Real Estate News: Real Estate Investing Podcast

New York landlords are gearing up for a court battle over new statewide rent control rules. These rules will have a dramatic impact on rent-regulated apartments in New York City, as well as non-rent regulated rentals across the state. Landlords say the legislation is a clear defeat for the real estate industry, but they are planning to fight back with a lawsuit. www.NewsForInvestors.com

In this week's Real Estate News in Brief: the nation marks a major economic milestone, when we might see the Fed cut rates, and why new tax laws could turn more renters into homeowners. We begin with economic news from this past week and new assurances of a strong job market. The Labor Department reported a record gap between the number of job openings and people looking for work. As of April, there were a seasonally adjusted 7.449 million job openings and just 5.824 million job seekers.

We often hear about the amazing things that drones can do and will do. They can help find survivors after a natural disaster, deliver goods or medicine to remote places, or take magnificent aerial photography for real estate listings. We may even be using them as transportation someday. But what about the criminal use of drones and privacy concerns? www.NewsForInvestors.com

There’s a new short-term rental niche that’s growing more popular, and avoids most short-term rental regulations. They are high-end furnished units commonly known as corporate rentals with a minimum 31-day lease. By renting them for more than 30 days, they typically avoid short-term rental rules, although some cities are taking notice.

In this week's Real Estate News in Brief… when we might see the next rate cut, where home prices are going, and how one tiny fortune cookie lived up to its name... Lower mortgage rates did little to encourage home builders in April. The Census Bureau says private sector construction was down almost 2% from the previous month. The National Association of Home Builders blames that on a labor shortage, saying that homebuilders remain optimistic about the housing market.

House Democrats are pushing for a bill that may save Social Security. They say it will keep the entitlement program solvent for the rest of the century, but at what cost? Republicans say it amounts to an unfair tax increase on American workers. But this bill is gaining steam in the Democratic-controlled House. It’s called the Social Security 2100 Act, introduced a few months ago by House Democrat John Larson of Connecticut. www.NewsForInvestors.com

California could become the second state in the nation, after Oregon, to adopt statewide rent caps. The State Assembly passed AB 1482 on May 31st, after concessions were made to the California Association of Realtors. State lawmakers have been debating several rent control measures. This is the only one that survived, although just one rent control measure can be too much for a healthy rental market. www.NewsForInvestors.com

In this week's Real Estate News in Brief... lower mortgage rates that begin with a “3,” a new kind of trade war, and a new kind of partnership between house flippers and Uber drivers. We begin with economic news from this past week, and home prices that are going up more slowly. The Case-Shiller 20-city index shows a seasonally-adjusted .1% rise from February to March. The current reading is 2.7% higher than March of 2018.

Are you ready to get rid of your gas stove? California is tackling climate change with a new mandate -- to get rid of natural gas and electrify everything with energy from solar and wind. That puts the beloved gas cooktop on the hit list, along with other gas appliances. But the alternatives may not be as undesirable as you may think -- including something called an induction cooktop that some chef’s like even better than gas. www.NewsForInvestors.com

The U.S. needs more rental housing but developers can’t keep up, and there’s a new survey that shows exactly what it is that’s impeding them. According to this survey by the National Apartment Association, there are several barriers to apartment construction but the one that stands out the most is coming from local residents, or NIMBYs -- which stands for “Not in My Backyard.” www.NewsForInvestors.com

The antitrust lawsuits against NAR are piling up, and now the Department of Justice has opened an official probe into alleged anti-competitive practices in the real estate industry. It issued an investigative demand to real estate data firm, CoreLogic, and other MLS platform vendors, for various documents and information related to the distribution and use of MLS data and the way that buyer agent commissions are paid. www.NewsForInvestors.com

In this week's Real Estate News in Brief... the next rate hike, the trade war impact, and mail-order kit cabins from Amazon. We begin with economic news from this past week, and the latest results on home sales. The National Association of Realtors reported another slump for existing home sales. They dropped .4% from March to April, and were 4.4% less than a year ago. It’s the second month in a row for a sales drop, after a surge in February.

A new look at the financial health of the Millennial generation shows they are far behind their predecessors. The Wall Street Journal combined data from the Census Bureau and other sources to come up with a snapshot of a generation with “less wealth, less property, lower marriage rates, and fewer children.” That data has negative implications for them, the housing market, and for public programs like Social Security that depend on the income potential of younger workers. www.NewsForInvestors.com

The Spring home buying season is about to get interesting. A new survey shows that homeowners are in the mood for selling, and that 12.1 million of them are preparing to put their homes on the market. Lenders say they are also seeing a big surge in mortgage applications among people getting ready to buy. www.NewsForInvestors.com

In this week's Real Estate News in Brief... why home builders are so busy, what lenders think of smaller home loans, and what money can do for a child’s success in life. We begin with economic news from this past week and home sale activity that’s giving builders more confidence about the housing market. www.NewsForInvestors.com