If you have been on the fence about getting into real estate investing, now may be the best time to take that first dive into this business. Real estate has seen its highs and lows over the past decade.
Due to the subprime mortgage housing crisis, many investors jumped ship when it came to this business, and ever since then, there still seems to be whispers of hesitation to enter back into this market.
However, in recent years, there appears to be an upswing in the real estate market, prompting experienced investors to return and even inspiring confidence in newbie investors to try their hand at investing.
Here are three reasons why now may be the best time to invest in real estate.
1. Home prices are rising
One of the first signs that the real estate market is seeing improvement is that the prices of homes are steadily rising. According to a study conducted by CoreLogic, “national home prices were 5.7% higher in June compared to a year ago.” Some areas are seeing astonishing levels of growth, specifically Washington, Oregon and Colorado, which have experienced a yearly price gain over 9%, the three highest in the country according to CoreLogic’s data.
Yahoo Finance reported that “June is the 52nd consecutive month where U.S. median home prices increased on a year-over-year basis.” This rise in prices could be due to the lack of inventory in the market, which is driving prices up and giving investors the opportunity to capitalize on these investments.
2. The rental market is growing
The rental market for real estate investing also appears to be seeing a change for the better due to this lower inventory of distressed properties which is raising the prices of rentals, giving buy and hold investors important insight into where to invest based on the current market trends.
In a recent webinar hosted by Dennis Cisterna, chief revenue officer for Investability, he discussed how the current single family rental market is experiencing a growth spurt. He attributes this to the stabilizing economy increasing demand for rentals, the lower inventory leading to rising prices, and the difficulty people are experiencing obtaining mortgages as reasons why they are moving more towards renting.
He further explains how investors are branching out to markets outside their local areas: “In 2016, people want to invest in markets outside their own neighborhood because if you want to buy a rental property and live in Southern California right now you’re going to spend over $400,000 and possibly not even have any positive cash flow in year one.”
3. Foreclosure levels at the lowest since 2000
Another important sign that the tides are turning in a positive direction is the fact that foreclosures are on the decline. MarketWatch cites data compiled by Black Knight Financial Services that show in the year 2000, the number of foreclosures was 114,310 and now in 2016, that number has dropped to a staggering 77,657 compared to its peak between 2008 and 2010 of about 650,000 foreclosures reported.
These numbers should further prove how the economy is seeing a change for the better, another indicator for investors to try and get into the business while the market still is primed for it. Less foreclosures mean homeowners have the money to pay their mortgages so banks aren’t coming in and taking away their investments.
The future for investors
If you are new to investing or were involved in the business before and took a break due to the uncertainty of the market, now may be the best time to get back in and start building those investments for the future. Take the rising home prices, the growing rental market, and the low levels of foreclosures as signs of a better real estate market ahead for all investors.
