Current Policies: How They Affect Real Estate Investing

Written by Posted On Friday, 19 May 2017 08:35

As 2017 gets well under way, many people wonder how the policies of the new President and Congress will affect the housing market in general, and real estate investing more specifically. Let's look at some of the different policies on the books so far and what they might mean for you.
 
Reverse the Executive Order To Reduce Mortgage Insurance Premiums by 0.25%
 
The administration reversed the order to reduce the mortgage insurance premiums by 0.25% of the toal amount borrowed. Some people are happy, saying that the insurance protects taxpayers in case of another housing market crash. Others were distressed saying that this move keeps low-income home buyers from affording loans.
 
In terms of real estate investing, it depends on where you are in the process. For those that already have a mortgage, they will not be affected by the change. However, those that are seeking a new mortgage could not have higher mortgage fees, making some homes no longer a good buy for real estate purposes. This means that you need to be sure to calculate all your costs associated with your mortgage to be sure that the home will have a positive cash flow.
 
Increase in Mortgage Rates
 
Mortgage rates are increasing and will continue to do so throughout 2017. However, what will come after the end of the year is still unknown. It is possible that new tax policies will cause mortgage rates to decline.
 
For those that are investing, even with rising rates, there are still great deal to be had. The end of 2017 will still have very low interest rates. Paired with a low inventory of houses, the interest rates should not be a big factor at this time.
 
Loosening Regulations Dealing with Loans
 
This administration says that it will create policies that free up home buyers to apply for a wider variety of loans. This will start by reevaluating the Dodd-Frank Act to loosen some of the regulations on banks. This will allow banks to lend to more people.
 
For those that invest in real estate, this means that bank loans may be easier to obtain as you find properties. Of course, this will depend on the actual regulations put into effect.
 
Increase Tarriffs on Imported Goods
 
This regulation doesn't sound like it would affect real estate, but it will. As tariffs increase on imported goods, funding and investment will divert to more local resources. As this happens, local housing markets and prices will increase.
 
For those that invest in real estate, as more money stays in the local market, they will see local housing markets and prices increase. In general, industry-friendly policies help the real estate market.
 
As more policies change, real estate investors may see changes to the investing landscape. Some
policies could be good for investments while others not so good. However, as long as you look at the numbers and make sure the property will cash flow, then real estate investing will remain a valuable asset in your portfolio.

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John Trautman

John Trautman has spent his entire adult life in real estate. Purchasing his first property at 23, he learned the process of flipping and real estate holding from the ground up. Real estate continue to be his passion while he spent eight years as an account executive and later a vice President for Washington Mutual in the mortgage division. Holding the position of President’s Council and several years of President’s Club, he learned the lending business from the mortgage office perspective and lender perspective. Throughout his life he has also been a small business owner, commercial real estate holder, property designer, and house flipper.

During the downturn, John followed the deal to Detroit, Michigan, where he invested in single family rentals and multi-family dwellings. Once his returns were realized, he moved quickly to Arizona to invest in another distressed market.

His passion for making a deal and real estate has lead him to create a hands-on real estate investment mentoring club called Real Estate Knowledge Institute

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