It’s been a monumental 2016 for HomeUnion and our investors. From streamlining our innovative, end-to-end investing solution that’s disrupting how real estate transactions are done, to being featured in the prestigious HousingWire, our stature within the real estate industry has continued to expand. While we’re busy making preparations for a ground-breaking 2017, we wanted to review— in more detail— the high bar we accomplished in 2016 with you.
Here’s the Highest-Growth Rent Markets
We released a list of the single-family rental (SFR) rental markets in the U.S. featuring the highest growth. Seattle tops the list, while El Paso rounded out the bottom of the list in year-over-year rents.
How December’s Interest Rate Hike Motivates Buyers
As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lifted the target federal funds rate to between 0.5 and 0.75 percent. Our director of research gives his commentary on how this will affect real estate investments.
The Jon Sanchez Show Features Steve Hovland
In this interview, the hosts of the Wall Street and business radio program discussed our innovative investment platform, shared our firm’s philosophy, and how we help busy professionals acquire residential real estate.
HomeUnion Partners with Accruit, A Leading Tax Intermediary
Adding to an already streamlined process, this partnership enabled our investors to access Accruit’s Certified Exchange Specialists (CES®) in order to be able to close like-kind exchanges in real estate, hands-free.
HousingWire.com Recognizes HomeUnion’s Expertise
In a nod to the expertise of HomeUnion’s Research, HousingWire.com published our article on the most and least favorable SFR markets (as measured by cap rate).
HomeUnion Introduces HomeUnion Home Virtual Tours
We enabled anyone to take a virtual tour through a couple of our HomeUnion Homes, and see for themselves the high standard it’s setting within the real estate industry.
Ask the Experts Blog Series Launches
We launched a blog series designed to mitigate fears, through asking the experts. The first one featured our Director of Research Steve Hovland answering the important question: “Will U.S. home prices continue to rise in 2017?”
HomeUnion Analyzes What a $100,000 Down Payment Gets Investors
In the spirit of informed remote investing, we analyzed what a 25 percent down payment on a $400,000 investment (or $100,000) would buy investors in 10 of the most sought-after housing markets nationwide.
Featured on CBS Moneywatch
The expertise of Steve Hovland, HomeUnion’s director of research, was relied upon by the prestigious Moneywatch, as they analyzed the state of the U.S. economy, pre-election— and its relationship to proposed interest rate hikes.
Featured on Reuters
Reuters, the internationally-esteemed news agency, ran a HomeUnion success story describing how we solved an investor’s money issues, by helping them to invest remotely.
Unveils New Power Rankings
With the fall season came America’s favorite pastime and to celebrate this, HomeUnion put together a “power ranking” of 31 U.S. metro areas— based on how well each SFR market was anticipated to perform through the latter part of 2016.
Featured on CNBC
CNBC saw the value in our analysis of the 31 metropolitan areas with NFL football teams and our ranking of them by SFR market. So much in fact, that they not only reported it, but quoted our director of research, Steve Hovland in a related article.
An In-Depth Look at the Neighborhood Investment Rating (NIR)
When it comes to real estate investing, HomeUnion believes that you can never have too much information. Which is why we gave investors an inside look at how the NIR is calculated and (just as importantly) explained how it can help them discover which types of neighborhoods they should be investing in.
We Name the Housing Markets with the Best & Worst Returns
Proving that our due diligence never lets up, we analyzed first-year SFR returns, or cap rates, in the 10 best and worst markets, nationwide.
HomeUnion Partners With Sperry Van Ness/ First Guardian Group
Our partnership with the Sperry Van Ness/ First Guardian Group resulted in a more streamlined process for investors— by giving them access to a wider range of SFR properties, as well as the benefits of a 1031 Exchange.
How to Build a Multifamily Investment Portfolio
Realizing that many of our investors aren’t content with a smaller-scale approach to real estate investing, we provided a rationale on why purchasing multiple Single Family Rentals (SFRs) might be their best strategy. We also explained— in depth— how this process can lead to the creation of a “virtual apartment” for investors and how this is a solid means of reducing their risk.
OC Register Touts HomeUnion’s Online Investing Platform
A feature article by the award-winning OC Register commended HomeUnion’s online approach to investing, which “helps the little guy get a piece of (all the real estate) action.”
Retirement Strategy Examples
Since we discovered that 64% of Americans felt they were behind in saving for retirement, we developed a cohesive plan on how you can generate additional revenue streams, based on your time horizon. Our plan ensures that you’re able to generate revenue during the time of life when money can be scarcest – your retirement.
Featured on Fox News
In an article on how to buy real estate properties “like a banker,” Fox News reported how HomeUnion has helped bankers and the like to make informed decisions on property buying (for both short and long term real estate purchases).
Tax Returns Surprise HomeUnion Investor
The due diligence of our Solution Managers lead to a financial windfall for Yang Guo, who was able to deduct nearly one-third of his total investment operating expenses when filing his income tax returns.
HomeUnion CEO Don Ganguly Appears on The Industry Show
HomeUnion CEO Don Ganguly was invited to appear on The Industry Show— a program highlighting Indian entrepreneurs changing the business world. Among the topics discussed were how Millennials are increasingly preferring to rent, instead of own homes.
TechCrunch Hails HomeUnion’s Hands-Free Investing Platform
TechCrunch— an online publisher of technology industry news—underscored HomeUnion’s hands-free investing model, noting how it gives investors “the ability to buy an entire single-family home (or create a portfolio of homes that are) fully customized to meet their personal investment needs.”
Our Initial Case Study – The First of Many Successful Stories
The real estate investing expertise of HomeUnion’s Solution Managers guided first-time investor Jonathan Kula in procuring a single family rental in San Antonio. He was particularly grateful for our efficient rehab process and quick finding of a (qualified) tenant for his rental property.
HomeUnion Milestone: Raising $16 Million in Series B Funding
We were pleased to find that investors such as Colchis Capital, Northgate Capital, Tamarisc, and Artisan saw the value in our revolutionary approach to real estate investing. “(Their confidence in our approach allowed us to) provide our investors with seamless, personalized service throughout the entire life cycle of their online real estate transaction,” Don Ganguly, CEO of HomeUnion, noted at the time.
National SFR Report Released
As part of HomeUnion’s ongoing commitment to investor empowerment, our research services team released a Single Family Rental Research Report for 2016. Its value is clear: by knowing which markets to invest in and the local economic conditions driving rental demand in each (all of which is included in the report), investors stand to make more profitable long-term investments.
First Home Renovation Featured on HomeUnion Website of Many More to Come
In the interest of giving HomeUnion’s investors a fuller picture of our Asset Management expertise, we began to feature examples of our home rehabs via our website. Our first such example, a ranch-style income property in Arlington, TX, was only the start of many more to come!
HomeUnion Featured in The Wall Street Journal
A mention in a Wallstreet Journal article about investors beating out first-time home buyers in regard to property purchases was further evidence of HomeUnion’s growth as a company. Our team was extremely proud to have been featured in such a successful, reputable publication.
CEO Opines On Stock Market Turmoil
As the stock market took a tumble, HomeUnion CEO Dan Ganguly made the case for real estate investing being a more stable alternative. In particular, he stressed the importance of having solid data and reliable evidence of stable performance in your desired real estate market, prior to investing.
Geri Brewster Named Chief Compliance and Risk Officer
On January 19, 2016 HomeUnion announced that they had hired Geri Brewster as Chief Compliance and Risk Officer and that in this position, she would be responsible for Human Resources, Business Development and HomeUnion Lending, Inc. (HomeUnion’s recently created mortgage brokerage subsidiary).
Don Ganguly Among Inaugural HousingWire Vanguard Award Winners
HomeUnion CEO Don Ganguly was pleased to learn that he had been named one of HousingWire’s 2015 Vanguard Award™ winners. Ganguly was recognized for having successfully introduced disruptive, technologically-driven solutions that allowed investors to make more informed decisions when investing in SFR assets.
These distinct, varied accomplishments over such a short period of time are testament to HomeUnion’s ambition to democratize real estate investing — so realize that there is so much more to come. Be a part of the company that is positively disrupting the way that real estate investing has been done!
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