It is well known that economic conditions have greatly changed the rate of household formation. Young adults are cohabitating with parents, friends or relatives at an uncommon level. For this reason, John Burns, a recognized researcher who studies housing, believes that the rental market is about to "explode." In the shadows of the housing crisis there are many individuals who are seeking a home of their own. This is likely to drive rental demand when job growth is sufficient to add fuel to this. ... read more

Rent vs. Own in Las Vegas: Why the Monthly Payment Is Only Part of the Story   For many Las Vegas renters considering homeownership, the first comparison is simple: “What am I paying in rent versus what would my mortgage payment be?”   That is an important question, but it is not the whole financial picture.   At Dovetail at Decatur, a four-bedroom townhome provides a useful real-world example of why buyers should look beyond the headline monthly payment and consider what they may ... read more

REITs have raised a lot of capital in the past year and they are locked and loaded for bear but they just can't find enough of them. A lot of the product that REITs like to aquire; apartments, office buildings, malls and warehouses have not been available. Current owners are hesitant to sell into a market where prices have needed a massive reset and they often keep performing assets for themselves. Additionally, banks are cautios about how they liquidate properties they have foreclosed on since they have to watch t... read more

Some analysts have noted weak M & A activity in REITs throughout the past year. One common reason is the lack of willing sellers. Pretty natural result in this interest rate environment. Scott Craig expands on some of these reasons here: http://www.reit.com/Videos/Analyst-says-REIT-MA-Activity-Lags-Due-to-Lack-of-Sellers.aspx Recently Cole Real Estate and American Realty Capital Partners merged. Housewire has the details: http://www.housingwire.com/articles/27597-cole-real-estate-to-merge-into-american-real... read more

In the July numbers, increased prices continue to be printed. On a median price per-square foot basis, single family home prices advanced by 3.2% from last month. With the same metric, condominiums and townhomes increased by over five percent. Multiple offers remain commonplace, although anecdotally, this appears to be moderating as we head into a slightly less active season. It is worth noting that on average, homes that closed in July went under contract nearly 70 days prior, so closings do tend to lag the street... read more