation may not be enough to worry the Fed. The core rate, which eliminates prices for food and fuel, was also up .2% with an annual rate that was down slightly from 4.8% to 4.7%...   If you’ve missed some of our episodes, you can catch up at https://www.newsforinvestors.com. And please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review!   You can also hit the Join for Free button to bec

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending August 5th, 2023... the government’s debt rating get a downgrade, typical mortgage payment rises, and wind risk data is now available on a popular listing website.   We begin with economic news from this past week that features a downgrade on U.S. government debt. The Fitch credit rating agency lowered the U.S. government’s debt rating one notch, from AAA to AA+ saying the downgrade reflects “expected fiscal deterioration” that includes a rising amount of government debt and repeated problems with “governance” because of all the debt-ceiling battles in Congress...   Please visit newsforinvestors.com to keep up with all the real estate news, and hit the “Join for Free” button to become a member of RealWealth. You’ll get access to all our real estate data on markets that make sense for investors. And please remember to hit the subscribe button for this podcast, and leave a review!   You can also follow me on instagram, and learn how to create financial freedom

The Federal government announced a plan to make it easier for builders to get new housing on the market. It’s part of the Biden administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan. This program, announced on July 27th, would reduce land use and zoning restrictions, increase financing for affordable energy efficient housing, and promote the conversion of under-used commercial space into homes.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   The housing crisis is the result of an oversized demand for housing, a limited supply of affordable homes, and a whole lot of rules and regulations that make it difficult to build more homes. Each city and municipality has zoning rules and land use policies that lean toward low-density housing, like single-family detached homes...   If you want to learn more about how you can use real estate to build wealth, hit the join for free button on our website. And please remember to hit the subscribe butt

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 29th, 2023… the Fed’s latest rate hike, how the central bank’s economic forecast has changed, and good news about the dreaded IRS “knock on the door.”   We begin with economic news from this past week and a Fed meeting that resulted in yet another rate hike. The Federal Reserve raised the benchmark rate a quarter point, to a range of 5.25% to 5.5%. That’s the highest it’s been in 22 years.    In a news conference after the meeting, Fed Chief Jerome Powell said that inflation has moderated somewhat, but the 2% target is still a ways off. He wouldn’t say whether Fed officials are leaning toward another rate hike in September. He said it would be a meeting-by-meeting data-driven decision...   Please remember to hit the subscribe button, and leave a review! If you want to learn more about how you can become a wealth-building real estate investor, hit the join for free button on our website.   Thanks for listening. I'm Kathy Fettke.   Links:   https://ww

Fraud concerns are growing in connection with the Nightingale investment firm’s handling of investor funds. We just reported on the disappearance of millions of dollars raised on the CrowdStreet platform for two Nightingale deals. And now, CrowdStreet is worried about the management of a Nightingale office tower in Chicago, which was also partially paid for by CrowdStreet investors.   In a previous podcast, we reported that Nightingale is accused of misappropriating more than $50 million that investors pumped into two high-end properties in Atlanta and Chicago. The deals never closed, and when the money went missing, CrowdStreet recommended the appointment of an independent manager. Shareholders agreed and hired Anna Phillips. She then placed the entities created for those deals into bankruptcy to help track down the money.   Now CrowdStreet is taking a closer look at the Nightingale campaigns and wants to put Phillips in control of the Chicago property. That’s after a request for audited financial records we

Some CrowdStreet investors are expressing disbelief, and rage, after learning that millions of dollars of their investment funds have gone missing! Investors pumped more than $60 million into two deals sponsored by Nightingale Properties on that platform, and Poof! The money has mysteriously disappeared!   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   As reported by Bisnow, Nightingale did a great job pitching the deals to CrowdStreet investors. One was Nightingale’s purchase of the Atlanta Financial Center for $182 million, which represented a $78 million loss for the seller and instant equity for the buyers. The Real Deals reports that more than 650 investors clamored into that deal with $54 million. The other deal was the renovation of a Miami Beach office building that Nightingale already owned. It raised $9 million for that project...   You can find out more about how to invest responsibly as a RealWealth member. It’s f

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 22nd, 2023... what economists are expecting from the Fed, why there’s so much optimism about a soft landing, and what landlords are seeing for rent growth in today’s market. Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   We begin with economic news from this past week, and much of that news has been focused on what economists predict the Fed will do at this week’s meeting. There’s basically a consensus that the Fed will hike short-term rates another quarter point to squash inflation, and that that will likely be the final rate hike. But at the same time, most economists don’t expect Fed Chief Jerome Powell to say that out loud, and he has predicted the need for another two rate hikes. But he’s more likely to leave people guessing at this point, as Fed officials evaluate inflation data. And it’s been good recently. The consumer price index or CPI dropped to 3.1% in June,

The rent control debate is gaining momentum at the top of the legal food chain. New York landlords are asking the Supreme Court to overturn lower court decisions on a 2019 rent stabilization law, and several national real estate groups are showing support. If the high court takes the case and rules in their favor, experts say it could “destabilize” rent stabilization laws across the nation.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   The two landlord groups pushing for a Supreme Court review of the lower court rulings are the Community Housing Improvement Program and the Rent Stabilization Association. They are both based in New York, and claim that the 2019 “Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act” is unconstitutional. The law is also known as the Rent Stabilization Law or RSL...    You’ll find links to our sources at newsforinvestors.com. You can also find out more about the real estate market and how rental proper

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 15th, 2023... the best inflation news in a long time, why you might get some money back from BofA, and a ranking of state economies with two of my favorites at the top.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news from this past week, and the big news came from two promising inflation reports. With a tiny .2% increase in June, the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, shows that inflation is slowing down. The June reading is down from a .3% increase in May, and brings the annual rate down from 4% to 3%. It’s the lowest rate of inflation we’ve seen since March of 2021.   The core rate of inflation, which omits food and gas, rose the same .2%, but the annual rate is still on the hot side. It’s currently at the 4.8% level. The core rate is considered a better gauge for price growth, and is still well above the 2% target the Fed is aim

This is the 1300th episode of our news podcast! And to celebrate we are featuring another big win for our RealWealth investors -- the public opening of a man-made crystal lagoon in the Tampa Bay area that's now the nation's largest! The 15-acre Mirada Lagoon is part of a massive development project in Pasco County that was syndicated by us at RealWealth. It was supposed to open a few years ago, but thanks to the pandemic and supply chain issues, those plans were delayed until now! (1)   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.   We acquired the land for about 10 cents on the dollar nearly a decade ago, during the downturn. It was called Cannon Ranch at the time, and slated for 4200 homes on a golf course, but our team thought that consumers might be ready for something different. We brought on a partner, Metro Development Group, and decided to replace the golf-course plan with a huge 15-acre crystal lagoon.    We chang

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 8th, 2023... what’s on the minds of Fed officials, how homebuyer competition is impacting prices, and what isn’t happening with the back-to-office migration.    Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news from this past week and the release of the minutes from the central bank’s last policy meeting. As you know, members of the Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously in favor of a pause in rate hikes, but the minutes show that some members were in favor of another 25 point increase. The minutes also noted that the economy has been stronger than expected and that Fed officials don’t see a lot of “clear signs” that inflation is headed to their 2% target. (1) Fed Chief Jerome Powell has said that more rate hikes are likely. We’ll get two inflation reports in the coming week that will give us a better idea of what’s happe

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending July 1st, 2023... where we stand on inflation and rate hikes, how many homes we need to meet demand, and the amount of money Americans expect to need in retirement.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news from this past week and a report on the Fed’s preferred inflation measure. The government released the latest CPI on Friday which shows the lowest rate of overall inflation since April of 2021. Prices rose a mere .1% which brought the annual rate down to 3.8%. That’s down from 4.3% in March. At the core level, inflation remains a little sticker. It omits food and energy, and shows a .3% price increase with an annual rate of 4.6%. (1)   The good news is that inflation is coming down, but maybe not fast enough to please the Fed. The central bank skipped a rate hike in June, but Fed chief Jerome Powell is hinting at the need

Fraudulent applications for the government’s Covid-era Paycheck Protection Program helped push home prices higher in some markets. That’s the conclusion of new research from the University of Texas at Austin. It says that fraudulent PPP loan recipients increased their home purchase rate more than non-fraudulent loan recipients, and that that corresponded to higher home prices. (1)    Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.   The research paper shows that home price growth was much faster in areas with a high amount of “suspicious lending per capita.” In other words, areas with higher rates of loan fraud correlated with fraud recipients who also bought property. That may have increased prices due to competition among well-funded buyers, or maybe because it was easy to spend a little more on a home with easy money.   Loan Fraud Impact on Home Prices   So what was the estimated size of this impact? The report says: “at t

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 24th, 2023... what the Fed Chief is saying about another two rate hikes, where evictions are rising the most, and how the economy is impacting commercial real estate.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news from this past week, and comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell about interest rates. He testified before Congress that U.S. inflation is still too high and that more rate hikes are likely this year. He told members of the House Financial Services Committee: “Nearly all FOMC participants expect that it will be appropriate to raise interest rates somewhat further by the end of the year.” But he also says that decisions will be made “meeting by meeting” so there’s no timetable as to if or when this will happen. Most of the members are anticipating two more quarter point rate hikes. (1)   In a more positi

The latest report on single-family rents shows that rent growth is still positive, but declining in step with the Fed-induced economic slowdown. CoreLogic just released its Single-Family Rent Index for April which shows another monthly dip and rent growth levels for various metros. (1)   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.   The CoreLogic report shows that single-family rents were up 3.7% in April for all the U.S. metros included in the index. That’s down from 4.3% in March, and 14% from April of last year. The report shows single-digit rent increases for the most part. Las Vegas was the only exception with a negative reading of .8%.   Despite the huge year-over-year decline, single-family rents are still up almost 26% since the beginning of the pandemic, thanks to strong demand and low inventory.   Gains Approaching Pre-Pandemic Levels   CoreLogic principal Economist, Molly Boesel, said in a press release: “Singl

California is hoping to solve a massive homeless problem with a change in the state constitution. One lawmaker is proposing an amendment that proclaims “adequate housing” as a fundamental right. It’s not clear what “adequate housing” would mean, but if it gets on the ballot, and it’s passed by voters, it would be the first such constitutional amendment in the nation.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.   Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10   Assemblyman Matt Haney of San Francisco proposed the amendment which is currently working its way through the state legislature. The measure, called Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10, would make state and local governments responsible for upholding this mandate.   There would have to be some guidelines as to what’s “adequate.” As reported by the Orange County Register, it could include the creation of more housing, better tenant protections, the repurposing of under-util

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 17th, 2023... why we might see two more rate hikes this year, what the latest consumer price report is showing us, and the cities that are attracting the most attention from renters!   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news that grabbed headlines this last week. Members of the Fed’s Open Market Committee decided to put their rate hike regimen on pause for the month of June, but said that two more rate hikes are likely later this year. The decision was unanimous for the pause, but not so for the rate hikes. Two members don’t see any further hikes, four are anticipating one more rate hike, and nine are expecting the need for two. Two more believe we’ll need three, and one is saying four. (1)   By holding the interest rate steady for the time being, the Fed will have a chance to “assess additional information and its impli

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 10th, 2023… what builders are saying about the lot shortage, where rent growth is highest and lowest, and the rising number of all-cash offers for homes.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news from this past week… which doesn’t amount to much. Economists are focused more on what’s coming up “this week.” The Fed’s June meeting is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday where members of the Federal Open Market Committee will be deciding what happens next with interest rates. CNBC reports that a majority of economists are predicting a pause on rate hikes, but that we could see another rate hike in July. (1)   Much depends on where we stand on inflation right now, and we’re set to get those numbers just ahead of this week’s Fed meeting. The government will release May reports on the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, and the Produ

The Arizona governor is calling for new limits on construction in the Phoenix suburbs due to a dwindling supply of groundwater. Governor Katie Hobbs announced a pause on new subdivisions that don’t have a proven source of water. The policy comes after an analysis that says the supply of groundwater will fall short of demand over the next 100 years.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.   Growth Putting Pressure on Water Supply   Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the U.S. with more than 1.6-million people, but the entire metro area has closer to 5-million people. Those suburbs and outlying areas are also growing rapidly, and putting more and more pressure on groundwater supplies that do not replenish rapidly, especially during times of drought.   The city’s groundwater analysis involved tests on more than 40,000 wells, along with the testing of aquifers and streamflows. Those tests show that water levels will fall

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending June 3rd, 2023... a new surge in job openings and job creation, a big drop in investor activity, and a new legal battle over short-term rentals in New York City.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you like our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.   Economic News   We begin with economic news and several reports on the strength of the job market. The government reports that companies created a whopping 339,000 new jobs in May. That’s a sign of strength for the job market, but the report also shows a surge in unemployment from 3.4% to 3.7%. That’s the highest jobless reading since October. Some economists see that as a potential warning sign.   But job market resilience is also showing up in a report on job openings which rose from a revised 9.7 million in March to a three-month high of 10.1 million in April. Wall Street Journal economists had forecast a drop in job openings to 9.5 million. (1)   Job openings incre