Field notes for real-estate investors.
Deep dives on data, markets, and the craft of finding deals most people miss. Published daily.
Category: data-analysis · clear
5 Midwest Cities Are Generating 9%+ Rental Yields in 2026 — While Sun Belt Investors Are Stuck
Midwest rental markets are quietly outperforming the Sun Belt in 2026, with Cleveland posting ~9.8% gross yields and Indianapolis at ~9.1% — while Florida's Gulf Coast wrestles with insurance crises and price declines. This data-driven breakdown shows exactly where cash flow lives today, why the shift is structural, and how to run the numbers yourself with PropGPT.
Single-Family Rentals Are Beating Multifamily by a Record 26.7% Margin — Here's the City-by-City Data and What to Buy
National multifamily vacancy hit 7.3% — a multi-decade record — while single-family rental rents grew 2.4% YoY in March 2026. The rent gap between SFR and apartment buildings has widened to a record 26.7%, driven by a 38-year-high construction wave swamping Sun Belt markets. This article breaks down the metro-by-metro data, explains the structural reasons the divide will last through 2027, flags the common underwriting mistakes investors are making, and gives five PropGPT prompts to analyze any SFR vs. multifamily decision in minutes.
Sellers Are Bleeding in Florida and Texas. Here's the Investor's City-by-City Buying Map.
Fresh Redfin data reveals 43-46% of active listings in Florida and Texas metros have cut their asking prices, with Cape Coral down 9% year-over-year and Austin off 18-20% from peak. This breakdown covers which markets have the most investor leverage right now, what's driving the selloff in each state, the key financing numbers to underwrite deals today, and five PropGPT workflows to find the best ZIP codes and model your cash flow before you make an offer.
Mortgage Rates Just Jumped to 6.21%. Here's the Cash-Flow Math That Still Makes Rentals Work in 2026.
The 30-year fixed rate hit 6.21% on May 1 as PCE inflation reached 3.5% and oil prices spiked on U.S.-Iran tensions. Most rental deals underwritten last month no longer pencil — but DSCR loans at 6.12%, Midwest cash-flow markets, and seller concessions are keeping deals alive. This guide shows the exact math, the loan products investors are actually using, and five PropGPT prompts to stress-test any deal in the new rate environment.
The 2026 Housing Market Nobody Predicted: Sun Belt Prices Are Cratering While Midwest Cities Hit All-Time Highs
The Sun Belt trade has broken down: Cape Coral is down 9.6%, Austin is off 27.8% from its peak, and Miami carries nearly a year of unsold inventory. Meanwhile, Kansas City posted +8.6% year-over-year gains, Toledo earned the #4 hottest market ranking nationally, and Cleveland remains one of the only major U.S. cities where owning a home is cheaper than renting. This piece maps the reversal with current Redfin, Fortune, and Freddie Mac data — and shows you exactly how to use PropGPT to screen Midwest deals before the rest of the market catches up.
Where Institutional Buyers Are Retreating — and What It Means for Individual Investors
The largest single-family rental operators have shifted from aggressive acquisition to portfolio optimization, with net selling in several Sun Belt metros through 2025. This piece maps where institutional capital is retreating, where it's still active, and why individual investors should care. Included: a PropGPT prompt to measure institutional concentration in any ZIP.