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Section 8 housing can be a polarizing topic for real estate investors. Some build entire portfolios around it—others avoid it completely. After working with the program for several years, we’ve seen both sides firsthand. Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works, along with the pros, cons, and key takeaways from our experience.
Section 8 Housing For Real Estate Investors: Pros & Cons
THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY
Rates Leap To Another Multi-Month High
After a somewhat hopeful day on Wednesday, mortgage rates are back to their same old tricks on Thursday. The tricks in question involve following the broader market reaction to the Iran war which has caused significant and almost exclusive upward movement in interest rates for the entire month of March.
MORE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY NEWS
Market Jitters Drive Mortgage Rates Up, Sending Some Would-Be Homebuyers To The Sidelines - The weekly average mortgage rate has hit a three-month high of 6.22% as the Iran war and jitters about inflation rattle markets. Higher housing costs, along with the economic uncertainty that comes along with the Iran war and rising oil prices, are pushing some house hunters to the sidelines.
Fannie And Freddie Place Large Orders For Mortgage-Backed Securities - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have begun placing sizable orders to purchase mortgage-backed securities (MBS), an effort pushed by President Donald Trump to improve affordability in the housing market. Earlier this year, Trump instructed them to buy up $200 billion in mortgage bonds. He said in January it would help drive down rates.
THE HOUSING MARKET
How America’s Priciest Metros Became ‘Affordability Traps’ For Long-Term Renters
While pandemic-era low mortgage rates have paralyzed the housing market, a parallel renter "lock-in" effect is gripping the nation's most expensive metros, as tenants in New York City and Los Angeles find it financially impossible to walk away from below-market leases. Long-term renters—defined as households that remain in the same rental unit for at least five years—make up roughly 36% of all tenant households in the U.S., according to a new report from Realtor.com®.
MORE HOUSING MARKET NEWS
14% Of Home-Sale Agreements Fell Through Last Month–A Record For February - House hunters have the upper hand, allowing them to abandon deals over price, repairs or second thoughts. Cancellations are most common in Tampa and San Antonio, where there are roughly twice as many sellers as buyers. More than 42,000 U.S. home-sale agreements fell through in February, equal to 13.7% of homes that went under contract that month.
Industry Shows Mixed Reaction To Fannie Mae’s Condo Updates - Fannie Mae’s latest condo policy update is drawing a split reaction across the mortgage industry, with some leaders welcoming targeted relief measures while warning that tougher project-review and reserve requirements could raise costs and make financing harder for some borrowers.
THE CONSTRUCTION WORLD
Aging Housing Stock Drives Renovation And Lending Demand
Over the last 20 years, the average age of a home in the US has risen significantly, as new home construction has not kept up. The aging housing stock is leading to an increased demand for renovation, construction, and purchase financing.
American Homebuilders Are Being Scooped Up By Japanese Firms In Deals Worth Billions—Here’s Why
Japanese homebuilders are on a buying spree of American firms, in a trend that's only accelerating as the U.S. faces a shortage of 4.03 million homes. Since the start of 2026, four Japanese firms have announced deals to snap up homebuilders. The housing shortage in the U.S. is a prime opportunity for the Japanese companies, which are locally faced with a shrinking population who are aging out of their homebuying years.
THE FINANCE CORNER
Fannie Mae Accepts First Crypto-Backed Mortgage Product
Fannie Mae will now accept crypto-backed mortgages via a new product by mortgage company Better Home and Finance and Coinbase. It’s not the first crypto backed mortgage, but it is the first accepted by Fannie Mae, which is under government conservatorship. The offering allows homebuyers to use their crypto assets as collateral. Fannie Mae will purchase those loans just like any other conforming mortgage.
Global Forecasting Group Sees U.S. Inflation At 4.2% This Year, Much Higher Than Fed Estimate
In its periodic update of economic conditions, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecast all-items inflation in the U.S. to be at 4.2% for 2026. The forecast is a sharp step up from the prior projection of 2.8%. Moreover, it is much higher than the 2.7% Fed officials estimated when they updated their own forecasts last week.
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One Nation Weekly
Good luck to you on your real estate investing journey!
