Real Estate Realities With Robert "the Rebelbroker" Whitelaw

It is time for a glimpse into the crystal ball and see if we can't use information we have today to estimate what is coming. There are several interesting trends that tend to feed the idea that something bad is around the corner, so today, we will review them and see what we might think they will do to our real estate markets. Also, don't forget that this Saturday, July 16th will be our next Coffee & Real Estate Live Chat on Facebook! Find it here:  https://www.facebook.com/whitelawre/live/   Links: https://www.attomdata.com/news/market-trends/figuresfriday/top-10-zips-with-worst-foreclosure-rates-in-may-2022/ https://www.attomdata.com/news/market-trends/foreclosures/attom-may-2022-u-s-foreclosure-market-report/ https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/foreclosure-rates-for-50-states/ https://www.barrons.com/articles/recession-cars-bank-repos-51657316562  

On this weeks show we discuss recent data revealing the most at risk real estate markets in the United States! Whether you are a buyer, seller or saavy investory, you will want to know the most and least vulerable real estate markets out there right now.   Link: https://www.attomdata.com/news/market-trends/attom-q1-2022-housing-risk-report/

This week, we are going to gaze into the crystal ball. Several things are going on right now that I believe set the stage for a potentially market killing outcome. Follow along with me in todays show and see if you agree. If I am right, we could be heading into some very tough times over the next few years.

Home inventory is ramping up at a pace that I don't think anyone could have imagined just a few weeks ago. In addition, despite recent news that home starts have dropped, we will still see a solid increase in home completions in 2022. I think that spells potential opportunity for buyers and investors and possibly a warning to home owners. So in this weeks show, we will chat about what this shift in inventory could mean for buyers, sellers and investors. Check out the show notes on the website for all the details. https://www.therebelbroker.com   https://calculatedrisk.substack.com/p/housing-completions-will-increase https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2022/06/housing-inventory-june-20th-update.html

Some of you may know Michael Hellickson from his reputation as a dominant figure in real estate sales. While Michael can clearly offer insights for real estate agents that want to improve their business, his experience can also help buyers, sellers and investors in their real estate journey. Today we will take some time to chat about the big topics in real estate and see what he believes are the right steps to take in your life to prepare for whatever might come down the road, or to get started with your real estate investments. You can find Michael at www.clubwealth.com

The folks over at realtor.org are reporting that the national inventory of homes increased 11% when compared to the same time last year. This is definitely information worth remembering since, as I have suggested for years now, this is all about inventory. We take that national number and we bring it down to the local level and take a look at the home inventory numbers for Santa Clara County. What we discover is pretty amazing! Source: Realtor Weekly Housing Trends

The real estate industry has done a good job on selling the public on the idea that a "Top 1%" agent is the best choice to get the best results. The truth is that the criteria used to define if an agent is in the top 1% has nothing to do with what you as a buyer, seller or investor wants or needs in their transaction. In fact, because these agents tend to focus on quantity over quality, you actually will have a higher chance of getting lower than average results. In todays show, we chat about that and review some real world examples along with offer some questions to ask to help you find the agent that can focus on your needs instead of theirs. Visit the show notes page for this episode to download 12 questions to ask your real estate agent! Just follow the permalink associated with this post.

Initial indicators are in and suggest we prepare for 'Recession 2022'! Are we in a recession? ​Right now, we have hit declining GDP for the first quarter. Indicators are there, but for many we are not 'officially' in a recession. However, the question is not will be hit a recession at this point, but when. What is a recession? Big declines in economic activity. Big slow downs in economic activity can have broad effects. With low activity comes lower needs for employees to do what they would normally do when the economy is healthy due to lower demand.  Goods and services produced drop. The stock market loses value and unemployment rates tend to go up. Recessions are normal. Recessions happen regularly. It is how severe a recession is that indicates how painful it will be for the average person. Recessions can turn into depressions. Recessions usually hit their worst point within 10 months then go into recovery. A depression is a deep, painful, long lasting recession. Calm preparation is the best tool. Buyers,

Welcome to Monday folks! Today we are discussing what the metros with the highest price gains are and how we can use that information to make smarter decisions as buyers, sellers and investors. These are not the most expensive metros, but areas where the highest percentage increase has happened. So join me for the discussion of these areas while we take a slightly closer look at the number 1 market on this list!   Link: https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/05/03/10-metros-with-the-highest-yearly-price-gains

Check out this list of 10 cities where realtor.com is reporting home prices are actually dropping! Are they really? Join me as we review the list and separate the hype from the reality - because the story they are trying to tell with their headline is NOT what is actually going on in these areas. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/where-home-prices-falling-the-most/

I don't often do interviews on Real Estate Realities, but this one really grabbed me! One of the ways to approach real estate is through land. We have brought up land before in the context of strategies to get your first home by building it yourself. Today, Brent is going to offer us strategies that can not only get you started with that effort, but also help you explore this option as an investment strategy. So make sure to listen to the end - the knowledge nuggets are going to be dropping right up to the finish! Brents Bio: Brent Bowers, is an investor and coach with a focus on buying and selling vacant land. As an Army Officer with over 8 years of service, Brent was spending a great deal of time away from his family, and he knew he needed to make some changes in order to be more present with his wife and children. In a short period of time, Brent was able to expand his business, hire a team, and (most importantly) spend quality time with his family while still working hard and helping others. While Bre

Huge real estate investors are loving the student housing market. In fact, the American Campus Communities organization was recently purchased for $12.8 Billion! Keeping your eye on options, this kind of interest should suggest you consider student housing as one of your options - even if you have no interest in it right now, you can always keep that option in your back pocket - to make it through whatever market might be around the corner. Suggested Reading: https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/04/22/investors-get-bullish-on-student-housing

The average interest rate nationally for a 30 year fixed rate loan hit 5%. As I suggested in the past, I thought 5% might just be the magic number that pushes a bigger change in the mindset of buyers. In todays show, we will discuss interest rates and as we usually do, what it means for buyers, sellers and investors. 

We chatted about real estate 'love letters' in a podcast last year. The state of Oregon felt that they needed to weigh in on the subject of whether or not buyers should be allowed to submit a letter with their offer on a home. The idea that any law makers would think they have the authority to so fundamentally interfere with the right to free speech was a bit of a stunner. However, as we suggested might happen, that law has been challenged and struck down. So, with those love letters now established as protected speech, what should buyers, sellers and investors be thinking and doing about love letters? Lets talk about that.   https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2022/03/08/federal-court-blocks-love-letter-ban

In todays show we look at the real Foreclosures in 2022 data and just how worried you should be!   The Current Headlines ​We are all busy. Which means that we spend a great deal of time skimming the news rather than reading it. Of course, that means we will frequenly get left with the wrong impression when it comes to what is actually going on. Herea are the headlines from a few popular news sources: U.S. FORECLOSURE ACTIVITY IN JANUARY 2022 HIGHEST SINCE BEGINNING OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC U.S. foreclosures are the highest since pandemic’s start Foreclosures are on the rise. Here’s what that says about the housing market The Actual Numbers While many of those headlines are accurate, they do not paint a real picture of where we are with foreclosures. For the past two years, we have seem the lowest foreclosure rates for at least the last 17 years. The folks over at ATTOM - considered the very best source for this kind of data, included this image in a recent post. So when these news outlets compare the curre

Will 2022 be the year when real estate pivots? There are a whole lot of things going on today that could spin the economy in one direction or the other. Inflation, the end of stimulus payments, interest rates, supply chain issues, etc - all in play today. You can check out the full show notes at https://www.soldbyrobert.com

In todays show we are going to be interviewing buyers who purchased a home in San Jose earlier in 2021. Some of the topics we will discuss include: How did the home search go? How difficult was it to submit offers and finally get one accepted? Were there any special challenges during the escrow process? What worried you most as a buyer? In such a tough market for buyers, how do you avoid overpaying? The goal here is to draw directly from the real world experience of real estate buyers so that you can benefit from their insights. Whether you are a buyer or seller, you can benefit from hearing the perspective of buyers in San Jose, CA during a ridiculously strong sellers market, where dozens of offers are submitted. 

On todays show we will take some time to discuss the eviction ban and why the CDC does not and should not have authority to declare an eviction ban. The core points as I see them come down to property rights and our right to freely contract between one another for goods and services.  

Oregon Has Passed A Law Against Offer Love Letters What Are Real Estate "Love Letters"? You read that correctly. The state of Oregon has made what are commonly called "Love Letters" illegal - well, mostly anyway. These are letters that agents create with their buyers to reach out to sellers on a personal level. The goal is to connect with sellers, outside the sterile language used in contracts, disclosures and addendums. It is an opportunity for buyers and their agents to try and leverage off of points of commonality that a buyer shares with a seller. It often includes discussions of the buyers lifestyle, employment, interests and even a photo of the buyers. Until now, the composition of these "Love Letters" in Oregon has been completely up to the buyer and agent to decide. What Are The Specifics Of The New Oregon Restriction On Love Letters? While these letters are not banned outright, this new law in Oregon prohibits including any information that might reveal characteristics of the buyer that are covered b

We have talked about how to work through finding the right real estate agent for you in past shows. Today we take a real life example of situations where an agent makes claims that seem focused on the results you are looking for. However, the devil is in the details and there are questions you should ask to help pin down whether or not an agent can actually deliver the goods. So in addition to the usual questions (which I have linked to in this show), these are some follow ups to ask when your prospective real estate agent is saying the right things. Using the example for today show, we can help you decide if paying an agent a premium for their services is worth it to you.