I’ve mentioned many times that house flipping is getting a little “long in the tooth”. This week I was featured in BusinessWeek/Bloomberg on this topic ( great article here is the link in case you missed it). Nationwide flipping has grown exponentially....
Last week, I woke up, checked my phone only to see it blowing up with alerts. I was getting alerts about random charges that were not mine from my credit card. Not the best way to wake up, but not surprising since it has been about 6 months since the largest hack in...
The Federal housing administration over the last several years has been quietly easing the lending standards to increase home ownership. Montgomery, the director of the FHA, did an abrupt change this month tightening standards “to maintain a better balance of...
It’s like getting a free scoop of ice cream 😊 Experian is rolling out a new product called Experian Boost which will allow you to “instantly boost your credit score”. Experian expects over 65% of consumers will see a boost to their credit score. Will...
BB&T agreed to buy SunTrust in the world’s biggest bank merger in a decade. This will create the sixth largest bank in the country. Bank of America CEO, Brian Moynihan predicted another round of consolidation that could produce another “megabank”. Why is this...
The National Association of Realtors came out with their 2019 forecast saying: “the economy is "good." And noted that we have low unemployment, record high job openings, historically low jobless claims, job additions for eight straight years and wages beginning to...
A market indicator watched by the Fed as one of the most accurate gauges of economic health is pricing in lower rates for the first time in more than a decade. It was the first time since March 2008 the gauge, seen as a roadmap for traders’ outlook on Federal Reserve...
With 2019 coming quickly it is time for my annual real estate predictions. 2019 is shaping up to be considerably more exciting than 2018! The main economic drivers in 2019 will be the pace of rate increases from the federal reserve, market volatility, the ongoing...
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on twitter: “Today I convened individual calls with the CEOs of the nation’s six largest banks,” and he will have the first meeting of the “plunge protection” team Monday. Just a little advice to whomever picked the name, it doesn’t provide a warm and fuzzy feeling! What is the “plunge protection team”? Who are the members? Why is being called upon now? This team last met in 2009 during the waning days of the last recession. Is this an indication of something larger?
As Thanksgiving week begins, there was a surprising economic report just released. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped eight points in November to 60, according to a report Monday. That compared with the median estimate...
The Commerce Department reported GDP surged to 3.5%, well above most median economic estimates (full article). Is this the beginning of an era of increased economic prosperity? Will GDP continue to increase? Why is GDP increasing while housing stocks have tanked...
Accurate data is critical to make the right decisions in commercial real estate. If you’ve missed the news, Costar bought Loopnet and their key competitor declared bankruptcy. In the past you could access inexpensive property comparables through Loopnet for about...
It has been 10 years since Lehman Brothers collapsed and the mortgage market tanked with Fannie and Freddie taken over by the US government. Have we learned any lessons from the last collapse? Is the mortgage market substantially safer than before? Who will take it...
What is a government’s role in real estate whether it is mortgages, subsidized housing, flood insurance, etc… Is government really the best equipped to solve various real estate issues or should private enterprise take the lead. Has the government created a...
Zillow has made two big announcements recently: 1) Zillow is expanding its “cash offers” programs to 4 cities 2) Zillow acquired mortgage lenders of America. On the surface, most people shrugged off the announcements as neither appear monumental. Why are these two...
The Commerce Department reported GDP surged to 4.1% this past quarter from 2% the prior quarter (full article). Is this the beginning of an era of increased economic prosperity or a house of cards ready to crumble? Should you buy real estate now due to expected...
Pretty crazy to think of a small task like using an iPhone or a Windows computer is increasing your mortgage rates. How can a computer or phone have any impact on rates? Apple, Microsoft, and Google are the largest holders of offshore cash piles. Under the new law...
As a hard money lender, value is the most critical component of underwriting a loan. We don’t require appraisals so we are looking at thousands of loans a year. I wanted to share the tools I use to underwrite each time I look at a loan file and specific tools for...
Ready to start your engines for the summer driving season? Will our cars lead us into the next recession? Although auto sales declined substantially this year, the real story is that the subprime bubble in auto lending is now showing cracks. How will this impact...
Commercial lending is tightening. How do you get funded in a challenging market? All of us undoubtedly hear NO! hundreds of times a day especially in the real estate lending world. With the various rules and regulations, it is more difficult than ever to get...
A small rural church will destroy marijuana Although marijuana just enjoyed a record month (117m according to the Denver post), one small rural church is about to turn the industry upside down. This church is just the beginning of a seismic shift in the marijuana...
2016 Real estate Predictions 2015 in general for real estate throughout the country was very good in the vast majority of markets. With 2016 on the horizon where will real estate head in the upcoming year? Have we hit our peak and will 16 be an inflection year? What...
Will the Federal Reserve kill pot? Last year Colorado alone generated over 700 million in sales of Marijuana (source: Washington Post) and is scheduled to increase to close to 1 billion by 2016. Marijuana is also now legal in OR, WA, AK and medical in many more. All...
Where to turn when a bank says no? I hope each of you are having a great summer and beating the heat. The focus of this month’s column is on hard money, an alternative to traditional lending avenues. I’m commonly asked what is hard money. When I answer this...
Phone: 866-634-1270
Email: Info@FairviewLending.com
