Real Estate News: Real Estate Investing Podcast

We’re sure to see some changes in the post-pandemic economy, and one of them could be an increased demand for single-family rentals. Potential homebuyers who have been furloughed or have lost their jobs no longer qualify for mortgages. Those who do have their jobs may not have the down payment, high credit score or reserves needed to get a loan. But with the concern that social distancing could be a longer-term way of life, they may also prefer to rent a single-family home instead of an apartment...

A recent change in lending could impact real estate investors, especially if more lenders follow suit. Over the weekend, JPMorgan Chase stopped accepting HELOC applications. The bank posted the notice on its website saying it’s a temporary suspension due to the current economic uncertainty created by COVID-19. Lenders have also been tightening loan standards. Chase says it will continue to review already-submitted applications for home equity lines of credit...

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 18th, 2020... we’ll take a look at whether the pandemic will impact home prices, the good news about rent collection, and what banking regulators are doing to help home sales. We begin with economic news from this past week, which hasn’t been great but there are a few bright spots, including plans to loosen up “stay at home” orders over the next several weeks. www.NewsForInvestors.com

If you are a landlord in need of financial help from the disaster loan program and you haven’t applied yet, you’ll now have to wait until Congress agrees to provide more funding. The Small Business Administration announced on Wednesday, April 15th, that the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, and the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, have both run out of money and will not be accepting new applications. Already submitted applications are still being considered, but the process is slow-going.

Rent default reports are coming in and they are not as bad as some headlines might lead you to believe. You may have seen reports that 30% of renters were unable to pay their rent in April because of pandemic-related lay-offs and furloughs. But that’s somewhat misleading. There has been an increase in defaults, but it’s not 30% above normal. In this podcast, we’re going to take a look who’s paying, who isn’t, and what landlords can do to increase rent collection while they also help tenants surviv

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 10th, 2020… a new deadline for the 1031 exchange, a housing market rebound, and a pullback by lenders. We start with economic news from the past week… but first, important news about the 1031 exchange. The IRS published a notice on April 9th, announcing extended deadlines for 1031 exchanges because of the coronavirus. The new deadline is July 15th for anyone with a deadline between April 1st & July 15th.

The Federal government is pumping trillions of dollars into the U.S. economy to offset damage from the coronavirus pandemic. But, as businesses remain closed and much of the U.S. workforce unemployed, we will likely see some amount of damage, including the sale of distressed properties. While that’s never a good thing for the seller, it creates a potential buying opportunity for the real estate investor. The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of institutional investors are sitting on piles of cash.

Forbearance will help save property owners who can’t pay their mortgage, but who’s going to save the mortgage service companies that have to pay the bond holders? Major players in the housing industry say that without a bailout, companies like Quicken Loans, Freedom Mortgage, Mr. Cooper, & other nonbank mortgage companies could have a serious liquidity problem. FHFA Director, Mark Calabria, doesn’t agree. He says there’s no evidence of a systemic failure among nonbanks. The pandemic has triggered co

Airbnb has set up a fund to help hosts dealing with coronavirus cancellations. Travelers ditched plans for vacations, work trips, and family get-togethers when the virus spread. And then, Airbnb promised full refunds. Airbnb’s “Host Relief Fund” will help cover some of the lost revenue, but many hosts are coming up short. We don’t know yet how the coronavirus will impact the overall housing market, but for Airbnb hosts, the impact was felt almost immediately. Big events that draw huge numbers of peo

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 4th, 2020... rent payments are now due, new data on top population growth cities, and how renters are dealing with their plans to move. We begin with economic news from this past week, and the distribution of stimulus checks to American consumers. Adults earning less than $75,000 will get the full $1,200 amount. Parents will also receive $500 for each dependent child.

Just days after the largest stimulus package in history was signed, talks have begun on what could be “phase four” of the coronavirus stimulus plan. A few of the ideas being discussed include major infrastructure spending and a rollback on the cap for SALT deductions.  President Trump signed phase one of the virus rescue plan in early March. It authorized $8.3 billion for the initial response including money for state and local governments, virus research, testing, and vaccine development.

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending March 28th, 2020… ugly numbers for job losses and economic growth, a possible “snapback recovery”, and encouraging news about medical supplies. We begin with economic news from the past week and a $2.2 trillion dollar COVID-19 rescue package that helps individuals and companies. The short list of money hand-outs includes $100 billion for hospitals and virus-related healthcare, $290 billion for an infusion of cash into consumer pockets...

There’s something in it for everyone. The federal government approved a $2 trillion dollar virus relief package last week called the CARES Act. That stands for “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security.” The legislation is almost 900 pages long so it’s not a quick read, but details are emerging on what’s inside. And, there is help for people in the real estate industry including real estate investors and landlords. www.NewsForInvestors.com

As unemployment claims soars due to “Shelter in Place” mandates in cities across the nation, lenders who offer non-qualifying mortgage loans are also shutting their office doors. There have been several headlines recently about lenders suspending non-QM loans which could impact real estate investors. An article in HousingWire on March 20th suggested that non-QM lending is the latest victim of the coronavirus. Non-QM loans had become more common in recent years for borrowers who don’t have a traditiona

The U.S. was expecting to have one of the best spring home-buying seasons in years, until we got hit with the Coronavirus daily news. Still some markets continue to boom, while others are on a time-out. In California, where there’s a statewide shelter-in-place order, the California Association of Realtors also advised against any open houses, home tours or face-to-face meetings with clients. That scene is playing out in other markets as well, even as low interest rates dangle in front of our noses.