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DS News January 2021

DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.

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90 90 INVESTMENT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY PRESERVATION INDUSTRY UPDATES Journal RENTAL INVESTORS TAKE INTEREST IN TINY HOUSE MARKET SPIKE Tiny houses are not new, but COVID-19 and resultant lifestyle changes are making the movement more popular, according to IPX1031, a Fidelity National Financial Com- pany blog, which conducted a survey of 2,000 Americans to understand how likely they would be to live in a tiny home. e research- ers also investigated regions of the country with optimal tiny-home markets for both homebuyers and investors. "Even though the micro home movement isn't necessarily new, many have put tiny homes on their radar since COVID-19," note those who conducted the study. Affordability was the top reason for survey respondents who answered that, yes, they would consider purchasing a tiny house (more than half ). Sixty-five percent cited affordability; 57% said "efficiency" would be a motivating factor; 48% said "eco-friendliness" would be a factor; and "living a minimalist lifestyle" rounded out the list of top tiny house selling points. Also listed: downsizing (36%), mobility (35%), and privacy (29%) Among the respondents who have never owned a home, 86% said a tiny home could be a contender for their first home purchase. What constitutes a tiny house? ey can be on wheels or stationary (about 54% of respondents said they would prefer the more-mobile option). ey generally are less than 400 square feet and range in price from $30,000-$60,000 (whereas the average median price for a typical starter home is $233,400), according to the National Association of Realtors. Half of those surveyed say they would spend less than $40,000 on a tiny home and 79% say they would be able to buy or finance a tiny home rather than a traditional starter home. e low cost and maintenance mean tiny houses present an attractive opportunity to investors, according to the survey. Of the study participants, 72% said they would consider buying a tiny house as an investment property. Among them, 63% reportedly envision a long- term rental opportunity; 37% say they would see it as a short-term rental. On average, po- tential investors who responded to the survey said their ideal monthly rent would be $900 per month for a long-term rental and $145 per night for a short-term rental. e study also revealed which states had the best markets/highest demand for tiny homes. ose included: » Vermont » New Hampshire » Maine » Wyoming » Washington » Idaho » Montana » Oregon » Rhode Island » Alaska

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