Banks Face Pressure to Fund Affordable Housing Projects, Opening an Opportunity for Investors

“I saved up a million dollars—and all I got was this lousy $40,000 a year.” That’s the metaphorical T-shirt that the average retiree wears.  Actually, it’s worse than that. The average retiree aged between 65 and 74 doesn’t have a million dollars saved as a nest egg. They have $609,230, and that’s the mean average, not the median. You can be sure the median is a lot lower.  Based on the traditional 4% rule, the average retiree takes an annual income of just $24,369 from that nest egg. Don’t blow the party kazoos all at once.  All this means that the traditional retirement model just doesn’t work well. To put it bluntly, the math sucks.  I can do better—and so can you.  Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/the-problem-with-paper-assets-for-retirement-planning Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suburban migration didn’t end with the pandemic. If anything, we’ve seen a long-term shift in American priorities concerning housing, which has led to an increasing number of households moving out of the city and into the suburbs. When people head out to the ‘burbs, real estate investors would do well to follow. We have a saying in real estate that we look for the path of progress. Sometimes, this is revitalizing or rezoning areas to include new housing or businesses. Sometimes, it is simply the trend of where people are moving.  Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/8-reasons-suburban-housing-should-be-your-go-to-investment Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my previous article on the uniquely American suburbs, I delved into their controversial history. Here, I’ll focus on the political and social critiques of America’s particularly car-centric and sprawled form of suburban development. A third and final piece will look at the financial picture, as well as the suburbs’ viability, both for the country and investors. Conspiracy theories that the suburbs were created to drive demand for automobiles are, for the most part, backward. It was, in actual fact, the mass adoption of the automobile that drove the creation of the suburbs. Of course, big business (Levittown) and government policy (the creation of the interstate highway system and urban renewal) also played a part in the expansion of America’s car-centric suburbs.  But even if the causes of America’s suburban sprawl were completely benign, that doesn’t mean that the suburbs as currently constituted are good nor sustainable nor a place for quality, long-term investments. It is to these questions we now turn. Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/are-the-suburbs-a-soul-crushing-abomination Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I wrote an article explaining why I am investing in real estate investment trusts (REITs) instead of rental properties. In short, REITs are still discounted, and I expect their lower valuations to result in higher returns in the coming years. Unfortunately, it would seem that many readers miss the point of investing in REITs due to misconceptions. I saw several people in the comment section claim that REITs should be less rewarding investments because:  - You don’t enjoy the benefits of leverage. - They are not tax-efficient. - You are paying managers instead of getting your hands dirty. But these statements are just plain wrong, and I am going to prove it.  Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/8-reasons-for-why-reits-are-better-than-rentals Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Certain cities across the United States are emerging as economic powerhouses, creating ideal conditions for real estate investors.  I’ve published two previous articles on cities with growing tech hubs and high income increases, both of which are highly correlated with price appreciation. Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/13-real-estate-hotspots-with-the-best-economies Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Affordable housing might be a priority for the government, but that doesn’t mean banks share the same view. According to a recent CoStar article, 11 federal home loan banks say that government pressure to fund their housing programs could threaten their stability. The Biden administration requires federal banks to contribute money through grants for affordable housing initiatives. According to a White House press release, the president proposed that “each Federal Home Loan Bank double its annual contribution to the Affordable Housing Program, which will raise an additional $3.79 billion for affordable housing over the next decade and assist nearly 380,0000 households.”  Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/banks-face-pressure-from-government-to-fund-affordable-housing-projects Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there’s a downside to investing in real estate, it’s dealing with nonpaying tenants. Many people prefer to put their money in the stock market because even with diligent screening, it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter tenants who fall behind on their rent. When that happens, your real estate becomes a massive headache. However, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, rent problems could be well on their way out. Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/how-eviction-diversion-programs-are-driving-eviction-rates-down Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does this scenario sound familiar? “I distinctly remember a conversation I had with my boyfriend shortly after submitting an offer on my very first rental property. We were sitting at his son’s Little League baseball game, and my mind was wandering (if you’ve ever watched a Little League baseball game, you understand). I turned to my boyfriend and said, ‘What happens if they actually accept my offer on that property?’  The truth of the matter was, I was a 28-year-old with not even an ounce of rental property or landlording experience. All I knew was that I was over working a 9-to-5 W-2 job and thought that real estate investing could be my path out. Ever the black-and-white, straight-to-the-point kind of guy, my boyfriend responded with, ‘You’ll figure it out.’ Little did I know how true that statement would turn out to be.” That’s Amelia McGee, co-author of The Self-Managing Landlord with Grace Gudenkauf, explaining her anxiety and fear as a soon-to-be DIY landlord. Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-being-a-self-managing-landlord Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Data privacy is an ever-increasing concern, particularly in finance, where sensitive information like personal and business bank statements, loans, credit information, driver’s licenses, and Social Security numbers are involved. Because of this, real estate is particularly vulnerable. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), which allows more data to be transferred through apps and social media, further increases the need for robust laws and cybersecurity. Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/data-privacy-is-a-looming-crisis-that-could-create-upheaval Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding promising equity deals in today’s real estate market can feel like a needle in a haystack. Whether you’re an active or passive real estate investor, facing this challenge means it’s crucial to focus on making the most of your existing investments. By optimizing your current holdings, you can enhance their performance and ensure they align with your long-term goals—and put more money in your pocket along the way. Here’s a straightforward guide on how to do just that. Keep reading the article here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/optimizing-your-existing-properties-when-deals-are-hard-to-find Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Channel for the best real estate investing education online! Become a member of the BiggerPockets community of real estate investors - https://www.biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices