Norada Real Estate Investments

Absorption Rate and Months of Inventory in Real Estate

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Absorption rates and months of inventory in real estate. What are they, and why are they significant? This information is useful since it represents the liquidity of a market. As a real estate investor, you can help maximize your profits by knowing the liquidity of a given real estate market. By knowing the liquidity of a market, you will better understand that market and therefore be able to take advantage of the various buying strategies afforded by it.

One of the measurements frequently used to gauge the liquidity of a given market is the absorption rate. This is basically the rate at which a specific segment of a real estate market sells in a given time frame. These segments are usually categorized by price range but may also be categorized by property type. The absorption rate can assist sellers to determine the optimal price for a property. The absorption rate is useful information for buyers as well because it indicates the extent to which a seller may be willing to lower their asking price or make other concessions.

Absorption Rate Formula

The easiest way to understand absorption is to put it in more tangible terms and measure it in “Months of Inventory”. In other words, we take the number of active listings and divide it by the total number of sold transactions within the same month to give us the months of inventory.

To calculate the months of inventory for any given market:

  • Find the total number of active listings on the market last month.
  • Find the total number of sold transactions for last month.
  • Divide the number of active listings by the number of sales to determine the number of months of inventory remaining.

Supply-DemandAs a general rule, 5 to 6 months of inventory is considered to be a normal or balanced market. Over 6 months of inventory and we have a buyer’s market. If it is less than 5 months and we have a seller’s market. The smaller the available inventory, the tighter the market is. Keep in mind that these are simply guidelines and will differ from market to market.

For example, let’s say there were 8,000 active listings last month and 1,000 closed transactions. That leaves us 8 months of inventory remaining on the market and also tells us that we are in a buyer’s market.

If you are in the market looking to buy, calculating the months of inventory can give you an indication of how negotiable sellers might be. A large number, say 12 months or more, would mean that sellers have a high level of competition and will probably be more flexible on their sales price and terms.

On the other hand, if you are a seller trying to sell your property, the months of inventory will give you an indication of the level of competition you will face. Selling in a buyer’s market will require you to put some serious thought into your pricing strategy and any incentives you may want to offer.

8 Tips To Becoming A Successful Landlord

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How To Become A LandlordHow To Become A Landlord

The ultimate goal of investing in rental property is to turn a profit.  To ensure that you achieve that goal it is essential that you follow several critical guidelines. Most of us dream of becoming a landlord but it an easy or a difficult job? Before you start searching for a home to rent, you should think about the responsibility that comes with being a landlord to your tenants. If you’re interested in investing in real estate, the single-family rental market might be a good option. Being a landlord can be a profitable venture that provides a steady income stream while your property appreciates in value. You might also be able to enjoy certain tax advantages while you build equity in the home.

Here are 8 valuable tips for becoming a successful landlord and start a rental property business.

1. Screen Your Tenants

First, always make sure that you check tenant references. This is the first step of becoming a successful landlord. This can be a burdensome step and many landlords overlook it because they feel as though they have good instinct when they meet with the tenant.  But not checking references can lead to a number of problems later on.  You will uncover a wealth of information about potential problems before you rent to a prospective tenant. It’s also worth the time to do a background and credit check on all potential tenants. There are several online tenant-screening services available, and you should be sure to check potential tenants’ credit scores. You should also conduct an interview to make sure you’re comfortable interacting with them, and check references, especially from employers or past landlords.

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Phoenix is Facing a Housing Shortage

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A Phoenix home with 95 bids is just one example of a housing market entering a new and unprecedented phase.  Experts at Arizona State University School of Business say Phoenix is headed for a major housing shortage.

Long gone are the days when Phoenix was riddled with available, well-built single-family homes in the wake of the 2008 housing market bust.

Five years after the crash, the desert metro is facing lagging home construction, predictions of population growth and rising land prices, according to real estate experts with ASU.

The end result could be a significant housing shortage in the near future, experts contend.

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The Real Crash is Coming!

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Well, well, well… what an interesting year 2013 is shaping up to be!

The U.S. is still, at least according to the U.S., the world's largest economy. Super!

Of course, U.S. gross national production includes the value of goods and services Americans produce regardless of their location – even overseas!  But where do those employees live, rent homes, and spend money with local businesses (who rent homes and office space locally)?

Real estate investors typically care where the people are because people and their income is what gives real estate its value.  After all, there's lots of land on the moon, but it isn't worth much because there aren't any people there… at least not yet!

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Mortgage Interest Deduction on the Chopping Block?

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A tax break that has long been untouchable could soon be in for some serious scrutiny. Many home buyers deduct their mortgage interest when assessing their tax bill, a perk that has helped bolster the income of millions of families – and the broader housing market. But as President Obama and Congress try to hash out a deal to reduce the budget deficit, the mortgage interest deduction will likely be part of the discussion.

Limits on a broad array of deductions could emerge in any budget deal.  It is likely that any caps would be structured to aim at high-income households, and would diminish or end the mortgage tax break for many of those taxpayers.

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5 Reasons Real Estate Prices Have Been Rising

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Home prices rose by 0.1% in September from the prior month and by 3.6% from one year ago, the largest gain in six years, according to a report released Monday by Lender Processing Services.

Compared with one year ago, prices are up by 17.7% in Phoenix, the largest gain among the nation’s 40 largest metro areas. Other notable year-over-year increases include Detroit (11.7%), Las Vegas (11.5%), San Jose, Calif. (11.3%), San Francisco (10%), and Sacramento (8.3%).

Among the top 40 metros, only a handful have posted year-over-year declines, led by St. Louis, which was down by 4.1%. Bridgeport, Conn., was down by 2.3%, while Chicago (-0.5%) and Cincinnati (-0.1%) also posted declines.

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Why You Should Buy a Rental Property

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It is an out-of-favor asset class that has attracted the attention of David Ackman, a hedge fund manager with a fondness for contrarian investments.  “The best investments we've made are the ones no one else would touch,” Ackman explains.  That's why he's so hot on Single Family Home Rental Property.  They are cheap, he says.  They are a buy.

Ackman argues that Single Family Home Rental Properties possess the identical investment attributes that strongly performing stocks typically possess.  Says Ackman:

We believe we've identified an investment with:

  1. A low valuation – The lowest valuation in at least a generation.
  2. Forced sellers – A large number of distressed transactions.
  3. Extremely attractive financing available – High loan-to-value, low-rate, fixed-rate, long-dated, non-recourse debt, pre-payable without penalty.
  4. Favorable long-term supply dynamics – Short-term oversupplied market, but long-term supply is controlled.
  5. Favorable long-term demand dynamics – Demographically driven demand growth.
  6. Out-of-favor – Currently, this is a somewhat shun asset class.

Ackman's bullish perspective flies in the face of the pervasive pessimism about home-buying. “Experts Say Housing is a Lousy Investment and it Always Will Be,” an August 2010 headline on Yahoo! Finance declared. “The US Housing Market is Headed for a Complete and Total Nightmare,” another financial news service predicted. And just last week, a CNNMoney.com headline warned: “Why Home Prices Could Fall Even More.”

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The Great Potential of Cleveland Investment Property

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Though the current economic climate has left many people without homes and jobs, smart and determined are finding in the Cleveland housing market.  Our new is an excellent opportunity for those that want a great deal of cash-flow and long-term appreciation potential.

All properties are extensively rehabbed with up to $25,000 in work per property.  All properties are tenant occupied and managed by professional management  Properties range from 3 to 5 bedrooms, 1-3 baths, and up to 2 car garages.

Cleveland's cost of living is 15.5% lower than the U.S. average. It has also been undergoing major revitalization in all sectors.  The Economist has repeatedly voted Cleveland as one of the most livable cities, not only in the U.S., but in the world.

If you're serious about beating the hard economy and making a great investment in cash-flow real estate then you should evaluate our latest offering of .

National Economic Outlook (May 28, 2010)

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The two large questions on the minds of are: when will the economy recover? and when is a good time to reinvest in the housing market? We think the economy has reached the point where aggressive investors can find good opportunities in selected housing markets. Although the national economy will just be creeping along for another couple of years and home prices will be weak, some local markets have enough long-term potential to warrant taking investment chances.

The latest bad news for the housing market is that the fall in home prices in the last four quarters was worse than expected, showing weak demand for housing and competition for from vacant properties. Overall, home prices fell almost 7 percent, whereas the fall for the four quarters of 2009 was 5 percent. Although the biggest drops were in Florida, California and other markets out West, the effect was felt across the country. The good news is that rental vacancy rates seem to have stabilized most everywhere, and are falling in large markets like Atlanta, Chicago and Miami. On balance, we seem to be looking at a housing situation where the downside in some local markets has become quite small.

Even though the economy grew at a 3 percent rate in the first quarter, the job situation has not improved very much, indicating a much longer recovery period. Over a million jobs were lost in the last 12 months, many in construction and manufacturing. We expect job gains during the next year, but in lower-paying areas such as retail trade and health care. And the number of temporary workers will continue to grow.

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3 Things To Do Before Walking Away From Investment Property

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If you or someone you know dumped some “bad” real estate, then there might be a ticking tax bomb coming your way. It’s a Form 1099-C and it means you have a “cancellation of debt”, and cancellation of debt is taxable.

So if the lender forecloses and takes your property from you, or you do a short sale, chances are the current value is less than your loan. That means the lender has to forgive part of the debt or may pursue you for the difference.

If they forgive the debt, you have a cancellation of debt. And if you have a cancellation of debt, you have a taxable event. The amount of debt that is cancelled is taxable income to you. You report it on your Form 1040 just like any other type of ordinary income. In other words, you never got a check, but you have to pay tax on it.

So, let’s go with the foreclosure or short sale scenario and assume that your lender has forgiven the debt. Just as a note though, don’t assume that the lender is forgiving all the debt. In most states, they can pursue you if you’ve refinanced the first loan or for a second mortgage. And depending on your particular state laws, they could wait years to come after you for the amount. Yikes!

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Norada Real Estate Investments 30251 Golden Lantern, Suite E-261 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

(949) 218-6668
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