Tangible assets, monthly cash flow, and bank-friendly leverage. Live mortgage rates, rental prices, short-term stats & REITs below.
Switch tabs to see today's mortgage rates, rental prices, short-term stats, REIT prices — and house buyout prices by region & city.
| Loan type | Typical use | Down payment | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-Yr Fixed Conventional | Buy & hold rentals | 15–25% | Best rate stability; needs reserves |
| 15-Yr Fixed Conventional | Fast equity build | 15–25% | Lower rate, much higher payment |
| FHA (house-hack) | Live in one unit, rent others | 3.5% | Owner-occupancy required 1 yr |
| VA Loan | Eligible veterans | 0% | No PMI; can house-hack multi-units |
| DSCR Investor Loan | Rentals (no personal income check) | 20–25% | Qualifies on rent vs. payment ratio |
| Hard Money | Flips & rehabs | 10–20% | 9–12%+ rates, 6–12 mo terms |
Rates: Freddie Mac PMMS & Sept 10, 2026 release. Conventional conforming purchase loans. Your rate depends on credit, LTV, property type & state.
| City | 1BR Rent | 2BR Rent | MoM | YoY Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY 📍 | $2,480 | $2,615 | +0.5% | +3.5% ▲ |
| San Jose, CA | $2,725 | $3,234 | +0.7% | +6.5% ▲ |
| San Diego, CA | $1,972 | $2,471 | +0.4% | 0.0% ▬ |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,856 | $2,367 | +0.3% | −1.3% ▼ |
| Chicago, IL | $1,759 | $1,915 | −0.5% | +4.5% ▲ |
| Philadelphia, PA | $1,323 | $1,530 | +0.1% | +0.8% ▲ |
| Dallas, TX | $1,214 | $1,437 | 0.0% ▬ | −1.5% ▼ |
| Houston, TX | $1,119 | $1,326 | +0.3% | −2.6% ▼ |
| Phoenix, AZ | $1,075 | $1,282 | −0.2% | −3.5% ▼ |
| San Antonio, TX | $960 | $1,182 | −0.1% | −4.9% ▼ |
Rents: Apartment List National Rent Report, Aug 26, 2026. NYC asking: StreetEasy via Skybriz. Methodologies differ between sources.
| Metric | New York City | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 14,337 (−51% YoY) | Local Law 18 wiped out half the market |
| Avg daily rate (ADR) | $182 (−33% YoY) | Mix shifted as illegal units left |
| Occupancy | 77% (+27% YoY) | Survivors stay fuller than ever |
| RevPAR | $140 (−5% YoY) | Rate × occupancy per available night |
| Avg annual revenue | ~$46K (+139% YoY) | Compliant hosts earn more |
| Peak months | May · Jun · Oct | ~$4,600/mo revenue in peak season |
STR data: AirDNA NYC, Aug 2026, AirROI NYC 2026 & OneFineBnB/Mashvisor US avg. Sources use different methodologies.
| REIT | Sector | Last Price | Day Chg | Div Yield ≈ | As Of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O Realty Income | Triple-net retail | $59.57 | −0.90% | ~5.4% | Sep 11 |
| AMT American Tower | Cell towers | $172.98 | — | ~4.0% | Sep 11 |
| PLD Prologis | Industrial/logistics | $134.41 | −0.92% | ~3.1% | Sep 11 |
| CCI Crown Castle | Cell towers | $75.97 | +0.18% | ~5.0% | Sep 8 |
| PSA Public Storage | Self-storage | $302.01 | −1.22% | ~4.0% | Sep 4 |
| VICI VICI Properties | Gaming/entertainment | $25.65 | +0.16% | ~6.2% | Sep 3 |
| WELL Welltower | Healthcare/senior | $236.17 | −2.05% | ~1.2% | Sep 4 |
| AVB AvalonBay | Residential | $187.55 | +0.54% | ~3.8% | Aug 7 |
Price sources: Motley Fool (O, AMT, PLD), Finviz (CCI), Morningstar (PSA), WallStreetZen (VICI), Public.com (WELL, AVB).
Yields: InvestingEngineer, June 2026 & U.S. News/Morningstar, June 2026. Yields move with price — verify current yield on your broker before buying.
| US Region (NAR · Aug 2026) | Median Price | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| West | $619,100 | −0.2% ▼ |
| Northeast | $556,900 | +4.3% ▲ |
| South | $366,500 | +0.7% ▲ |
| Midwest | $340,400 | +3.3% ▲ |
| Spotlight City | Median Sale Price | YoY Trend | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY 📍 | ~$773,000 | +4–5% ▲ | Condos/co-ops trail houses |
| Los Angeles, CA | $885K–$981K | −1 to −3% ▼ | Cooling after years of gains |
| Miami, FL | $550,000 | Flat ▬ | Single-family $690K; condo $375K |
| Austin, TX | $426K–$542K | −3 to −7% ▼ | Deep correction since 2022 |
Prices: NAR existing-home sales, Aug 2026, Redfin US housing market, Forbes/Redfin by state, Homes.com Miami & Jarnias Cyril city comparison.
From hands-on landlording to hands-off REITs — pick the effort level that fits your life.
Buy, rent, repeat. Monthly cash flow + loan paydown + appreciation. The classic wealth builder.
Buy distressed, renovate, sell. Faster profits, higher risk — you must know repair costs cold.
Airbnb-style nightly income can 2–3× long-term rent — with 3× the management work.
Property stocks paying dividends. Start with $100, zero tenants, zero toilets. Lower returns, zero hassle.
Enter a deal's numbers — get monthly cash flow, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return instantly.
Tip: today's 30-yr avg is 6.76% — the slider starts there. Expenses = tax + insurance + HOA + maintenance + vacancy.
Run every deal through these four filters before you fall in love with it.
Net operating income ÷ price. Compares deals regardless of financing. 6–10% is typical for rentals.
Cap Rate = Annual NOI ÷ PriceAnnual cash flow ÷ cash invested. Measures what YOUR money earns. Aim for 8%+.
CoC = Annual Cash Flow ÷ Down + CostsMonthly rent should be ≥ 1% of purchase price for quick screening. $250K home → $2,500/mo rent.
Rent ≥ Price × 1%Assume ~50% of rent vanishes to expenses (not mortgage). If the rest covers P&I, dig deeper.
Expenses ≈ 50% of RentProperty is patience. Stocks are growth. Crypto is asymmetry. Explore them all.
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