Flood of Rentals in the Market

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Goldman Sachs published an interesting research report addressing a trend of for sale homes being converted into rental units, as a result of a softening in the buyers market. Seems relatively intuitive right? The demand for owner-occupied housing has gone down and this creative method allows sellers to weather the market conditions.

Great Resource for California Landlords

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I am always amazed and the things you can find when searching Google. I have become a big fan of the increasing number of print publications that are being indexed by Google these days. I happened to stumble upon one that I thought would be valuable to all our customers managing properties in California.

Finding a Property Manager

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We've all heard the horror stories...owners being burned by a bad property manager. If your investment properties are miles away, you might be a victim of "ghost bookings" and other seedy practices. Check out this interesting article in the New York Times and see how one owner took matters into their own hands.

Considering a Career in Property Management?

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The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) recently disclosed stats that showed a third of all homes purchased in 2004 and 2005 were second-homes or investment properties. This flood of investments by both small investment teams and homeowners looking for investment opportunities has continued in a promising fashion into 2006 and 2007. Many of these investors will try their hands at managing these properties themselves or look for property managers to help.

Should You Ban Smoking at Your Properties?

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The smoking ban started on airplanes, spread to restaurants and bars and now ready to affect a rental near you! Portland-based property management company Guardian Management LLC will prohibit smoking in half of its 6,000 metro-area apartments starting Sept. 1.

NYC Office for $1,600 a square foot

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A small office building in midtown Manhattan sold for $510 million. At $1,600 a square foot, brokers say that's the highest price ever paid for office space in the United States. The latest reports from big real estate brokers show that the average Manhattan condo sold for around $1.3 million in the past three months.

-Source: NPR Morning Edition

2007 National Apartment Research

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Marcus & Millichap has published their 2007 National Apartment Research study. If you own an apartment building or are considering purchasing one, this is an excellent resource.

Incentives for Property Managers

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Here are some ideas to motivate your on-site property managers to share the wealth when a property is managed effectively.

Property Manager For Hire

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An interesting article published by National Real Estate Investor Magazine regarding the lack of quality property managers in the real estate industry.

Advantage Quotes

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"In a recent survey of 75 real estate building and banking executives, more than 99 percent of respondents said mold can devalue a real estate transaction. Some 60 percent of builders and real estate lenders said they have heard of a party backing out of a real estate transaction because of the fear that mold problems exist on the property."

-- Charles L. Perry Jr., principal of Environmental Assurance Group, in Multi-Housing News

Real Estate Investors Guide to the Hottest Job Growth Cities

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Want to find out where your city ranks among the hottest job growth centers?Click through to Inc.com's coverage of "Boomtowns: The Best Cities for Doing Business":

www.inc.com/bestcities/index.html

Housing Market Data

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http://www.housedata.info/ is a great resource for monthly and annual housing market information. I have been using it the past few months to get a better feel for the slowly declining housing market. Is this good news for landlords? Let us know if you have seen an increase or decrease in rental activity over the past 90 days.

So you want to be a Landlord?

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Becoming a landlord brings some significant tax advantages, some more obvious than others. Smart Money recently published an article explaining what you can write off as a landlord and passive loss rules. Be sure to read this article if you are unfamiliar with these advantages.

Average U.S Rent Prices - Marcus & Millichap

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While some U.S. cities continue to thrive and become higher in demand, there are some surprising cities thatcontinue to fall short.

Learning about Section 8 (Part I)

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Section 8 is an American sponsored public housing program divided into two programs, tenant-based and project-based. It is also referred to as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. We pulled together a beginners guide from various sources around the Internet to help you become more familiar with this popular government housing program.