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The commercial real estate market is in for a rough ride this year. Many mortgages become due in 2023, and refinancing could be impossible for some property owners because of high interest rates. That situation is expected to shake things up a bit, and lead to more defaults, subleasing, and vacancies. As a MarketWatch headline suggests: “The party is over in commercial real estate.” (1)   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.   Lenders say there’s an estimated $450 billion worth of commercial real estate loans coming due within the next four years. Property owners will be forced to refinance at much higher interest rates, for properties that may have also lost value. It’s a double whammy that could result in property sales and/or bankruptcies.   Higher Rates & Lower Valuations   And that’s not including a decline in lease renewals, which is already happening. You may have seen headlines about some of the big tech c

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 31, 2022... we say goodbye to a difficult year for real estate and hello to a new year that’s filled with opportunity. You’ll also hear about changes to retirement account rules, what happened to builder confidence in 2022, and what one institutional investor thinks of single-family rentals.   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 that includes significant changes to how taxpayers save for retirement. The changes are part of the SECURE ACT 2.0 which was written into the $1.7 trillion federal spending plan just approved by Congress and President Joe Biden. Some of the more than 90 changes will take effect right away, while others will be implemented in later years.   One of the biggest changes is an increase in the age that triggers mandatory minimum distributions, or RMDs, from tax-deferred acco

California is eliminating a substantial subsidy for people who add solar panels to their homes and businesses. The new policy will reduce the amount of money that utilities are required to pay to homeowners who pump surplus electricity back into the grid. There’s now concern that the decision will hurt the solar industry in California, and potentially other states that may follow California’s lead. State regulators say the old policy is outdated, and the new one paves the way to the future.   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 five-member California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously in favor of the proposal. They say it will promote grid reliability and distribute the cost of maintaining the grid more equitably, while incentivizing the use of rooftop solar with battery storage. CPUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen says: “The decision strikes the right balance between many competing priorities a

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 24th, 2022... we have the latest report on inflation, a surge in all-cash home purchasing deals, and the results of a survey on real estate as a wealth builder.   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 new report that shows inflation is cooling off. The Commerce Department says the Personal Consumption Expenditure index shows that prices rose just .1% in November. That brings the annual rate of inflation down from 6.1% to 5.5%. The core rate, which eliminates food and gas prices, was up .2% with an annual rate that dropped from 5% to 4.7%. The PCE index is the gauge preferred by the central bank because it takes into account changes in consumer behavior to compensate for high prices. (1)   Some economists believe that the good news on inflation will soften the Fed’s plan to continue with r

Rent growth has been slowing down in step with the economy, but it’s still running hotter than it was before the pandemic. And that’s expected to encourage more jurisdictions to consider and or pass rent control legislation. Even Florida is turning towards rent control as an answer for high rents.   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 Bisnow reports, rents remain “painfully high” for many Americans, despite slower rent growth for both single-family and multi-family rentals. (1) Year-over-year single-family rent growth hit a high of 13.9% in April of last year, but has been slowing down for the last five months. It’s still in the double digits, but is now 10.2%. Florida metros have seen the highest SFR rent growth with Miami and Orlando at the top of that list. (2)   It’s a similar situation for apartments but rent growth has come down further. Annual rent growth hit a record high of 17.6% in 2021. It’s now down

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 17th, 2022... the Fed’s latest rate hike, a 2023 top market forecast, and where you can “live like a hobbit” on Airbnb.   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. As I mentioned in an update a few days ago, the Fed hiked short-term rates once again. This time, it was a half point increase. The previous four increases were three quarters of a point. That brings the federal-funds rate up to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. The Fed’s effort to stop inflation is expected to go as high as 5.25%. Several Fed officials expect rates to go even higher. Fed Chief Jerome Powell says of the need for more rate hikes: “We’re going into next year with higher inflation than we thought.” This is expected to increase the risk of a recession. (1)   The Fed’s decision on rates came a day after the latest report on consumer

Blackstone is defending its decision to limit withdrawals from its $69 billion dollar real estate fund as investors become more cautious about what’s ahead. Fund managers say that redemption requests for the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, or BREIT, exceeded previously set limits, and that investors knew there would be only so much liquidity to pay existing investors. The only way to create more liquidity is to sell properties, and that doesn’t happen overnight.    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.   Blackstone chief, Stephen Schwarzman, says the fund is performing well, and the high number of redemption requests are mostly from Asian investors who are facing financial stress in Asia. But there’s also growing concern about commercial real estate valuations here in the U.S. with weakening demand for office space and the impact of the Fed’s interest rate hikes on the economy. Apartment rent growth is also slowin

In this Real Estate News Brief updated to December 14, 2022… the Fed hikes short-term rates once again, two inflation reports show signs of improvement, and a video game called “The Tenants” showcases the job of a landlord.   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 economic news with another rate hike by the Fed as it tries to control inflation. Fed officials decided on a half point rate hike, as most economists expected. That’s lower than the last four three-quarter point rate hikes, and puts the Federal Funds rate between 4.25% and 4.5%. Fed officials also indicated that they would keep rates high throughout 2023, so any reduction in the overnight lending rate wouldn’t happen until 2024. (1)   Fed officials had just received the latest report on the consumer price growth the day before. The Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index or CPI was only up .1% in November to an annua

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending December 3rd, 2022... new limits for 2023 conforming loans, the hours tenants need to work to pay rent, and a single-family rent growth slowdown that’s still good news for landlords.   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. The inflation gauge favored by the Fed showed a bigger drop in price growth, but a report on job creation and wage growth showed that the economy is still running too hot. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Index or PCE shows a .2% increase for the October core rate which is down from a .5% rate of growth in September. The current annual rate is now 5.2% for the PCE core rate which excludes food and gas prices. The improvement suggests that inflation is stabilizing. (1)   The government also released a report that shows stronger-than-expected job growth in November and a sharp incre

Investors often use this strategy and now some housing activists are doing the same, hoping to beat investors with cash offers. It’s the cash offer on a home that often gives investors an edge, and one activist group in Milwaukee is hoping to level the playing field with funds to buy homes in cash that it will then sell to low-income families.   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.    Act Housing is a nonprofit organization that wants to give low-income families an opportunity to buy homes that are often scooped up by investors with cash offers. The Wall Street Journal is calling them “activist house flippers.” In this case, the group would flip the homes for a minimal profit because it would sell them to families for close to the cost of the homes. (1)   Housing Acts In Fundraising Mode   The group hopes to raise $10 million by next year from the government and other groups that provide philanthropic funding. The act

There’s still time to get in on an affordable real estate deal that also gives you Portuguese citizenship, access to affordable, state of the art healthcare, university education in Europe, and easy access to Europe. Portugal’s Golden Visa program encourages foreign real estate investment in exchange for citizenship, and the minimum investment is just €280,000 which is about $280,000. But the opportunity might not last forever. The Portuguese government is in the process of making a decision on whether to end the program but anyone already signed up will be grandfathered in!     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.     Portugal’s Golden Visa Program     Portugal’s Golden Visa program has been around since 2012. It was created to help Portugal recover from the worldwide economic downturn during the Great Recession. It encourages foreign investment and because the Euro is currently on par with the dollar, U.S. investors

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 26th, 2022... what the Fed is expected to do next, what investors did not do in the third quarter, and a new rent growth report.     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 a light week for economic news as most of us enjoyed a day with family and friends for Thanksgiving. But there are a few things to report. The Federal Reserve released the minutes of its last meeting which shows that most of the voting members feel it’s appropriate to reduce the size of the rate hikes. They feel that aggressive measures are still needed, but that smaller hikes will give them an opportunity to evaluate the economic impact. They are hoping to avoid what they call a “hard landing” as they tighten the reigns on the money supply. Economists are now expecting a half point rate hike at the meeting in December. That’s after four consecutive three-

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 19th, 2022... the latest inflation slowdown, what the Fed might do next, and what homebuyers need to earn to buy the “typical home.” 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. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-estate-news-real-estate-investing-podcast/id1079952715 Economic News We begin with economic news from this past week, and another good report on inflation. The government reported on Tuesday that wholesale prices only rose .2% in October. That lowers the annual rate of inflation from 8.4% to 8%. It had been as high as 11.7% in March. That report along with one the week before on the CPI, show that inflation is slowing down, but officials at the Federal Reserve say they are still seeing the need for several more rate hikes. (1) St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard says that the central bank still has a lot of work to do to attain a “suffi

What’s happening with Airbnb? A Palm Springs superhost recently Tweeted about an unusual drop in bookings which opened a floodgate of complaints from guests. Although Airbnb is more successful than ever, there’s growing discontent in at least some markets and the conversation is bubbling over online with comments like (dramatic voice Kathy!) “The Airbnbust is upon us.” 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 Tweet about a drop in bookings was quickly picked up by Buzzfeed. It published an article with the title: “Couple Says An Airbnb Host Expected Them to Strip the Beds, Vacuum, And Do Chores, Plus More Stories from People Who No Longer Use the Service.” Viral Tweet: Big Drop in Bookings The article posted the tweet from the Palm Springs host who said he’s seen a drop in bookings for three to four months. He said his rental went from about 50% occupancy to literally 0%, and wanted to know if other people were experi

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 12th, 2022… what’s next after a really good report on inflation, the NAHB’s latest report on housing affordability, and the ten fastest growing U.S. cities. 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 inflation that shows the Fed is making progress with its rate hikes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a lower-than-expected .4% increase in the October Consumer Price Index which brought the annual rate down to 7.7%. It was 8.2% in September. Stock market investors were pleased that inflation appears to be subsiding, and the Dow closed up more than 1,000 points. But that doesn’t mean that the fight is over. Although Fed officials are expressing some amount of optimism, several spoke out about the danger of pausing too soon on the rate hikes. (1) Richmond Fed president Thomas Bar

Is inflation pulling back or blowing up into a worldwide financial disaster? The latest CPI report shows that U.S. inflation has come down substantially, but just a week before that, the Fed hiked short-term interest rates by three-quarters of a percent in its battle against high prices. The CPI report is now changing what some economists believe the Fed will or should do next. But inflation is also a worldwide problem and some doom and gloom economists are worried about the possibility of “global hyperinflation.” Let’s take a look at a hedge fund warning and how real estate can protect you from this kind of uncertainty. 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. First, the October CPI shows a lower-than-expected .4% increase in consumer prices. That brings the annual rate down from 8.2% in September to 7.7% in October. (1) It’s still too high but as economist Andrew Hunter at Capital Economics said in a CNBC report: “At l

For the first time ever, it now costs more per square foot for a home in the suburbs than it does for a home in the city. Redfin has been tracking this data since 2018, and says that the pandemic-inspired migration to the suburbs is still going strong, and that a typical suburban home now costs a dollar more per square foot than its urban counterpart. 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 you know, homes in the suburbs were in high demand during the pandemic because people wanted space to work remotely and a place for their kids to play outside. While demand grew for the suburbs, it weakened for the cities, along with home prices. Although home prices in the city rebounded during the pandemic’s aftermath, demand continues for suburban homes, especially among millennials who can work from home and want to raise families in areas with good school systems. One Dollar More Per Square Foot The Redfin analysis on the cos

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending November 5th, 2022... the Fed’s latest rate hike, why the housing inventory is surging, and what one big bank is doing to help landlords collect rent. 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 another jumbo rate hike by the Fed. For the fourth time in a row, the central bank raised the Federal Funds rate by three-quarters of a point. That brings the short-term rate to a range of 3.75 to 4%, which is the highest it’s been in 15 years. And the Fed says that rate hikes aren’t over. They will continue until inflation comes back down to about 2%. Fed Chief Jerome Powell suggested that smaller hikes of a half or quarter point “are coming” and that at some point “it will be appropriate to slow the pace of increases” but they are now expected to top out around 5% before the Fed accomplishes its goal. (1) (2) Econo

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending October 29th, 2022... a turnaround for the U.S. GDP, a new high point for mortgage rates, and faltering rent growth. 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 an encouraging report on the U.S. GDP. The government reported a 2.6% growth rate in the third quarter. It was better than the Dow Jones forecast of 2.3%, but is also thought to be a rebound from two quarters of negative growth. According to CNBC, the upside came from a decline in the trade deficit, along with stable consumer spending, higher government spending, and a rise in nonresidential fixed investment. (1) A positive GDP isn’t eliminating concerns about a recession, especially if the Fed continues to aggressively raise interest rates to fight inflation. The PCE, which is the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows a .5% increase in September, to

While the Federal Reserve is trying to slow down the economy and basically kill a few million jobs, some areas are just not cooperating. Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio have been gold mines for investors in recent years, and now that gold mine is moving north into the suburbs of North Texas. It’s not only attracting remote workers who want a lower cost of living, but the area is turning into the next big American technology hub that will create thousands of new jobs. That's why I started a single family rental fund that is buying properties near those jobs. If you want to find out more about our Texas Single Family Rental Fund, got to GrowDevelopments.com. 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 real estate investors, you know that population growth and job growth are essential for a good real estate market. Texas has both of those. Texas Population Growth Census Bureau data shows the Dallas-Fort Worth a