Morgan Stanley real estate analyst Laurel Durkay appeared on CNBC recently to deliver the financial behemoth’s latest housing outlook. It was great news for property owners and a call to action for potential buyers sitting on the fence, waiting for rates to fall. 

Such is the shortage of inventory; in the next decade, 2 million homes will need to be built to satisfy demand. This means the rental market is set to soar.

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You put a lot of time, money, and effort into finding the right tenant. From writing a rental property listing to showing the property, the process can require a lot from you. But that’s OK. The end result is well worth it. 

With a tenant lined up and a move-in date scheduled, it’s time to take the next step: prepping the property. This move-in checklist for landlords will keep you on track from start to finish. 

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A lease is a binding legal contract that includes protections for both the landlord and tenant. Just as you are required to uphold your end of the agreement as the landlord, tenants also have certain obligations they are required to uphold.

You have discretion in determining what to do when a tenant violates the lease. It doesn’t always have to lead to an eviction. It depends on the severity of the violation and other factors, like a medical emergency, temporary job loss, or something else.

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HomeRise, a nonprofit housing developer that has received more than $200 million in grants and loans from the city of San Francisco, declares on its website that its mission is “to help people experiencing homelessness secure housing and become self-sufficient.”

However, in April, an independent audit revealed questionable spending of the organization’s funds. While the scope of inappropriate spending was not clear due to incomplete record-keeping, the audit found that most of the grant money went toward staff salaries, including large bonuses that violated the city’s grant agreement.

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As of June 28, Freddie Mac CFO Christian Lown will resign from the government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) mortgage provider to join CoStar, the behemoth real estate listing and data and analytics company valued at around $30 billion. 

Usually, when someone leaves a government job for the private sector, there’s a tacit understanding that the new position comes with less public scrutiny and more—much more—money. There’s little reason to doubt that is the case here.

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Maybe you’re looking to diversify your investment portfolio, or maybe you’ve done your research into real estate investing and just realized you don’t have the time and energy required. Real estate investing is almost nevertruly passive, and it is not immune to problems like reduced cash flow during between-tenant periods. 

Whether you are a seasoned real estate investor looking for additional revenue streams or you’re looking for opportunities that are less hands-on but still lucrative, these are the top alternative investments to consider in 2024. 

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Raise your hand if you got burned by real estate in 2008. You can’t see it, but I’m raising my hands, feet, and even the hairs on my neck.

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) recently made news by launching a 0%-down mortgage program. And it reminds many real estate analysts of the subprime mortgage frenzy that helped fuel the market collapse back in 2008. 

So, as you scope out the new program, what’s the potential impact on real estate investors? 

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Over the past 16 years, I’ve worked with nearly 200 first-time investors. From my experience, until they go through our training, most are completely focused on ROI and cash flow. 

Here are some key points new investors must keep in mind:

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Last week, the federal government announced plans to block medical debt from credit reports, which are used to evaluate a borrower’s financial fitness for large-ticket items, specifically mortgages and car loans. This would make it easier for folks to acquire more debt and not be “judged” for it. 

All things being equal, it’s not a good idea.

Let’s ignore for now whether this is right or wrong and try to exclude all political thoughts. Let’s just look at the facts.

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A housing cartel? No, not in a lawless narco-state, but in major American cities, where corporate landlords have been accused of conspiring with Texas-based real estate software company RealPage to drive up rents. 

Most recently, Atlanta-based Cortland Management, one of America’s largest landlords, was served a warrant by the FBI concerning an ongoing antitrust investigation into multifamily housing price-fixing by the Department of Justice (DOJ). According to Cortland Management’s website, the company is worth $218 billion and manages 85,000 units in 13 states.

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