Displaying items by tag: real estate

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer an appealing option for investors seeking steady passive income, though dividends are never guaranteed. They are required to distribute at least 90% of rental profits as dividends, often yielding attractive returns. 

Additionally, REITs diversify risk by owning numerous properties across various sectors, including industrial, commercial, and residential, which investors might otherwise find inaccessible. 

Segro, a REIT specializing in warehouses across Europe, benefits from high demand and low supply, driving strong rental growth and a projected 4.2% yield for 2025. Grainger, the UK’s largest listed residential landlord, leverages the rental housing shortage to deliver robust earnings growth, offering a reliable 3.6% dividend yield with expectations of further increases in the coming years.

Finsum: With tenants locked into long-term contracts, rental income from REITs tends to be stable and predictable.

Several Western and Midwestern cities, including Boise, Idaho, and Stockton, California, are projected to join the "million-dollar club" in median home prices over the next decade. 

Realtor.com's forecast estimates Boise’s median price will rise from about $464,000 to $1.2 million by 2033, following a strong growth trend seen in previous years. Other cities expected to cross the million-dollar mark include Salt Lake City, Portland, and Colorado Springs. Stockton’s proximity to costly Bay Area markets is driving its prices, with an anticipated median of $1.4 million by 2033. 

Denver and Sacramento are also projected for substantial gains, reaching approximately $1.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively. These forecasts hinge on continued demand and limited supply, but a surge in new construction could temper these projected gains.

Finsum: One key aspect of this to watch is how fast wages are growing in these cities as this is a strong indicator of future home price growth

Private equity's growing control of rental housing has sparked concern as rents continue to rise, prompting calls for scrutiny from lawmakers. Senator Elizabeth Warren, joined by three colleagues, recently questioned KKR on how its recent $2.1 billion investment in rental units across eight states will impact long-term tenants and rental rates. 

KKR asserts its investments provide high-quality housing, but critics argue these acquisitions contribute to rising costs and fewer homeownership opportunities for regular buyers.

A Harvard report shows that rents have surged far faster than household incomes, putting financial strain on tenants who are forced to limit spending on essentials. Vice President Kamala Harris and other leaders have also highlighted private equity’s role in pricing out individual buyers and impacting housing affordability. 

Finsum: This type of regulation will obviously depend on the election results but there is little doubt that the Harris administration will make large changes to housing. 

The drop in interest rates last month contributed to an over 3% rise in the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index, continuing a strong upward trend since October 2023, pushing growth to nearly 40%. In the third quarter, the index saw a notable 16.8% return, outperforming broader stock indices. 

Gains were broad, led by data centers, specialty, and office REITs, though residential REITs slightly declined. The shift in rates is also expected to bridge the gap between public and private real estate markets, potentially revitalizing commercial real estate investment. 

Active REIT managers have adjusted sector allocations, with healthcare, data centers, and telecommunications seeing increased interest. With REITs benefiting from strong balance sheets and attractive debt rates, the outlook for continued growth and activity remains positive for the coming quarters.

Finsum: We think gains are more likely to be robust in residential REITs because they are less dependent on work policies and labor market conditions.

While nontraded real estate investment trusts (REITs) have faced another challenging year, financial advisors are seeing a rise in sales of alternative investments overall. By August, financial advisors sold $76.6 billion of illiquid alternatives, including nontraded REITs, business development companies (BDCs), interval funds, and private placements. 

This amount matches 2023's total, with projections indicating the industry will surpass $115 billion by the end of 2024. Sales of nontraded REITs have notably decreased to $4.2 billion in the first eight months, compared to their peak of over $33 billion in 2022. 

However, BDCs have overtaken REITs as the most popular alternative investment sold, with $23.7 billion in sales through August. Blackstone Inc. leads in nontraded REIT and BDC sales this year.

Finsum: There is still an elevated risk premium built into most non-treasury rates right currently but REITs could see a bounce back with that falling soon.