What a week it has been a new Covid variant has emerged while at the same time, the federal reserve announced they are retiring the word “transitory”. The stock market dropped and treasury yields increased. What does all the recent news mean for real estate? Will...
Zillow quits I buying says it model doesn’t work. 18k houses to sell
Real-estate firm Zillow Group Inc. is exiting from the home-flipping business, saying Tuesday that its algorithmic+ model to buy and sell homes rapidly doesn’t work as planned. Zillow has about 18 thousand houses it will be looking to sell. What does this mean for...
Zillow stops buying houses: red flags for housing market
Zillow claims that ‘operational capacity constraints’ has caused the hiccup in its home-buying business, but some analysts argue that bigger issues may be afoot. Why is Zillow abruptly pulling back from their ibuyer program after recently announcing a huge funding...
Jobs report disappoints, mortgage interest rates have jumped 30%
Happy Fall, it is hard to beat this time of year with snow up top and changing leaves in the valleys (do you know where I took this pic?) Yields for U.S. government debt posted the biggest weekly jump in months on Friday, as a selloff in bonds that commenced...
Rents accelerate 13%, is this a warning sign?
Would-be home buyers priced out of the sales market are finding little consolation when they turn instead to the single-family rental market. Prices are soaring there as well. What is causing the large surge in rents? How is this related to housing prices? Will the...
How does a China real estate blow up impact U.S real estate?
First I hope everyone is having a good fall. It is crazy how quickly the year has gone by. It has been quite the ride with last week no exception as the stock market plunged. The key culprit that started the stock market saga is the impending blow up of Evergrande,...
Department of Justice nixes realtor pact, Biden DOJ going after realtor commissions
Last year the Department of Justice and the National Association of Realtors reached a historic pact to clear up any antitrust issues and provide greater transparency to consumers about commissions and increase competition among brokers. Everyone thought the deal was...
Jobs report exceeds. Will 30-year rates hit 4.5%? What should you do?
An unexpectedly strong jobs number for July has bolstered the case for investors who believe Treasury yields will head higher over the rest of the year. Goldman, BofA, and Blackrock are predicting a 50% rise in treasuries by year end. What does this mean for mortgage...
Pres Biden implements new eviction ban until October 3, Is this a gift for property owners?
In a last-ditch effort, President Biden implemented another eviction moratorium until October 3rd. What does this mean for real estate property owners? Will this ban hold up in court? Could this moratorium be a good thing for property owners? What is...
Economic binge continues but consumer sentiment falls, impact on real estate
U.S. consumer sentiment fell sharply and unexpectedly in early July to the lowest level in five months. Consumers’ complaints about rising prices on homes, vehicles, and household durables reached an all time record. Just 30% of all consumers cited favorable home...
Will the fed stop buying your mortgage?
The Federal Reserve has bought $982 billion of the mortgage bonds since March 5, 2020. As Federal Reserve officials discuss how to eventually scale back their easy-money policies, they are debating whether to start by reducing purchases of mortgage-backed securities...
Home rents jump highest in 15 years
I have been saying for months that rent growth would accelerate. The numbers are in and according to Corelogic, Single-family rents were up 5.3% year over year in April, rising from a 2.4% increase in April 2020. Nationally, rent growth exceeded pre-pandemic rates...
Is there a real estate bubble brewing?
As I look around the real estate market, you cannot help but notice the craziness. On my personal house in Colorado, my value is up around 50% in two years. These same trends are unfolding throughout the country, with appreciation hitting records. Is the real...
The Fed surprises the markets – rates jump
With the craziness in the market, I at least wanted to ease everyone into it with a relaxing picture 🙂 I wrote last week about rate increases coming down the pipe, but like everyone else I was surprised by the last federal reserve meeting and how quickly they changed...
CPI soars, mortgage payments could rise 33%, what should you do?
Consumer prices jump 5% in May (CPI); this is the highest movement since 2008. What does this mean for interest rates? Before getting into the details, I can quickly tell you with 100% certainty, the only way for mortgage rates to go is up. Why are mortgage rates...
Zillow buys ShowingTime, what does this acquisition mean for real estate?
A few months ago, Zillow agreed to buy ShowingTime, the largest and most widely used platform by realtors to schedule residential tourings and provide feedback to the listing agents. The platforms is integrated with most multiple listing services throughout the...
Long term capital gains, 43.4%, impact on real estate & 1031 exchange
President Biden has proposed an increase in long term capital gains from their current 15-20% to 43% for the wealthiest. This would be the highest tax paid on income. What is in the new proposal? What does this proposal mean for real estate? How will the 1031...
Zillow gets into the dating game: Your Zestimate is now a cash offer
For years Zillow has been buying houses, but they have refused to use the Zestimate as their purchase price. The cards have now turned with Zillow announcing that the “Zestimate” is now the price they will pay for your house. How will this change allow Zillow to...
Mortgage Firms Warned to Prepare for a ‘Tidal Wave’ of Distress
There is a tidal wave of distressed homeowners who will need help,” Dave Uejio, the CFPB’s acting director, said in a statement; companies “that are unable to adequately manage loss mitigation can expect the bureau to take enforcement or supervisory action.” At the...
New Proposed tax plan will hit property owners and cost you millions.
I am always amazed at how out of touch our elected officials are with what happens in the real world. The new tax plan circulating through Congress is no exception with the supposed target high net worth taxpayers, but middle class, small business...
Alcohol sales decline for first time since pandemic, Huge impact on real estate, the pandemic trade is over
For the first time in a year, since Covid-19 began spreading across the United States forcing Americans to stay home, retail alcohol sales have fallen almost 2%. Why the change in alcohol sales? No, people are not consuming less alcohol. What does this mean...
BOA predicts a housing “mother of all asset bubbles”
As a result of the current loose monetary policy and additional stimulus coming down the pipe, “imbalances” within the economy are starting to form. BofA predicts a 10% drop in stock prices. What are other experts saying on the stock market? How will this impact...
Impact of 1.9 trillion stimulus on real estate: Larry Summers is worried should you be?
I took this pic of a bear in my backyard staring at me while I was sitting on the porch, it was a good reminder.... 1.9 trillion is a huge number flowing through to the economy in one fell swoop. What do both Republican and Democratic economists agree on regarding...
How does a national $15 min wage impact real estate?
Within the new proposed Covid relief proposed by the president is a requirement that the minimum wage increase nationally to fifteen dollars an hour. What impact will this have on housing affordability? How will this increase in minimum wage affect commercial and...


















