Homebuyer mortgage demand drops further, a troubling sign for the spring market from CNBC

CNBC Reports: Mortgage Demand Drops A Lot: What It Means for Renters and Rental Investors This Spring (2025)

ByHayli Mace

CNBC recently reported that mortgage demand has dropped further, sparking concerns about a cooling spring homebuying market. For those of us in property management, however, this trend unveils a hidden opportunity. When high-quality movers decide not to buy, they’re almost always shifting to rentals. This pivot sets the stage for a surge in demand for…

Starter homes cost 1091 more per month to purchase than rent 2025

How Can Rents Be Down if Starter Homes Cost $1,091 More Per Month to Purchase than Rent?

ByHayli Mace

Key takeaways On average, purchasing a home now costs $1,091 more per month than renting the same property. Although this gap has narrowed from the $1,349 peak in October 2023, it remains significantly higher than the historical national average of $233. Across the top 20 single-family rental (SFR) markets, the spread between purchasing and renting…

Zillow Rent Index CPI New Tenant Indexes

Research Rental Rates with this Chart of the 3 Leading Indexes: CPI Rent, New Tenant Rent, and Zillow Rent Index

ByHayli Mace

For rental property owners and investors, understanding market trends is essential to making informed decisions. Tools like the CPI Rent Index, New Tenant Rent Index, and the Zillow Rent Index offer valuable insights into the rental market. These indexes track various aspects of rent pricing, from long-term inflation-adjusted trends to the latest market shifts in…

Sunbelt southern rental markets have experienced the toughest conditions over the past 18 months

Markets in the South and West, many of which had red-hot rent growth since 2022 brought down average rent growth

ByHayli Mace

Calculated Risk Newsletter: National Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year “Single-family rents posted below-trend growth in October, both in annual and monthly rate increases. While national growth was below-trend, some markets, particularly markets that have had tepid rent increases over the past two years, led rent increases for the nation,” said CoreLogic senior principal economist Molly…