El Paso Investors Club

Consumer finance education site LendEDU took a look at hundreds of America’s cities to find & rank those which are best positioned for economic advancement over the new decade.  Their report analyzed a several factors including recent income growth, population changes, and educational attainment levels.  Interestingly, several of the cities are in California which has been experiencing population loss for a variety of reasons. Indeed…

“The 2020s will inevitably bring drastic changes that will impact the lives of millions of Americans; this list estimates which places in the U.S. will experience the most profound economic changes, whether for better or worse, over the next 10 years.”

The top 25 U.S. Cities Best Positioned For Economic Advancement in the New Decade are:

1. San Diego
2. Reno
3. Los Angeles
4. San Francisco
5. Miami, FL
6. San Jose
7. Stockton, CA
8. Charleston, SC
9. Fresno, CA
10. Orlando
11. Portland, OR
12. Atlanta
13. Provo, UT
14. Sacramento
15. Riverside, CA
16. Austin, TX
17. Savannah, GA
18. Raleigh, NC
19. Chicago
20. Seattle
21. Charlotte, NC
22. Santa Rosa, CA
23. St. George, UT
24. Cape Coral, FL
25. Boston

Click here to read the full story at LendEDU.com.

Is it better to buy or rent?  That’s an age-old question that really depends on a lot of variables – especially an individual’s station in life.  In their recent 2020 Rental Affordability Report, ATTOM Data crunched the numbers to show that owning a median-priced, three-bedroom home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 455 (53%) of  855 U.S. counties analyzed for their report.  Specifically, they looked at recently released fair market rent data for 2020 from HUD, wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics along with public record sales deed data from ATTOM Data Solutions in 855 counties that had sufficient home sales data.  Be sure to click on the map below to make it interactive and then drill down into your area of investing interest.

“Home ownership is a better deal than renting for the average wage earner in a slim majority of U.S. housing markets. However, there are distinct differences between different places, depending on the size and location from core metro areas,” said Todd Teta, chief product officer with ATTOM Data Solutions.

Click on the map to make it interactive

Click here to read the full report at ATTOMdata.com

The  National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) recently released their top five lawn & landscape trends for 2020. According to the report, they tapped into the expertise of landscape professionals from across the country to predict design & maintenance trends that will create healthy and beautiful green spaces across America.  The NALP represents an industry that employs nearly 1 million landscape, lawn care, irrigation and tree care professionals who create and maintain healthy green spaces for the benefit of society and the environment.  Indeed…

“Foundational landscape elements remain on homeowners’ wish lists, but modern updates and technology are now a top priority. With a wave of design and technical innovations, our members report that ornate hardscaping, contemporary features, lush gardens and smart irrigation are all trending and will influence landscape designs across the country in 2020,” says Britt Wood, CEO, National Association of Landscape Professionals.”

Click here to read the full story at loveyourlandscape.org.

What are the top real estate markets for 2020?  The folks over at Realtor.com recently put together their forecast for 2020 and they say these are the places where their paychecks will go the farthest and people can enjoy a more laid-back pace of life.  Interestingly, they are mostly medium-size metros in the South and non-coastal West.  Indeed….

“The cities that we expect to do best in 2020 are not necessarily big, fancy, coastal cities, but secondary markets where the job market is still pretty good but housing is affordable,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist of realtor.com.

Realtor.com’s top 10 markets for 2020 are:

1. Boise City, ID
2. McAllen, TX
3. Tucson, AZ
4. Chattanooga, TN
5. Columbia,SC
6. Rochester, NY
7. Colorado Springs, CO
8. Winston-Salem, NC
9. Charleston, SC
10. Memphis, TN

Click here to read the full story at Realtor.com.

Protesters in Oregon (via Rental Housing Journal)

With the ever-increasing lack of affordable housing in this country the last thing we need is more rent control – especially in urban areas where across the board demand is high and supply is low.  A recent story in Multi-Housing News reminds us that while rent control “seemed to be on the ropes a few years ago” it started rearing its ugly head in places like New York, California and Oregon – all of which passed new rent control measures in 2019 and likely paving the way for others to follow suit.

“Unfortunately, what passes for action to alleviate the crisis is often shortsighted. Solutions that are more likely to have an impact—such as increased density, a streamlined entitlement process and additional subsidies—are difficult to implement in the current political climate.”

“Of the rent control measures passed to date, New York’s is the most punitive and has had the most immediate impact. The larger problem, though, is twofold: Once in place, it is easier to progressively tighten the screws and make the laws more onerous for property owners. The second problem is that rent control gives the appearance of action and diverts attention from the real solution, which is that we need to build more units that are affordable.”

“Alleviating the affordable housing issue in the U.S. will take commitment and cooperation from builders, municipalities and other stakeholders. The depth of the crisis has spurred action, but the fact that rent control remains the first response for some states is a sign that finding solutions is likely to be an arduous process riddled with bumps.”

Click here to read the full story at MultiHousingNews.com.