For decades, the “ugly house” strategy was the go-to move for real estate investors. Buy cheap, renovate, and force appreciation. But in today’s market, the numbers don’t pencil how they used to. Renovation costs have skyrocketed. Contractors are in short supply. And the so-called distressed property discount is slimmer than ever. Many investors who cling...
Dead Money vs. Living Money Millions of Americans are sitting on record amounts of home equity right now. The problem? Equity looks great on paper, but by itself it does not pay the bills. That is why I call it dead money. The good news is that there are safe, strategic ways to put that...
On paper, the U.S. economy looks strong. Unemployment is low, inflation has cooled from its 2022 peak, and GDP continues to expand. But if you ask the average American how they feel, the answer is very different. Consumer sentiment today is nearly as pessimistic as it was during the 2008 financial crisis or the stagflation...
Foreclosure Fears Grow as Google Searches for Mortgage Help When you’ve been through as many market cycles as I have, you learn to pay attention to the quiet signals before the headlines hit. And right now, one of those early signals is starting to make noise. Google Trends recently showed a sharp increase in searches...
Are We Heading for a 1970s-Style Economy? When you’ve been investing as long as I have, you start to see patterns. Right now, I feel like I’m standing in a stadium, watching the warm-up before the big game, and it feels an awful lot like the late 1960s. Back then, the U.S. economy was running...
Gold’s Big Moment: Why Central Banks Are Buying It Gold is back in the headlines, and for good reason. After nearly a decade of quiet accumulation, central banks around the world are loading up on gold at a record pace, and prices are hovering near all-time highs. If you’ve been watching this market, you might...
H-1B Homebuyers Are Changing Your Market When we talk about what’s driving U.S. housing prices, most people think of mortgage rates, construction shortages, or Wall Street buying houses. But there’s another factor that rarely makes the headlines: H-1B visa holders and other foreign workers. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Indian nationals, many of...
The $12 Trillion Risk Facing Real Estate Location has always been the cornerstone of real estate investing, but in 2025, location also means climate risk. According to new data, over $12 trillion worth of U.S. property is at risk from extreme weather events like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. In Texas alone, the figure exceeds $1.1...
Right now, some investors are making fortunes while others are losing everything. Same market, same economy, completely different outcomes. The difference isn’t luck, it’s strategy. After more than 30 years in real estate and owning over 10,000 apartments, I’ve learned the plays that work not just in good times, but also in downturns and everything...
By the end of 2025, the United States is expected to deliver more than 500,000 newly built rental apartments. That level of supply has not been seen since the 1970s. What makes this year’s boom especially interesting is that two states, Florida and Texas, are responsible for almost 30 percent of the new inventory. For...
