Will Individual Agents Be The Real Winners In The IBuyer Game?

While iBuyer companies continue to make news, there's an interesting trend afoot that virtually no one seems to have noticed: Opendoor, Knock, Offerpad and Redfin might not be as formidable as the press makes them out to be. Could it be that the real winner in the iBuyer arena is the agent conducting an old-fashioned print marketing campaign?

Read more... https://www.inman.com/2019/02/25/will-individual-agents-be-the-real-winners-in-the-ibuyer-game/

These 1 percenters are NYC real estate’s biggest losers

Don't believe the brochures. A Billionaire's Row apartment can be a terrible investment.

"One of the things that I struggle to wrap my head around is why people continue to park money in high-end New York real estate when it's not a very lucrative asset class," said Grant Long, senior economist at StreetEasy, a New York listing platform.

Read more... https://nypost.com/2019/02/16/these-1-percenters-are-nyc-real-estates-biggest-losers/

Housing Sentiment May Be Bouncing Back

Respondents to Fannie Mae's January National Housing Survey adopted a new outlook to go along with the new year, primarily in responses about their personal financial situation.  As a result, the Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) increased 1.2 point to 84.7, taking back some of the 2.3 points it shed in December.

Read more... http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/02072019_national_housing_survey.asp

The U.S. Cut Taxes. Why Will Fewer Folks Get Refunds?

U.S. taxpayers are filing their first returns under the 2017 tax code overhaul that lowered rates for most people. What makes the paperwork headaches tolerable for many is the promise of a tax refund at the finish line. Yet more taxpayers will end up with no refund, or a smaller one, compared with a year ago, before the lower rates fully took effect. How could that be? The explanation rests with the many other changes that made it into the revised tax code. Some Americans are venting their surprise and anger.

Read more.... https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-us-cut-taxes-why-will-fewer-folks-get-refunds/2019/02/09/c7d34af4-2c40-11e9-906e-9d55b6451eb4_story.html

18 Commercial Real Estate Trends To Dominate In 2019

Goodbye 2018, hello 2019! As the new year approaches, Bisnow spoke with several industry execs, researchers and economists to uncover the major trends expected to dominate the commercial real estate industry in the coming year. From the rise of opportunity zones to a slowdown in industrial absorption, these are 18 trends experts forecast for 2019.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/commercial-real-estate/commercial-real-estate-trends-to-dominate-in-2019-95890?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

Read more https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/commercial-real-estate/commercial-real-estate-trends-to-dominate-in-2019-95890

Phoenix's Desert Ridge City North land sold in bankruptcy deal, development to finally restart

Development on a big chunk of northeast Phoenix's popular Desert Ridge community is no longer on hold. That means more money could start flowing to Arizona schools.

Read more https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/real-estate/catherine-reagor/2019/01/30/phoenix-desert-ridge-land-sells-deal-development-restart-crown-realty-bruce-gray/2711534002/