There’s been lots of talk in the news lately about how and why rents are rising.

Of course, if you’re already a landlord, that’s not bad news.  And those who invested in residential rental property a few years back hit the trifecta of low purchase price, falling interest rates and rising rents.

But that was then and this is now.

Is the party over?  Did you miss the boat?  What’s happening today…and where are things headed?

All great questions!

Squeezing their way into The Real Estate Guys™ studio to look for answers in this edition of Clues in the News™:

• Your plum of a pontificator and host Robert Helms
• His orange-you-glad-he’s-not-the-host co-host Russell Gray

We like to look at the news for a lot of reasons.

First, the news helps us see the big picture events which affect our real estate investing.  And we’re especially interested in anything that affects our rental income, our interest expense, or the supply and demand of properties.

Real estate investors tend to live in their own little world…finding deals, servicing tenants, managing cash flow and dealing with vendors.

It’s EASY to get lost in the weeds and miss a macro-trend that could have a HUGE impact on your business.

For syndicators, the news provides insights into the concerns and competing opportunities your investors have.  When you are well-informed, it makes a positive impression on the people who are…or are considering…investing in you.

For this episode we hone in on reports of things that have the potential to put the squeeze on the rising rents so many landlords have been enjoying.

U.S. Health Spending – $3.1 Trillion a Year and Growing

One thing we like about real estate…especially residential real estate…is keeping a roof over their head is a HIGH priority to tenants.  That means with all the things competing for their available income, landlords are high on the list.

However, healthcare is pretty high on the list too.  And with the new Obamacare mandate forcing everyone to buy insurance or pay a penalty, more of a tenant’s available money is going to healthcare.

This article also says out-of-pocket expenses are on the rise too.  Which, again, means more competition for available cash flow…and a potential restriction on the rising rents trend.

The GOOD news is that if you own property in an area with a strong healthcare industry, your local employment and wages might be above average.  So there’s always a silver lining.

Social Security Disability Fund to Run Dry Next Year

With nearly 100 million people deriving some form of income from the U.S. government, the odds are high that some of your rental income comes from government sources.  So it’s smart to pay attention to any potential cuts.

And with the substantial increase in people on disability provided through the Social Security Administration, it’s pretty big news when the trustees are reporting there will be NO cost of living adjustments in 2015…and the Social Security Disability Fund will be BROKE by the end of 2016.

Will Congress allow the fund to go broke?  Probably not.

But if they don’t handle it soon, an AUTOMATIC 19% cut kicks in…the same way the mandatory “sequestration” cut in the general budget kicked in when the government couldn’t pass a budget.

If you have tenants who rely upon Social Security disability payments to help with rent, the next year or so could mean a squeeze for your tenants, and therefore for you too.

From Rents to Haircuts, Americans Start to Feel Price Hikes

For some reason, The Fed has been trying to get inflation up to at least 2 percent.  Looks like it might be working.

And while it’s been nice to see the upward pressure on rents, when it hits our tenants’ pocketbooks in other “essential” areas…like haircuts, healthcare and coffee…it means the tenant gets squeezed.

You can only squeeze so much before something’s gotta give.  And that something might be your ability to raise rents…or even maintain the rents you’ve raised already.

Of course, all of this presumes your tenant’s have a paycheck to divvy up.  So this next headline also caught our attention…

Layoffs Surge As Oil Price Outlook Remains Sober

Falling oil prices were supposed to be a big boon to consumers.

But with reports of inflation kicking in and gasoline prices not falling as far or as fast as oil prices, it doesn’t seem like cheaper oil has meant lower living costs for everyday people…like your tenants.

On the other hand, the oil industry had arguably been the brightest star of employment over the last several years.  But with oil prices depressed, not only has the job growth stopped…it’s going backwards.

And as we emphasize on The Real Estate Guys™ market field trips, certain industries are employment magnifiers because they funnel money into a region from outside.

So not only does the primary industry create jobs, but the revenue it generates purchases supplies and services from secondary or support industries.  These are sub-contractors, parts and materials suppliers, and vendors of all kinds.

But it’s even bigger than that…because the employees of BOTH the primary and secondary industries ALL consume local retail services, such as restaurants, dry-cleaners, automotive sales and service, healthcare and yes…residential real estate.  These tertiary industries also provide local jobs.

So if it employment is MAGNIFIED by the growth of a PRIMARY industry like oil…what happens when layoffs occur at the primary level?

That’s right.  The LAYOFFS ARE MAGNIFIED too.

So as strategic real estate investors, it’s important to consider where your rental income REALLY comes from.  And how these news headlines could trickle down to YOUR bottom line.

But lest you think it’s all gloom and doom, it’s important to remember that there’s always opportunity.

And while not really a headline, a recent newsletter we subscribe to from a new contributor to The Real Estate Guys™ blog brought us this news:

A New Opportunity to Build New Detached Homes for Rent

John Burns Consulting provides intelligence to the real estate development industry.  They point out that 10 percent of homes are purchased by real estate investors…like you.

But until recently, new home builders ignored this segment of buyers in favor of selling to owner occupants.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the bank…residential home ownership has fallen to a nearly 40 year low.

So builders had realized they might want to serve the growing segment of the market…landlords.

And there are a LOT of reasons to be excited about a better opportunity to buy brand new homes designed with the landlord in mind.

First, tenants prefer…and will pay more for… a brand new home.  That improves your gross income.

Also, brand new homes have NO deferred maintenance.  This keeps your capital expenditures low at acquisition and for the first several years of ownership.  So you add lower expenses to your higher income.

So far so good.

Add to this that the smart builders will value engineer their products to provide a lower cost without a corresponding loss of rent-ability.  That is, the amenities which a home BUYER requires…at extra expense…are less important to renters.

This means you pay less for the same rental income.  Nice!

So even though there are headlines which point out some of the challenges, we know that the flip side of every problem is an opportunity.

This could explain…

Why Most Americans Are Investing in Real Estate, Not Stocks

According to this article from CheatSheet.com, a recent Bankrate.com survey says Americans’ first choice for investment is…real estate.

Makes sense to us.

So listen in as we discuss these and other topics as we search for Clues in the News™!

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