Blog

Where are the neighborhoods in America where the typical renter is throwing down $10k, $15k, or even $30k a month?  While that does sound like quite a bit of coin, there are neighborhoods across the county where landlords are fetching those amounts.  After all, nearly one third of Americans are... Read more »

A new report Bankrate.com says that nearly half of millennial homeowners had regrets about their home purchase.  Bankrate says that, overall 44% of homeowners had regrets about their purchase while 56% did not.  Unexpected maintenance or other hidden costs were listed as the largest item. “When you buy a house, you... Read more »

Sunday, April 21st is Easter…Each year it falls on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox.  In other words, the date fluctuates each year between March 22 and April 25.   Today’s infographic from the datavizblog.com takes a look at “Easter by the Numbers” all the way... Read more »

We’ve been talking a lot about Opportunity Zones and you will undoubtedly hear more about them going forward.  A new report by Yardi takes a look at the tax incentives for investing in the 8,700+ opportunity zones across the country that were created by the tax reform passed by Congress... Read more »

We recently posted about how mortgage delinquency rates were the lowest in 20 years and that potentially means fewer foreclosures for home flippers.  However, in a recent special report about flipping, CoreLogic says that flipping rates are actually near historic highs, but flippers are “playing a different game.”  To come... Read more »

According to the latest Yardi Matrix, U.S. multifamily rents rose slightly in March, coming in at $1,430 with year-over-year growth dropping slightly to 3.2%.  Yardi says that market dynamics continue to be healthy almost everywhere. “The dynamics continue to be healthy almost everywhere. That gives investors a choice between potentially higher... Read more »

According to recent data from the Joint Center on Housing Studies (reported by Mortgage News Daily), $425 billion was spent nationally in 2017 on home maintenance & improvement – representing a 10% increase from 2015 and more than 50% from the 2010.  In addition they report that nearly 80% of... Read more »

According to recent analysis from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the digital economy accounted for 6.9% of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, amounting to $1.35 trillion.  Interestingly, as noted in the chart below, “real estate and rental & leasing” had the largest share of the nation’s... Read more »

We recently posted that there are 34 states (and D.C.) ithat allow medical marijuana usage with at least 10 states (and D.C.) having some form of legal recreational use.  Now we’ve come across a recent post from data-wrangler Statista where they report that, in 2018, the U.S. added over 64k... Read more »

According to new research from Zillow, real estate investors appear to be flocking to Opportunity Zones.  Their data show that areas designated as Opportunity Zones saw a surge in sale prices since that designation was made, which they say is an early sign that investors are eager for the tax... Read more »

  A hard-money lender is a sophisticated person who is in the business of lending money to real estate investors who need it based solely upon the merit of the asset being lent upon. While a wise hard-money lender will also consider the character, credit score and financial status of the... Read more »

  I’m frequently asked what it’s like being a lawyer and what some of the interesting things are that I see in the courtroom. My assistant and I had the opportunity recently to see some things happen in court that are classic examples of what NOT to do. Here are... Read more »

  In a previous post, I briefly explained the doctrine of respondent superior, which is Latin for “let the master answer.” In today’s vernacular, it means “let the employer be financially responsible for the conduct of employees and agents.” Remember, an agent can be either an employee or an independent... Read more »

Frequently clients want to know how to Avoid Probate.  Avoiding probate can save large sums of money, reduce administrative time (headache), and maintain privacy. Probate is the legal process through which the estate of the deceased is administered.  Probate can be costly.  In addition to attorney’s fees, the personal representative... Read more »

  Is your local real estate market hot? Are good real estate deals getting harder to find? If so, you’re not alone. But this isn’t a new problem. The times when it’s easy to find real estate deals are the exception. The 2009 – 2012 U.S. real estate downturn briefly... Read more »

Nasar. El-arabi When it comes to investing their hard-earned money, stocks and real estate have been an appealing proposition for many people. That doesn’t look set to change any time soon, reason being few investment options can match the potential returns you stand to gain from either of these two.... Read more »

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” If you are in any type of business as an entrepreneur or investor, understanding this fact is crucial; and one of the first ways you make that impression is with something very small and, too often, not very well thought... Read more »

Dear Mr. Berko: I’m a 41-year-old happily married woman with two boys. Before my dad passed away in late 2008, he invested $60,000 and bought 2,300 shares of AT&T at $26 a share for me. He told me to keep it for the rest of my life and said it... Read more »

Real estate is a flexible financial tool. Depending on what you need, it can become a job, an investment, or both. Here’s the difference: Job – you want or need to use real estate for current income (i.e. to pay the bills) Investment – you want to use real estate for long-term... Read more »

Named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg – the wife of King George II – Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina. This modern city is fondly known as Uptown and features the state’s major museums, shopping and dining establishments which ooze that famed southern hospitality. But it can... Read more »