If you’ve tried to buy a house during this time, you may be surprised at how quickly viable homes are being snatched up. Despite the pandemic, housing demand continues to rise. Some experts indicate it is 25% above pre-pandemic levels.

Homes are selling at higher prices in part due to new listings being down by an average of approximately 27.1% from a year ago, as Zillow reported. The following chart shows the decreased percentage of listings for key cities in each state. With more buyers than sellers, this low inventory has obviously maintained an optimal seller’s market.

While the quantity of stock is lower than last year, there are different predictions for how the second half of 2020 will pan out as well as the beginning of 2021. For buyers, there may still be heavy competition for a home, but the upside is the low mortgage rates that are likely to remain. For sellers, the low stock should continue to create low competition, setting the homeowner up for a higher likelihood of finding the right buyer. Throughout this selling season, and in the foreseeable future, people are adapting to key methods like 3D home tours, video vignettes and better photography. Taking advantage of those tools can help make the process successful.

Having a network like FFREIA on your side during an unpredictable market is important. Not only will you have educational resources available, but it connects you to the experts needed for every step of your real estate investing journey.

Make ... Read More…

 
There is no doubt a national crisis upon us when it comes to health, work and our homes. Millions of Americans are faced with joblessness amidst the current pandemic. With the loss of income and/or the loss of health, a domino effect has occurred and has impacted almost every area of our lives.

Currently we all are experiencing tension in the face of an uncertain future. Whether that be health, career or home, we all have something at stake. When it comes to the housing market, there are several points of impact, from the renter to the investor or landlord.

For landlords, renting out property is a means of revenue. For some, this is their only means of income. Renters and landlords are both facing dire circumstances from either side of the spectrum.

Thankfully, there are organizations getting involved and working hard to see that individuals on all sides are being represented. Under One Roof Coalition as well as FFREIA are  pushing forward to help both tenants and property owners. Through the National Apartment Association, we are asking Congress to help renters & property owners to recover from COVID-19 and the housing issues it’s caused.

To help, please visit: https://www.underoneroofny.org/ and follow the link from the homepage.

As a reminder, due to Covid-19 we’ve moved our meetings online via Zoom. Next Thursday, April 9th, we will have Jaime Cain, Esq. from Boylan Code LLP as our guest speaker for the Freedom First General meeting. Jaime is the attorney and leader behind o ... Read More…

Landlords that rent out their properties for off-campus housing may be facing a bind. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused world-wide disruption in countless ways, creating economic issues. The housing market is no exception.

When it comes to student loan housing, landlords face the present challenge ahead. Some college students have left to be with their families and others have lost their jobs that pay for rent. This causes a dilemma for landlords that house off-campus students across the nation.

While students are trying to get out of contracts early, this creates a situation for the landlord. How will landlords bridge the gap?

For landlords that count on the rent to pay the monthly mortgage on the rented property are in a tough spot.

There is certainly compassion for students and landlords stuck in this quandary. If students are released early from their contracts, landlords bear the financial brunt of  the truncated agreement. 

“As the student housing industry grapples with how to respond to the pandemic, there is much uncertainty with how this will impact markets and leasing velocity,” says Christian O’Lone, regional property manager with DMG Investments. As stated via studenthousingbusiness.com.

Larger companies of multiple student housing units may be able to take this hit and continue. What about smaller-scale landlords?

Is there an out of the box solution to consider?

*This blog is not intended as a primary resource and may not have the most up-to-date information on the state ... Read More…

New York State, among other states, has taken action to halt evictions during the current pandemic. New York’s Chief Administrative, Judge Lawrence Malks, stated in a memo that starting Tuesday, eviction proceedings and pending eviction orders will be suspended statewide until further notice.

The White House also issued a press-release stating HUD, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will suspend foreclosures to the end of April. If the health crisis continues at this level, that won’t be enough. 

That’s roughly one monthly mortgage payment for some mortgages. 

If evictions are postponed indefinitely, but mortgage lapse has a time limit until the end of next month, the gap is concerning. Landlords, rightly so, worry that if renters  are unable to pay longer term, then how will the property owner pay their lender? Small-scale proprietors making up the difference isn’t a solution, another adjustment will have to be made in the near future.

Are there additional actions that can be made in the longer interim? Comment below with any beneficial thoughts, opinions or solutions.

*Because of the fast-changing pace of information during this time, all details above may be outdated based on new reports.*

Additional Resources:
https://therealdeal.com/2020/03/15/new-york-halts-evictions-statewide-due-to-coronavirus/
https://therealdeal.com/2020/03/13/chorus-for-moratorium-on-evictions-grows-louder-in-new-york/
https://www.curbed.com/2020/3/18/21185666/coronavirus-foreclosure-eviction-moratorium-trump-hud
ht ... Read More…

Is the spread of coronavirus cause for concern when it comes to investing in real estate?

Although we shouldn’t take this turn of events lightly, there is no need to be over-alarmed. Panicking disrupts versus constructively approaching the issue with a level head. As investors, it's important to have a beneficial conversation about the potential impact.

We want to hear from you, what are your thoughts and opinions? Please share in the comment section below.

Here are some resources to read and consider:

https://www.fool.com/millionacres/real-estate-market/articles/how-the-coronavirus-could-impact-the-american-real-estate-market/
https://www.curbed.com/2020/3/6/21163523/coronavirus-economic-impact-housing-market
https://azbigmedia.com/real-estate/the-coronavirus-impact-on-the-real-estate-industry/
https://www.kirklandreporter.com/business/real-estate-coronavirus-mortgage-rates-and-inventory/