Mortgage & Commercial Lending News.

The 'fix and flip' investment strategy is one of several available to real estate investors. While some consider it to be relatively straightforward, it has its complexities as any other business endeavor. If executed poorly, it can lead to much lower returns than expected. In a competitive market where there is a shortage of houses to flip, workers and materials, flipping houses can become more difficult than usual. In this economic environment, investing in a distressed property that meets all the characteristics needed for high returns becomes essential. Furthermore, if you are new to fix and flipping, or if you already have done several, it is good to remember that seeking the help of professionals can make the entire process efficient and beneficial.

The past two years have led to a new economic reality in the US: the evolving, work-related lifestyle in the post-pandemic economy—one where work is all about flexible hours and can be done away from the office, be it from home, the vicinity of your home (a coffeehouse, maybe?) or elsewhere! Employees have more flexibility on their hands regarding their working habits than they ever anticipated. They have been finding ways to spend this newly acquired flexibility for their benefit and for the use of their employers through increased productivity levels. An aspect that has attracted attention recently is that the option of "working from home" has allowed individuals to enjoy fresh air and quality time with friends and family in vacation-like settings without utilizing their vacation days. A new standard option for people who can work from home is spending time in what used to be considered "a vacation home," whether it be on the outskirts of town, at the beach, by a lake, or in a scenic area. You can come into work on time without ever having to commute, and as soon as your workday is over, you are in a "vacation setting." As to how this new trend impacts real estate, there seems to be a booming market as "vacation home" sales (or sale of houses in what we're up to a few years ago considered "vacation towns") continue to grow.

Our good friends at Moody Rambin recently posted a concise and exciting set of regional economic data entitled "Houston's Economy at a Glance."[1]. Reading their blog set us thinking about letting our faithful readers know what the near-future economy might look like in the Houston area. So without any further delays, we present some interesting information that might help you in your future business and real estate investment plans (we reproduce some information we borrowed from the cited article).

It would be nice to have a crystal ball here at AMI Lenders to predict the future, but sadly we don't. In any case, given that the hot housing market is very much in the news these days, we would like to help you decide whether the time is right for you to invest in the real estate market in the next 12 to 18 months (we are writing this blog in early September 2021). So, with all the caveats in place and all the legal disclaimers that we are not fortune tellers, the following are some informed predictions about what you might expect to see in the next year and a half in the residential property market. Spoiler: now is the time to invest in residential property.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to purchasing flood insurance.

Many homeowners think they’re not at risk for flooding, when they usually are. And many believe that if they are flooded, they’re insured for it. For example, the coverage is often inadequate lacking enough coverage to fully rebuild the home. Although flood insurance is available to many homeowners under the NFIP, most don’t have it. This is true for many of Hurricane Harvey’s victims. This hurricane was the most significant tropical hurricane in the United States history. Harvey’s damage was between $90 Billion and $160 Billion with a midpoint at $125 Billion.