Blogs

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Pending Home Sales See Decline in April The National Association of Realtors is reporting that overall pending home sales declined in April, but predicted higher sales over the next few months.  The NAR’s ... more

Retention season is upon us. Have you turned your tenants into residents yet? Or are you looking for all new tenants? Here’s another question. Do you know how much more expensive it is to bring in a new tenant, as opposed to retaining your current resident? The national average cost of a turnover is equal to three month’s rent, not including the lost rent ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Single-Family Home Sales Drop in April The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in April, 2019 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 673k, which is 6.9% lower than ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts and Building Permits Up in April The U.S. government is reporting that privately ‐ owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,235,000.  This figure is 5.7% ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Home Prices See 1st Year-Over-Year Price Decrease Since 2012 A recent report from Redfin says that home prices saw their first year-over-year price decrease since 2012.  According to their research, the ... more

Hi everyone, in this week’s post we’ll be talking about collecting rent. Specifically, we’ll be talking about different ways and tips for collecting rent from your residents. There’s certainly a stereotype around renters, that being that they are not very fiscally responsible. I don’t know if that’s necessarily true or not, but at some point you’re ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   U.S. Construction Spending Dips in March The U.S. government is reporting that total construction spending in March was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,282.2 billion, which is 0.9% ... more

Customer service isn't complete with high-quality maintenance. Taking care of your residents keeps them in your properties and keeps your profits up. more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Home Sales Jump 4.5% in March The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in March, 2019 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 692k.  This figure is 4.5% higher than ... more

It’s that time of year! I’m not talking about baseball season or spring breaks or anything that fun, I’m talking about spring cleaning. Included along with that is spring maintenance, which I’ll discuss more in a minute. Now I realize I might be just a tad bit late, because honestly you should try to have these things done a little earlier than April, but ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Nearly Half of Millennial Homeowners Regretted their Purchase A new report from Bankrate.com says that nearly half of millennial homeowners had regrets about their home purchase.  Click here to read ... more

Check out our latest podcast on how to keep a 5 Star customer rating with your tenants and bolster the tenant-landlord relationship   more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Average Tax Refund Per State Today is April 15th….aka tax day.  With that in mind the folks over at Keeping Current Matters put together this map of the last tax filing season’s average tax refund by state.  ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Four Percent Mortgages are Back So, just when mortgage rates started to climb back towards 5% they’ve now retreated down into the low fours.  A recent Wall Street Journal article (reposted on Realtor.com) ... more

Listen to the #FamilyValue$ blog on Keyless Entry this week! more

In today’s day and age more and more people are making an effort to go green, and this is also true for property managers and renters. With more millennial and gen z renters in the market, you should really think about going green yourself. A property is instantly viewed as more desirable when it’s an energy efficient. There’s plenty of reasons to do so, and ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . HUD Claims Facebook’s Housing Ads Discriminate The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is claiming that Facebook is violating the Fair Housing Act by using targeted ads that it claims allows ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   US Supreme Court Weighs-in on Foreclosures in Non-Judicial States A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court will make it harder for borrowers to fight foreclosures in non-judicial states.  According ... more

Hello readers! In this piece I’d like to talk about something that we haven’t really touched on yet, but I view as very important. Inspections. I like to take the phrase “Better safe than sorry” to heart, especially if it’s something that involves money. I would assume most other property managers and landlords feel the same. When we first started out we ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Property Taxes by State The NAHB’s Eye on Housing says that property taxes can vary widely across states both in terms of annual taxes paid as well as effective tax rates.  There data show some interesting ... more

As their children grow into adults some families try to keep family time going by having dinner together weekly, having a family game night or vacationing together.  What do families that invest together do?  Drive for dollars of course! Listen as Rebecca and Andrew recount the joys of a Chai Latte, an iPad with Google Maps/Zillow and Saturday mornings ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Comparing the Housing Market of 2009 to Today Which housing markets have recovered the most since the Great Recession?  Recently, LendingTree reminded us that when the real estate bubble burst in late ... more

Spring is high turnover time, so owners and property managers need to ensure all aspects of their rentals are looking their best. Curb appeal is crucial. Following are three areas to prioritize to ensure your properties are full. Make sure marketing strategy and materials are ready to go. Whether you use Craig’s list, another online listing service, ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Oregon Governor Signs Rent Control Legislation During the last week of February, Oregon became the first U.S. state to pass comprehensive statewide rent-control legislation which aims to be the latest ... more

In this episode the brothers discuss the training that Rebecca enrolled them into before they could take over the properties.  They review the basics from their their leasing courses that they believe would be vital for anyone in the rental business. more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Existing-Home Sales Down 1.2% in January According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales declined 1.2% in January, not as bad as December, however it marks the 3rd consecutive ... more

Some of the best ways to have your property stand out from others is to have eye catching landscaping.  The challenge is that some of the landscaping trends of the past really put a crunch on your bottom line.  That is no longer the case.  By properly preparing the soil, using native plants, reducing pruning and mowing less often, you can really improve the ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Home Seller Profits at 12-Year High According to ATTOM Data’s 2018 U.S. Home Sales Report, people that sold a home in 2018 realized an average home price gain (since purchase) of $61k, representing a 12-year ... more

Welcome back to the Family Value$ podcast! In this episode, we'll be discussing the importance of training and education for Real Estate investors of all experience levels! more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . One in Eleven Mortgages Seriously Underwater According to a recent report from ATTOM Data Solutions (as reported by Bloomberg), 1 in 11 mortgaged properties in America are “seriously underwater” – ... more

Today we'd like to debut our first official Family Value$ podcast! We're a little behind in terms of topic but we're ready now and rearing to go! In this episode, we'll be discussing our #Realestateinvesting #resolutions for the new year. So download our #podcast to  join us and give it a listen! more

Hello everyone, I hope everyone's doing well this week. For this post, I thought I’d talk about something that applies to all landlords and property managers. Saving money. Specifically saving on maintenance on your property. Continual maintenance on a property is key, as your tenants are relying on you to do so. This is always going to cost you money ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   State of Housing Demand is Suddenly Strong Again Realty Check’s Diana Olick says that while demand is ticking up for housing, thanks to lower interest rates, there are just too few entry-level homes for ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Massive Data Breach Exposes Millions of Mortgage Documents Online A massive data breech recently exposed millions of mortgage documents online.  According to TechCrunch, a trove of over than 24 ... more

Last week Caleb talked about our decision to change from all carpet to all vinyl planks or similar.  This was just one of the changes we made to make it easier for our residents and easier for us to manage.  He was certainly right about the ease of cleaning for the planks, especially during turnovers.  Carpet cleaning was either backbreaking or expensive ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Existing Home Sales Decline 6.4% in December Home sales hit the skids in December according to the National Association of Realtors.  Total existing-home sales decreased 6.4% from November to a ... more

My sons and I are excited to announce the debut of our new podcast! We'll typically be airing a new episode every other week, in addition to our articles on the opposite weeks. This week's is a simple  introduction to the podcast, explaining why we decided to start one. So come give a listen to the new Family Value$ podcast!   more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Best Bets for Real Estate Investors in ’19 In 2019, most real estate investors will want to stay away from the cities with soaring prices, where they’re more likely to end up holding the bag than to strike it ... more

So I know it’s been a while, but we’re back with another Family Values post! Now that the holidays are over and we’re a few weeks into the New Year, we should get back to regular postings. On that note, today’s topic that I feel is appropriate, especially during this time of the year, is getting rid of carpet . This especially applies to your rental ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Mortgage Delinquencies Continue to Fall According to the latest The CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Report the serious delinquency rate for September 2018 fell to 1.5%, representing a 0.4 ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Redfin Says Housing Market will Continue to Cool in 2019 The chief economist for Redfin, Daryl Fairweather, recently discussed what she saw in the housing market for 2019.  Among her observations, the ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Existing Home Sales Up 1.9% The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing-home sales rose 1.9% in November, marking two straight months of growth.  According to data, there were 5.32 ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Housing Starts Up in November The U.S. government is reporting that privately %u2010 owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,256,000. This figure is 3.2% above ... more

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  This is the last blog entry for the year and we thought it would be fun to construct a list for Santa.  Although we didn’t really celebrate Santa with our kids – (If I was going to have to work all night to put together the new hottest toy I was NOT going to let some mythical man in a red suit get credit for it!!) – we still ... more

Hello everyone, this will be our last post before Christmas, so we’d like to wish everyone happy holidays and a very merry Christmas! With the Christmas spirit in mind, we thought it would be appropriate to stay with that theme. That being said, this week we’ll talk about our Christmas wish lists, in regards to land lording and property managing that is. ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Home Flipping Down 12% to 3.5 Year Low In their most recent U.S. Home Flipping Report, ATTOM Data Solutions is reporting that the number of single-family homes and condos flipped in the third quarter of ... more

Though I'm no social butterfly, I certainly I have friends and family that are and they're the ones that help me stay informed about up and coming areas.  Where are the new businesses, restaurants, breweries, shops and hot spots in general?  If momentum begins to build in an area of your city the need for housing will follow.  Your risk tolerance will ... more

So if you remember last weeks post, we were talking about predicting the market and getting in early. This week we’ll be staying on that topic to an extent, but focusing on millennials and recent college graduates. I’m sure everyone has heard about how big of a role millennials are playing in the current market. They make up 62% of first time home buyers, ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Home Sales Down 8.9% in October The U.S. Government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in October, 2018 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 544k.  This figure is 8.9% below ... more

Being a big geek, one of my favorite parts of my job is researching and curating the Industry Update that I present each year.  Seeing where the market has been and where it is going is very intriguing for me.  Each year I make a few predictions and then see how it turns out in the following year.  I have done relatively well but am in no way an economist.  ... more

Hello everyone, I hope you’re doing well! In this weeks post we’ll be talking about something that I think is incredibly important, and that is predicting the market, as well as getting in that market early. When I say predicting the market, I mean locating areas that are the rise, especially in your own area. I’ll give a couple examples later in this ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts Up in September The U.S. government is reporting that privately %u2010 owned housing starts in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,228,000. This figure is 1.5% above ... more

“Winter is nature's way of saying, 'Up yours.'”. I agree with this wholeheartedly, and if I never had to deal with cold weather and harsh winters again I wouldn’t complain. But at the moment, I don’t have that luxury, and most landlords/property managers don’t either. It’s the time of the year where we all need to be prepared for winter, snow, and ice. I ... more

Driving in this morning, I began to question why I live in the MidWest.  I love my job … and my life … but let’s just say that I didn’t choose my location for its beautiful weather.  We get the worst of all seasons.  We get hot, humid summers and the ice and snow of winter … yuck!  So even though it is still officially fall , for us winter has begun with the first big ... more

As we take a break from our hectic schedules to pause for the holiday and give thanks I want to use this time to express my gratitude for the personal things that real estate investing has allowed me to experience. The absolute most important thing to me is my family and real estate supports all of us.   Don’t get me wrong I love my work and getting to do this job ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Almost 2% of All Single-Family Homes & Condos Sit Vacant According to ATTOM Data’s latest Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report, nearly 1.5 million (1,447,906) single family homes & condos were ... more

First and foremost, we’d like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, I hope everyone enjoys their holiday. As you probably remember, in last week’s article we talked about being thankful for self-directed IRAs as well as seller financing, and while we are indeed thankful those things, they are both more on the technical side. This week we’re staying ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Big Cities with Markets for Buyers Realtor.com says there are actually neighborhoods in the country’s biggest cities where home buyers have the upper hand.  They identified the top 10 places where ... more

So these next two weeks, in the spirit of thanksgiving, we will be talking about things that that we’re thankful for. This week we will be highlighting education, and how beneficial it has been to us. As my mom states in her portion of the article, she has been in this business for years, and although she had not done any investing of her own she was very ... more

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.”  L.P. Jacks   more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Homeownership & Rental Vacancy Rates Remain Steady The U.S. government is reporting that the national vacancy rates in Q3 2018 were 7.1% for rental housing and 1.6% for homeowner housing.  The rental ... more

So usually when my mom comes to me with her bright, new ideas, they usually don’t excite me too much. They either involve a lot of work or seem to be very complicated. When she came to me with idea of investing in real estate and becoming landlords/property managers, I was somewhat surprised, because when she explained it, it actually sounded like a good ... more

Some of my best ideas start with alcohol.  I know that sounds highly unlikely, but stay with me.  One night with beer in hand we started a conversation about our retirement funds.  It dawned on me that although we have real estate investments that I hold with my parents in my home town I hadn’t really grown my own real estate business or my IRA/401K in the ways ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Single-Family Homes Sales Down 5.5% in September The U.S. government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in September, 2018 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 553k. This is ... more

In the spirit of Halloween, the boys and I were recounting our worst nightmares.  We disagreed a bit because I got stuck with the worst of the worst… shoveling well… let’s stay somewhat pc and call it just sewage.  I can’t be terribly upset that I got stuck with the worst of it because as the sewage backup was obviously an emergency, the boys couldn’t get off ... more

Hi everyone, Caleb here. So for the  H alloween  article, my mom thought it would be fun to tell you about our “scariest” experiences since we started managing properties. She had a story that instantly came to mind for her. The time the drains at the  townhome  we recently purchased were so backed up that the sewage was literally coming up from the ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts Down 5.3% in September The U.S. government is reporting that privately %u2010 owned housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,201,000. This figure is 5.3% ... more

My boys and I just returned from a family vacation to Europe to visit relatives.  It had been over 20 years since I had seen this part of our family and the kids had never met them.  I knew they were in the real estate business in some way but the differences in phrasing and descriptions really threw me off before we got there, so I wasn't quite sure about to what ... more

Good morning, readers, Caleb here! I've just returned from a family vacation to Spain.  We visited some relatives that I had never met before; my great aunt, second cousin, and her husband.  Heck, my parents hadn’t seen them in over 20 years. Much to my surprise, we learned that real estate really does run in the family. Honestly it never crossed my mind ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Yardi Says Long-Term Demand for Rentals to Remain High According to the latest Yardi Matrix, U.S. multifamily rents dropped $1 in September to $1,412, however on a year-over-year basis rents were up 3.  ... more

Have you ever wondered what being on a sinking ship would be like, with new holes springing up as fast as you can plug existing ones?  Unfortunately, that’s exactly the feeling I’ve had lately. A bit of background… after nearly a year long battle with cancer my father-in-law passed in July.  Within hours of his passing the basement of his house flooded.  ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Foreclosure Activity Increases 9% According to the latest ATTOM Data Solutions Foreclosure Activity report, nearly one in every 2k U.S. properties had a foreclosure filing in August, 2018.  According ... more

On this next part of our landlording journey, we’ll be talking about inheriting our grandpas house, and the trouble we’ve had turning it into a rental. This has actually all happened very recently, and we have not fully finished the project (you’ll find out why shortly…). Seemingly out of nowhere, we were hit with water damage all throughout his ... more

An introduction to both of the Family Value$' two authors, Rebecca and Caleb McLean:    more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Pending Home Sales Down 1.8% The National Association of Realtors is reporting that overall pending home sales declined 1.8% in August and have now fallen on an annual basis for eight consecutive ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts Up 9.2% in August, but Permits Drop The U.S. Government is reporting that privately owned housing starts in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,282,000. This figure is ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Data Shows Migration to Low-Tax Metros is Accelerating We have seen this before...Not only do people vote with their wallets but also their feet.  Now, a new report from Redfin details how low-tax states ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Labor and Subcontractor Shortages Becoming Widespread The NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reporting that the shortage of labor and subcontractors reached a critical point in July with the shortage of rough ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Pending Home Sales Continue to Fall The National Association of Realtors is reporting that overall pending home sales declined 0.7% in July and have now fallen on an annual basis for seven consecutive ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Single Family Homes Sales Down 1.7% in July The U.S. government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in July 2018 were 1.7% lower than June’s revised rate but is 12.8% higher than July, ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts & Bldg Permits Show Slight Increase in July The U.S. Government is reporting that privately owned housing starts in July were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,168,000, which is ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Single-Family Home Prices Increased in 90% of U.S. Metros According to the National Association of Realtor’s latest quarterly Metropolitan Median Area Prices and Affordability report, ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Active Foreclosure Inventory Falls Below 300k for 1st Time Since 2006 Black Knight Financial Services recently released their “first look” report for June, 2018 showing that active foreclosures ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . New Home Sales Down 5.3% in June The U.S. government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in June, 2018, were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 631k, which is 5.3% lower than May’s ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts at Nine-Month Low The U.S. Government is reporting that privately owned housing starts in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,173,000. This is 12.3% lower than May’s ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Foreclosure Rate on Recent FHA Homes Sees Jump While foreclosure starts are decreasing across the nation, they actually increased in 40% of local markets, according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ Midyear ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Yardi Says Apartment Rents at All-Time High in June According to the latest Yardi Matrix, U.S. multifamily rents rose $12 in June to $1,405 – which they report is an all-time high.  Year-over-year in ... more

Below is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Indices Show Home Prices Continue Their Climb According to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices, home prices once again are showing no signs of slowing down as they continued to rise ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today -  the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Home Sales Up 6.7% in May The U.S. government is reporting that sales of new single-family houses in May, 2018, were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 689k, which is 6.7% higher than April’s ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Housing Starts Up 5% in May The U.S. Government is reporting that privately-owned housing starts in May were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,350,000.  This figure is 5% higher than April’s ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Additional Supply Needed to Alleviate Rising Home Prices According to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI) Report, home prices (including distressed sales) were up 6.9% year-over-year in April, ... more

Here is the latest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   U.S. Construction Spending up 6.6% from One Year Ago The U.S. Census Bureau is reporting that total construction spending in April was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.3 trillion, which ... more

Here is the latest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   Zillow Says Home Values Climbing at Fastest Rate in 12 Years According to the latest Zillow Market Report, the median U.S. home value rose 8.7% to $215,600, representing the fastest year-over-year ... more

Here is the latest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Local Market Monitor’s National Economic Outlook for May Local Market Monitor, a National REIA preferred vendor, recently released their National Economic Outlook for May, 2018 where they share their ... more

The American dream is alive and well; home ownership is on the rise due to low mortgage rates and an increasingly strong job market. Not only that, but the largest home-buying demographic, millennials, are getting to that stage in life where they’re trying to settle down. These factors combined are increasing demand in the market at a rate that’s hard ... more

Here is the latest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   more

Due to our upcoming event, OOSIS Lax , I've been doing some digging into research about Out of State Investing. One of my co-workers, sent me a great little article by Fortune Builders about 4 "hacks" that can help when investing out of state.   According to Fortune Builders, they are as follows:    Start with a plan - like all investment options, planning ... more

Here is the latest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . U.S. Construction Up 3.6% Year-Over-Year The U.S. Census Bureau is reporting that total construction spending in March was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,284.7 billion, which is 1.7% ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Homeownership & Rental Vacancy Rates Hold Firm The U.S. government is reporting that the national vacancy rates in Q1 2018 were 7.0% for rental housing and 1.5% for homeowner housing. The rental vacancy ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Worst Cities for Renters OR Best Cities for Landlords? Are these places the worst in America for renters or maybe the best places to be a landlord?  A recent article in Forbes identifies Los Angeles as the ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Subprime Mortgages Making a Comeback with New Name Yes, you read that headline right….subprime mortgages are making a comeback and they have a new name;  “nonprime.”  Realty Check’s Diana Olick is ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Connecting the Deals and Uniting Investors The more I talk to Real Estate Entrepreneurs the more I hear the same old story, tight margins, even tighter markets with little-to-no inventory (that makes sense ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Pending Home Sales Up 3.1% in February The National Association of Realtors recently reported that pending home sales increased 3.1%.  This figure is according to their Pending Home Sales Index which rose ... more

Are residents moving out of your facilities and leaving cat urine odor behind? Or maybe it's dog urine – and the dog was a Great Dane! You know you’ll need a pet odor eliminator.   Perhaps you’ve used many brands in the past and discovered that spraying something in the air only briefly covers up the cat or dog urine odors.   You’ve removed and replaced the ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . NAR: Existing-Home Sales Up 3% in February The National Association of Realtors recently reported that total existing home sales were up 3% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.54 ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Kidde Recalls 500k Smoke Detectors Major smoke alarm maker Kidde has issued a recall for nearly 500k dual-sensor smoke detectors in the U.S. and Canada because a manufacturing malfunction can compromise ... more

by Troy Miller I have been in the investing segment of the real estate industry indirectly all my life, and directly for the past 15 years. I can still recall my first real estate investor association or “REIA” meeting.  After watching the presentation and a “call to action.” I thought to myself, “What was this placed called “OZ” that I had landed in?” A ... more

While perusing articles on Realtor.com, I came across an interesting trend; some properties being shown now have security cameras installed for more than simple security. Now, people are using this footage much like how Google uses your search history; to figure out what kind of things you're interested in. The story begins as follows:  "Jill ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Home Flipping Highest in 11 Years According to their 2017 Q4 U.S. Home Flipping Report, ATTOM Data Solutions says that in 2017, 207,088 single family homes & condos were flipped representing their highest ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Pending Home Sales Down 4.7% in January The National Association of Realtors reported that pending home sales “cooled considerably” in January and were down 4.7%.  Click here to read more. U.S. ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . CoreLogic’s Market Pulse Report for February CoreLogic recently released their Market Pulse Report for February, 2018 where they provide a lagging indicator snapshot of the U.S. housing market through ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Housing Starts Up 9.7% in January The U.S. Government is reporting that privately owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,326,000.  This is 9.7% above December’s ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . ABODO’s National Rent Report for February National apartment listing site ABODO recently reported that the median nationwide rent price for one-bedrooms dropped from $1,046 to $1,044, marking the first ... more

The following was found on Realtors.com while doing research for an upcoming event: "The city of South Burlington, Vt., is embarking on a pilot project with a startup blockchain firm in a possible step toward using the technology to replace the city’s system for recording property transactions. Officials with South Burlington and the firm, Propy ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Pending Homes Sales Up Slightly in December The National Association of Realtors recently said that pending home sales were up slightly in December for the 3rd consecutive month, according to their ... more

SAN FRANCISCO, January 30, 2018 — HouseCanary Inc., the leading modern data analytics company for real estate professionals, announced the release of fourthquarter data for its HouseCanary Rental Investment Index (HCRI Index). The HCRI Index helps single-family rental home investors, lenders, and renters benchmark the health of the ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Housing Starts Down 8.2% in December The U.S. Government is reporting that privately owned housing starts in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,192,000.   This is 8.2% below the ... more

Have you signed up for the JCPenny discount sponsored by Arpola yet? You can get 30-60% off your order just by signing up!  How do you sign up? Simple!  Text "JCP" to 7200 or email info@arpola.org more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Baltimore Leads the Top 50 Bed Bug Cities The pest control and rodent removers over at Orkin recently released their annual Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list.  Topping their list this year was, once again, ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Carson Says HUD will Reinterpret Obama Fair Housing Rule HousingWire is reporting that HUD will be reinterpreting a controversial fair housing rule promulgated by the Obama administration in 2015 that ... more

HouseCanary estimates the following effects on the housing market: 1) Changes will impact about 6.4 percent of loans; the total lost deduction benefit will be about $287 million 2) If you’re buying a million-dollar home, this probably won’t affect your decision-making, but the average estimated household impact in the top 50 MSAs will be $1,950 per year/$162.50 per month. more

By Alex Goldfayn   Why don’t we ask for referrals?   I’ve asked thousands of audience members and client staffers this question.   Here are the most common answers:   We are afraid of rejection. What if they don’t like me as much as I think – or hope – they do?   We don’t think to do it.   We don’t want to impose.   Customers wouldn’t want to share us.   We ... more

It’s been a big year at HouseCanary, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, and to  thank our customers, employees, and investors for helping us reach these milestones . Here’s a quick look at what we’ve accomplished in 2017 and what lies ahead for real estate and for HouseCanary.  Every human has more access to ... more

Here is the lastest “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Tax Reform Was Passed, Signed & Delivered National REIA’s Charles Tassell discusses the great deal of hype on all sides about the recent tax reform legislation by digging into the issues with more light and ... more

As there has been a great deal of hype on all sides of tax reform, let’s see if we can dig into the issues with more light and less heat.  Hopefully you find this helpful and instructive on items that will no doubt have lasting ramifications and unintentional consequences for many years.  The summary: The reforms should be good for real estate, with tax ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . New Home Sales Up 17.5% The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported that sales of new single-family houses in November were at a seasonally adjusted ... more

By  Will McDermott ,  editor,  Scotsman Guide  Residential Edition |  bio Real estate investors provide a vital service The real estate investment industry is relying on financing more and more in the U.S., particularly in fix-and-flip transactions — where residential properties are purchased, renovated, and resold in quick order by investors ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Existing-Home Sales Up 5.6% in November The National Association of Realtors is reporting that existing homes sales surged 5.6% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.81 million units.  The ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Neighborhood Intelligence Good intelligence about a neighborhood can be priceless – especially when you want to know what criminal activity has taken place.  The LexisNexis Community Crime Map is a free ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association . Seriously Underwater Homes See Biggest Drop Since 2015 In their latest U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, ATTOM Data Solutions reports that in Q3 2017 there were over 4.6 million U.S. properties that ... more

Here is this week’s “Weekly Roundup” from Real Estate Investing Today , the news & views site from the National Real Estate Investors Association .   New Home Sales Up 6.2% in October The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently reported that sales of new single-family houses in October, 2017 were at a ... more

By Than Merrill Fall real estate market trends have started to take shape, and now is as good of a time as any to start deciphering them. What’s more, those investors that can get ahead of the correct fall real estate market trends will find themselves in a better position than ever before. It’s true what they say: the housing market really is cyclical. ... more

Each day, National REIA's news agregation site Real Estate Investing Today features news stories about issues affecting investors' bottom-lines as well as other useful information from various news outlets. Here is a "roundup" of last week's stories: Household Debt Rose by $116 billion in Q3 MarketWatch is reporting that household debt rose $116 ... more

Each day, National REIA's news agregation site Real Estate Investing Today features news stories about issues affecting investors' bottom-lines as well as other useful information from various news outlets.  Here is a "roundup" of last week's stories:   Best Cities for Infrastructure What are the best 10 cities in America for infrastructure?  ... more

Each day, National REIA's news agregation site Real Estate Investing Today features news stories about issues affecting investors' bottom-lines as well as other useful information from various news outlets.  Here is a "roundup" of last week's stories: Week of 11/10/17 Chicago Investors Partner Up to Take Real Estate Plunge The Chicago Tribune ... more

The will takes precedence, certainly. Then state law decides based on other situation factors. General Examples: Are you married/the registered domestic partner and there’s no kids? You get it all. Still married but with kids? It’s divided but you get majority. Some useful links to learn more about this topic: What happens to property if my spouse ... more

Each day, National REIA's news agregation site Real Estate Investing Today features news stories about issues affecting investors' bottom-lines as well as other useful information from various news outlets.  Here is a "roundup" of last week's stories: Week of 10/30/17 Close to 1.4 million Properties Sit Vacant According to ATTOM Data solutions’ ... more

Found a nice infographic on using retirement accounts to invest in Real Estate. Check it out inside! " Let’s find out the exact step-step process of investing in real estate with your retirement funds." more

Article from "Does That Make Cents" describes one investor's process of House Hacking and his takeaways from the journey. more

Each day, National REIA's news agregation site Real Estate Investing Today features news stories about issues affecting investors' bottom-lines as well as other useful information from various news outlets.  Here is a "roundup" of last week's stories: Week of 10/23/17 New Home Sales Jump 18.9% in September The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. ... more

I am pleased to announce that all UnitingInvestors members can now link their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles here on the site!  This will further increase our ability to network with one another and, of course, supply credentials and authenticity. Those who connect either or both of their social media accounts will receive a new badge to their ... more

By Will Hudson, Laminate and Vinyl Plank Flooring Merchant, The Home Depot   Sleek, stylish flooring is an asset to any investment property. Luckily, recent innovations in flooring materials have increased the possibilities for luxurious yet affordable options. The following five trends are a great place to start when considering new flooring projects.   more

As the temperatures outside remain high, energy-efficient property upgrades are a win-win for residents and investors alike. Making key changes will reduce energy usage and lower bills for your residents and reduce the long-term strain on the property’s AC unit. They will also improve the sustainability and marketability of your property.   SMART ... more

Are you excited for this coming 4th of July? Nothing is better than barbecuing corn, roast, hot links, and in some houses nopales (cactus). You can enjoy being by the pool side with family and friends playing games and being ridiculous.  As the night progresses and more alcohol is consumed the party gets more and more crazy. Then the grand finale! The ... more

What I have learned from the past year of blogging, and Social Media and the Success it has brought more

Check Out the Latest Ups and Downs from the Social Media Stock world. This may help you determine what Social Media Platform is on the rise through may into a June Boom, or may simply be a June Gloom candidate.  Facebook, and owners of Instagram is at a steady pace not looking to crash at any time. Facebook is still strong with marketing and slowly ... more

The power of one person joining others with one, loud and consistent voice is more valuable than gold when it comes to protecting the industry from unwanted laws and regulations OR promoting those that would benefit....   more

By Tim Zabawa Broker/Owner Z Austin Real Estate As a landlord, how flexible should you be in terms of when you let tenants move into a property and what are your options? Once at a very nice house, I was dealing with the son whose father owned and lived in the house.  He was this very old man and was living all by himself and the son came around and said, “We need to ... more

This week's blog comes from a veteran landlord and property manager who tells his own story about why you need EXACT names on yoru leases. more

Spring is a popular time for tenants to move out of rental homes and the perfect time for owners to upgrade and refresh investment properties. Here are tips and techniques that will help you get your properties ready for the rest of the year.   more

My wife and I have been in house-hunting mode lately.  After the results of a recent home inspection, I felt like I got robbed.  How did they not know the place was in that bad of shape?   more

This week on his blog here , Landlord Hank takes on his No. 1 maintenance request he gets from all his tenants and properties. Take a note on how he works through "user error" with his tenants in many cases. more

New Association Resource Webinar occurs monthly with new topics each session. Please register for the date and time that interests you:   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/7768918645875303171   This webinar series is for new associations who want to improve their operations. Topics will be varied each month and will give insights from ... more

Here are some tenant screening and selection tips and ideas this week from Landlord Hank including some of the personal assessments he does in his tenant selection. You can read his post also over here. By Landlord Hank  I was very proudly showing my very first rental property, which had been extensively renovated, to a nicely groomed and mannered young ... more

Latest Social Media Trends: So, what are some of the newest things to hit our Social Media world and what might give you a cutting-edge advantage with your marketing? A few new things such as Instagram Stories which is on the rise with 100 million active users soon after its release. ( TechCrunch ) Or  Facebooks  fancy new upgrades to its messenger system ... more

When looking at home upgrades, every real estate investor is trying to find the ideal balance between cost and ROI. When considering options for interior improvements, the first two areas you should look at are the kitchen and bathrooms. more

Did you know that you can now @Mention other users of UnitingInvestors.org in your forum posts, when commenting on events, and also on profile page comments too? With an @Mention you can call someone’s attention to a post or comment that you’ve written so they can read it and reply... How do you mention someone? Type the @ symbol and then start typing the ... more

Now that we're firmly in 2017, let's take a quick gander at the real estate predictions made for 2017.   more

ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS®: “A Vacation with an Education” Meet the aptly-named Adventure of the Seas®, a ship packed with all the action of our signature innovations—and plenty of time for relaxation, fine dining and splendid ocean views. Enjoy a rock climbing wall that overlooks the sea, or challenge yourself on the basketball court, ice-skating rink ... more

The pie chart you see above represents the regions reported by our users. As you can see, the Midwest is the most represented region by our site users, while the least represented region is the Southwest.  While National REIA is spread out all over the US, we do have a lot more, well established REIA's in the East.  Food for thought! How could you increase ... more

Every Friday over on Real Estate Investing Today they feature an infographic about something cool that in one way or another is of interest to real estate investors.  This week they've got a pretty neat graphic from The Home Depot about water heaters. So, really, how often do you think about water heaters?  What about the other appliances in your investment property?   more

Congratulations everyone! We've made it to two hundred members! Here's to many more and thank you all for your own participation in this growth. We look forward to continuing to grow with you! Please feel free to let us know if we can grow in a way that would better serve you; that's what we're here for! more

Alright folks, today we are taking a break from our usual series on how to get rich using Social Media. What we are going to focus on is your Social Media “touches” for this week only (you should always be contacting, and supporting your network but this week it is extra important). I am going to keep it short and sweet so you have time to generate more action. ... more

Take a look at our latest part in the Facebook money making series, more

I had never used Airbnb before....   more

Social Media in Depth Series: Making a Pile of Money on Facebook Part 2     Alright. You are sitting there in some airport on your way to your next big business meeting that you have been thinking about for the past 6 months. While waiting, you started reading my blog because you were bored. You may have even boarded the plane already and are wishing for a ... more

National REIA By Cameron Mickey, Senior National PRO Manager, The Home Depot Every smart property owner knows how important it is to protect their investments, especially from damage due to harsh winter weather. Whether you are gearing up for the winter months ahead or have already experienced your first snowfall, you need to make sure your property ... more

Real estate investors are key to revitalizing distressed communities...   more

             Facebook is a unique Social Media platform, and a leading innovator in the Social Media industry. I often refer to it first in my other blog posts because it is undoubtedly my favorite. Facebook started in 2004 which was only one year after its former competitor Myspace. Facebook really started taking the lead in the Social Networking industry ... more

So you want to make a video to post on your Social Media, huh chump ? What makes you think you have the right equipment to create a video or a post, tough guy? Do you have a pen? I bet you don't! Oh... Wait you do have a pen? Okay, well I bet you don't have a notepad! What?! Impossible! You have a note pad to? I guess you are much more prepared than I had anticipated, but ... more

Hey! So, you must have gotten here because you needed some techy tips?! Well, I promise I won’t disappoint you as much as I disappointed my ex! Just kidding…   We often hear in the small business world that marketing is the KEY ingredient to being successful. The frequent question that usually follows is, “well, how do I get started?”. One of the first steps ... more

It's all about saving the benjamins....   more

Which Social Media platform should you use to grow your real estate investment business? The answer: all of them! There is absolutely no reason for you to not use every single social media platform for your marketing. If you asked me what industry I am in, I would not tell you real estate I would tell you that I am in the marketing industry. One of the keys to ... more

Good Afternoon everyone! In case you haven't noticed, we're proud to announce the beginning of two new blogs this week! One, by Brad Beckett, called "Threefold Purchase," and the other "Lead the Way with Social Media," by Josh Huddleston! Please check them out and feel free to subscribe! more

Can their presence, or rather a property’s proximity to them actually add value?  Say what?  Yes you read that right.   more

Learn A little bit about Real Estate Investment Lead Generation by using Social Media Platforms. more

We are pleased to inform you that from now on, UnitingInvestors.org will be releasing new resource content once a week, every Wednesday! You can easily see the most recent resources added by visiting the home page, where they will be featured at the top, underneath the slider image, or clicking on the "Resource Library" tab. We look forward to providing ... more

Check out this new flyer we put together; what do you think about it? How do you think REIA members or new, incomming members will react to it? Anywehere we could improve? Please, give us your feed back! It's highly appreciated!    more

We are excited to announce an updated "Invite a Friend" button feature! If you look to the right of your dashboard, you should see the button above your subscribed to resources. Please feel free to use this button to bring more friends and colleagues to the site; we may track how many people you successfully invite for badge rewards in the future, so keep ... more

The House Canary button, while strangely sized at the moment, is now functional! Please check out the features of their app at your will! The click here button at the bottom of the landing page should be functional later today as well. Glad we could provide this service for you. more

All,  We are currently waiting on the personalized link from House Canary for use on this site. Once we have it, you will be able to access the free trials via the link at the bottom of the page under the "House Canary" tab or with the soon to be implemented House Canary button. The button will be in the gray bar at the top left hand side of the screen and will be the ... more

Welcome Beta Testers! Please feel free to look around and try anything out! If you have any questions, please PM me through the platform and we will work on it together! We greatly look forward to and appreciate your feedback! The goal is to have this website up and running for all your members to be able to use as soon as possible! Updates to the site will come ... more

What is Uniting Investors? Uniting Investors is an online community brought together by the alliance of The National Real Estate Investors Association, American Rental Property Owners and Landlords Association, the Real Estate Investors Funding Association, and the National Note Buyers Association. Together, these associations have chosen ... more

We are backed by the leading associations in their respective divisions of the real estate industry: National REIA, REIFA, & ARPOLA  Authorities with years of experience in the field will be posting their knowledge for members to partake in; if you don’t see the information you’re looking for? Post it in the community and have it answered by ... more