Housing Finance

There was no single, dramatic event that set the current financial crisis off. A whole series of very questionable decisions by many people, in many places, over a period of years, built up the pressures that led to a sudden collapse of the housing market and of financial institutions that began to fall like dominoes as a result of investing in securities based on housing prices. This book is designed to unravel the tangled threads of that story.

Escaping the Housing Trap is the must-have resource for everyone with a stake in the future of housing in America-and that means everyone. Listeners will find discussions of housing as an investment and how the country's neighborhoods are being transformed by the introduction of large amounts of investment; explorations of housing as shelter, including discussions of zoning policy and NIMBYism; and a comprehensive overview of the Strong Towns approach to solving the American housing crisis.

In this groundbreaking book, real estate developer and construction professional Bradley Glenn Fagg, MRED, reveals how three unstoppable forces—technology, policy, and demographics—are reshaping the housing market faster than ever before. From smart homes and modular construction to the rise of walkable communities and the looming affordability crisis, this book explores how innovation and planning today will define the communities of tomorrow.

Discover the path to turning your first rental property into a profitable and stress-free venture, free from tenant nightmares. Achieve financial freedom by becoming a successful landlord without the costly trial-and-error experienced by many first-timers.

For nearly seventy years, America’s housing market has run on one basic formula: growth. We built bigger, farther, and faster — fueled by cheap land, cheap energy, and the Baby Boom generation’s demand for space. That system worked for decades. It created wealth, jobs, and a powerful cultural story: the American Dream as a house on the edge of town. But that dream is now running in reverse. Our demographics have flipped. Fertility rates are at historic lows. The average household size has shrunk dramatically. More Americans live alone than ever before.

The American Dream has shifted... Not long ago, Americans were bent on home ownership. Most viewed it as one of their great life goals and their largest investment. No more. Almost overnight, the demographics have shifted. For an increasing number of Americans of all ages and backgrounds, renting is in, and home ownership is out. Experienced commercial real estate investors know that the risk profile, returns, and tax benefits of large scale multifamily are virtually unmatched. Unfortunately, access to these investments is unavailable to most investors.

The Ponzi Housing Scheme is the financial crime of the 21st century. It makes Madoff look like an amateur because of scale. The crime was sophisticated in it's plan. This crime violated laws on the books. It violated laws that should be on the books. And it violated the trust that people have with the banking community, and this violation reaches to the highest bankers in the land and off our shores. This crime is complex, but it is not rocket science. The proof of culpability can be known.