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Real estate investing isn’t a solo sport. Behind every successful rental portfolio is a strong team — from Realtors and attorneys to accountants, contractors, and property managers. In this post, I break down the key players every investor needs and share practical insights from my own experience building a team that supports long-term, sustainable growth.
Building The Right Real Estate Investing Team
THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY
Why Climate-Disaster Scores Can Be Inaccurate
Extreme weather has become a serious concern for both insurers and homeowners across the country. According to a report from Ceres, insurers pulling out of areas that are at risk due to extreme weather events is creating a “global protection gap,” which is described as the difference between insured coverage and economic losses. Meanwhile, some sellers are now facing another concern that could cost them money: inaccurate climate-disaster scores.
MORE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY NEWS
Higher Refi Demand Buoys Mortgage Apps As Rates Hit Lows - Mortgage application activity picked up last week with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reporting an increase of 2.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending February 13. Refi applications were in the driver's seat, and although it was hardly a "jump", the Refinance Index did increase 7% from the previous week and was 132% higher than the same week one year ago.
All-Cash Home Purchases Ended 2025 At Five-Year Low - Just under 3 in 10 (29%) U.S. homebuyers paid in all cash in December, down from 30.3% a year earlier and the lowest December share since 2020. This is likely related to dropping mortgage rates diminishing the benefits of paying in cash. Cash purchases were most common in Florida and least common on the West Coast.
THE HOUSING MARKET
Rent Affordability Improves To Best Level Since 2021
Renters are beginning to catch a break. A new forecast from Zillow shows that affordability has improved to its best level since August 2021, with the typical household now spending 26.4% of income on rent — down from pandemic-era peaks — and relief expected to continue through 2026. The typical U.S. asking rent in January was $1,895, essentially flat from December and up just 2% year-over-year, marking the slowest annual rent growth since December 2020.
MORE HOUSING MARKET NEWS
HUD Appoints Six To Manufactured Housing Committee - The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced the appointment of six new members to its Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC), reinforcing the agency’s focus on expanding the supply and affordability of manufactured homes for American buyers.
NAMB Outlines Blueprint To Restore Affordable Housing Access -The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) has released a new white paper detailing a multi-pronged strategy to address the nation’s housing affordability crisis. The report warns that rising home prices, elevated interest rates, restrictive lending requirements, and limited housing supply have combined to lock millions of families out of homeownership.
THE CONSTRUCTION WORLD
Overall Housing Starts Inch Lower In 2025
Despite a strong finish in December, single-family home building dipped in 2025 as persistent affordability challenges continued to weigh on the market. Total housing starts for 2025 were 1.36 million, down 0.6% from the 1.37 million total in 2024. Single-family starts in 2025 totaled 943,000, down 6.9% from the previous year.
Builder Sentiment Edges Lower On Affordability Concerns
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell one point to 36 in February, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Persistent affordability challenges, including high housing price-to-income ratios and elevated land and construction costs, helped push builder confidence lower for the second straight month to start the year.
THE FINANCE CORNER
US Trade Deficit Surged In December
The US trade deficit jumped by almost 33% in December, rising for the second month in a row to $70.3 billion. Trade deficits were volatile throughout 2025 as importers responded to President Trump's shifting tariff announcements, which have upended the global landscape but haven't significantly dented the US trade deficit, at least so far.
Fed Officials Split On Where Interest Rates Should Go
Divided Federal Reserve officials at their January meeting indicated that further interest rate cuts should be paused for now and could resume later in the year only if inflation cooperates. While the decision to hold the central bank’s benchmark rate steady mostly was met with approval, the path ahead appeared less certain, with members conflicted between fighting inflation and supporting the labor market.
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One Nation Weekly
Good luck to you on your real estate investing journey!
