4 Multifamily Development Trends to Watch in 2019

Changing demographics, shifting social values, and evolving development landscapes all continue to drive a surging, nationwide demand for multifamily housing. With empty-nesters looking to downsize, millennials staying single longer, and a general desire for a more convenient and social lifestyle, more and more “renter-by-choice” Americans are forgoing mortgages for lease agreements.

As demand for new housing units continues to drive the multifamily sector in 2019, developers are tasked with finding new ways to satisfy the growing need for apartments.

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Source: Multifamily Executive

North Carolina’s Research Triangle Tops Our 2018 List Of The Best Places To Rent

Home to UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State and Duke University, North Carolina’s Research Triangle region—including the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill—is best known for top notch universities, but students would be wise to consider sticking around after graduation. Reasonably priced apartments, coupled with strong population growth and ample employment opportunities, earn the area the top spot on our 2018 list of the best places to be a renter this year. 

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Source: Forbes

Prices Keep Rising for Apartment Properties, Forcing Investors into Smaller Markets

Investors keep looking for apartment buildings to buy at good prices. The search is leading them to smaller properties in smaller markets.

“Things continue to be very good in multifamily,” says John Sebree, national director of the national multi housing group with brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap.

The amount of money multifamily investors are spending has stabilized at a high level. Investors continue to accept relatively low yields on their acquisitions, even though interest rates rose substantially in 2017 and are expected to rise further. Part of the reason is that apartment rents continue to rise across the country, attracting investors to bid for new properties.

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Source: National Real Estate Investor

Apartment Vacancy Rates Expected To Increase More Slowly Than Expected

McLEAN, VA–Nothing, it seems, can dent the growth story that is multifamily. Despite a pipeline that is expected to peak in the second half of this year and remain elevated into 2018, Freddie Mac believes that while vacancy rates will increase, they will do so more slowly than expected. “Employment growth is expected to remain near 2016 growth levels and demand for multifamily units to stay strong due to lifestyle preferences and demographic trends,” it explains in its mid-year outlook for the category.

Indeed, forecasts of higher wage growth is expected to spur even more housing demand, it said.

The sum of these trends is that vacancy rates for the rest of 2017 have been revised downward to 4.7%. Meanwhile rent growth is expected to remain strong for the remainder of the year, possibly exceeding the 2016 rate, it said.

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Source:  Globest.com