Friday, February 1, 2013

Rentals in the Heartland

Destination Heartland!!!   That is where savvy investors should be heading according to the latest rankings for best real estate markets for investing in single family homes as rental properites.  

Many of the smaller cities have low unemployment rates, well below the national averag,e and they also have strong job growth.  Here in Amarillo we have high rental numbers because of Bell Helicopter bringing in new graduates, so almost all rentals rent quickly.  I have a realtor friend who has over 220 rental houses and he says he rarely has to advertise for more than a week.  Another landlord told me she didn't want to send me her "empties" because she usually fills them the week she gets the 30-day notice they will empty, so why bother sending them to a realtor.  In other words, it is easy sneezy to get rentals rented in Amarillo, Texas. 

Housing prices have bottomed out, also in some areas.  Here in Amarillo, actually our house prices increased last year, but compared to other parts of the country, our prices remain low, with the average being in the $150,000's.

The smaller markets are great places to rent out single-family homes because strong economic growth can quickly absorb the existing housing options.  Here in Amarillo there is a shortage of lots for new homes, so there are fewer homes to buy, so rentals are really hot!!

The lower the risk premiums of the smaller markets make them a saffer investment.  I'm not sure what this means exactly, but it was in an article I just read.

The interest rates are low, demand is high, so investing in rentals in Amarillo, Texas, just makes sense.

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