Markets change. Strategies Evolve.

The Fall Housing Market Just Got Much More Negotiable.September 2026 Housing Trends: Price Cuts Hit 4-Year Highs as Mortgage Rates Top 7%Original reporting: Realtor.com Economic Research | Jake Krimmel | September 30, 2026What the article says: September brought a noticeable deterioration in the for-sale market. Realtor.com reports that 20.8% of active listings had a price reduction—the highest sh

Mortgage Rates Didn't Just Cross 7%. They Kept Going.Mortgage rates hit 7.58%, approaching 3-year highOriginal reporting: Yahoo Finance | Claire Boston | September 29, 2026What the article says: Mortgage News Daily's average 30-year fixed rate reached 7.58% on September 29, its highest level since November 2023. Rates were around 6.75% in late August, meaning financing conditions deteriorated dram

A Major Change Is Coming to How Mortgage Borrowers Are ScoredFHFA says Fannie, Freddie will use one LLPA grid for FICO and VantageScoreOriginal reporting: HousingWire | Sarah Wolak | September 29, 2026What the article says: The Federal Housing Finance Agency says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will move to a single loan-level pricing grid covering mortgages evaluated with either Classic FICO or Vantag

New Homes Are Getting Cheaper. That's Competition Investors Should WatchAugust 2026 New Residential Sales ReportOriginal source: U.S. Census Bureau & U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | September 24, 2026What the report says: New single-family home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000 in August, up 6.4% from July but 2% below August 2025. There were approximatel

Renting now costs $1,066 less per month than buying—and that's actually important news for landlordsOriginal report: “Renting Is $1,066 Cheaper Per Month Than Buying and Investing It Pays Off”Mischa Fisher, Zillow Research — September 16, 2026Read the full Zillow Research reportWhat the article says: Zillow calculates that the typical U.S. renter paid $1,948 per month in August while the typical n

Rental concessions are surging—and rents have now declined year over year for 37 consecutive monthsOriginal report: “August 2026 Rental Report: Rents Fall for 37th Straight Month as Concessions Give Renters More Leverage”Jiayi Xu and Danielle Hale, Realtor.com Economic Research — September 17, 2026Read the full Realtor.com rental reportWhat the article says: Median asking rent for studios through

Apartment owners are facing a growing debt problem—and it could create acquisition opportunitiesOriginal article: “Apartment Landlords Have a $2 Trillion Debt Problem That Is Only Getting Worse”The Wall Street Journal — September 21, 2026Read the full Wall Street Journal articleWhat the article says: Apartment owners are confronting a significant refinancing problem after borrowing heavily when in

Nearly half of homebuyers are now getting seller concessionsOriginal article: “Nearly Half of Homebuyers Get Concessions From Sellers as Most Markets Tip in Buyers’ Favor”Dana Anderson, Redfin — September 18, 2026Read the full Redfin articleWhat the article says: Sellers provided concessions in 44.7% of U.S. home sales in August, up from 42.6% a year earlier and the highest August share in Redfin’

Airbnb Investors: Fannie Mae's New Rental Income Rules Could Impact Future FinancingMany Airbnb investors spend years learning how to maximize occupancy, raise nightly rates, and improve guest experiences.Then they apply for a mortgage and discover lenders may look at that income differently than they do.That's one reason a recent update from Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2026-08 is wo

Fannie Mae Changed How Rental Income Is Evaluated. Here's What Investors Need to KnowMost investors don't hit financing limits because they run out of deals.They hit financing limits because they run out of qualifying income.That's why a recent update from Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2026-08 may matter more than many investors realize. While the announcement appears technical, it int

Want to Turn Your Home Into a Rental? Fannie Mae's New Rules Could Affect Your Next MoveBuying a home, living in it for a few years, then turning it into a rental is one of the most common ways people become real estate investors.In fact, many investors never intended to build a portfolio at first. They simply bought a home, moved for a job, needed more space, or found a new opportunity and decide

Why Co-Living Continues to Gain MomentumAs housing affordability continues to challenge millions of Americans, co-living investing / rent-by-room investing have emerged as some of the fastest-growing strategies in residential real estate. Investors are discovering new ways to increase cash flow from existing single-family homes, while renters are finding affordable housing options that better fit

Could Someone Sell Your Property Without You Knowing?The FBI is warning property owners and real estate professionals about a growing fraud trend involving vacant land. Criminals are stealing property owners' identities, posing as legitimate sellers, and attempting to sell land they don't own. In many cases, the fraud isn't discovered until it's too late.Vacant land is especially attractive to sca

Properly Insuring Investment Properties If one of your single-family properties caught fire today, are you certain it’s insured properly? If a spring storm blew the roof off of your 12-unit apartment building, would you have coverage for your loss of rent? Is your subject-to exposure protected? When it comes to insuring investment properties, it’s best to know what protection you have, or don’t ha

Why Community Matters More Than Ever for Real Estate InvestorsBy Staci Allen, USREISAIn real estate, who you know has always mattered just as much as what you know. But in today’s environment—with higher interest rates, tighter lending, new regulations, and shifting asset performance—who you know isn’t just helpful anymore. It’s essential.Investors who stay connected adapt faster, uncover opportun

Preparing Investment Properties for Natural Disasters  There are plenty of natural disaster preparation resources to help homeowners get their families and homes ready for a potential natural disaster. However, as a real estate investor, you have some unique challenges in preparing a property that you own, but don’t live in. Let’s talk about how you can keep your investment protected and prevent i

What Your Home Inspection Won't Catch (And What To Do About It)​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​​​​‍​​​​​​‌‍‌

Why Homeowners Policies Are Insufficient for Investment Properties Insuring an investment property under your homeowner’s policy is a common mistake for many new investors. After purchasing a new location, you may think it’s easiest to contact the same local agent who manages your home and auto, and request to add your newest acquisition, but it can be detrimental to you and your business.   Perso