Rental housing economist Jay Parsons recaps highlights from the multifamily investment community's biggest event, the NMHC Annual Meeting, and then dives into the case for the Midwest. Why are institutional and other large multifamily/SFR investors showing an interest in the Midwest after basically ignoring the region for many years? Jay breaks down what's driving renewed interest in the Midwest, and which markets are standing out. Later on, Jay brings Ivan Barratt into the conversation. Barratt is the founder and CEO of BAM Companies, one of America's fastest-growing private companies and also one of the Midwest's fastest-growing apartment owners. Jay and Barratt talk about the unique challenges (and opportunities!) of raising and deploying capital into Midwest markets, and how new entrants into these markets are changing the game there. Additionally, Jay brings back recurring segments like "Rental Housing Trivia" and "In the News," while also introducing a new segment called "Off Topic." Jay briefly detours from rental housing real estate to bemoan the Dallas Mavericks' trade of generational star Luka Doncic, and offers up a parallel from 65 years ago that just might serve as a cautionary tale for what's ahead for Mavs fans.