Investment Archives | Real Estate & Investment Perspective by Karen Lee Bertiger

2026/04/152026/04/15

Arbitrage Opportunity

Things to consider for a current real estate opportunity window:

If you have property in a hot market (NE, Midwest) but want to relocate/retire/downsize to Florida in the near future, take advantage of your seller’s market where you are AND the buyer’s market where you want to be in Florida. Of course, that’s only one aspect. You need a real estate professional in Florida to answer questions, find appropriate properties, and guide you through your purchase and assist you in your move. Make sure it’s someone who is up to the task!

2026/02/282026/02/28

End of February 2026 Observations

Why Do I Use a Letter B Logo?

My initial logo is to remind you to B present and design your life. I’ll B your professional guide. I’m a lifestyle design pro for finding your best nest financially, in your ideal location with the features you need. I scour all properties, including those not actively listed. As a consultative broker, there’s no pressure. I can refer you to the best real estate professionals in any part of the country. Just keep in mind that many agents have been licensed for less than 18 months and may not know what they don’t know. This can create many problems if their depth of experience about what could be a major problem is limited.

New Construction is Now Cheaper Than Existing Homes!

Median Sales Prices by County on the Treasure Coast

As of December 2025:

Martin County: $600,000; St. Lucie County: $395,000; Indian River County: $396,015

The marketplace is trending toward more balance; however, financing, insurance & property taxes are presenting financial hurdles for prospective homebuyers.

Difficult Transactions

It’s actually a really good thing to have a real estate professional direct your transaction, whether selling or buying. They can be the logical, cool headed professional who brings clarity to an emotionally charged, high stress, personal transaction. They should explain the entire real estate contract to you & point out terms & conditions that could cause problems. This helps prevent bottlenecks & they help you by keeping track of all the moving parts.

Paper Trails

A great agent keeps track of all required documentation & discloses things you might not think about yourself. Transparency & clarity are important to completing a successful real estate transaction.

A Resource and Advocate on Call

If you have a great broker, they’ll answer any questions you might have about your situation & help you with any information to enable you to make the best business decisions possible.

Florida Has More than 50,000 Homeowner Associations!

2026/02/102026/02/10

Rental Trends

Apartment List reports rents down 0.2% month over month and 1.4% year over year, vacancies at a record 7.3%, and lease-up times hitting 41 days nationwide.

Overall rent trends
● The national median rent fell 0.2% month over month in January and now stands at $1,353.
● January marked the sixth consecutive month of rent declines and the fourth straight winter with a pronounced seasonal dip.
● National rents are down 1.4% year over year, extending a stretch of slightly negative annual rent growth that has lasted more than two years.
● The national median rent has fallen 6.2% from its 2022 peak, reflecting a sustained correction following the pandemic-era surge.

Monthly and annual rent changes
● Rent declines continued but moderated compared to prior months.
○ Month-over-month comparison:
■ January 2026: -0.2%
■ January 2025: -0.1%
○ Year-over-year comparison:
■ January 2026: -1.4%
● The -1.4% annual reading is the weakest year-over-year rent growth since August 2023. ● Despite recent declines, rents remain elevated over the longer term.
○ Current rents are 18% higher than at the end of 2020.

National rent levels in dollar terms
● The national median rent is $1,353, down $20 compared to January 2025.
● Since peaking in mid-2022, median rents have declined by:
○ 5.9% nationally
○ $89 per month in dollar terms

Seasonal shifts in rent growth
● Seasonal patterns have shifted compared to the pre-pandemic norm.
○ Historically, May was the peak month for rent growth.
○ Over the past three years, March has become the peak month.
● Rent declines are now beginning earlier in the year.
○ Prices now tend to start falling in August instead of September.
● Winter slowdowns have been deeper since 2022 due to elevated multifamily suppl

Multifamily vacancy rate
● The national multifamily vacancy rate now sits at 7.3%.
● This is the highest vacancy rate recorded by Apartment List since tracking began in 2017.
● Vacancy pressure reflects a collision between new supply and sluggish demand.
○ Multifamily construction peaked recently but remains elevated relative to historical norms.

Multifamily construction pipeline
● New supply remains historically high, even as the construction wave begins to crest.
○ 2024 deliveries: over 600,000 new multifamily units, the highest annual total since 1986.
○ 2025 deliveries: approximately 500,000 units.
○ 2026 outlook: fewer units than 2025, but still slightly above the long-run average.
● Elevated supply continues to limit landlords’ pricing power as the market absorbs new inventory.

Time on market (list-to-lease)
● Units now take an average of 41 days to lease after being listed.
● This represents a new record high for the index.
○ Year-over-year comparison:
■ January 2026: 41 days
■ January 2025: 37 days
● Time on market has more than doubled since summer 2021.
○ Summer 2021 average: 18 days
● Longer lease-up times align with higher vacancies and negative rent growth.

Geographic rent trends
● Rent declines are concentrated primarily in the Sun Belt.
○ Of 54 large metros with populations over 1 million:
■ 39 saw month-over-month rent declines.
■ 32 saw year-over-year rent declines.
● Southern and Mountain West markets account for most annual rent drops.
● Many Northeast, Midwest, and select West Coast metros continue to post positive annual growth.

Metro-level highlights
● Austin, TX shows the softest rental conditions among large metros.
○ Year-over-year rent change: -6.3%
○ Decline from 2022 peak: more than -20%
○ Austin also leads large metros in new-home permitting, underscoring the impact of supply.
● Other metros with steep declines often overlap with high permitting activity.
○ Examples include Denver, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tampa, and Raleigh.
● The strongest rent growth is occurring in fewer, more supply-constrained markets.
○ Virginia Beach, VA: +5% year over year, the fastest growth nationally.
○ San Jose, CA and San Francisco, CA also rank in the top three, supported by AI-driven tech hiring.
○ Midwest metros such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Minneapolis continue to post steady positive growth.

Market outlook
● Multifamily conditions remain soft entering 2026.
● Negative year-over-year rent growth persists alongside rising vacancies and longer lease-up times.
● While the construction wave is slowing, demand-side risks remain.
○ Labor market weakness and broader economic uncertainty could prolong absorption of new units.
● A meaningful shift in rental conditions will depend on whether demand strengthens as supply growth cools.

2026/01/192026/01/19

2026 Florida Condos Situation

Florida Senate Bill 4D enacted May 26, 2022 on Building Safety called for MIs (mandated inspections) & SIRS (Structural Integrity Reserve Studies) for condo buildings and the disclosures of those results. Link below is the DBPR’s online database of those condos who have submitted their SIRS.

Condo buildings in Florida that were more than 30 years old (in 2022) faced a December 31, 2024 deadline for a mandatory “milestone inspection.” For condo buildings turning 30 years old between 2022 & 2024, the deadline was December 31, 2025.

https://dbpr-publicrecords.myfloridalicense.com/qpr/single/?appid=14f1ed21-7b21-4272-af14-9eaad7911440&sheet=mcprvJW&opt=ctxmenu&select=cl earall

So, as of January 1, 2026, the inspection & reserve study deadline has passed. It required FULL RSERVE FUNDING. There was a 365 day Phase 2 repair clock for any immediate repairs required by Milestone Inspections. That is a non-negotiable. The Florida Legislature has not enacted any further extensions for compliance. These condo associations must now pay for their immediate repairs, as well as future reserves (as indicated by their SIRS.)

If a condo building is out of compliance, the local building officials are now in charge. This is a substantial issue. If a condo building is out of compliance, the local building officials may declare the building as an “UNSAFE STRUCTURE” (“unsafe and unfit for occupation”) which is an IMMEDIATE SAFETY EVACUATION that gives occupants “NOTICE TO VACATE” orders. That means the unit is uninhabitable almost overnight. (House Bill 913.) This can be done without any court proceedings. It’s not like a foreclosure situation where you have time to figure it out. The local building officials can “red tag” a building.

If this happens to your condo building you will have trouble securing insurance for the building. If you do not have insurance, any owners with mortgages will be in default technically. Carriers are refusing to renew policies where they deem there has been no repairs progress on the milestone reports. If your association thought they could buy some time, they were wrong.

If you’re shopping for a condo now, be sure you are using an agent who understands these issues to advise you.

A condo may already be in violation. Associations with 25+ units MUST post their milestone reports online,

2026/01/182026/01/18

Our Transaction Policies

We send a notice to anyone who wants to utilize our services to sell their property BEFORE we will even consider an employment agreement, particularly for sales of vacant land. These policies have become necessary in a global economy, where scammers can be located anywhere on the planet. Out of our legal jurisdiction. So you’d get an e-mail that looks like this:

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Dear [Customer Name]:

We are looking forward to working with you to sell your property.

As part of our company policies (in accordance with licensing law & regulations duties) we ask you to review our policies listed below and reply to to this communication with the statement, “I agree.”

We are unable to list any property unless you first agree to these terms:

We will be conducting an exhaustive title search to confirm the rightful ownership of the property at the cost of the seller.

We require a copy of the seller’s latest property tax bill and the most recent proof of payment.

We require an in-person meeting or video conference with all sellers.

A “For Sale” sign with our contact information must be posted on every property we list, including the name of our listing agent and a phone number where we can be reached (unless prohibited by law or HOA or Condo Assn.)

We require all clients use one of our approved notaries public. If you are located out of our immediate area, we will provide a list of approved Notaries Public to you.

All transactions are subject to a minimum 48 hour hold before funds will be released. If the 48-hour period ends during a holiday or weekend, funds will be released on the next business day.

Sincerely,

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