Closing The Gap: Fannie Mae’s Credit Building Program Finds Success

By KIMBERLEY HAAS A Fannie Mae program designed to help build the credit scores of renters is finding success. Launched in September, the Multifamily Positive Rent Payment Reporting pilot program allows property owners to share timely rent payment data with the three major credit bureaus. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of rent payment reporting so renters and prospective homebuyers with no or little credit can establish or improve their credit history. Lenders can incorporate that data when evaluating potential homebuyers. Leaders at Fannie Mae report that more than 263,000 rental units have been onboarded as of April 30. Over 10,000 renters in properties participating in the program have established credit for the first time and 58% of residents…

Starts, Permits Showed Surprise Gains Last Month

Housing construction rebounded by more than expected in February, led by a surge in multifamily projects. New U.S. home construction rose for the first time in six months, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Residential starts increased by 9.8% from January to an annualized rate of 1.45 million. This greatly exceeds estimates from economists surveyed by Bloomberg, who expected a pace of 1.31 million. Permits for new homes also increased, up by 13.8% to a rate of 1.52 million. Permits offer an indication of how many homes will be built in the coming months. Both multifamily and single-family construction saw gains, though multifamily had the best showing with a 24% increase, the most in almost two years. Rents…

Millennials, Gen Zers See Inflation Rates Decline As Rents Cool

Members of Gen Z and Millenials are seeing their personal inflation rates cool as rent prices moderate. These demographics have lower personal inflation rates than the overall population for the first time in two years, according to a new CPI analysis from Redfin. Gen Zers and Millennials who signed a new lease in December saw the cost of their goods and services rise 5.6% and 6.1%, respectively, compared to a 6.5% increase for the average American. Gen Zers overall now have a lower personal inflation rate than the U.S. population for the first time since the beginning of 2021. Inflation was heavily impacted by shelter costs, which make up around a third of the value of goods and services included…

Rent Prices Are Easing In Most U.S. Metros As Multifamily Construction Stays Strong

Rent prices are easing in most American cities thanks to a boost in available units. Sixty-eight of the country’s largest metros saw month-over-month rent declines in October, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University and two other schools. The average rental rate was $2,040, down 0.9% from September. Springfield, MA, Austin, TX, Seattle, and New York were among the cities where rents posted declines.  “It seems that an increase in supply helped relieve the pricing pressure on rental units around the country – and that’s exactly what had to happen,” said Ken H. Johnson, Ph.D., an economist in FAU’s College of Business.  He noted that delivery of units under construction, as well as increasing unit density and conversions of short-term…

Researcher: The U.S. Needs 4.3 Million More Apartments

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The vice president of research at the National Multifamily Housing Council says 4.3 million new apartments will be needed by 2035 to meet demand. Caitlin Walter spoke at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference on October 13. She is primarily responsible for conducting NMHC’s research on apartment industry trends, according to the council’s website.  Walter said there were 737,000 apartments under construction in 2021. “The issue is that it takes a long time to build an apartment community, and we’re not actually seeing those under-construction numbers turn into completions. And that is largely due to the delays that started during the pandemic that have continued to persist,” Walter said. Walter referred to a study the…

What’s The Buzz About Portsmouth, New Hampshire?

By CHUCK GREEN Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Is it the place to be? Why not? Portsmouth’s a medium size coastal city with 22,277 residents as of July 1, 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city’s rife with attractions including a new jazz club, theaters, restaurants, overall safety, outdoor living, and the school district has 6 schools with 2,531 students. Here’s the scene from Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club on New Year’s Eve: Happy New Year’s Eve from Portsmouth, NH! pic.twitter.com/5wwd4JU4sJ— Kimberley Haas (@KimberleyHaas) January 1, 2022 The Seacoast region has and will continue to benefit from market demand that is generated by people looking for a higher quality of life within an urban setting, Jim Goldenberg, principal of Cathartes,…

Eight Of The Ten Most Expensive Metros For Rent Are In California And Florida

California and Florida metros collectively account for 80% of the top 10 highest average rents across the country, forcing Americans to look to the middle of the country for affordable rentals. That’s according to HouseCanary’s first National Rental Report, which compares listings volumes, new listings, and median listing price information on single-family detached listings from H1 2021 and H1 2022. National rent prices saw a double-digit increase, up 13.4% YOY in the first half of 2022. At the end of H1 2022, the average rent was $2,495. Property demand remained strong, with the number of days on the market staying basically the same from last year. At the end of H1, rentals were on the market for an average of…

Florida Is The Most Competitive Market For Renters

Florida has taken the top spot as the most sought-after area for renters in 2022, according to new research from RentCafe. RentCafe looked at the 100 largest U.S. markets and analyzed data such as the number of days a rental sat vacant, the percentage of occupied apartments, and how many renters competed for apartments. South and Central Florida ranked highest, followed by mid-sized markets in the Northeast. Miami-Date County is the hottest rental market in the country, with the highest demand for apartments thanks to a huge number of apartment hunters, low inventory, and record-high lease renewal rates. Hot areas like Miami and Orlando are struggling to keep up with an influx of new renters even though they have built…

Rents Post Another Double-Digit Gain In February

Rents posted another double-digit gain in February, rising 13.1% YOY, according to CoreLogic’s Single-Family Rent Index. They are now at their highest level in the history of the index. The largest price increases were in warm areas of the country as Americans keep moving to Sun Belt states. Miami saw a spike of 39.5% from February 2021, outpacing the second and third places, Orlando (22.2%) and Phoenix (18.9%). Washington, D.C., and St. Louis had the lowest annual increases, both at 6.5%. Lower-priced rentals (75% or less than the regional median) saw increases of 12.7%, up from 3% in February 2021. Lower-middle priced rentals (75% to 100%) were up 13.8%, from 3.2% the year prior. Higher-middle priced rentals (100%-125%) were up…

Morning Roundup (3/22/2022)– Tolls On U.S. Housing Sector, AIMI Falls

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, March 22. The U.S. is opposing Poland’s idea of sending troops into Ukraine. President Biden warned companies that Russia was considering cyberattacks in retaliation for sanctions. Miami Beach officials issued a curfew after two shootings during spring break. The Mortgage Note Reports Invasion Of Ukraine, Inflation To Take Toll On U.S. Housing Sector: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its implications for the global economy has some experts saying the housing market in the United States will be impacted. Soaring Housing Costs: The average monthly asking rent in the U.S. rose 15% YOY but were once again outpaced by mortgage payment growth, up 31% YOY. AIMI Falls: The Freddie Mac Multifamily Apartment Investment Market Index fell …