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San Diego Housing Market: Prices, Trends, Forecast 2023

January 28, 2023 by Marco Santarelli

San Diego Housing Market

San Diego Housing Market

Data: C.A.R.'s December Resale Report

The San Diego Real Estate Market is Slowing 

As the San Diego housing market settles into a steady rhythm, it seems that the frenzied pace of price increases and home sales will continue to slow. While the market may not be as white-hot as it was during the pandemic, it's unlikely that we'll see any drastic drops in prices in 2023. The underlying forces of supply and demand still favor a pricey market like San Diego, and though the rate of growth may be decelerating, home prices continue to climb.

There are several factors that contribute to the hot housing market in San Diego. San Diego has a strong and diverse economy, anchored by industries such as healthcare, defense, and technology. The strong job market in the region helps to attract new residents and supports the demand for housing. San Diego is a popular destination for retirees, and its population is growing, which is a driver for housing demand.

Additionally, the increasing population of millennials in the area is also driving demand for housing. San Diego has a limited supply of housing, which can drive up prices. The housing market is considered to be a “seller's market” with high demand and a limited supply of homes. San Diego has a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and warm summers, which attracts many people who are looking for a place to live with comfortable weather. This demand for housing helps to drive up housing prices in the region.

Because mortgage financing has gotten more expensive as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, record home price increases may not last much longer. Despite a still-strong housing market, rising mortgage rates are plainly making it more difficult to buy in a market that already has some of the highest prices in the country. Higher interest rates are rapidly driving buyers out of the San Diego housing market.

The hot seller's market has slowed down, with prices to follow through 2023 as inventory increases and homebuyers opt to wait out the declining market. Expect sales volume and prices to fall between 1 to 5% if a recession occurs, which is anticipated in the second half of 2023. The good news is that if we do face a recession, most experts believe it will be mild.

According to the latest C.A.R. report, the median single-family home price in San Diego County increased by 1.6 percent to $850,000, while sales fell 43.2 percent year over year. December's median price was 1.7% lower than November's median price of $865,000. Inventory is still low and thus prices are rising as compared to last year in the San Diego housing market.

  • The median price of a one-bedroom house in San Diego County is $472K.
  • The median price of a two-bedroom house in San Diego County is $675K.
  • The median price of a three-bedroom house in San Diego County is $800K.
  • The median price of a four-bedroom house in San Diego County is $1.27M.

The average sale-to-list price ratio, which measures how close homes are selling to their final asking prices, was 96.2 percent in December. Last year in December the same ratio was 101.4%. Homes are still selling in San Diego more quickly than the national average. Nationally, properties typically remained on the market for 26 days in December. Homes sold in a median of 20 days in San Diego, up from 12 days compared to last year.

The housing demand in San Diego has also been driven by the desire for additional space as people spend more time at home. Housing prices in San Diego County have risen dramatically in the past year due to lower mortgage rates which allow buyers to put more of their monthly payments toward the principal. The record-low interest rates in 2021 fueled San Diego's high house prices, increasing consumer purchasing power. Higher interest rates are leveling buying power and reducing homebuyer urgency.

Will Home Prices Drop in San Diego?

San Diego County's median home price decreased by 1.7% from last month to $850,000. It is a growth of 1.6% over last year, according to C.A.R.'s resale housing report. The report also shows that existing single-family home sales also declined by -43.2% YTY but improved a bit, by 0.8% MTM. San Deigo's condo market saw a decrease in the median price as compared to last year. The condo's median price was $575,000, down +3.7% MTM and -0.5% YTY. Last year at this time the median condo price in San Deigo was $578,170.

Months Supply of existing single-family homes is currently holding at 2.2 months while for condos it is 2.4 months. It is a good indicator of whether a particular real estate market is favoring buyers or sellers. Typically, a market is considered balanced if it has 4 to 6 months of inventory of homes on hand. A lower number means that buyers are dominating the San Diego housing market and there are relatively few sellers.

According to a survey, San Diego has the nation's most costly housing market. That is not to say we have the most costly residences. San Diego edged out San Francisco as the least cheap city in which to buy a property. This is because earnings in San Diego have not kept pace with increasing house prices. San Diego County covers an area of 4,526 square miles making it larger than Delaware or Rhode Island and 82% the size of the state of Connecticut.

The San Diego housing market is cooling off. Numerous home market analysts link the cooling to the housing cycle as well as unusual conditions such as a hot market during the prior pandemic. Rising interest rates are among the primary causes of the cooling housing market. To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve has been increasing interest rates. These interest rate increases prompted lenders to increase mortgage rates, so affecting affordability.

Housing analysts believe that San Diego's housing market will heat up again in the future because of increased demand from the military, tourists, and a large influx from the tech industry. Despite the cooling, San Diego County remains a seller's market, according to the most current Realtor.com statistics. In other words, there are more buyers than houses for sale on the market.

Home Prices in San Diego County, CA

The following San Diego housing market trends are based on single-family, condo, and townhome properties listed for sale on realtor.com. Land, multi-unit, and other property types are excluded. This data is provided as an informational resource only.

  • In December 2022, the median list price of homes in San Diego County was $849.9K, trending up 7.7% year-over-year.
  • The median listing home price per square foot was $540.
  • The median sale price of homes was even higher at $762.6K.
  • Homes in San Diego County, CA sold for 1.05% below the asking price on average.
  • It is a seller's market as the total sales to total listings ratio is above 0.2 which tends to favor sellers.
  • It also means that more people are looking to buy than there are homes available.
  • There are 67 cities in San Diego County.
  • La Jolla has a median listing home price of $2.4M, making it the most expensive city in San Diego County.
  • Spring Valley is the most affordable city in San Diego County, with a median listing home price of $699K.

Home Prices in San Diego City, CA

  • San Diego City is an even more expensive housing market.
  • The median listing home price in San Diego City was $899K, trending up 7% year-over-year.
  • The median home sold price was $780K.
  • San Diego, CA is also a seller's market which means that more people are looking to buy than there are homes available.
  • Homes in San Diego, CA sold for 0.96% below the asking price on average in November.
  • On average, homes in San Diego sell after 53 days on the market.
  • Currently, City Heights is the most affordable neighborhood in San Diego, with a median listing home price of more than half a million dollars ($575K).

Is it a good time to buy a house in San Diego?

Mortgage rates are rising compared to last year. In December 2022, the 30-Year Fixed-Rate was 6.36% while in December 2021, it was 3.10%. The supply is still low and with all of these factors considered, at this time, it is unlikely that the San Diego housing market will see any major price decline in 2022 or 2023. Here's how much buyers would need to pay for housing in San Diego County (source: CAR).

  • The median price of a one-bedroom house in San Diego County is $472K. If you put 20% down, the monthly payment = $2,899.
  • The median price of a two-bedroom house is $675K. If you put 20% down, the monthly payment = $4,141.
  • The median price of a three-bedroom house is $800K. If you put 20% down, the monthly payment = $4,908.
  • The median price of a four-bedroom house is $1.27M. If you put 20% down, the monthly payment = $7,822.

San Diego Housing Market Forecast 2023

What are the San Diego real estate market predictions for 2023? Let us look at the price trends recorded by Zillow (a real estate database company) over the past few years. The typical value of homes in San Diego County is currently $874,095. It indicates that 50 percent of all housing stock in the area is worth more than $874,095 and 50 percent is worth less (adjusting for seasonal fluctuations).

San Diego County's home values have gone up 6% over the past year — ZILLOW HOME VALUE INDEX. ZHVI represents the whole housing stock and not just the homes that list or sell in a given month. San Diego County also comprises the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is the 17th most populous metropolitan statistical area. The San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area is conterminous with San Diego County in Southern California.

According to Zillow, the typical value of homes in the San Diego-Carlsbad Metro is $874,095. The rate of appreciation will be much less than what we have seen in the last year when the mortgage rates were lower than 3%. The forecast for 2023 is that the higher mortgage rates will continue to dampen the demand and decrease home prices.

  • San Diego-Carlsbad Metro home values have gone up 6% over the past year.
  • Zillow predicts a home price decline of 2% between December 2022 to December 2023 in this metro region.

San Diego Real Estate Appreciation Rates

San Diego is in the top 20% nationally for real estate appreciation. NeighborhoodScout.com's data also shows that in the past ten years, San Diego real estate appreciated by 124.96%. This amounts to an annual real estate appreciation of 8.45%. During the twelve months (2021 Q2 – 2022 Q2), San Diego's appreciation rate has been around 15.83%, slightly above the national average. From 2022 Q1 to 2022 Q2, the appreciation rate has been 3.98%, which annualizes to a rate of 16.89%. Overall, there exists a limited supply of homes in San Diego, and buyers are forced to compete often resulting in higher prices and/or quicker sales that tend to benefit sellers.

In a balanced real estate market, it would take about five to six months for the supply to dwindle to zero. In terms of months of supply, San Diego can become a buyer’s real estate market if the supply increases to more than five months of inventory. This housing market is normally skewed to sellers due to a persistent imbalance in supply and demand. This is also true across much of Southern California.

The chart below, created by Zillow, shows the growth of median home values.

San Diego Housing Market Forecast
Courtesy of Zillow.com

Greater San Diego Housing Market Report

In the Greater San Diego region, the decline in existing home sales coincides with rising home prices, which continued to gain last month, with the median sales price of single family homes up 3.4% compared to last year, according to the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®. The median sales price reached $885,000 for detached homes in the Greater San Diego housing market.

The percentage change is shown year-over-year for November 2022.

  • The Median Sales Price was up 2.3 percent to $869,900 for Detached homes but decreased 0.8 percent to $585,000 for Attached homes.
  • Closed Sales decreased 46.2 percent for Detached homes and 53.9 percent for Attached homes.
  • Pending Sales decreased 30.0 percent for Detached homes and 35.9 percent for Attached homes.
  • Inventory increased 48.6 percent for Detached homes and 63.9 percent for Attached homes.
  • Days on Market increased 60.9 percent for Detached homes and 95.2 percent for Attached homes.
  • Supply increased 116.7 percent for Detached homes and 120.0 percent for Attached homes.
Greater San Diego Housing Market Report
Source: Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®

San Diego Rental Housing Market Trends

The San Diego real estate market has been ranked among the ten most expensive real estate markets in the country, though it ranks below several other West Coast cities. This creates massive demand for San Diego rental properties by those who simply cannot afford to buy homes. The rental market will continue to grow as the city grows an estimated 500,000 population by 2050, adding tens of thousands each year. The median rent in San Diego is $2700. The rent you’d receive on single-family San Diego rental properties would, of course, be much higher.

If you find a good bargain and make it family-friendly, you could charge well over $3000 a month. If you can convert San Diego rental properties into smaller units, you’d receive around $2200 a month for a one or two-bedroom apartment. The cash on cash returns for properties in the San Diego housing market is around 2.5% for traditional rental properties and nearly 2% if you rent on Airbnb. The fact that the city isn’t too dependent on tourism means you could rent properties on the beach to newcomers, locals, and students if tourism is slow.

Before the pandemic, the average rent for an apartment in San Diego had been growing at 4% year-over-year (source: RentCafe). About 40% of the apartments can be rented for less than $2000, and 60% of the apartments can be rented for more than $2,000 per month. This shows that rent prices are very high in San Diego.

Homeowners vs Renters Statistics: According to the most recent 2020 American Community Survey census data, San Diego County has a renter percentage of 46.7% which is the second most renter percentage of all the counties in the greater San Diego County region. The homeowner percentage is 53.3%. The monthly cost of ownership for property owners in San Deigo is around $2,073.

The median gross rent is $1,658, which is the third most expensive among all other counties in the greater San Diego County region. Comparing rental rates to the United States average of $1,062, San Diego County is 56.1% larger. Also, compared to the state of California ($1,503), San Diego County is 10.3% larger.

San Diego Rent Market Trends & Prices

As of January 8, 2022, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in San Diego, CA is $2,295. This is a 3% increase compared to the previous year. Over the past month, the average rent for a studio apartment in San Diego decreased by -7% to $1,799. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment decreased by -8% to $2,295, and the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment decreased by -6% to $2,995.

  • Two-bedroom apartment rents average $2,995 which is a 0% increase from last year.
  • Three-bedroom apartment rents average $3,900 which is a 3% increase from last year.
  • Four-bedroom apartment rents average $4,950 which is a 15% increase from last year.

Some of the information contained in this article was pulled from third-party sites mentioned under references. Although the information is believed to be reliable, Norada Real Estate Investments makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees, either express or implied, as to whether the information presented is accurate, reliable, or current. All information presented should be independently verified through the references given below. As a general policy, Norada Real Estate Investments makes no claims or assertions about the future housing market conditions across the US.

References

  • https://www.car.org/
  • https://www.car.org/marketdata/data/countysalesactivity
  • https://www.sdar.com/press-releases.html
  • https://www.zillow.com/SanDiego-ca/home-values
  • https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/san-diego/real-estate
  • https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/San-Diego_CA/overview
  • https://www.sandiegorealestatehunter.com/blog/san-diego-real-estate-market-forecast
  • http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/news/san-diego-more-moderate-forecast
  • https://www.zillow.com/research/2020-hot-markets-south-26293/
  • https://journal.firsttuesday.us/san-diego-housing-indicators-2/29246/
  • https://www.rentcafe.com/average-rent-market-trends/us/ca/san-diego

Filed Under: Growth Markets, Housing Market, Real Estate Investing Tagged With: San Diego Housing Market, San Diego Housing Market Forecast, San Diego Real Estate Market

18 Best Real Estate Investing Books For Beginners 2023

January 26, 2023 by Marco Santarelli

Best Real Estate Books on Investment

Best Real Estate Books

Real estate investments can provide excellent returns if the proper steps are taken, but many new investors lack the necessary skills and education. I wanted to discuss the significance of real estate education through books. This article will present the 18 best real estate investing books to get you started in 2023. If you read all of these books, you will gain a lot of knowledge and learn from the case studies of top investors who have had great success in real estate investing.

Are you a real estate investor? Are you planning to invest? Real estate investing is an ever-evolving industry. Real estate is regarded as one of the best investments that a person can make. But why do so many people struggle with it? The first step is to prepare your mind and habits for success. You will also require adequate real estate education to assist you along the way.

Why Should You Read the Best Real Estate Books as a Beginner in Investment?

Well, real estate investors disagree on many topics, but one that nearly all agree on is the necessity of investing in yourself. There are literally thousands of books out there that deal with real estate investing, and I've probably read a lot of them! These are my choices of good books on real estate investing for this year. What about you?

Reading books is one thing, but where do you start? To be successful as a new real estate investor, you need to learn but it can be hard to sift through all the books to choose from. Finding a good real estate book can be difficult, especially if you don't read a lot. So I've created this list and I felt I would give it to you in a way that breaks it down into several categories.

I want it to break it down into the following areas, mindset, finance, and investing real estate investing for beginners, which is really from beginners to intermediate level investors, and then real estate investing books to grow your business. So once you've gotten started just continue to grow and scale books on property management and books on taxes, or more specifically on how to save and minimize your taxes.

So that's essentially six categories. Now, keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, but hundreds of books on real estate. In fact, if you don't believe me, just go to amazon.com and type in real estate investing or even just real estate. And you will see there are a lot of books and that's the problem. There are just too many books to choose from, and it's really hard to know which ones are good, great, or bad. And believe me, there are many bad books out there.

The other thing too, to keep in mind is that if you don't like reading, or if you're a slow reader, you can get the audiobook version of most, or probably all of these books that I have on the list today. So whether it's print or audio, there's something for you today. In fact, you could actually have both. You could read when you have the time to read and listen to the audiobook in the car, or when you're doing stuff around the house or going for a walk.

And last but not least, I will edit and continue to edit and add to this list from time to time. So it's a living, breathing dynamic list. It's not static, it's not a one size fits all list, but I wanted to pick what I felt were the best books for this list at this time. So with that, let's start with the first of the six categories and that is the mindset.

So I've tried to keep it to about anywhere from two to four books per category or section, it's probably an average of three books per section. And what I'm going to do is just tell you the book and give you a brief description of that book and what you can expect from it. And then you can just decide on your own, whether it's something you want to listen to or read. So the three books that I picked for mindset start with a classic, a perennial classic, and most people would think I'm going to say, Think and Grow Rich.

That is a great book. And I do recommend reading the classic, the original book, not the revised edition of it. If that's a book that you haven't read or it's been a long time and you probably should go back to reading it because Napoleon Hill's come out with a lot of great books and a lot of great content because he had access to some of the wealthiest people in the country back in the day.

18 Best Real Estate Investing Books For Beginners 2023

Below, you will find 18 of the best real estate investing books for beginners recommended by entrepreneurs and investors. Read these real estate books in 2023 to become successful in this business. These books are vital to get success in real estate. They will form the backbone of your success for years to come. These books are not just real estate specific, they will also help you develop a winning mindset.

1. The Richest Man in Babylon

Best Book To Read On Real Estate Investing

But my first pick is The Richest Man in Babylon. And again, this is the original edition that I'm referring to, not the edited or revised edition for the 21st century. Get the original text. The Richest Man in Babylon is based on Babylonian parables, and it has been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift and financial planning, and personal wealth in simple language, these fascinating and informative stories in the book set you on a sure path to prosperity and it's accompanying joy.

So these are just great stories. It's not really a how-to book. It's more of a storybook than anything else, but it is a celebrated bestseller. And it often offers an understanding and a solution to most people's personal financial problems, whether they know it or not, it identifies what your problems are, but revealed inside of the book are the secrets to acquiring money, keeping the money, and making money, earn more money for you, which really parallels perfectly with what I talk about all the time.

And that is the three categories, buckets, or areas of creating wealth. And that makes money, grows your money and protects your money. So anyway, stick to the original edition. It is the original uncensored version of the book, the language of the content, and the message from the author. George S Clason, I believe that's how you pronounce his last name.

2. The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success

Best Real Estate Investing Books to Read in 2021

And this book was actually written in 1926. So it's way back there. In fact, it's even before Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. Now, fast-forward to the recent past as in the 21st century, the next book I'm sure many of you are familiar with, but probably most of you are not a book by Darren Hardy called The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success.

This book reveals the core principles that drive success and The Compound Effect book contains the essence of what every super achiever needs to know practice and master to obtain those extraordinary results, extraordinary success. So in this book, they talk about things like how to win almost every time, the number one strategy to achieve any goal and triumph over your competition.

It really is a book to help separate and differentiate yourself. It talks about eradicating bad habits and we all have bad habits. And often those derail your progress. It talks about the real lasting keys to motivation, kind of like what Tony Robbins talks about, but more so. And that is how to get yourself to do things you don't feel like doing.

And I know we're all there at various times of the day, the week, the month, how to capture that elusive awesome force of momentum. Because once you get going, you feel like you want to keep going. You don't want to stop because once you get going, it's almost hard to stop, and talks about many other things and something he refers to as the acceleration secrets of super achievers.

So The Compound Effect has a great title because small successes compounding on small successes lead to larger successes, which continue to compound on themselves. And so once you have that momentum, it continues to grow. But if you're serious about living an extraordinary life, then read this book. It will help to create the success that you desire.

3. High Performance Habits

Best Real Estate Investing Books to Read in 2021

My third book pick here is from Brendon Burchard, someone who I had on the show, not too long ago, I think it was about a year, year, and a half ago. Great guy. In fact, our interview went so long. I had to split that episode into two parts. So you could look for that episode. And I believe it was called High-Performance Habits, which happens to be about the book that he wrote.

One of his last books is called High Performance Habits. How extraordinary people become that way. So 20 years ago, or so Brendan became obsessed with answering three questions. He wanted to know why do some individuals and teams succeed quickly more quickly than others, and actually sustain that success over the long term. You wanted to find out of those people who actually pull it off, why are some miserable?

And then the other group are consistently happy on their journey. And thirdly, you wanted to know what motivates people to reach for higher levels of success in the first place. And then what practices help them improve the most. So after doing some extensive, original research that he does in his own company, and after a decade, as the world's leading high performance, coach Brandon found the answers to these three questions.

And it turns out that just six deliberate habits give you that edge. Now he says that anyone can practice these habits. And when they do extraordinary things happen in their lives, in their relationships, in their careers, it really is a good book. It is definitely well worth reading regardless of what you do in terms of your job or career, business, or practice. It really is a book on becoming a high performer. And to become a high performer, you must seek clarity.

Clarity is so critically important. You have to know how to generate energy. You have to know how to raise necessities, increase your productivity, develop influence, and then lastly demonstrate courage. And this is what he talks about in the book. So it's really the art and the science of how to do it all. And that's what you're going to learn by reading this book or listening to the audio.

So those are my three picks and believe me in this category about mindset, literally, there are over a thousand books. I mean, there is so much out there from Brian, Tracy to Tony Robbins and you name it. But these three are, I think very, very fundamental. In fact, I would argue that they are cornerstone books, The Richest Man in Babylon, The Compound Effect, and High-Performance Habits will improve and change your life. Okay. That's the first category.

The second category is finance and investing. And again, this is one of those sections where there are literally hundreds of books. And again, it's hard to narrow it down, but it wasn't too hard for me to pick. What I feel are probably the three cornerstone books, regardless of how experienced you are how much, you know, how seasoned you are, or how wealthy you are.

Because the fundamentals and the principles found in these three next books are great as a refresher. I'm sure you're going to read it. And there are things that you never knew before, and it's just great additional knowledge.

4. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Best Real Estate Books 2021

So the first one is probably no surprise to anybody. I'm sure most of you have read this at some point in the last 22 years, it's been that long, but many of you know of it. So it is Rich Dad, Poor Dad, what the rich teach their kids about money that the poor and middle class do not buy. Obviously, Robert Kiyosaki, this book has since become the number one personal finance book of all time.

It's been translated into dozens of languages and it's been sold all around the world. I'm not even sure how many millions of copies this book has sold, but it has become a modern-day classic finance classic. So Rich Dad, Poor Dad is Robert's story of growing up with two dads, his real father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad.

And it talks about how both of these men, his fathers shaped his thoughts about money and investing. So the book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income, to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having money work for you. And that's a key distinction.

And a lot of the book builds upon that concept, but the book is great because it challenges the belief that your house is an asset, which most people still believe to this day. It is not, it is a liability. And if you don't know why to read the book, it shows why parents rely on the school system to teach their kids about money and why that's a mistake in that.

Doesn't actually work. It defines once and for all, what an asset and a liability truly are. It makes simple definitions for this stuff. And it teaches you what to teach your kids about money for their future. So if you're a parent listening to this and you want to help your children become financially literate and increase their financial IQ, this is a foundational book. It's one of the starting books if you will.

5. Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom

Real Estate Books

So the second book, no surprise is going to be the second book in what is essentially a three-part series of the Rich Dad series of books. These are the three foundational books, but the second book is Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom. This was the second book. So rich dad's cash flow quadrant is a guide to financial freedom.

It picks up where the last book left off first book, rich dad, poor dad. So as the second book in the rich dad series, reveals how some people work less, earn more, pay less in taxes, and learn to become financially free. So cash flow quadrant was written for those people who are ready to move beyond what they feel is job security.

And I say that in air quotes and enter the world of financial freedom. It's for those people who want to make significant changes in their lives and take control of their financial future because this is more of the how-to Rich Dad, Poor Dad was more of the foundational book, kind of laid out the principles and the concepts and some of the definitions that you need to know such as a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet, how money flows and all that, this builds on top of that.

Robert believes that the reason most people struggle financially is that they've spent years in school, but we're never taught about money. And Robert's rich. Dad taught him that this lack of financial education is why so many people work so hard. All their lives it's to work for money, instead of learning how to make money work for them, they basically just work for money.

So this book will change the way you think about your job, your career, owning your own business. And hopefully, it will inspire you to learn these rules of money that the rich use all the time to build and grow their wealth.

6. Rich Dad's Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle-Class Do Not

Best Real Estate Books

The third book again, no surprises. It's not going to be a shocker. It's really the third book in that rich dad series. And these books work well together. They're built to be stacked on top of each other. So the third book is Rich Dad's Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle-Class Do Not. So investing obviously means some different things to different people.

And there is a huge between passive investing and becoming an actively engaged investor. And one is not better than the other. There's no right or wrong. We're both at different times in our lives. And it also depends on what we're actually doing. We're always going to be active or passive investors.

Usually, we're both, but you just need to understand the distinction there, becoming an active investor means you're an engaged investor. And so there's a lot of power in that. So rich dad's guide to investing is one of the three core titles in this series. And it covers the basic rules of investing, how to reduce your risk in investing, how to convert that earned income you get from your active job or career, and turn that into passive income.

And he talks about something he refers to as rich dad's 10 investor controls. And this is where he gets into the weeds gets deep into the concepts of investing. So the rich dad philosophy makes a key distinction between managing your money and growing it and understanding the key principles of investing is the first step towards creating and growing wealth.

So this book delivers guidance. You need to help begin that process of becoming an investor and stay on that road till you get to that point of financial freedom. It's really more of a guide. In fact, the title says it is all rich dad's guide to investing. All right, well, those are the three books in the finance and investing category, and it's really the trio, the three rich dad series books, the initial or the original books.

7. The Ultimate Guide to Passive Real Estate Investing

Best Book on Passive Real Estate Investing

Now let's talk about real estate investing for beginners. So this was a little bit challenging for me. In this category, I ultimately decided on four bucks instead of three for this now keep in mind, even though I'm calling it real estate investing for beginners, these books apply to almost everybody. Even if you are a seasoned or an experienced investor, there's a lot of stuff you can learn from these books.

If not every chapter, certainly some of the chapters in these books and the first one is really not a book at all. In fact, it is my ebook that has been a free download on our websites for the last probably 10 years, which has been downloaded literally tens of thousands of times. And I wrote this 40, 42-page ebook as a primer for people to understand the key concepts and key components of investing in real estate, leaning towards passive investing, meaning buy and hold, not flipping real estate, or to actively involved.

It's really about building a portfolio, creating wealth, creating passive income, and learning the fundamental key pieces. So it is really a great primer. So you read it, it's a great starting point, but then you build on top of it with these other books. So The Ultimate Guide to Passive Real Estate Investing the free download on our website is really about the most powerful way to accumulate wealth.

This guide that I wrote has been written to help educate all real estate investors, regardless of their experience level. And again, it's a primer. It talks about the advantages of income-generating real estate, how to analyze properties, key metrics, cash flow returns, what to look for in the quick test to see if a deal is worth even pursuing.

So it's kind of like the smell test, if you will, how to choose some of the best markets and neighborhoods. I try to pack it all in there. There's no fluff. It's just crammed with good information. So if you haven't downloaded a copy or read it, go ahead and do so. I'm going to be updating that soon to kind of a version 2.0, so I'll expand on it a little bit. And I'll just tighten up a few things in there based on today's economy and environment, but not much has changed because principles don't change. All right.

8. How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started

Best Real Estate Investing Book

The second book in the real estate investing for beginners series here is How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started. This book was written by Brandon Turner. He's got several books. I've picked a couple of his and this book is great if you're starting and good if you're a moderate level investor.

So everyone knows that real estate investing can be a powerful way to build wealth and achieve true financial freedom. But because each person's journey is going to be a little different knowing the first steps to take is challenging for some people. So what this book does, it becomes a manual of sorts on getting started in real estate investing.

It gives you essentially an insider's look at the many different niches and strategies that exist. So it's not all about passive real estate investing. It's got a little bit of everything and it just kind of help to paint pictures. In other words, it shows you the landscape and then you can choose your path.

So what you can do is find which strategy and path work best for you, and then help you build the resources and the goals around that. Unlike most real estate books, this one won't tell you that there's any one secret path, okay. It is considered by many one of the best books on real estate investing.

9. The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits, Most Investors Miss

Best Real Estate Books

There's more than one path to success in real estate, but it has more than 40 real-life stories in the book from other investors on how they achieve success in real estate investing. And I'm sure you're going to be able to relate to many of those stories. There are a lot of similarities, but there are differences between every person and every story.

All right, the next book, the third book, if you will, is The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits, Most Investors Miss. And this is by one of the rich dad advisors, Ken McElroy. He is a sharp guy. You know, I've talked to him in the past. I've had him on the show at one point and you know, I like his content. Now he's really a big real estate guy.

He's focused primarily on big multi-family apartment complexes, but he did start with, you know, small real estate, single-family homes. And that doesn't mean that there's a migration path here. Some people will start with, you know, multi-units and apartments and work their way down to single families, duplexes, and fourplexes, and other people do the other way around.

And while other people just stick with one and stay with it. So you can create wealth and passive income with every size and type of real estate. But with his book on the ABCs of real estate investing, he kind of geared it more towards the people who are just getting started in the beginners and just real estate investing.

Think of it like real estate investing one Oh one, but he talks about things on achieving wealth and cash flow using real estate. You know, what a property is potential is how to unlock the myths that float around real estate for people who are seasoned, how to negotiate deals, evaluate properties and the purchase price, how to increase the income on a property, and ways to properly manage a property.

10. Long-Distance Real Estate Investing

Real Estate Investing Books

Now he doesn't get into property management in any depth in this book, it just touches upon it. He actually has another book on that topic, which I'll talk about here in a minute. And then the fourth, if you will, fourth and last book in this category is Long-Distance Real Estate Investing. Now I love that title. He doesn't get too deep into it, but it is a good book. It's by David Green.

It's one of the bigger pockets series books. But you know, what he talks about is living in a hot market or a market that's not suited for buying hold investing because it's just unaffordable too expensive. The numbers don't work, whatever the case is, but he poses the question. Well, how do I take advantage of building wealth in real estate? When I live in a market that I can't invest in, it's impossible, or how do I avoid, you know, market fluctuations or the next market crash.

So we know real estate investing is one of the greatest vehicles for creating wealth, but you need to understand how to choose markets and be able to be nimble and agnostic. And this is stuff I talk about on the podcast all the time, and this is what he talks about in the book. I just wish he would get more deep into the concept of done for you and rent, ready properties, and turnkey properties.

He touches upon it. But to be completely honest with you guys, I have always found since the beginning of bigger pockets in 2007, they've always had a bias towards turnkey, real estate investing, and passive real estate investing in general. They are certainly of the active, real estate investing flavor. They certainly believe in buying, fixing, and creating value on properties.

It seems that to me, that most, if not all of their content, either excludes conversations about turnkey investing, buying properties that are essentially rent-ready. So you don't have to do any fix-up or renovation work. They're all about putting in sweat equity to create value. That's fine, but that's not for everybody. And we all know that a lot of us are busy. We don't want to go down that road.

We just want to invest in real estate and build a portfolio and let it grow over time. So I'm not knocking the book. The book is good. I just wish he had more on the topic of passive real estate, investing, turnkey, real estate, investing, and done for you models instead of hiring a team outside of your local market to essentially do all the grunt work, swinging the hammers, and everything else, that's fine.

But I think he glosses over a little too much. In fact, all the “Bigger Pockets” books gloss over the turnkey space. So in this book, real estate investor and police officer David Green, shows you how he's built a multi-million dollar portfolio through buying, managing, and flipping out of state properties. So keep that in mind when you read it, but he does share tips, tricks, and systems that he's put in place over the years of his real estate investing experience and journey and what he's done to essentially succeed and avoid making mistakes along the way, but just realize that's the perspective.

Anyway, the bottom line with this book, and what I like to talk about all the time is to don't let your location dictate your financial freedom, learn how to succeed regardless of where you live and where you invest, choose the right markets, the right neighborhoods, the right properties, and have the right team around you. And that will be a secret if you will, or a formula to your success.

11. The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

Best Books For Real Estate Investors

All right, the next category is real estate investing to grow. So this is kind of the next level up. One of my favorite books that I read in real estate investing is The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller, Gary Keller well-known author. He is obviously the founder of Keller Williams, the real estate brokerage nationwide real estate brokerage. So he is a real estate investor and a very good one.

Anyone who seeks financial wealth first needs to learn the fundamental truths and models that drive it. And this is what he talks about in the book. So the millionaire real estate investor represents the collected wisdom and experience of over a hundred millionaire investors from all walks of life who have pursued financial wealth and achieved it through real estate.

And so what he did is he basically created this book in a straightforward, no-nonsense way that reveals the strategies that these hundred millionaire investors have used to create financial freedom, independence, and a lifestyle that works for them. So this book essentially is a handbook that has tried and true financial wealth-building principles and models built around real estate that reward your patience and perseverance, and he lays it out.

So some of the things he talks about are the myths about money and investing and especially the ones that hold people back and really how to develop a mindset of a millionaire investor, which goes back full circle to where we began about mindset. You know, even when he talks about this in the beginning part of the book, he talks about how to develop sound criteria for identifying great real estate investment opportunities, how to zero in on key terms and parts of transactions and achieve the best possible deals when you're putting a deal together or looking for a deal.

He also talks about how to develop your dream team, which is something I talk about often proven models and strategies that millionaire investors use to track their net worth understand finances. It's not a very complex or complicated book. It's not going to put you to sleep or cause your eyes to glaze over.

12. The Book on Rental Property Investing

Best Book on Rental Property Investing

I think it's extremely well-written. So again, it's one of my favorite books. It's a blue and white book. The next book in this category on real estate investing to grow is The Book on Rental Property Investing. Again, this one is the second one by Brandon Turner. So in this book, he discusses practical strategies that investors around the world use to build significant cash flow with their rental properties. So this is getting a little bit more into the weeds, a little bit more tactical if you will.

So in this book, you'll learn how to build an achievable plan, how to find good deals, how to analyze those properties and those deals build your team, finance, the rentals, and a whole bunch more, and basically everything you need to become successful at rental property investing. Again, it's a book there's only so much you can put in the book, but it does a good job of laying it out. This is one of the best books on real estate investing. This book will feed what you need to succeed in rental property investing.

13. Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Deals 

Best Guide on Real Estate Investing 2021

Okay. So again, think of it like a, a, a practical guide. So there's a lot that he covers in this book, but you know, he starts with why real estate investors fail and how you ensure that you don't. And he talks about four easy-to-follow strategies that you can build your real estate portfolio on creative tips to find those deals, how to achieve success by avoiding property management, which, you know, we all love actionable ideas on financing.

Those rentals. Now, obviously, there are limitations there, but for the most part, it's going to be cheap financings like conventional loans and a little bit of advice on keeping your wealth by deferring and eliminating your taxes, which you know, is really not an extensive part of the book, but essentially something we'll talk about here in a minute last but not least. I included another book by Ken McElroy, and this is the Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Deals.

So if you're interested in the real estate investing space, you may have noticed that this part of real estate doesn't get covered much. And when it does the mainstream media focuses mostly on, you know, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and that kind of stuff. And they don't really talk about real estate as an investment, all that much. It's really about homeownership.

And even when they do talk about it, it's like, Oh, it's like this one, nebulous bob, they refer to as the housing market, but they don't really talk about specific markets unless you're listening to your local news channel, but that's because financial publications, TV, radio, um, they make the bulk of their money from advertising paid by the very companies who provide the mainstream media and those channels with financial services, the advertising, the marketing, all that stuff.

But real estate investment is something that you can do on your own without a large amount of money upfront, as we all know if you just learn how to do it and pick the right markets to do that. So what Ken did with this book is he picked up where he left off in the first book, the best-selling book, ABCs of real estate investing.  And he reveals the next essential lessons and the information that you need as an investor to succeed and continue to scale and grow your business.

So he built on the foundation of the first book, which is kind of like real estate investing one-on-one and he talks more about how to think and operate like a real estate mogul. How do identify and close expert deals, you know, differences between single multi-family property surrounding yourself with the right team to maximize your money, avoid paying thousands in taxes, by structuring property sales wisely? This is a kind of asset protection and tax strategy combined, and last but not least important projections about the future of real estate investing. Now, this book is a few years old, so, you know, I'm sure some things have changed.

14. TheABCs of Property Management: What You Need to Know to Maximize Your Money Now

Best Real Estate Book on Property Management

I don't think Ken was expecting the amount of appreciation that we would have seen over the last two, three years and the lack of inventory. So it kind of compounds what he talks about. The next section is about property management. And so again, Ken wrote a third book on this subject because this is where he actually started his real estate career as a property manager.

And so his book is The ABCs of Property Management: What You Need to Know to Maximize Your Money Now. So as you start to invest and you build your portfolio, the question comes up, you know, how are you going to make it as profitable as possible? And how will you maximize its potential and make it grow in value? And the one word he has for this is management.

Now that doesn't mean you managing the property, although you could, if you want it to, there's nothing wrong with that. And it's probably good to understand how to manage your property, but if you're managing your managers, this is good information. So this book can reveal the key to his success, and that is exceptional property management.

So he teaches you the most important principles and the keys to achieving success, where other people fail, which is often in the management of their properties. So he talks about things like how to decide, you know when to manage your property and went to hire someone, to do it, how to implement the right systems.

If you're doing it yourself structures for your investment, how to manage and maximize cash flow, you know what to expect, essentially it's the life of an owner-manager and how to find the right property manager and avoid the wrong ones. So I think this is a good book as a frame of reference, whether you manage or you don't.

15. The Book on Managing Rental Properties

Best Real Estate Book on Managing Rental Properties in 2021

The second book is if you choose to manage your own properties, it's another book by Brandon Turner called The Book on Managing Rental Properties,  a proven system for finding, screening, and managing tenants with fewer headaches and maximum profits. This is definitely a book for a do-it-yourself. So if you want to manage your own properties, even if it's just one or you already manage your properties, this might be a good supplement to that.

So no matter how great, you know, you are at finding real estate deals, if you, I don't want to manage your properties well or correctly, you're obviously leaving money on the table, or you're not maximizing your returns. Brandon likes to say that being a landlord can be fun, but only if you do it right. So learning to effectively manage your tenants means that you end up with more freedom, less drama, higher profits from your real estate business.

And it just ends up looking good, feeling good. So Brandon's a, you know, an experienced property manager, he's been managing his own properties for a long time. And what he does in this book is essential takes you on an insightful tour of their management business there as in, you know, him and his wife. So you can learn how they've been able to maximize profit, minimize their stress.

He says that he has a blast doing it. So I guess you can learn how to do that too. But he talks a lot about his personal stories of the mistakes that they've had, and that you can learn from. And he talks about the different tools and tricks and systems that they've put in place over the years. And the book probably will change the way you think about property management altogether.

So there's a lot of stuff he covers in the book. I think it's more than a beginner's book. It's certainly a primer, but it has some advanced content. So overall I think it's great. And last but not least taxes, you know, the thing we want to defer or eliminate as much as possible. So I have three book picks here. There are many books out there on taxes, but I think these are great fundamental books.

And really what I've tried to do again, is boil it down to the best two, three, or four books in each section that will give you everything. You need, the nuts bolts strategies, tactical plans, and not leave you hanging. So the three books I chose for the area of taxes is first and foremost, the book by Tom Wheelwright, another one of Robert Kiyosaki's rich dad advisors, great guy, super smart. I've had him on the show several times. Always have great episodes talking to Tom, but his book, which he just revised recently.

16. Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes

Best Real Estate Books on Taxes

So it's the newly revised version, but it's called Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes, what a great title. So I will say that this book is slanted a little bit more toward business owners and entrepreneurs, but it applies to anybody and everybody because if you pay taxes in any way, shape, or form, you're going to learn something or you can learn something from this book.

So tax-free wealth is about tax planning, concepts, and how to use the tax laws to your benefit. So Tom explains how the tax laws work and how they are designed to actually reduce your taxes, not increase them. The key here is to understand how taxes and tax law works. So the book explains how to use the tax laws to your advantage, and in ways that will support your vision and growth plans, not only for your company or your business, but you know, for your investing empire as well, however, that is structured and you know, more specifically real estate.

17. The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor

Best Real Estate Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor

So once you understand the basic principles of tax reduction, then you can immediately reduce your taxes to the point where eventually you may be able to legally eliminate and contactless and drastically reduce your taxes overall. And he talks about this in the book. So it's about minimizing, eliminating, and deferring your taxes.

Those are the three things he talks about in the book. Now, once you get through that, there are two books specifically on real estate investing, as it relates to taxes. And the first one is The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor. The subtitle to this book is powerful techniques.

Anyone can use it to deduct more, invest martyrs, and pay far less to the IRS. The book was written by Amanda Hahn. She actually lives in Orange County here, not too far from Ireland. And what she talks about is ways to maximize your deductions for your real estate business.

18. The Book on Advanced Tax Strategies: Cracking the Code for Savvy Real Estate Investors

Best Real Estate Book on Cracking the Code for Savvy Real Estate Investors

And they also talk about practicals on how to minimize your taxes, not only for this year but in future years, as well as ongoing strategies that will make your next tax season that much easier. So what they want to do is basically help you save thousands of dollars by having great tax strategies in place.

So they talk about creative methods to maximize your deductions, clever ways to write off your kids' strategies, to write off every penny on your travel tips and tricks to cut down on bookkeeping time, and simple procedures that will protect you from IRS audits. So that's their first book, the foundational book, there's a lot in that book, but then they wrote a sequel to it, which is my third book in this category of taxes again by Amanda Hahn.

And this is The Book on Advanced Tax Strategies: Cracking the Code for Savvy Real Estate Investors. And you know, what they say is that when it comes to taxes, it's not about how much money you make, but how much money you actually keep. So if you're tired of working hard all year, just to lose, you know, the largest chunk of that money that you earned to the IRS, then, you know, obviously you want to learn as much as you can about taxes, you know, believe it or not.

The US tax system is filled with loopholes designed specifically to benefit real estate investors. And this actually got better in 2017 with the new tax act that was put into play under the Trump administration. So what was great as far as tax benefits for investors and real estate investors actually got even better with that tax act. So this book is a comprehensive follow-up to the book on tax strategies, which was a best-selling book by Han and Matthew McFarland.

And this just brings you more strategies to slash your taxes and turn your real estate investments into a tax-saving machine. And, you know, again, this book just goes deeper into a lot of the stuff from 10 31 exchanges to taking advantage of opportunity zone, tax benefits, how to supercharge your nest egg with self-directed investment strategies, steps to use your rental properties to legally wipe out your taxable income.

What else did they talk about in their ways to take advantage of the tax reform benefits that came about with all your real estate deals, accelerating your depreciation, and even common retirement and investment tax traps, and really how to avoid those? So, you know, people sometimes make the mistake of investing in their retirement account and then only find out that, you know, they've made a mistake. They don't have any tax benefits or maybe are not liable for tax penalties because they did it wrong.

Here's another blog that you can read – 12 Books to Read if You Want to Get Rich.

Filed Under: General Real Estate, Getting Started, Real Estate Investing, Selling Real Estate Tagged With: Best Real Estate Books, Best Real Estate Investing Books, Real Estate Books, Real Estate Investing Books For Beginners

Housing Market: Should You Buy a Turnkey Property or Fixer-Upper?

January 23, 2023 by Marco Santarelli

Should You Buy a Turnkey Property

The current housing market means you’ll likely pay top dollar for a home that’s considered turnkey — immediately ready for you to move in. Plus, the competition is steep. Perhaps those two reasons are why 52% of American homebuyers are looking for a starter home or a fixer-upper rather than a forever home, according to TD Bank‘s First-Time Homebuyer Pulse, which polled buyers planning to purchase in 2022. If you’re struggling with whether to keep combing the housing market for a move-in-ready home that fits your budget or to take your chances with a fixer-upper, here’s the expert insight you need.

Pros of Buying a Fixer-Upper

Buying a fixer-upper can provide you with advantages that a turnkey home doesn’t offer. Consider the following.

Cheaper Taxes

“Fixer-uppers can be a great way to get a deal on a property and save money on taxes,” said Jeremy Luebke, founder of WeLoveLand. “In many cases, fixer-uppers are sold for less than the market value because the seller is motivated to move the property quickly. This can be a great opportunity for bargain hunters. Additionally, fixer-uppers often come with significant tax breaks. The government offers tax breaks for people who rehabilitate or redevelop properties, so if you’re planning to do major work on your fixer-upper, you may be eligible for some significant tax deductions.”

Flip Potential

“The big advantage to taking the risk on a fixer-upper is the equity you build while improving the value of the property,” said Doug Greene, owner of Signature Properties. “This is the flip potential that exists, while in a turnkey home you are essentially buying the property at full price (i.e., market value).”

Potential for Creativity

“An advantage of purchasing a fixer-upper is the opportunity to put money into the features of your house that are most important to you,” said John Riedl of Easy Cash Offer Florida. “Do you want a modern kitchen? What about a luxurious soaking tub? If you are purchasing a property that is move-in ready, you can find yourself subject to the taste and interests of the past owner.”

Riedl also pointed out that fixer-uppers give you a lot of control over the renovation process by selecting paint colors, floor materials, contractors, and anything else you desire.

Cons of Buying a Fixer-Upper

Time, money and effort are all required when it comes to getting a fixer-upper where you want it to be. Here’s more on the potential disadvantages of going this route.

Renovation Costs

“The cost of labor and materials is near its highest price ever, and if you are hiring contractors to perform work on your home, unless you have a crew on standby, it could be months before the work is done,” said Tony Grech real estate investor and lending expert with Luxury Mortgage. “Just like there is a shortage of home inventory that has driven prices up, there is a shortage of qualified tradespeople as well as a shortage in raw materials due to supply chain issues that stretch back to the beginning of COVID. So you save $20,000 or $30,000 on the price of the home, but it costs you $60,000 to perform the work that you want.”

Effort

Beyond the costs in labor and materials, renovating a home comes with some other headaches and risks,” said Brian Davis, real estate investor and founder at Spark Rental. “You have to navigate the treacherous waters of permits, which involves not just filing fees and dealing with the permit office, but also hassling with inspectors.”

Ryan Fitzgerald, owner of UpHomes also said that renovating a fixer-upper requires a lot of effort. “Renovations are time-consuming and stressful so make sure you’re up for the challenge if you decide to get a fixer-upper,” he cautioned. “If you don’t want to deal with the construction, managing contractors, and living in a home that isn’t finished, a fixer-upper may not be the best choice for you.”

Live Richer Podcast: First-Time Homebuying During Inflation: Is It Worth It?

Pros of Buying a Turnkey Home

While a home that’s ready to move in will likely cost much more than a fixer-upper, there are some definite advantages that are worth considering.

No Renovation Costs

“When you purchase a turnkey home, the price you see is the price you pay,” said Luebke. “There are no additional costs for things like landscape or certain home upgrades. This can be a big advantage when budgeting for your new home. You know exactly how much money you need to bring to the table, and there are no unpleasant surprises down the road.”

Minimal Effort Required

If you’re looking to move in and start enjoying your new home as soon as possible, turnkey home is a perfect choice. “Turnkey homes require much lower effort because you can move right in and start enjoying the home after you unpack,” said Ryan Fitzgerald, owner of UpHomes.

Cons of Buying a Turnkey Home

However, buying a turnkey home also comes with a few drawbacks. It’s up to you to decide if they are worth it.

More Expensive Taxes Upfront

While you can get a lower property tax rate by buying a cheaper fixer-upper, that’s likely not the case with a turnkey home.

“If you opt for a turnkey home, the municipality will have likely already caught up to the new assessed value by the time you move in,” said Greene. “It’s usually the sale of the property that triggers a property reassessment in the system.”

Flip Potential Is Nonexistent

“Buying turnkey is certainly the way to go if you have no desire to make repairs to a home and want it move-in ready,” said Jeff Shipwash, CEO of Shipwash Properties LLC. “Unfortunately, in today’s market, turnkey properties are at a premium. This means you will more than likely have strong competition and will be paying top dollar for it. This results in buying with little to no equity to spare.”

And without any equity to spare, there is no flip potential.

Limited Opportunities for Creativity or Customization

“The home might not be exactly what you want,” said Luebke. “Since the home has already been built, you may be limited in terms of customizations or changes that you can make. The home might come equipped with most, if not all, of the features and amenities that you desire, but there is always the chance that something will not be quite to your liking. This can be frustrating if you have specific ideas about how you want your new home to look and function.”

>>This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com.<<

Filed Under: General Real Estate, Getting Started, Housing Market, Real Estate Investing Tagged With: Housing Market, Real Estate Investing, Turnkey Investment Property, turnkey property

Birmingham AL Housing Market: Prices, Trends, Forecast 2023

January 19, 2023 by Marco Santarelli

Birmingham Housing Market

Birmingham Alabama Housing Market REPORT

Birmingham, Alabama has come a long way from its Southern roots, though it retains its historic charm. Birmingham recently earned the title of being the South’s “Comeback Town.” The Birmingham AL real estate market continues to slow down due to high-interest rates. However, price increases in the Birmingham housing market are largely driven by tight inventory which can't meet the buyer demand.

According to a report published by the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE), Birmingham residential sales for the third quarter of 2022 totaled 4325 units, representing a decrease of 740 transactions when compared to 5065 units that were sold in the third quarter of 2021. Compared to historical data, third-quarter sales are 8.96% above the 3-year quarterly average and 16.99% above the 5-year quarterly average.

The median selling price in Birmingham for the third quarter of 2022 was $294,817, a 9.60% increase from the third quarter of 2021's median selling price of $269,000. The average selling price in Birmingham for the third quarter of 2022 was $346,142, a 7.72% increase from the third quarter of 2021’s average selling price of $321,333.

Birmingham residential units available for sale in the third quarter of 2022 increased by 473 units when compared to the same period last year. Compared to historical data to the right, the third quarter months of supply is 4.86% below the 3-year quarterly average and 25.21% below the 5-year quarterly average. The # of months of supply stands at 2.5 months.

Birmingham Real Estate Investment

Birmingham Metro Housing Market Trends & Forecast 2023

Data by Redfin shows that the Birmingham housing market is somewhat competitive. Homes in Birmingham receive 2 offers on average and sell in around 45.5 days. The average homes sell for about 3% below the list price and go pending in around 46 days. Hot listings can sell for about 1% above the list price and go pending in around 26 days.

In December 2022, Birmingham home prices were up 19.1% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $214K. On average, homes in Birmingham sell after 50 days on the market compared to 42 days last year. There were 176 homes sold in December this year, down from 337 last year.

The typical home value in Birmingham is $113,709 (Zillow Home Value Index). Birmingham home values have gone up 11.8% over the past year. According to statistics from NeighborhoodScout, in the last twelve months( (2021 Q3 – 2022 Q3), Birmingham's rate of appreciation has been 16.22 percent. The most recent quarter's (2022 Q2 – 2022 Q3) house appreciation rates in Birmingham were 4.56 percent, which amounts to an annual appreciation rate of 19.52 percent.

However, the real estate market has screeched to a halt, and some economists believe home prices are about to drop significantly in 2023. The home prices may remain flat or rise very modestly in Birmingham in 2023.  Zillow latest forecast shows that home prices in Birmingham Metro may drop by 0.6% between November 2022 to November 2023.

Birmingham Housing Market Forecast
Source: Zillow

Latest Birmingham Housing Market Statistics (Residential)

The latest monthly report published by ACRE Media shows that home sales in the Birmingham metropolitan area decreased by 31.4 percent YoY in November 2022.  According to the Greater Alabama MLS, home sales in the Birmingham area decreased from 1,454 to 998 closed transactions. Following seasonal trends, sales decreased by 10.3% from October. Sales are down 12.5% year-to-date. Homes sold in November averaged 24 days on the market (DOM), 15 days slower than in November 2021.

Birmingham Housing Inventory:  November listings (3,455) decreased 5.3% from October and increased 36.4% from one year ago. At the current sales pace, all the active inventory on the market would sell in 3.5 months, up from 3.3 months in October and up from 1.7 months in November 2021. The equilibrium point where buyers and sellers have roughly equal bargaining power is 4-5 months of supply.

Birmingham Home Prices: Home sales price growth moderated in November with the statewide median sales price rising 6.8% Y/Y, down from an average of 14.3% from January-October 2022 and reaching single digits for the first time since September 2021. The statewide median sales price decreased by 4.9% from the record high reached in October 2022.

Forecast: Going forward, slowing sales and rising inventory are likely to result in home price growth moderating to the 8-10% range by year-end. November sales were 390 units, or 28.1%, below the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s (ACRE) monthly forecast. ACRE projected 1,388 sales for the month, while actual sales were 998 units. ACRE forecast a total of 16,686 sales year-to-date, while there were 15,363 actual sales through November, a difference of 7.9%.

New Construction: The 105 new homes sold represent 10.5% of all residential sales in the Birmingham area in November. Total sales decreased 40.3% year-over-year. The median sales price in November was $388,490, a decrease of 12.7% from October and an increase of 15.7% from one year ago.

Birmingham Real Estate Investment Overview

Investing in real estate is touted as a great way to become wealthy. Is Birmingham rental property good for investment? Planning to invest in the Birmingham, AL real estate market? Many real estate investors have asked themselves if buying a property in Birmingham is a good investment. You need to drill deeper into local trends if you want to know what the market holds for the year ahead. We have already discussed the Birmingham housing market forecast for answers on why to put resources into this sizzling market.

Home prices in Birmingham have been trending up year over year. One of the benefits of the Birmingham AL real estate market is that it is incredibly stable and steady, and investors can purchase Birmingham investment properties for $80,000 to $100,000. This makes it a prominent place for new investors to get their feet wet and for anyone searching for a good investment that can create a stable monthly rental income. It is seeing faster-than-average appreciation, but it has never been subject to the wild swings that have hit the coasts or other “hot” markets.

For example, a quarter of its population is made up of Millennials, and they’re buying an increasing number of homes. They bought almost a quarter of all homes in the area in 2013, and that ratio is only going to rise. Conversely, this means that you know there are buyers for homes when sold by downsizing Baby Boomers. If you buy Birmingham AL real estate, you know you’ll be able to sell it for what you paid for it if not get a little bit more. Here are the top 10 reasons to invest in Birmingham real estate.

Birmingham Real Estate Is Affordable

Birmingham AL real estate is affordable for investors. The typical home in Alabama is worth $218,421 according to Zillow. The typical value of homes in Birmingham is $113,709 as of Dec 2022, up 11.8% over the past year. For many considering relocating in search of work, Alabama’s very low cost of living – including housing – is reason enough to move there instead of Texas or Florida. Birmingham AL's real estate market remains among the most affordable markets in the nation, which bodes well for homeowners, investors, and renters alike.

The typical home value in Birmingham is less than $115,000. Compare this to a typical home price in Dallas, Texas for around $326,938. This means real estate investors could buy two to three properties in Birmingham for the price of a home in Dallas, sometimes considered one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. You could buy several rental homes in Birmingham for the price of a single property in an expensive market in California.

Suppose you don’t want to buy rental real estate in Birmingham. It is a million-person plus metro area, so there are opportunities to invest in the suburbs, as well. Graysville is one such suburb, and its typical home value is $125,447 (ZHVI). The typical home value in Adamsville is $145,009 while a typical Pleasant Grove home costs around $242,136. This makes Birmingham AL real estate an excellent opportunity since you can buy upscale suburban homes for less than a fixer-upper in the inner ring suburbs of many other cities.

The Area Is Growing, Both in Population and Rental Demand

There has been a distinct trend of people moving to the largest metropolitan area in the region in order to find the greatest opportunities. The Birmingham area is home to more than 1.1 million people. LendingTree ranked the Birmingham area as one of the least competitive real estate markets in the country. There were more potential buyers than sellers, forcing many would-be homeowners to rent instead.

The U.S. Census Bureau released data last year that showed major growth in several Birmingham metro counties from 2010 to 2020. According to the data, Huntsville is now the largest city, with Birmingham the second largest. But the Birmingham Area Metro is twice the size of the Huntsville Metro. Birmingham’s population is 200,733, that’s down 1.5 percent since 2010. Huntsville has 215,006 people, that’s up 11.2 percent since 2010. The Birmingham Metro population is 1.1 million people and the Huntsville Metro has 491,000.

It Is Landlord Friendly

No one wants to buy rental real estate in a market where it is almost impossible to evict a tenant for nonpayment. Birmingham AL real estate is attractive in part because of how landlord-friendly the area is. Alabama passed laws in 2014 that made things more favorable to landlords. Proposed 2018 legislation would make it easier for landlords to make tenants have to leave if they breached their lease contract.

Birmingham Is a Low Tax Haven For Real Estate Investors

State and local taxes are one of the biggest deciding factors real estate investors need to consider. Alabama has some of the lowest property tax rates in the nation. In 2017, Alabama’s effective tax rate was 0.48% and the average property tax bill was only $776 it ranked #2 for the lowest property taxes. According to LendingTree, the annual median property taxes in Birmingham, Ala. — where homeowners pay the least in real estate taxes — are about $7,700 cheaper than in the New York metro area, where they’re the highest.

Birmingham, Ala., is the only metro where median property taxes are less than $1,000 a year. The median amount of property taxes paid by homeowners in Birmingham is only $909. For comparison, residents in the next two metros with the lowest median real estate taxes — New Orleans and Louisville, Ky. — owe $1,345 and $1,563 a year, respectively.

The Rental Pool’s Incomes Are Rising

Alabama is seeing an increase in incomes and the skills of its privately employed sector. Birmingham is attracting jobs in law, medicine, nursing & engineering. For example, Autocar and Mercedes Benz are investing more than a billion dollars in Birmingham, bringing high-paying jobs to the area. Unemployment has been below 5% for years. As people move to the area in search of work, they often find themselves renting because of how hard it is to find a home.

The latest data shows that the State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 2.7 percent in November, less than the national unemployment rate of 3.7%. The rate was unchanged from the October revised rate and below the 3.1 percent recorded a year ago. November’s rate represented 63,043 unemployed persons, compared to 61,721 in October and 69,688 in November of 2021. The comparable national rate for November, at 3.7 percent, was unchanged from the October revised rate, and below the year-ago rate of 4.2 percent.

Conclusion

If you are a beginner in the business of cash flow real estate investing, it is very important to read good books on real estate. Most investors naturally gravitate to residential property investment. When looking for the best real estate investments, you should focus on markets with relatively high population and employment growth. Both of them translate into high demand for housing. If the housing supply meets housing demand, real estate investors should not miss the opportunity since entry prices of homes remain affordable.

Buying an investment property is different from buying an owner-occupied home. Our Birmingham investment properties are designed to make money as rentals, which means you must look at it solely as an income-producing entity just like any other business. These are “Turnkey Cash Flow Investment Properties” located in some of the best neighborhoods of Birmingham.

Birmingham Investment Properties For Sale ⇐ Click Here

We strive to set the standard for our industry and inspire others by raising the bar on providing exceptional real estate investment opportunities in various growth markets. We can help you succeed by minimizing risk and maximizing profitability. You can contact us for a Free Strategy Session by clicking here.

Let us know which real estate markets you consider best for real estate investing! 


Remember, caveat emptor still applies when buying a property anywhere. The information contained in this article was pulled from third-party sites mentioned under references. Although the information is believed to be reliable, Norada Real Estate Investments makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees, either express or implied, as to whether the information presented is accurate, reliable, or current. All information presented should be independently verified through the references given below. As a general policy, the Norada Real Estate Investments makes no claims or assertions about the future housing market conditions across the US.

REFERENCES

Market Data, Trends, and Statistics
https://www.greateralabamamls.com/
https://birminghamrealtors.com/
https://acre.culverhouse.ua.edu/research/residential-research/birmingham/
https://www.zillow.com/Birmingham-al/home-values
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/al/birmingham/real-estate
https://www.redfin.com/city/1823/AL/Birmingham/housing-market
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Birmingham_AL/overview

Population & Jobs
http://www2.labor.alabama.gov/
https://www.wbrc.com/2021/08/12/birmingham-metro-area-counties-grow-over-last-decade-birmingham-now-2nd-largest-city/

Alabama property tax rate
https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/real-estate-taxes-in-metropolitan-areas/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/04/16/comparing-average-property-taxes-all-50-states-and-dc/100314754

Landlord friendly laws
https://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2018/03/post_141.html?__vfz=rtw_top_pages%3D2480300011984

Lending Tree least competitive real estate market, lots of prime credit ubyers
https://patch.com/alabama/birmingham-al/birmingham-one-countys-least-competitive-housing-markets

Millennials buying homes
http://www.builderonline.com/money/top-10-markets-attracting-millennial-buyers_o

Filed Under: Growth Markets, Housing Market, Real Estate Investing

Atlanta Real Estate Market: Prices, Trends, Forecasts 2022-2023

January 9, 2023 by Marco Santarelli

Atlanta Housing Market

The Atlanta Housing Market Report

This article has been updated to reflect the most recent Atlanta housing market trends. By and large, the Metro Atlanta housing market has recovered smoothly. Despite unemployment and uncertainty, the Atlanta residential real estate market performed exceptionally well in the past two years. Home prices skyrocketed last year. But things have taken a turn. Real estate is driven by credit and the latest data indicate lending standards are tightening.

The drop in mortgage credit availability for home purchasers is driven by rising mortgage rates. The persistently low housing inventory and the jump in mortgage rates in 2022 are putting pressure on the Atlanta housing market. While prices continue to rise, the inventory is also increasing in metro Atlanta, typically hovering at slightly more than 2 months of supply at this time. Overall, the Metro Atlanta housing market remains competitive, although not as fiercely so as it was a few months ago.

With a median sales price of around $400,000 and an average price of over $450,000, sellers still have much to gain in Metro Atlanta's thriving real estate market. The median sales price in September was $400,000, an increase of 12.2% from the last year. The average sales price was $477,000, up 11.7% from the previous year.

<<<Also Read: Georgia Housing Market Forecast>>>

According to the National Association of Realtors, Atlanta is expected to be the top real estate market in 2023. Among the 179 metro areas analyzed by NAR, it was the only one to meet all 10 indicators such as housing affordability, employment conditions, and population growth.  The Atlanta metropolitan area continues to be more affordable than the majority of U.S. regions, with more than 20% of renters able to afford an average home purchase, according to a report.

The job market is healthy, with Apple, Microsoft, and Visa among the major West Coast tech corporations opening offices. Consequently, the region experiences huge migration gains and rapid population growth, leading to a surge in housing demand. According to the Atlanta REALTORS® Association, it is still a seller's market, so sellers who have waited or are prepared to sell can still realize profits over the previous year.

Atlanta Housing Market News & Trends – Latest

Atlanta Real Estate Market
Housing data by ARA. The forecast is from various sources.

Atlanta REALTORS® Association (ARA) released its September 2022 Market Trends on residential housing statistics for 11 area counties in metropolitan Atlanta. The Atlanta Realtors Association report covers Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Fayette, Henry, and Paulding counties and is compiled by First Multiple Listing Service. Here are the key houisng statistics. 

Housing Demand: In September 2022, the total residential sales were at 5,382, a decrease of 23% from the previous year and -9.7% from August 2022. The number of homes sold in September ranged from 708 in DeKalb County to 1,273 in Fulton County.

Home Prices: High demand is met with a constrained housing market, driving a sustained upward trend in Atlanta home prices. The result is that the average and median sales prices continue to gain traction and outpace 2021’s figures, with positive gains. The median sales price in September 2022 was $400,000, an increase of 12.2% from last year.

The average sales price was $477,000, up 11.7% from the previous year. Among Atlanta’s largest counties, median sales prices ranged from $354,500 in DeKalb to $415,500 in Fulton. Metro Atlanta house prices continued to rise, but an increasing inventory may make it less of a seller's market in the coming months.

Atlanta Housing Prices
Source: Atlanta REALTORS® Association (ARA)

Housing Supply: The metro Atlanta housing market has been leaning in favor of sellers for several years, and the shortage of homes has been even more acute during this pandemic. Housing inventory in the Atlanta area totaled 12,891 units in September, an increase of 39.1% from September 2021.

New listings totaled 7,589, down 6.8% from September 2021 and down 5.4% from the previous month. The month’s supply over a 12-month period increased to 2.1 months, which means supply still cannot meet the demand. Experts consider the market balanced when the number of listings is equal to about six months of sales.

Atlanta Housing Market Trends
Source: Atlanta REALTORS®

Is Atlanta Still a Sellers Market?

The following Atlanta housing market trends are based on single-family, condo, and townhome properties listed for sale on realtor.com. Land, multi-unit, and other property types are excluded. This data is provided as an informational resource only.

Listing Prices: Realtor.com's November 2022 report shows Atlanta was more like a seller's real estate market, which means that there are more people looking to buy than there are homes available. A seller's market typically has a total sales-to-total listings ratio above 0.2. The median list price of homes in Atlanta was $413.9K, trending up 3.5% year-over-year while the median sale price was $395K.

Sale-to-List Price Ratio: 98.75%, which means that Homes in Atlanta, GA sold for 1.25% below the asking price on average in November 2022. Ideally, a buyer would prefer a sale-to-list price ratio that’s closer to 90% while a seller would always prefer scenarios that can yield a ratio of 100% or higher.

There are 200 neighborhoods in and around Atlanta, GA where Realtor.com has listings. Morningside – Lenox Park has a median listing price of $1.1M, making it the most expensive neighborhood. English Avenue is the most affordable neighborhood, with a median listing price of $280K.

Fulton County is home to 16 cities, including Georgia's Capital City, Atlanta. Fulton County is also a seller's housing market. In November 2022, the median list price of homes in Fulton County, GA was $425K, trending up 6.3% year-over-year. The median listing home price per square foot was $235. The median home sold price was $390K.

Homes in Fulton County, GA sold for 1.33% below the asking price on average in November 2022. Homes in Fulton County, Georgia sell after an average of 54 days on the market. The median number of days on the market in Fulton County, Georgia has increased over the past month and year.

Atlanta Rental Housing Trends

About 50% of the households in Atlanta, GA are renter-occupied. Atlanta rent prices plunged during the most severe period of the coronavirus outbreak when much of the city’s economy was locked down. It is supposed to have ended eight years of steady rent growth in the Atlanta housing market. Average rents were down 2.2% from March through May for the entire metro Atlanta market. The declines were sharpest in areas of Buckhead, Lindbergh, and Emory, Midtown but the suburban markets did not suffer much.

But the latest market reports show a fast pace recovery from the effects of the pandemic. According to Realpage.com's analysis, there's been a record apartment demand in Atlanta. The whole Georgia market claimed the nation’s top spot for apartment demand. Atlanta’s 3rd quarter demand tally of 9,008 units accounted for 87% of the market’s annual absorption in the year-ending September.

The rent prices are up whether you compare them annually or monthly. As of December 11, 2022, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Atlanta, GA is currently $1,712. This is flat as compared to the previous year. Over the past month, the average rent for a studio apartment in Atlanta increased by 7% to $1,664. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment increased by 9% to $1,712, and the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment increased by 7% to $2,250.

  • Two-bedroom apartments in Atlanta rent for $2,250 a month on average (a 3% increase from last year).
  • Three-bedroom apartment rents average $2,300 (a 0% increase from last year).
  • Four-bedroom apartment rents average $2,495 (a 1% increase from last year).

The Zumper Atlanta Metro Area Report analyzed active listings across the metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest-growing rents. The Georgia one-bedroom median rent was $1,319 last month. Alpharetta was the most expensive city with one bedroom priced at $1,890 while East Point ranked as the most affordable city with one bedroom priced at $970.

The Fastest Growing Cities in The Atlanta Metro Area (Year-Over-Year) 

  • Athens had the fastest growing rent, up 12% since this time last year.
  • Lawrenceville saw rent climb 8.3%, making it the second fastest growing.
  • Gainesville was third with rent jumping 8.2%.

The Fastest Growing Cities in The Atlanta Metro Area (Month-Over-Month)

  • Athens rent experienced the largest monthly growth rate, up 5.7%.
  • Gainesville was second with rent growing 3.6%.
Metro Atlanta Rental Market Trends
Courtesy of Zumper.com

Atlanta Real Estate Market Forecast 2022 & 2023

Atlanta has been one of the hottest real estate markets in the country for years. It is also one of the hottest real estate markets for investing in rental properties. Population growth has had a positive impact on the housing market in Atlanta. Nearly 285,000 people moved to Georgia in 2019, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

This migration has made possible the state's consistent ‘best state for business' rankings. Area Development magazine named Georgia No. 1 for business – for seven straight years (2014-20). Nine out of 10 Fortune 500 companies have operations in Georgia – and 18 of these have made Georgia their world headquarters.

Much of this migration is driven by the strong business environment in Atlanta and the relative affordability of the city. Its robust knowledge-based economic ecosystem attracts new talent to the city. The net migration has led to an ever-increasing demand for housing in Atlanta which cannot be met with the current pace of new construction.

The Atlanta housing market has a housing shortage which will continue to contribute to increasing prices. Atlanta home prices on average are less expensive than the national average. Despite being below the national average, Atlanta home prices have more than doubled since 2012, and are projected to continue increasing.

According to a report released by the National Association of Realtors in December, Atlanta will be the nation's leading real estate market in 2023. Atlanta topped the association's list of markets to watch in 2023 based on its performance in 10 key indicators, such as housing affordability, employment conditions, and population growth, relative to the national average.

Let us look at the price trends recorded by Zillow over the past few years. Atlanta has a track record of being one of the best long-term real estate investments in the U.S. Since the last twelve months (October 2021), the Atlanta Metro home values have appreciated by nearly 18.4.% — Zillow Home Value Index. 

ZHVI represents the whole housing stock and not just the homes that list or sell in a given month. The typical home value of homes in the Atlanta metro is currently $381,587. It indicates that 50 percent of all housing stock in the area is worth more than $381,587 and 50 percent is worth less (adjusting for seasonal fluctuations).

NeighborhoodScout.com's data also shows that Atlanta real estate appreciated by nearly 142.22% over the last ten years. Its annual appreciation rate has been averaging 9.25%. This figure puts it in the top 10% nationally for real estate appreciation. During the latest twelve months tracked by them (2021 Q2 – 2022 Q2), the Atlanta appreciation rate was nearly 21.06%. From 2022 Q1 – 2022 Q2, the appreciation rate was 5.34%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 23.13%.

Here is Zillow's home price forecast for Atlanta Metropolitan Area. The forecast is until October 2023 and you can expect to see home price gains in this region.

  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell Metro home values have gone up 18.4% over the past year.
  • The Atlanta Metro housing market forecast ending with October 2033 is positive.
  • Zillow predicts that Atlanta MSA home values may grow by 2.6% between October 2022 to October 2023.
  • If this forecast is correct, Atlanta Metro home prices will be higher in the 3rd Quarter of 2023 than they were in the 3rd Quarter of 2022.
  • This figure corroborates N.A.R.'s forecast, which also predicts that home prices in this region are expected to grow in 2023.
Atlanta Real Estate Market Forecast
Courtesy of Zillow.com

Will Atlanta Housing Prices Go Down?

These numbers can be positive or negative depending on which side of the fence you are — Buyer or Seller? The constraint on available inventory is keeping the Atlanta real estate market skewed to sellers. Atlanta and the entire metro area market is hot that it cannot shift to a complete buyer’s real estate market, for the long term. The Atlanta real estate market benefits from a large and robust economy.

According to the data insights provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Atlanta metro area was the tenth-largest in the U.S. and among the top 20-largest in the world (in 2020). The housing demand in Atlanta is still high across the 11-county metro area. To counter the effects of this ongoing crisis, FED did an emergency rate cut which put rates at their lowest level in the last 50-year span.

In a balanced real estate market, it would take about five to six months for the supply to dwindle to zero. In terms of months of supply, Atlanta can become a buyer’s real estate market if the supply increases to more than five months of inventory. And that’s not going to happen. This housing market is skewed to sellers due to a persistent imbalance in supply and demand. The current inventory stands at around 2 months which favors property sellers.

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, timing your local market is an important part of real estate investment. For buyers in Atlanta, the mortgage rates were at their lowest last year, so they took advantage of scooping up their favorite deals which otherwise were taken away by seasoned investors in the bidding wars.

The rising interest rates are already leading to a decrease in mortgage applications. If you are still able to purchase a property whether for investment or personal, we would recommend you do so sooner rather than later because it will only get harder down the road as they make access to credit even more difficult later on. Keep leveraging the credit while you still can and have that money work for you.

Atlanta Real Estate Investment: Where To Buy Atlanta Rental Properties?

Is Atlanta real estate overvalued? Let’s talk a bit about Atlanta and the surrounding metro area. Atlanta is a minimally walkable city in Fulton County with a population of approximately 524,000 people. Atlanta is currently growing at a rate of 1.67% annually and its population has increased by 24.78% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 420,003 in 2010. Atlanta reached its highest population of 524,067 in 2021.

In 2013, its metropolitan area surpassed the 5.5 million mark for the first time. While growth is slower than it was in the 1990s and early 2000s, it is faster than the previous year and is expected to continue as Atlanta attracts new residents.

Atlanta has a mixture of owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing units. According to Neighborhoodscout.com, a real estate data provider, one and two-bedroom large apartment complexes are the most common housing units in Atlanta. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Atlanta include single-family detached homes, duplexes, rowhouses, and homes converted to apartments.

The Atlanta real estate market has had steady growth over the past several years which makes it a great place to live as well as invest in. Located in the state of Georgia, the city of Atlanta is a hotspot for any type of real estate investing. It is a city with an incredible amount of upside.

The cost of living in Atlanta is reasonable when compared to other big cities like Los Angeles or New York. Everybody loves the low cost of living in Atlanta but the students especially appreciate it making it one of the top rental markets in the United States. This factor alone draws young professionals priced out of those pricier markets.

If you are a savvy investor, you must be aware of the fact that Atlanta real estate has a record of being one of the best long-term investments in the nation. As an investor, you can buy a fully renovated turnkey rental property in Atlanta. It would be the best option for novice real estate investors looking for a steady rental income. Atlanta is a favorite place to live in for millennials who prefer renting over owning.

In the last five years, Atlanta’s job growth averaged 2.3 percent annually, outpacing the national average of 1.6 percent. The attractive cost of living and a multitude of jobs in various industries has made Atlanta one of the hottest residential and labor markets in the country. It continues to grow in terms of population and employment. The population of Atlanta is predicted to reach 8 million by 2040, according to a survey conducted by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

This will further increase rental demand in Atlanta. Atlanta is Georgia’s capital and economic center. It is considered one of the 10 most productive states that contribute to the USA’s GDP annually. As the city continues to go through an economic boom, prices of turnkey properties in Atlanta are forecasted to increase in the following years. People will want to beat out the competition and purchase soon if they’re looking to develop a successful career, surrounded by a diverse community, especially for today’s youth.

Atlanta has shown promising population growth and employment, which are two signs of a healthy real estate market. In the Atlanta metropolitan area, the leisure and hospitality industry had the largest employment gain from October 2018 to October 2019, up 14,700, or 4.9 percent. Local job gains occurred primarily in the food services and drinking places subsector (+11,400). Nationwide, employment in the leisure and hospitality industry rose 2.3 percent over the year.

Top Reasons To Invest In The Atlanta Real Estate Market?

  • Atlanta is one of the Top Rental Markets in the U.S.
  • Home prices are less expensive than the national average.
  • Newly renovated turnkey properties with tenants.
  • Turnkey Investment Properties starting at $100,000.
  • Up to 10% Cap Rate.
  • 500 people move to Atlanta every day!
  • 8 million people were expected by 2040 (Atlanta Regional Commission).
  • Key industries include Health Care, Professional, Scientific, Technology & Logistics.
  • Local Rate of Employment Growth Above the National Average (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
  • Atlanta is one of the five markets poised to eclipse Silicon Valley as a national center of technology growth (Forbes).

Let’s take a look at some of the best suburbs in Atlanta that you might want to consider looking into. Here are the best neighborhoods in Atlanta, which have an overall Niche grade of A or A+ from Niche.com. We’ll be taking a look at some of the important details of these neighborhoods of Atlanta: from population to crime rates to average real estate prices. If you want to buy a house or an Atlanta rental property for sale, then this list of some of the best suburbs in Atlanta is for you. It may help you in selecting the best and safest neighborhoods in Atlanta for your next investment property.

Buckhead Heights, Atlanta, GA

The urban neighborhood of Buckhead Heights has a population of roughly 2,130 people. Residents have been ranked as A, based on ethnic and economic diversity, with many of its residents having bachelor’s or master’s degrees. The average resident earns approximately $93,009. However, the cost of living falls into a grade of B. There are at least 23 public schools that serve this neighborhood; three having ranked as A-. They are the Smith Elementary School, and the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School for Elementary, and Middle school.

Public education is given the grade of B. Crime rates are pretty low in this area as it is given the grade of B. In the category of violent crimes, only 47 cases of robberies are reported per year. Unfortunately, the Buckhead Heights neighborhood has some property crime cases. The median value of the homes in this neighborhood is $296,500 and the median rent is $1,809. About 59% of the residents like to rent in this neighborhood.

Hanover West, Atlanta, GA

Located in the northern part of Atlanta, Hanover West was deemed the #1 best neighborhood in the city by neighborhood and school-rating website Niche. With a population of roughly 2,930 people, most residents appear to be young adults with bachelor’s degrees. Regarding ethnic and economic diversity, Niche.com rates Hanover West at a grade of B. Moreover, Hanover West Atlanta has been considered to be one of the safest neighborhoods, with few to no recorded violent crimes in the past year. On average, Hanover West has seen 63 burglary and theft incidents per 100,000 residents.

With about 13% of its population being children, there are about 23 public schools around the area. School ratings average at a B, with the best performing public schools being the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School for Kindergarten through 8th grade. Its middle school campus is ranked #1 as the best charter school in Georgia. The median value of homes in this neighborhood is around $298,736, while rent prices are approximately $1,190. These rates are considerably worth more when compared to the national average home value and rent prices which are $184,700 and $949, respectively.

Collier Hills North, Atlanta, GA

The lovely neighborhood of Collier Hill North has a population of 3,561 and has a grade of A- regarding ethnic and economic diversity. The median household income of this area is calculated to be $68, 569, and approximately 36% of residents have obtained a bachelor’s degree. Niche.com gave public school education a grade of B-. Of the 23 public schools in this area, two are graded A-. Additionally, Collier Hills North is one of the safest neighborhoods on this list as it is given a grade of A+.

There are no reported violent crimes in the area, and only an average of 52 petty crimes are committed under the theft and burglary category. The cost of living is known to have a grade of B-. The median home value in Collier Hills is $715,177. Collier Hills' home values have gone up 2.4% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will fall -1.3% within the next year. The median cost of rent is approximately $1,289, higher than the national average of $949. Most residents have chosen to buy their homes, instead of rent. Collier Hills is one of the best suburbs to invest in the Atlanta real estate market.

Brookwood, Atlanta, GA

A more extensive neighborhood, Brookwood Atlanta consists of 6,046 people with children compromising 5% of the total population. 48% of its residents are noted to obtain bachelor’s degrees. Regarding median household income, residents of Brookwood earn an outstanding $74,057 annually. It has a grade of A for ethnic and economic diversity. On the other hand, the grade of public school education in this area is a B-. However, among the 26 schools that serve this area, five public schools have a class of at least A.

The Grady High school, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School of both the Elementary and Middle school campuses receive a grade of A. The Inman Middle School and Springdale Elementary School both received a grade of A-. Brookwood Atlanta has been given a grade of A- regarding crime and safety. In terms of violent crimes, 19 cases of robbery are estimated to occur per 100,000 in a year. However, Brookwood has many instances of petty crimes in its neighborhood.

Despite these grades, Brookwood Atlanta has a median home value of $349,879 and a median rent of $1,432. Given those estimates, it is not a surprise to find that 61% of its resident choose to rent their homes whereas only 39% own their houses. Due to the high population of renters, the Brookwood neighborhood is a great choice to invest in Atlanta rental properties. 

Cross Creek, Atlanta, GA

Cross Creek's neighborhood has located near the Atlanta Memorial Park, with a population of approximately 2,143 residents. In the past year, the website Niche.com has rated it as one of the best places for millennials in the Atlanta area. The neighborhood boasts a high diversity rating based on ethnicity and economic status. Most residents appear to be young adults and adults up to 30 years old with bachelor’s degrees. Only 9% of its population is children.

Cross Creek was given a crime & safety rating of B by Niche.com. Per 100,000 residents, there have been some violent crimes, although all below the national average. As for its motor vehicle theft cases, the neighborhood appears to have a higher-than-average count of 511 cases, compared to the national average of 263.

That being said, Cross Creek housing was given a rating of A-, with its median home value being estimated at $192,795. while the median rent is $1,369. Surprisingly, statistics show that homeowners and renters are split in the area at exactly 50% for both. It is also considered to be a good place to live in Atlanta. Investing in Atlanta rental properties in this neighborhood would be a good investment decision.

Hills Park, Atlanta, GA

Hills Park is another good neighborhood of Atlanta with a population of approximately 54,152. Similar to the other neighborhoods, most of the residents in Hills Park Atlanta have obtained a bachelor’s degree, having a percentage of 45%. White-Collar employment amounts to 86.47 %. The median household income of this area is $47,918. Public school education is given a rank of B-, with 30 public schools serve this area. Among these selections, four schools are given a grade of A- and above.

Grade High School has the highest rank regarding the quality of education with a degree of A. The three remaining schools receive an A-. Hills Park is rated B+ on crime and safety. Only 84 cases of robbery are reported per 100,000 residents in one year. However, a considerable number of petty crimes occur in this area, the majority of them falling under the category of theft.

Nonetheless, it is known as a safe neighborhood among folks. Hills Park Atlanta has a median home value of $305,162. and the median rental price of homes in this area is $1,526. Even so, the majority of residents choose to own their homes. 52% of its residents own their homes, while 48% are renting them. Hills Park is one of the best places for living in Atlanta and can be chosen for investing in rental properties.

Midtown Atlanta, GA

Midtown Atlanta is the second-largest business district in the city of Atlanta, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown to the south and Buckhead to the north. Midtown is home to some of Atlanta's priciest apartments. It is a large area of Atlanta immediately north of Downtown with many sites and activities. The skyscraper district aligns with Peachtree Street. To the east of Peachtree Street is Piedmont Park, and to the west are Atlantic Station and the Georgia Tech campus area. With a population of 22, 539, the neighborhood of Midtown Atlanta is the largest in terms of population.

Only 5% of the total population are children. Like the other neighborhoods, people with a bachelor’s degree are the largest among education levels, consisting of 38% of the population. The middle-class household income in this area is $74,194, which is considerably lower compared to the other neighborhoods. Ethic and economic diversity are graded A. Public school education receives a grade of B-. 28 public schools serve this neighborhood, and six of them have been given a grade of A- and higher. Grady High School boasts the highest grade received, which is A. The remaining schools all receive A-.

Unfortunately, Midtown Atlanta has a low score on the crime and safety portion. With a grade of C, the neighborhood has a lot of recorded violent and property crimes. Nonetheless, residents claim that Midtown is the “pulse of the city”, highlighting that living here is a great experience. Likewise, it gained a high rating in the nightlife category. With these ratings, the median home value of this Midtown Atlanta is at $355,944 and the median rental price is $1,444. 55% of its population chose to rent their homes, while the remaining 44% own them. According to Zillow, Midtown Atlanta's home values have gone up 2.4% over the past year. Therefore, Midtown can be considered for investing in Atlanta rental properties. 

Candler Park, Atlanta, GA

Candler Park is a city park located at 585 Candler Park Drive NE, in Atlanta, Georgia. According to Wikipedia, it is named after Coca-Cola magnate Asa Griggs Candler, who donated this land to the city in 1922. Candler Park Atlanta is another large neighborhood regarding population. According to Point2homes.com, the total population of this neighborhood is 19,652. Similar to the other neighborhoods, public school education in this Candler Park Atlanta has a score of B from Niche.com. Among 26 public schools that serve this area, six of them have a rating of at least A-.

Grady High School has a grade of A, making it the highest quality public school in the area. The other schools are graded with a score of A. Regarding crime and safety, Candler Park Atlanta fares as well as Midtown. It has a grade of C+ and many recorded cases of violent and property crimes. A review indicated that in the case of reported criminal activity, police officers are quick to respond. Its median home value is the second-highest on the list, which is estimated to be $450,226. On the other hand, the median rent in this area amounts to $1,222.

The median household income is $100,885. The majority of the residents own their houses, consisting of 60% of the population. The remaining 40% choose to rent their homes. Given the fact that Candler Park is ranked among the best places to live and raise a family in Atlanta, we recommend this neighborhood for investing in rental properties for the long term. According to Zillow, Candler Park home values have gone up 3.6% over the past year.

North Buckhead, Atlanta, GA

North Buckhead Atlanta is a neighborhood in the Buckhead district, at the northern edge of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of Atlanta's most affluent neighborhoods. North Buckhead Atlanta is also the second-largest neighborhood in terms of population. It has a population of 10,848, according to Point2homes.com. Despite its large community, it has a grade of A- regarding ethnic and economic diversity on Niche.com.

North Buckhead is an uptown commercial and residential district of Atlanta, Georgia. It mostly consists of large single-family homes that are situated among dense forests and rolling hills. As far as crime is considered, much of Buckhead is considered to be safe, except for the Lindbergh neighborhood.

North Buckhead Atlanta has a higher score on the portion of public school education quality. With a grade of B, 35 public schools serve this area. Though only six of them have a rating of A-. These schools are Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, The Main Street Lower Academy, Riverwood International Charter School, Smith Elementary School, and Jackson Elementary School. The crime and safety portion has a bit lower score of B-. The area has numerous reported cases of violent and property crimes.

Nonetheless, reviewers describe the region as a “truly great place to live, work, and play.” North Buckhead Atlanta has the highest median home value on the list with $588,242. The median rent price is $1,474. The median household income of people in this area is $134,673. Even so, 53% own their homes while 47% rent them. That's almost half of the total population. North Buckhead home values have gone up 0.2% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will fall -2.3% within the next year. Although the home prices are quite high, this neighborhood is currently a buyer's market and this is the right time to invest in a property.

North Springs, Atlanta, GA

North Springs is a quiet neighborhood and has amazing proximity to everything you could want. It is located in the famous city of Sandy Springs which is the most expensive neighborhood in Atlanta. It is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Both The North Springs and Sandy Springs Stations were opened on December 16, 2000, as part of MARTA's most recent expansion, adding two more stations north of the Dunwoody Station.

The market temperature is neutral at the moment. It is a balanced real estate market. The median home value in Sandy Springs is $512,458. Sandy Springs home values have gone up 2.3% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will fall -2.0% within the next year. The median household income is around $84,000 and a40% of the population like to rent a house in this neighborhood of Atlanta.

Purchasing the best investment properties in Atlanta appears to be on the pricier end. However, this is because you’re also purchasing other positive aspects of the estate such as security, and community diversity. You’re paying for quality real estate in Atlanta when you decide to buy investment properties in the neighborhoods listed above. One disadvantage may come from families looking for premier schools for their children. Most of the schools surrounding the neighborhoods listed in this article are given ratings of B on Niche.com. Considerably, it may be a not so good decision for parents who want their children to attend the best schools in the country.

That being said, Atlanta appears to be a wise choice of city for the youth. In many of the above-mentioned neighborhoods, their residents seem to be young adults, based on their educational attainment. Likewise, Atlanta has come to be a bustling economic center. This is an advantage for people looking to begin or improve their careers. Good cash flow from Atlanta rental property means the investment is, needless to say, profitable. On the other hand, a bad cash flow means you won’t have money on hand to repay your debt. Therefore, finding a good Atlanta real estate investment opportunity would be key to your success.

When looking for real estate investment opportunities in Atlanta or anywhere in the country, the generally accepted standard is to purchase a property that will give you a modest but minimum 1% profit on your investment. An example would be: at $120,000 mortgage or investment cost, $1200 per month rental. That would be the ideal equation for example. Even with rent increases, buying a $500,000 investment property in Atlanta is not going to get you $5000 per month on rent.

When looking for the best real estate investments in Atlanta, you should focus on neighborhoods with relatively high population density and employment growth. Both of them translate into high demand for housing. If housing supply meets housing demand, real estate investors should not miss the opportunity since entry prices of homes remain affordable. The neighborhoods in Atlanta must be safe to live in and should have a low crime rate.

The neighborhoods should be close to basic amenities, public services, schools, and shopping malls. A cheaper neighborhood in Atlanta might not be the best place to live in. A cheaper neighborhood should be determined by these factors – Overall Cost Of Living, Rent To Income Ratio, and Median Home Value To Income Ratio. It depends on how much you are looking to spend and if you are wanting smaller investment properties or larger deals in Class A neighborhoods.

Atlanta, Georgia Real Estate Investment Opportunities

Buying or selling real estate, for a majority of investors, is one of the most important decisions they will make. Choosing a real estate professional/counselor continues to be a vital part of this process. They are well-informed about critical factors that affect your specific market areas, such as changes in market conditions, market forecasts, consumer attitudes, best locations, timing, and interest rates.

NORADA REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS has extensive experience investing in turnkey real estate and cash-flow properties. We strive to set the standard for our industry and inspire others by raising the bar on providing exceptional real estate investment opportunities in many other growth markets in the United States. We can help you succeed by minimizing risk and maximizing the profitability of your investment property in Atlanta.

Consult with one of the investment counselors who can help build you a custom portfolio of Atlanta turnkey properties. These are “Cash-Flow Rental Properties” located in some of the best neighborhoods of Atlanta.

Not just limited to Atlanta or Georgia but you can also invest in some of the best real estate markets in the United States. All you have to do is fill up this form and schedule a consultation at your convenience. We’re standing by to help you take the guesswork out of real estate investing. By researching and structuring complete Atlanta turnkey real estate investments, we help you succeed by minimizing risk and maximizing profitability.

Georgia's real estate market is a great place to invest in real estate. You can also invest in Savannah real estate market. Savannah, Georgia is separated from South Carolina by the namesake Savannah River. This means the Savannah housing market includes quite a few people living in South Carolina. The Savannah real estate market includes roughly 350,000 people. This makes it the third-largest metropolitan area in Georgia. If you take the de facto suburbs on the Carolina side, these small towns put half a million people in the larger Savannah metro area.

Georgia is bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina, to the northeast by South Carolina, to the south by Florida, and to the west by Alabama. All of these states have some of the best real estate markets where you can buy rental properties.

Charlotte is one such place that we would recommend. Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina. The city proper is home to more than 800,000 people. The Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area is even larger – home to roughly two and a half million people.

It is one of the country’s fastest-growing metro areas, and it was the second fastest-growing city in the southeastern United States. Buying real estate in Charlotte is a good investment, depending upon several factors.

There are so many major companies and professional sporting events that people will always be interested in residing here. Therefore, interested investors aren't likely to allow the listing prices to get too low before they swoop in and take advantage.

On the west of GA is the state of Alabama. Birmingham, Al has seen an upward trend in terms of its population growth. One factor that has led to this increase is its rich nature of mountainous ridges and a good share of physical scenery.

Since its year of discovery, the city has been an educational center of the state of Alabama and has been the favorite destination of many educational aspirants who come here to seek the careers of their choice. Hundreds of schools have been set up in the city of Birmingham and several top-notch universities.

The city's ever-growing population shows a need for real estate investments and developments for the good of the new growing population. There are several good reasons to invest in Birmingham properties.

Let us know which real estate markets in the United States you consider best for real estate investing! 


Remember, caveat emptor still applies when buying a property anywhere. Some of the information contained in this article was pulled from third-party sites mentioned under references. Although the information is believed to be reliable, Norada Real Estate Investments makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees, either express or implied, as to whether the information presented is accurate, reliable, or current. All information presented should be independently verified through the references given below. As a general policy, Norada Real Estate Investments makes no claims or assertions about the future housing market conditions across the US. 

References:

Market Prices, Trends & Forecasts
https://www.gamls.com/statistics
https://www.atlantarealtors.com/
https://www.zillow.com/atlanta-ga/home-values
https://www.atlantarealtors.com/Resource-Center/abr-market-brief.aspx
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Atlanta_GA/overview
https://www.realwealthnetwork.com/markets/atlanta-georgia
http://www.metrodepth.com/atlanta/
http://www.justluxe.com/travel/atlanta-news__1899269.php
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2020/06/15/metro-atlanta-housing-sales-tumble-37-may.html
https://atlanta.curbed.com/2020/3/17/21182334/coronavirus-atlanta-home-buying-real-estate-covid-19

Foreclosures
https://www.realtytrac.com/statsandtrends/ga/fulton-county/atlanta

Neighborhoods & Statistics
https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-neighborhoods/t/atlanta-fulton-ga
https://www.homesnacks.net/richest-neighborhoods-in-atlanta-128964
https://www.point2homes.com/
https://www.zillow.com/

Filed Under: Growth Markets, Housing Market, Real Estate Investing Tagged With: Atlanta Housing Market, Atlanta Housing Prices, Atlanta Real Estate, Atlanta Real Estate Market

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