NASA’s chief is worried about the possibility of a lunar land grab by China. China announced the launch of a test flight just this past week with plans to put boots on the moon’s surface in the near future. One big concern is that China is not part of an international lunar cooperation agreement, and may try to lay claim to an area believed to have water.   Hi I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Before we get started, I want to let you know we released a handful of new tickets for this weekends live event near San Francisco. I'll be giving my housing forecast for 2024 -2025 and we'll also have 5 property teams from some of the fastest growing markets in the country, including Dallas, Jacksonville Fl, Cincinnati, and San Antonio. They will give an update on their markets and present available rental properties that cash flow with property management in place. Some of the lenders are offering rates under 5% so come check it out. Again that's May 4th near the San Francisco Airport. Go to newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab and Live Events. And if you haven't yet subscribed to our podcast, click here to subscribe on your favorite platform.    Now back to our story… China just announced the launch of an unmanned test mission to the dark side of the moon. The spacecraft will be guided by a satellite because that side of the moon permanently faces away from earth. The lander will collect rocks and soil and, with the help of a satellite, will depart from the moon for a return trip to earth...   Links:   1 - https://qz.com/nasa-bill-nelson-china-moon-landing-change-artemis-1851441860   2 - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/29/asia-pacific/china-mission-moon-hidden-side/

A federal agency is suggesting that lenders foot the bill for title insurance instead of home buyers. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that home buyers are paying way too much for something that protects lenders. But skeptics are pushing back, saying if lenders are forced to pay, a change in the rules won’t have the desired result and won’t do much for housing affordability.   Hi! I’m Kathy Fettke and this is the Real Estate News for Investors. Before we continue, please take a moment to sign up for a free RealWealth membership. You’ll have access to a valuable educational resource and there’s no cost or obligation to join. You can sign up at newsforinvestors.com. And if you haven't yet, subscribe to this podcast on your favorite platform so you won't miss an episode.    Now, back to our story about title insurance, which is required by lenders to verify ownership and whether there are any liens on the property. It typically costs about $2,000 for a median-priced home. But according to Rocket Mortgage, it can vary from state to state and can range from half-a-percent to 1%. So let’s say you’re buying a $500,000 home and you need title insurance. If it costs half-a-percent of the home price, that’s $2,500, and at 1%, $5,000.    As reported by The Real Deal, buyers often overlook the cost of title insurance so it comes as a surprise. And here’s the rub, if there’s no loan, owner’s title insurance only costs about $200, which is what the CFPB is concerned about – that homebuyers are being overcharged for title insurance...   Links:   1 - https://therealdeal.com/national/2024/04/19/consumer-bureau-pushes-for-title-insurance-reform/   2 -  https://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/what-happens-if-the-cfpb-makes-lenders-pay-title-insurance

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 27th, 2024… the Fed’s preferred inflation report casts another shadow over a near-term rate cut, housing takes a bigger bite out of the GDP, and the court ruling that could prevent a controversial but popular law that allows single-family lot splitting in California.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. If you want to know more about investing in rental properties, we are holding a live event on May 4th near the San Francisco airport. You can find out more about the event at newsforinvestors.com. And don’t forget to click the subscribe button for this podcast! Now back to our News Brief…   We begin with economic news from this past week. The all-important PCE inflation report came out and confirmed once again that it’ll take a bit longer to get inflation back down to the 2% level. The Federal Reserve’s preferred Personal Consumption Expenditure index shows a .3% increase in prices last month which increases the yearly rate of inflation from 2.5% to 2.7%. The core rate which excludes prices for energy and food was also up .3% with a yearly rate that was unchanged at 2.8%. The report makes it more likely that the Fed will not be cutting interest rates in the near future...   Links:   1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/march-pce-report-hot-inflation-reading-forecasted-after-gdp-data/card/prices-rises-sharply-again-pce-shows-and-signals-progress-on-slowing-inflation-stalls-ybnTskvnrmraHcqNYnbW?mod=home-page   2 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/sales-of-new-homes-rebounded-in-march-26f52aec?mod=economic-report   3 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/pending-home-sales-see-unexpected-jump-in-march-despite-rising-mortgage-rates-cb4eaecc?mod=mw_latestnews   4 - https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms   5 - https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/markets/mortgage-rates-04252024   6 - https://eyeonhousing.org/2024/04/housing-share-of-gdp-surpasses-16-for-first-time-since-2022/   7 - https://therealdeal.com/la/2024/04/25/la-court-nixes-california-sb9-allowing-home-lot-splits/

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 20th, 2024... you’ll hear what the Fed Chief said about “higher for longer,” (he didn't say that on 4/20 but that would have been funny!) why Moody’s is offering an upbeat prediction about rate cuts, and how renters feel about homeownership.   We begin with economic news from this past week and more talk about what’s next for interest rates. Fed Chief Jerome Powell spoke out last Tuesday, saying that recent data shows a lack of progress in reducing inflation to the Fed’s 2% goal, and that Fed officials need to have more confidence that that is happening before they cut rates. He said that inflation “declined significantly during the second half of last year” but he added: “The recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence and instead indicate that it’s likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence."...   ...If you’d like to learn more about investing in real estate, I encourage you to sign up for a free RealWealth membership and come to our live event in San Francisco on May 4th. We’ll have five property teams giving presentations about their markets and their inventory of for-sale rental homes. We are also hosting a cocktail party in the evening for an opportunity to meet other investors and have some fun! Go to newsforinvestors.com for more information about membership and our live event.   That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. And please remember to subscribe to this podcast, and leave a review!   Thanks for listening!   Links:   1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/feds-powell-says-likely-to-take-longer-to-meet-conditions-to-cut-interest-rates-72c65044?mod=federal-reserve   2 - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/19/feds-goolsbee-says-more-sniffing-may-be-needed-before-rate-cuts-.html   3 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/feds-goolsbee-says-progress-on-inflation-has-stalled-makes-sense-to-wait-on-interest-rates-8f17e77b?mod=search_headline   4 - https://www.globest.com/2024/04/18/moodys-there-will-be-rate-cut-of-up-to-75-bps-this-year/   5 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-flat-at-212-000-and-still-no-sign-of-rising-layoffs-226f55bf?mod=economy-politics   6 - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/19/something-strange-has-been-happening-with-jobless-claims-numbers-lately.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message   7 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/home-sales-get-hammered-by-higher-mortgage-rates-but-one-region-is-holding-up-b75ed6d5?mod=economic-report   8 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/housing-starts-plunge-in-march-amid-housing-shortage-b489170a?mod=economic-report   9 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/builder-confidence-index-stalls-in-april-as-mortgage-rates-hit-7-buyers-are-back-on-the-fence-waiting-for-interest-rates-to-fall-one-builder-says-de04d6e9?mod=economic-report   10 - https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms   11 - https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/mortgage-rates-jump-above-7-percent-setting-new-high-for-2024   12 - https://www.globest.com/2024/04/16/more-renters-give-up-on-home-ownership/

Earth Day is here again, as a reminder to celebrate this beautiful planet we live on. For real estate investors, It's also a reminder to check on our own properties and do whatever we can to make them more resilient to natural disasters. Climate resiliency is what CoreLogic says is the key to “future real estate stability.”   Environmental risk is becoming more important for anyone buying property, whether it’s due to potential flooding, wildfires, hurricanes or even sea level changes. Although climate-related natural disasters pose a financial threat to every industry, they pose a huge threat to the real estate industry which also accounts for a substantial portion of our US economy...   ...If you haven’t done it already, let Earth Day be an inspiration to do the research you need to make your properties more resilient to climate-related events. It may also help guide you as to where you want to invest and how to fortify your portfolio against the risks, not just for you but for future generations.   You’ll find links to the CoreLogic articles in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. You can also find out more about smart real estate investing as a RealWealth member and by attending our live event in San Francisco on May 4th. We’ll have five property teams giving presentations about their markets and available rental properties. We’re also hosting a Cocktail Party in the evening so you can meet fellow investors and find out what they are doing. You can get information on the live event and a free RealWealth membership at newsforinvestors.com.   And please remember to subscribe to this podcast if you haven’t already!   Thanks for listening! And Happy Earth Day! Kathy   Links:   1 - https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/earth-day-climate-change-takes-center-stage-in-the-property-market-conversation/   2 - https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/extreme-heat-property-risk-is-the-next-significant-business-hurdle/   3 - https://www.corelogic.com/press-releases/corelogic-previews-the-evolving-severe-convective-storm-risk-landscape-in-new-report/

California property owners, developers and affordable housing advocates are scoring a big win from the US Supreme Court! The high court ruled that local “impact fees” imposed on newly constructed homes can be challenged in court. This is a significant win for property rights because these fees can add a substantial amount of money onto the price of a home.   The case began with a lawsuit by George Sheetz in California’s El Dorado County. That’s in the foothills heading toward Lake Tahoe. Sheetz is a 72-year-old retiree who applied for a permit in 2016 to build an 18-hundred square foot manufactured home on a small lot that is zoned for residential use. The county then imposed a traffic mitigation fee or “impact fee” of $23,420...   ...That’s it for this episode. You’ll find links to our source material in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. I’d also like to invite you to attend our live RealWealth event in San Francisco on May 4th. We will be showcasing six property teams who provide rental properties in markets with strong job and population growth and are more affordable for investors. We will also be hosting a cocktail party in the evening so you can meet fellow investors and members of the RealWealth team. You’ll find information on tickets at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab and then Live Events.   And please remember to become a member of RealWealth and subscribe to this podcast if you haven’t already!   Thanks for listening! Kathy   Links:   1 - https://therealdeal.com/la/2024/04/15/supreme-court-builders-can-challenge-california-impact-fees-2/   2 -  https://www.nahb.org/blog/2024/04/sheetz-ruling-supreme-court-impact-fees   3 - https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2024-News-Releases/4qtr2023hai#:~:text=Fifteen%20percent%20of%20California%20households,percent%20in%20fourth%2Dquarter%202022.

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 15th, 2024... why the latest inflation reports could postpone the Fed’s rate-cutting plan, how inflation continues to impact construction costs, and why homeowners are getting sticker shock from property tax bills.   We begin with economic news from this past week that was dominated by two of the latest inflation reports. The Consumer Price Index or CPI came out on Wednesday and the Producer Price Index or PPI came out on Thursday.   Unfortunately for everyone wanting a great inflation report, the March CPI was hotter than expected. It rose .4% in March for an annual rate of 3.5%. That’s up from 3.2% last month. That is not what the Fed wants to see as it decides to lower the Federal Funds rate...   ...That’s it for today. You can read more about the stories in this episode by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. We are also encouraging all of our listeners to sign up for a free RealWealth membership. As a member, you’ll get updates on what’s new for the housing market and for real estate investors. Our big focus right now is a live event on Saturday May 4th in San Francisco. We’ll have six property teams giving presentations on their markets and the kind of rental properties available. We are also hosting a cocktail party in the evening to give people an opportunity to share their real estate investing stories and get to know one another. You can find out more about that at newsforinvestors.com. Just click on Connect and then Live Events. Subscribe to the podcast here.    Thanks for listening! Kathy Fettke   Links:   1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/livecoverage/cpi-report-for-march-dow-futures-steady-ahead-of-key-inflation-data/card/inflation-rises-sharply-again-in-march-cpi-shows-and-may-raise-doubts-about-fed-rate-cut-Foz2wKLnfXjobHHolAdz   2 - https://www.cnbc.com/2013/02/20/producer-price-index-cnbc-explains.html   3 - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/hot-inflation-data-pushes-markets-rate-cut-expectations-to-september.html   4 - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/05/fed-governor-bowman-says-additional-rate-hike-could-be-needed-if-inflation-stays-high.html   5 - https://www.constructiondive.com/news/producer-price-construction-input-march/712981/   6 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-officials-back-cautious-approach-to-further-shrinking-of-its-balance-sheet-minutes-show-4fed157d?mod=federal-reserve   7 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-retreat-again-to-211-000-in-another-sign-of-labor-market-strength-ac68c1cc?mod=economic-report   8 - https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms   9 - https://www.forbes.com/advisor/taxes/property-taxes-surge/   10 - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/09/why-new-build-homes-can-lead-to-a-property-tax-surprise.html

 Florida Realtors are celebrating a new law that makes it easier for property owners to remove squatters. It’s become a crisis situation across the nation when squatters take control of a property and claim they are the victims. Florida has changed that, but property owners also need to protect themselves from the illegal occupation of their rightful homes...   ...You should also know your rights and the rights of squatters (if they have any) for the area where your property is located. If squatters don’t leave when you ask them, you may have to file an eviction notice and take them to court. And make sure you have a lawyer who’s experienced with property rights law.   The Florida anti-squatting law will take effect on July 1st.   That’s it for this episode. We’ve posted links to some of these stories in the show notes if you’d like to read more about it. Just go to newsforinvestors.com.   I’d also like to mention our live event on May 4th in San Francisco for people who’d like to invest in rental properties. We’ll have a total of six property teams giving presentations including two from Florida where the new anti-squatting law will help protect our properties! There will also be a cocktail party after the main event so you can get to know your fellow investors and members of our RealWealth team. Get more details and sign up at newsforinvestors.com under the Connect tab and then Live Events.   And please remember to subscribe to this podcast if you haven’t already!   Links:   1 - https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2024/03/desantis-signs-bill-targeting-home-squatters   2 - https://www.wptv.com/news/state/florida-gov-ron-desantis-signs-law-squashing-squatters-rights   3 - https://nypost.com/2024/03/21/us-news/tiktokker-tells-illegal-immigrants-how-to-invade-american-homes/   4 - https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/range-rover-driving-squatter-took-171643513.html   5 - https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/20-u-s-states-where-squatters-are-able-to-legally-claim-your-property/ss-BB1kvKva#image=22   6 - https://www.gobankingrates.com/investing/real-estate/how-to-protect-your-real-estate-from-squatter-crisis/

Demand for housing in and around Dallas, Texas continues to soar. While investors have been pouring millions of dollars into creating more affordable housing, the metro is attracting so many people that tens of thousands of homes are still needed. Supply isn’t expected to catch up to demand any time soon.   An article in Bisnow says that investors have put a record amount of money into the area, but it hasn’t done much to close the affordable housing gap. Executive director of the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers, Roger Arriaga, says: “The demand is excruciatingly big. We haven’t really even dented what the true need is for affordable housing.”...   ...This is why we started a North Dallas Rental Fund, which is now closed to new investment, but is still in the process of buying and renovating properties. The plan is to lease the updated homes to tech professionals who are moving to the area. My fund partner is also a property manager and helps individuals build their own rental portfolio. You can find out more about that by signing up for a free RealWealth membership at newsforinvestors.com. You can also learn about the Dallas market by attending our live event on Saturday, May 4th, in  San Francisco. There’s more information on that at our website at newsforinvestors.com. That’s it for this episode. And be sure to sign up in advance for the live event on May 4th in San Francisco. We’ll have a total of six property teams giving presentations, plus a cocktail party afterward. Just go to newsforinvestors.com, click on Connect and then Live Events.   And please remember to subscribe to this podcast if you haven’t already!   Thanks for listening! Kathy   Links:   1 - https://www.bisnow.com/dallas-ft-worth/news/affordable-housing/behind-the-eight-ball-record-levels-of-investment-have-barely-dented-the-need-for-affordable-housing-in-dallas-123668   2 - https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/in-the-news/austin-dallas-fort-worth-seen-as-nations-top-two-home-markets-in-2024-houston-no-6-the-dallas

In this Real Estate News Brief for the week ending April 6th, 2024... more prognostications on when the central bank may cut rates, which major cities are attracting the most home buyers, and why artificial intelligence could have a negative impact on commercial real estate.   We begin with economic news from this past week. Fed Chief Jerome Powell expressed caution about when we might see the first interest rate cut. While many economists have been predicting three rate cuts this year with the first happening in June, Powell said it’s too soon to say exactly when it may be appropriate to begin the rate cutting process. He spoke at Stanford University saying: “Recent readings on both job gains and inflation have come in higher than expected” and that policymakers believe rate cuts may be possible later this year but they need “greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably down” toward the central bank’s 2% target...   ...That’s it for today. To keep up with the latest in real estate, the economy, and rental market investing, sign up for a free membership at RealWealth.com. Check out the live events calendar for information on our upcoming event this May. It’s our ReaWealth Investor Summit on Saturday, May 4th in San Francisco. We’ll have several property teams giving presentations on their markets and a cocktail party in the evening. That’s at newsforinvestors.com. Just go to the Connect tab and click on Live Events.   I also remind everyone to please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review, we really appreciate it!   Thank you for joining me! Kathy Fettke   Links:   1 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/feds-powell-too-soon-to-say-if-recent-higher-than-expected-inflation-is-just-a-bump-887bd346?mod=search_headline   2 - https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/feds-powell-repeats-there-is-time-deliberate-over-rate-cuts-2024-04-03/   3 - https://www.investopedia.com/when-will-the-federal-reserve-start-cutting-interest-rates-8624420   4 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-climb-to-nine-week-high-of-221-000-but-theres-little-sign-of-worsening-labor-market-fb365f0a?mod=economy-politics   5 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/job-openings-stay-at-8-8-million-labor-market-still-plenty-robust-addb1604?mod=home-page   6 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/eye-popping-march-jobs-report-shows-labor-market-and-u-s-economy-are-still-going-strong-c076e60f?mod=economy-politics   7 - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/construction-spending-posts-bigger-than-expected-drop-ad1f19b5?mod=economic-report   8 - https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms   9 - https://www.globest.com/2024/04/03/five-markets-desired-by-homebuyers/   10 - https://www.globest.com/2024/04/05/millennials-now-largest-homebuying-contingent/   11 - https://www.globest.com/2024/04/05/generative-ai-could-undercut-labor-income-affecting-the-entire-economy/

With the help of artificial intelligence, there's a new wild, wild west on the internet, where scammers are pretty much free to pick your pocket. Security experts are warning people that you can be scammed out of money or even real estate by deepfake audio or video clips. And there aren’t a lot of safeguards in place right now.

The technology is evolving more quickly than security experts can design or implement safeguards. As reported by Bigger Pockets, scammers orchestrated a $25 million dollar heist by impersonating the CEO of a multinational company. Hong Kong authorities say the money was transferred by an employee after a video conference call with who he thought was the CEO, but wasn’t...

...AI fraud can certainly turn your world upside down, but using AI in constructive ways could lead to much greater success in whatever you are trying to accomplish.

That’s it for this episode You can read more about these stories by following links in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. While you're there, check our our upcoming Investors Summit Live Event on May 4th. And please remember to subscribe to this podcast, and leave a review!   You can also stay connected with RealWealth by signing up for a free membership. You’ll find hundreds of webinars and articles on our website about single-family rental markets along with referrals to highly recommended professionals who can help you expand your portfolio. That’s at newsforinvestors.com.    Links:   https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/ai-deepfakes-are-being-used-to-scam-investors-out-of-millions?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20%7C%203/31/24