News Updates

Rents are growing fastest in unexpected places

Rents are still most expensive in large coastal markets, but they are growing fastest in smaller markets in the Northeast and Midwest While rents are most expensive in large coastal markets like New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Boston, the fastest-growing rents are in unexpected places. New data from Zillow® shows rents are growing faster in Hartford than any other major market, and Cleveland and Louisville aren’t far behind. “More people move during the summer, which causes the rental market to heat up,” said Skylar Olsen, chief economist at Zillow. “Renters are being drawn to more affordable areas within the Northeast and Midwest. Commuting into New York City or Boston from places like Hartford or Providence might have been a deterrent before, but in this new age of remote and hybrid work, the savings seem worth it for many renters, even if it means an occasional painful commute.” Rents have grown 7.8% over the past year in Hartford, more than any other major market. Cleveland (7.2%), Louisville (6.8%), Providence (6.3%) and Milwaukee (5.7%) round out the top five. The typical rent eclipses $3,000 in a few coastal markets. New York City is the most expensive rental market with a typical rent of $3,472 across the metro area, according to the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), while StreetEasy® data shows the median asking rent is $4,400 in Manhattan. Coming in just behind is the San Jose metro area with a typical rent of $3,429, followed by Boston ($3,127), San Francisco ($3,119) and San Diego ($3,083). Los Angeles, with a typical asking rent of $2,975, could join that list later this summer if the current pace of rent growth holds. Nationally, the typical rent is $2,054, according to ZORI. That is up 3.5% from last year, the fastest annual growth since last July. Metropolitan Area* Typical Rent (ZillowObserved Rent Index –ZORI) ZORI Month overMonth Change ZORI Year over YearChange United States $2,054 0.5 % 3.5 % New York, NY $3,472 0.9 % 3.8 % Los Angeles, CA $2,975 0.5 % 2.7 % Chicago, IL $2,118 0.9 % 5.0 % Dallas, TX $1,822 0.4 % 0.2 % Houston, TX $1,730 0.6 % 2.2 % Washington, DC $2,455 0.8 % 5.0 % Philadelphia, PA $1,898 0.5 % 4.0 % Miami, FL $2,813 0.2 % 2.4 % Atlanta, GA $1,951 0.4 % 0.9 % Boston, MA $3,127 0.5 % 4.6 % Phoenix, AZ $1,889 0.0 % 1.1 % San Francisco, CA $3,119 0.5 % 1.6 % Riverside, CA $2,560 0.2 % 3.0 % Detroit, MI $1,480 0.6 % 5.2 % Seattle, WA $2,283 0.7 % 3.9 % Minneapolis, MN $1,678 0.3 % 3.0 % San Diego, CA $3,083 0.6 % 1.8 % Tampa, FL $2,114 0.1 % 1.5 % Denver, CO $2,090 0.4 % 2.4 % Baltimore, MD $1,871 0.8 % 3.4 % St. Louis, MO $1,423 0.8 % 4.9 % Orlando, FL $2,098 0.5 % 1.1 % Charlotte, NC $1,815 0.7 % 1.2 % San Antonio, TX $1,503 0.2 % -0.1 % Portland, OR $1,876 0.9 % 2.6 % Sacramento, CA $2,321 0.4 % 3.7 % Pittsburgh, PA $1,473 1.0 % 4.4 % Cincinnati, OH $1,542 0.6 % 5.2 % Austin, TX $1,839 0.2 % -3.0 % Las Vegas, NV $1,826 0.7 % 3.0 % Kansas City, MO $1,482 0.8 % 5.5 % Columbus, OH $1,559 1.2 % 4.7 % Indianapolis, IN $1,589 0.4 % 4.0 % Cleveland, OH $1,447 1.1 % 7.2 % San Jose, CA $3,429 1.0 % 3.0 % Nashville, TN $1,940 0.6 % 1.2 % Virginia Beach, VA $1,771 0.6 % 5.3 % Providence, RI $2,118 0.5 % 6.3 % Jacksonville, FL $1,768 0.1 % 0.8 % Milwaukee, WI $1,394 0.6 % 5.7 % Oklahoma City, OK $1,358 0.7 % 3.1 % Raleigh, NC $1,793 0.6 % 0.4 % Memphis, TN $1,477 0.5 % 2.7 % Richmond, VA $1,689 1.2 % 5.4 % Louisville, KY $1,417 0.6 % 6.8 % New Orleans, LA $1,685 0.3 % 2.9 % Salt Lake City, UT $1,729 0.8 % 1.9 % Hartford, CT $1,871 1.1 % 7.8 % Buffalo, NY $1,379 0.2 % 5.4 % Birmingham, AL $1,419 0.5 % 3.1 % SOURCE Zillow

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Reimagining Risk Management for Residential Real Estate Investors 

As the landscape of property insurance changes, real estate investors must rethink their risk management strategies. Bundling rental properties with personal lines policies may no longer be the most effective solution given the rental market’s scale and the frequency of claims.  The Rental Market Landscape  According to John Burns Research & Consulting, there are approximately 14 million SFR rental properties. Notably, 11.2 million (80%) are owned by ‘mom-and-pop’ landlords with 1-9 rentals. This prevalence of small-scale landlords potentially exposes them to unnecessary risk by bundling rental properties with personal policies.  The Bundling Savings Myth  For years, bundling has been promoted as a cost-saving measure. However, this approach often falls short for rental properties. The minimal savings achieved through bundling pale in comparison to potential risks and coverage gaps. Prioritizing comprehensive protection over marginal cost reductions is essential.  Frequency and Cost of Rental Property Claims  Understanding the frequency and cost of rental property claims emphasizes the need for proper coverage:  These statistics highlight the importance of robust coverage without sublimits, especially for water damage.  Safeguarding Personal Assets  A major risk of bundling rental properties with personal policies is the potential impact on personal lines coverage. A claim from a rental property could affect the eligibility and rates of your personal home and auto policies. By separating these risks, you can protect your personal assets and maintain favorable personal lines rates.  Enhanced Coverage with Specialized Landlord Policies  Dedicated landlord policies, like those offered by SES Risk Solutions, provide coverage limits more appropriate for rental properties. Unlike standard DP3 policies, our offerings include:  These features ensure that your investments are fully protected with comprehensive coverage.  Adapting to Market Trends  Recent shifts in the insurance market have led large carriers to withdraw from states or become highly selective about risks. This trend highlights the importance of working with specialized insurers who understand the unique needs of real estate investors and can provide stable, reliable coverage.  The Advantages of Commercial Lines Policies  Writing rental properties on commercial lines policies offers several benefits:  This approach not only offers superior protection but also aligns with the professional nature of real estate investing.  Modern Risk Management  Your primary responsibility as an investor is to ensure your assets are well-protected. Moving beyond the one-size-fits-all approach of bundling, specialized landlord policies offer:  The Future of Real Estate Investment Insurance  As the real estate investment landscape continues to evolve, so must our approach to insuring these assets. By unbundling rental properties from personal lines and embracing specialized landlord policies, you can secure comprehensive, flexible, and robust coverage to protect your investments and grow your portfolio with confidence.  At SES Risk Solutions, we’re dedicated to providing innovative insurance solutions tailored to real estate investors’ unique needs. We invite you to partner with us in educating yourself about the benefits of specialized landlord policies and implementing effective risk management strategies for your investment properties.  By reimagining our approach to insuring rental properties, we can add significant value to your investment strategies and position ourselves as true risk management partners in your real estate endeavors.  Scott Phillips SVP, Strategic Partnerships  SES Risk Solutions

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Home Affordability Gets Tougher During Second Quarter Across U.S. As Prices Shoot Back Up

Major Home-Ownership Expenses Now Consume 35 Percent of Average Wage Nationwide;  Portion Hits High Point in Over a Decade as Median Home Price Soars to Another Record ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property and real estate data, released its second-quarter 2024 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remained less affordable in the second quarter of 2024 compared to historical averages in 99 percent of counties around the nation with enough data to analyze. The latest trend continued a pattern, dating back to early 2022, of home ownership requiring historically large portions of wages around the country amid ongoing high residential mortgage rates and elevated home prices. The report also shows that major expenses on median-priced homes consumed 35.1 percent of the average national wage in the second quarter – marking the high point since 2007 and standing well above the common 28 percent lending guideline. Both the historic and current measures represented quarterly and annual setbacks following a brief period of improvement from late 2023 into early 2024. The shifts came as the national median home price spiked to a new high of $360,000 during the Spring buying season and mortgage rates remained around 7 percent, leading to increases in the cost of owning a home that outpaced recent increases in wages. As a result, the portion of average wages nationwide required for typical mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance grew about three percentage points from both the first quarter of this year and the second quarter of last year. “The latest affordability data presents a clear challenge for home buyers. While home prices are increasing and mortgage rates remain relatively high, these factors are making homes less affordable,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. “It’s common for these trends to intensify during the Spring buying season when buyer demand increases. However, the trends this year are particularly challenging for house hunters, more so than at any point since the housing market boom began in 2012. As the 2024 buying season progresses into the Summer, we will continue to monitor the data closely.” The patterns during the months running from April through June came as the national median home price rose 7.3 percent quarterly and 4.7 percent annually. Further hampering buyers during the second quarter were average 30-year home-mortgage rates that ended the quarter at about 6.9 percent, or more than double where they stood in 2021. Those factors helped boost home ownership expenses by about 10 percent in the second quarter of 2024 after declining slightly in the prior two quarters. The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the amount of income needed to meet major monthly home ownership expenses — including mortgage payments, property taxes and insurance — on a median-priced single-family home, assuming a 20 percent down payment and a 28 percent maximum “front-end” debt-to-income ratio. That required income was then compared to annualized average weekly wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compared to historical levels, median home ownership costs in 582 of the 589 counties analyzed in the second quarter of 2024 were less affordable than in the past. That number was up just slightly from 579 of the same counties in the first quarter of this year and from 577 in the second quarter of last year. But it was more than 15 times the figure from early 2021. Meanwhile, the portion of average local wages consumed by major home-ownership expenses on typical homes was considered unaffordable during the second quarter of 2024 in about 80 percent of the 589 counties in the report, based on the 28 percent guideline. Counties with the largest populations that were unaffordable in the second quarter were Los Angeles County, CA; Cook County (Chicago), IL; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles). The most populous of the 115 counties with affordable levels of major expenses on median-priced homes during the second quarter of 2024 were Harris County (Houston), TX; Wayne County (Detroit), MI; Philadelphia County, PA; Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), OH, and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), PA. National median home price jumps quarterly and annually in most marketsThe national median price for single-family homes and condos shot up to $360,000 in the second quarter of 2024 – $15,000 more than the previous high of $345,000 hit in the Spring of 2022. The latest figure was up from $335,500 in the first quarter of 2024 and from $344,000 in the second quarter of last year. At the county level, median home prices rose from the first quarter to the second quarter of this year in 514, or 87.3 percent, of the 589 counties included in the report. Annually, they followed a similar pattern, up in 441, or 74.9 percent of those markets. Data was analyzed for counties with a population of at least 100,000 and at least 50 single-family home and condo sales in the second quarter of 2024. Among the 47 counties in the report with a population of at least 1 million, the biggest year-over-year increases in median prices during the second quarter of 2024 were in Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (up 16.2 percent); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (up 12 percent); King County (Seattle), WA (up 11.3 percent); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (up 9.8 percent) and Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (up 8.9 percent). Counties with a population of at least 1 million where median prices remained down the most from the second quarter of 2023 to the same period this year were Honolulu County, HI (down 3.8 percent); Tarrant County (Forth Worth), TX (down 1.5 percent); Oakland County, MI (outside Detroit) (down 1.4 percent); Hennepin County (Minneapolis), MN (down 1.1 percent) and Fulton County (Atlanta), GA (down 1 percent). Prices growing faster than wages in half the U.S.With home values mostly up annually throughout the U.S., year-over-year price changes outpaced changes in weekly annualized wages during the second quarter of 2024 in 293,

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U.S. Home Prices Hit New All-Time High, Pushing Pending Sales Down 5%

The good news for prospective buyers: There are more new listings to choose from, and monthly housing payments are down nearly $100 from their April peak as mortgage rates decline. Pending home sales posted their biggest decline since February during the four weeks ending June 30, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. The median sale price rose 5% from a year ago, hitting an all-time high. New listings jumped 10%. Full data is provided below: For Redfin economists’ takes on the housing market, please visit Redfin’s “From Our Economists” page. Leading indicators Indicators of homebuying demand and activity Daily average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 7.13% (July 2) Up from a 3-month low of 6.97% three weeks earlier, but down from a 5-month high of 7.52% in early May Up from 7.03% Mortgage News Daily Weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 6.86% (week ending June 27) 4th straight week of declines; lowest level since week ending April 4 Up from 6.71% Freddie Mac Mortgage-purchase applications (seasonally adjusted)   Decreased 3% from a week earlier (as of week ending June 28) Down 12% Mortgage Bankers Association Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index (seasonally adjusted)   Essentially unchanged from a month earlier (as of week ending June 30) Down 17% Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index, a measure of requests for tours and other homebuying services from Redfin agents Touring activity   Up 21% from the start of the year (as of June 30) At this time last year, it was also up 11% from the start of 2023 ShowingTime, a home touring technology company Google searches for “home for sale”   Down 4% from a month earlier (as of July 1) Down 20% Google Trends Key housing-market data U.S. highlights: Four weeks ending June 30, 2024Redfin’s national metrics include data from 400+ U.S. metro areas, and is based on homes listed and/or sold during the period. Weekly housing-market data goes back through 2015. Subject to revision.   Four weeks ending June 30, 2024 Year-over-year change Notes Median sale price $397,954 4.9% All-time high; biggest increase since March Median asking price $409,975 6.1% Biggest increase since October 2022 Median monthly mortgage payment $2,749 at a 6.86% mortgage rate 6.5% $88 below all-time high set during the 4 weeks ending April 28 Pending sales 87,160 -4.6% Biggest decline in 4 months New listings 100,989 9.9% Biggest increase in 2 months Active listings 967,516 17.5%   Months of supply 3.3 +0.7 pts. 4 to 5 months of supply is considered balanced, with a lower number indicating seller’s market conditions. Share of homes off market in two weeks 41.6% Down from 47%   Median days on market 32 +5 days   Share of homes sold above list price 32.3% Down from 36%   Share of homes with a price drop 6.9% +2.1 pts. Highest level on record Average sale-to-list price ratio 99.7% -0.3 pts.   Metro-level highlights: Four weeks ending June 30, 2024Redfin’s metro-level data includes the 50 most populous U.S. metros. Select metros may be excluded from time to time to ensure data accuracy.   Metros with biggest year-over-year increases Metros with biggest year-over-year decreases Notes Median sale price Anaheim, CA (14.7%) Newark, NJ (13.5%) Nassau County, NY (12.6%) New Brunswick, NJ (11.7%) Fort Lauderdale, FL (11.1%) Austin, TX (-2.1%) Dallas (-1.5%) San Antonio (-0.2%)    Declined in 3 metros Pending sales San Jose, CA (18.2%) San Francisco (6.1%) Pittsburgh (4.8%) Providence, RI (2.8%) Boston (2.2%) West Palm Beach, FL (-16.4%) Houston (-13.4%) Atlanta (-12%) Miami (-11.7%) Minneapolis (-10.7%) Increased in 9 metros New listings San Jose, CA (49.2%) Seattle (28.7%) Miami (24.8%) Boston (24.3%) Montgomery County, PA (22.2%) Atlanta (-7.7%) Detroit (-0.4%) Declined in 2 metros To view the full report, including charts, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-home-prices-record-high-sales-decline

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Q2 2024 Fix and Flip Survey is now LIVE!

REI INK has partnered with the National Private Lenders Association and John Burns Research and Consulting to give you the chance to participate in a survey of fix-and-flip market conditions. At the end of the survey, you can select a free metro-level data report for each market you rate (up to 3) to help inform you and your business. Data includes statistics on sales, prices, rents, demand, supply, and affordability. Survey closes Wednesday, July 31th at 5pm EST. Click the link below or copy and paste into your browser to participate:   https://jbrec.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_83a6fASKd77K08m?Group=NPLA&Source=REIINK Your participation and responses are confidential. View our certification for compliance and industry best practices. None of the data can be traced back to any individual, and the survey does not collect contact information. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

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ICE Mortgage Monitor: As Market Gradually Shifts to Higher Rates, Latest Data Identifies Possible Refinance Tipping Point

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading global provider of technology and data, released its July 2024 ICE Mortgage Monitor Report, based on the company’s industry-leading mortgage, real estate and public records data sets. This month’s Mortgage Monitor looks into the dynamics behind the changing makeup of the active mortgage market, which is gradually shifting toward higher average rates. As Andy Walden, ICE’s Vice President of Research and Analysis notes, the overall market remains heavily skewed toward lower-rate mortgages, but that is changing. “As of May, 24% of homeowners with mortgages now have a current interest rate of 5% or higher,” said Walden. “As recently as two years ago an astonishing nine of every 10 mortgage holders were below that threshold. “All in, there are 5.8M fewer sub-5% mortgages in the market today than there were at this time in 2022. This has been a slow-moving change, as borrowers with lower rates have sold their homes or, to a smaller degree, refinanced to withdraw equity. The entire market is acutely aware of how elevated rates have been constraining origination volumes. But seen from another angle, the same dynamic is also serving to gradually enlarge the population of folks with high-rate mortgages, who are actively waiting for the moment a refinance makes sense. This would benefit both a growing number of homeowners and lenders.” As noted in the report, 4M first lien mortgages originated since 2022 have 30-year rates above 6.5%, with 1.9M having rates of 7% or higher. On average, there are ~240K active mortgages in each 1/8th of a percentage point bracket in the 7-7.625% range; however, there’s a noticeable spike of 690K loans with rates just below 7%. Walden explains: “The concentration of active loans just below 7% has more to do with borrower psychology than concrete savings. There’s clearly something appealing in today’s market for a homeowner to see a 6-handle in front of their mortgage rate. From a rate/term refinance lending perspective, this group is worth watching as they represent a potential tipping point for a return to more meaningful, albeit historically modest, refi volumes.” For now, refi volumes remain at a fraction of historical levels. That said, we have seen some notable shifts in who is taking out refis in today’s market. Consider, for example, the recent rise in VA market share, from less than 10% of rate/term refis a year ago to more than 30% in recent weeks, according to ICE origination data. The rise in VA refinance share seems to be due, in large part, to streamline refinances. Some veterans, especially those who had taken out mortgages within the past year, availed themselves of the streamlined refinancing program to lower their interest rate by more than a full percentage point, for an average savings of $230 per month among April originations, according to a before-and-after analysis of ICE McDash +Property data. That makes sense, considering the ICE U.S. VA 30-Year fixed rate mortgage index is down nearly a full percentage point from its peak in late October, with the average rate offering among such loans notably below that of FHA and conforming mortgage counterparts. VA refinances also helped improve the servicing retention rate in Q1 to its highest level in 18 months, with retention of FHA and VA refinances tripling from 15% in Q4 to 46% in Q1. Those lower payments come at a cost, however, as the average borrower increased their loan balance to buy down their rate and/or finance closing costs. The quick turn also resulted in unusually high prepay speeds, which can negatively impact investors in VA loan backed securities. The recent activity among VA loans supports the findings of the recently released 2024 ICE Borrower Insights Survey, which showed that finding the lowest mortgage rate trumped all other concerns when choosing a lender, with a 20-point delta between that and the next most frequent choice. But, while borrowers want the lowest rate, they typically don’t consider many options. In fact, 84% of borrowers surveyed considered only one (36%) or two (48%) options before selecting a lender. This, as well as the successful proactive retention of FHA/VA borrowers in Q1, shows how important it is for lenders to stay attuned to their borrowers’ needs and make first contact when a beneficial refi opportunity arises. Much more information on these and other topics can be found in this month’s Mortgage Monitor. Source: Intercontinental Exchange

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