Author: josh
While the U.S. and Iran remain mired in a stalemate of ever-evolving ceasefires, the Strait of Hormuz energy chokepoint at stake is just one part of a global chessboard in a broader “cold war” against China, geopolitical experts and economists said. The Iran war and Hormuz blockade just happen to be the biggest gambit in the high-tempo game thus far. At play are all critical waterways and congestion bottlenecks through which the world’s energy products, agriculture, and supply chain parts flow. Despite China’s rapid growth, it still relies heavily on energy imports, and the U.S. continues to claim naval superiority…
Finding the perfect home just got easier. Here’s how to jump in. AI is quickly changing how people find homes and interact with the real estate market. More and more consumers are starting their searches on tools like ChatGPT and Gemini without ever interacting with traditional search platforms, preferring to find homes through conversation and questions. With homebuyers also increasingly picky in today’s expensive market, Redfin wanted to make it easier and more enjoyable for people to find the home that fits them best. So, we did. Using our new conversational search feature, home searchers can now find homes on…
If you grew up watching Hannah Montana, you probably remember that iconic Malibu beach house – equal parts pop star hideout and everyday home for Miley Stewart. With sweeping ocean views and a front-row seat to Broad Beach Road, Malibu, CA, it’s the kind of place that made living a double life look pretty great. But beyond the Disney magic, what does it really cost to live there? From multimillion-dollar home prices to ongoing monthly expenses, a quick look at a home affordability calculator reveals just how steep the price of this Malibu lifestyle can be. In this Redfin article,…
In This Article The rent-to-own strategy has proven to be a trusted way for investors to sell their properties to tenants at a profit. What’s not usually so trusted in these scenarios is the assurance that your tenants will improve their credit scores enough to qualify for a mortgage and actually be able to buy your rental. Help for the cause has arrived from an unlikely source: government-sponsored entities (GSEs) mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who are allowing rent and utility payments included in credit reports to be factored into mortgage approvals. This is particularly advantageous for landlords,…
If you want to generate passive income with rental properties, reach financial freedom, and make the most money with the least stress, do not do any of these six things. There are six ways to fail at real estate investing in 2026, and if you get even a couple of these wrong on your first or next deal, you could be out of the game for years to come. Trust us, we’re now dealing with five-figure emergency costs because we didn’t follow the tips we’re sharing today.Both Henry and Dave have reached financial freedom in around a decade by doing…
Need help estimating rehab costs? This is a huge unknown for many rookie investors. But not to worry—in this episode, we’ll show you how to do this as accurately as possible so you have fewer surprises once you’re under contract and it’s time to get your hands dirty!Welcome to another Rookie Reply! If you’re stuck with a property that’s giving you negative cash flow, you have two choices: hold (and figure it out) or sell. The answer is more nuanced than you probably think, but we’ll point you in the right direction. Next, whether you’re using the BRRRR method, flipping…
Six months before Election Day, America’s $39 trillion national debt has moved from an abstract fiscal concern to a dinner-table anxiety — and voters across the political spectrum are demanding that candidates explain what they plan to do about it. A new national survey released Thursday by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation found that 92% of registered voters are concerned that the national debt is fueling inflation and driving up their personal cost of living, including prices for groceries, energy, housing, and transportation. The figure includes 94% of Democrats, 92% of independents, and 89% of Republicans — a degree of…
Most agent-investors think about rent collection as a transaction. Money moves, a box gets checked, and you move on. But if you’re advising landlord clients or managing your own rental portfolio, that mindset could be costing you tenants. TAKE THE INMAN INTEL INDEX SURVEY Turnover is one of the most expensive events in residential investing. Vacancy loss, make-ready costs, leasing commissions and the time spent re-screening applicants can easily run a month or two of rent, sometimes more. And yet, many of the friction points that push tenants to look elsewhere have nothing to do with the property itself. They’re…
Real estate agent fees are paid at closing, but they’re not usually considered part of a buyer’s closing costs. Instead, they’re a separate expense that’s handled as part of the overall transaction. The confusion comes from how the term “closing costs” is used. In most cases, buyers use “closing costs” to describe lender fees, title charges, inspections, and prepaid expenses. Agent compensation is included in the closing process and listed on the settlement statement, but it’s often discussed separately because it can be structured differently from other costs. How agent fees are handled depends on the terms of the deal.…
Dave:The first data for the spring housing market and how the war in Iran is impacting the market is here. And today we’re diving into it. We’re going to look at the actual results so far and see how prices, inventory, affordability and more are shaping up. And we’ll also talk about what it tells us about the months to come, what you can expect and how you should behave. Plus, we also have a big update on the Federal Reserve drama and whether or not a new Fed share is going to be kinder to the housing market than…