April 2020 Newsletter
By now, most real estate investors are contemplating what the long-term effect of COVID19 will look like and how they will be affected. The truth of the matter is no one can be 100% sure what the future holds. In fact, the only thing we can be sure of is that these are unprecedented times.

Currently, the DFW metro-plex is under a “Shelter-In-Place” order. Jobs have been placed on hold, others are attempting to work from home, while a large amount of the population continues to work having been deemed “Essential Workers”. One striking blow has been the "Moratorium" on evictions which prevents any landlord from taking the step of evicting a tenant if they have not paid rent. Though eviction is used only as a final step, it is a vital tool used to ensure a tenant does not remain in a property without submitting payment. That tool being temporarily taken away is sure to have a ripple effect. 

What does this mean for the rental market? With the "Self Showing" platform Rently, prospective applicants can enroll for an account and use their phone to access one of our vacant properties in order to view the home in person without the need to meet an agent at the property, eliminating the need for face to face meetings and allowing them to tour the home at their convenience. As of now, new applications have not slowed; however, we do anticipate a decrease in the coming months as those affected work to recover from the economic effect of COVID19. In conjunction with a decrease in new applications, we anticipate fewer move-outs. We will continue to educate and encourage our current tenants to pay as agreed upon or communicate with us and provide documentation of any COVID19-related hardship and will work with those affected to offer payment plans or partial deferments if needed. 

Frontline Property Management, Inc. has been actively working hard to research options for our investors. One great example is our recent partnership with SureVestors, a landlord focused insurance that aids in protecting landlords from tenant mishaps such as damages, job loss, or other financial strain that may cause rent to go unpaid. There are additional services and products that we are currently evaluating in order to better serve our clients with the new challenges in mind. As new services or products are vetted we will present them to our clients.

We will continue to make our top priority the success of our investors! Our mission will not falter during these times.

Here at Frontline Property Management, it is our mission to push past the boundaries of acceptable customer service and achieve a level of excellence that wows our clients. We treat your home as if it were ours and enjoy welcoming new customers into our Frontline Family while continuously striving to better our existing relationships.

We are dedicated to providing the best housing possible at fair market values and providing our investors with management they can trust. We love doing what we do with pride, passion, and integrity! 

Though these times are, undoubtedly, nerve-racking for real estate investors, we urge those looking to grow not to lose sight. We encourage each of our investors to position themselves to take action should the opportunities begin to arise. If you are interested in seizing opportunities make sure to reach out to us so that we may help you grow and succeed! 

 “In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.” Albert Einstein

Tips on Investing

Recession Prep 101: Investing in Real Estate During a Financial Crisis
It’s never fun to navigate stormy times—but recessions are just as much a part of investing as sunny days. Smart real estate investment strategies will keep you steady, despite the rough waters of a financial crisis.

This roller coaster start to 2020 might make you anxious about your investments, but the experts at BiggerPockets know exactly how to weather an economic downturn. Here’s what you need to know about today’s economy, including how to manage your existing investments and where to put your money next.

Mapping the 2020 Global Financial Crisis
An unprecedented global pandemic, the novel coronavirus—also known as COVID-19—has ground almost every nation and financial system on earth to a halt. What began as an outbreak within isolated regions in China has spread across the globe, growing exponentially. More people have now died from COVID-19 in Italy than in China, despite Italy being on lockdown for weeks.

There is currently no vaccine and early data show it to be extremely transmittable. Mortality rate estimates vary, with current case fatality rate estimates hovering around 1.4 percent. The virus disproportionately affects the elderly and those with existing health conditions, especially autoimmune disorders.

The U.S. crossed 10,000 total infected persons on March 19th, accumulating 40 percent of that total in just 36 hours. We are still quite “behind the curve” on accurate data; we won’t know how widespread the virus is in America for a couple of weeks. We also don’t know how well our national healthcare infrastructure can handle shortages in protective gear, respirators, and ICU beds. This is due to several main factors:

  • Coronavirus testing kits are in woefully short supply. Most people have to wait days to receive a test and another three to five days for the results.
  • The long incubation period lasts up to 14 days, or possibly even longer.

Because we don’t know when we’ll hit peak levels of infections, we can’t know how long the economy will be running at the drastically reduced level we’re seeing now. Logic dictates that some metro regions will have larger community outbreaks than others, but when it comes to interstate commerce, travel, layoffs, and industrial production supply chains, a problem anywhere in the U.S.—especially in its largest cities, like New York City, which is currently on lockdown—becomes a problem everywhere. The effects ripple and are felt by all.

As Larry Summers, former Harvard president and NEC chair under President Obama, put it recently, “Economic time has been stopped, but financial time has not been stopped.” We can seclude ourselves for a few weeks or months and our economy will “be there waiting for us,” financial time doesn’t pause. Rent and mortgage bills don’t stop. Credit card bills don’t stop. Suppliers don’t stop needing to get paid. Taxes are still collected.

It’s a different type of economic shock than what usually kicks off a recession. In essence, the world needs to limit economic activity in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

In short, nobody’s going anywhere and doing much of anything. It’s an otherworldly standstill—and we don’t know how long it will last.

Up & Coming Trends

Want To Keep An Eye On Local Housing Trends?
Try These 16 Strategies!!
1. Watch Sales In Your Neighborhood 
Real estate markets are localized, so the best bet is watching your specific neighborhood. Keep an eye on how long homes are taking to sell, what price they are actually selling for (rather than what price they are listed at) and what kind of homes are selling the fastest at the highest prices. - Beatrice de Jong, Opendoor 

2. Sign Up For A Real Estate Pro's Email List 
Many real estate professionals send out monthly email blasts with market information that includes a month over month or year over year comparison showing general market trends for days on the market, average sales price, etc. If you want to get more relevant stats, realtors can set up a custom search for you so you're automatically notified of new listings in your specific community or zip code. - Catherine Kuo, Elite Homes | Christie's International Real Estate 
3. Pay Attention To The Micro Markets, Not Just Overall Trends 

Local housing trends are just that: local. They are specific to a micro market and sometimes not aligned with general real estate trends that are reported in the news or through online sources. Use free real estate tools to find the actual properties trading in the specific local area. Pay attention to neighborhood news on jobs, schools, business developments, zoning and other related trends. - Bobby Montagne, Walnut Street Finance 

4. Create An Account On A Real Estate Platform 
Ask a local professional to set you up with a monthly market update. Most MLS have an automated market update like InfoSparks or Remine that is included with their membership. If that doesn't work, you can always create an account on Redfin or Zillow to access most of the information you want to find. - Donald Bake, New Western Acquisitions 

5. Start Window Shopping On Real Estate Apps 
These days there are so many free real estate apps. I suggest downloading an app early and just start browsing around. It can be a great way to learn about neighborhoods, see photos for inspiration and even get an initial pulse on pricing trends. - Zachary Maurais, Sunroom 

6. Follow Key Real Estate Players 
Commercial and residential brokerages spend hours and money keeping up with market research for predicting trends. Developers, investors, tenants and owners require their broker to have up-to-date knowledge and they do have the information—just contact them. All towns, cities and most school districts keep current with local trends and development projects and post on social media sites. - Rita Santamaria, Champions School of Real Estate 

7. Comb Through Zillow 
Zillow allows you to see trends in specific housing types (single family, condos, etc.) or with a specific number of bedrooms or three different price tiers—high, medium and bottom. However, for specific questions that really apply to your specific situation, there is no substitute for working with a qualified real estate professional who can make sense of the vast amount of data. - Amit Inamdar, Own Sweet Home Realty 

8. Sign Up For Conferences And Seminars 
Sure, TV shows may seem to be a good way to brush up on local housing trends, but those shows are in fact "made for TV." The best way to educate yourself is to attend local conferences and seminars, which are often promoted by firms such as Bisnow, Greenpearl and ULI. Attending such conferences provides access to industry leaders with their finger on the pulse of the market and emerging trends. - Stephen Glen Kliegerman, Halstead Property Development Marketing 

9. Visit New Construction Homes 
If you're looking to purchase a fixer-upper just like your favorite renovator on HGTV, stay on top of trends by visiting new construction homes that often showcase the latest styles. Ask questions like which finishes are chosen most often or which floor plan is most popular. Then you'll have a strong road map to rehabbing your new home and ensuring it has the highest resale value down the road. - Jennifer Anderson, Anderson Coastal Group 

10. Check Real Estate Association Websites 
One of the best ways for the average person to keep an eye on local housing trends aside from connecting with a real estate agent is to check local county and state association websites. Many of them publish monthly housing statistics, which can keep them abreast of the market until they are ready for a one-on-one consultation with an agent. - Cheryl Abrams, Re/Max United Real Estate 

11. Subscribe To Curbed 
Curbed is a great resource for local info if you are in any of their current markets—Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, LA, New York or San Francisco. It's a free publication that covers all things related to their featured cities and neighborhoods, new developments, hot listings and more. Each city has a website and newsletter, so you can subscribe to the info that matters to you. - Fred McGill, SimpleShowing 

12. Go To Open Houses Near You 
Not only will you start to get a sense of local home values, but you will see interior decorating and landscaping trends firsthand. When you go to an open house, ask the agent what they follow to stay on top of the local market in your area. They'll know the best neighborhood newspapers to subscribe to and the reports to get and they may even give you some insights right then and there. - Sumant Sridharan, HomeLight 

13. Listen To Real Estate Podcasts 
More and more people are turning to mobile and audio devices for information. Podcasts are a great way for people to get information and opinions, as are online radio shows. Typically hosted by licensed professionals, potential buyers can get market reports, interpretations of what’s going on in the market as well as an inside look into other factors that affect market conditions. - Michelle Risi, Royal LePage Connect Realty 

14. Pay Attention To Job Growth And Building Developments 
Local housing trends can be identified by the areas of job growth or job decline, new residential building developments and company expansions within the city. Job growth and company expansions are stable predictors for where housing demand will rise in the future. The public industry info of new residential building permits helps identify which cities developers are investing their money next. - Chuck Hattemer, Onerent 

15. Seek Out Your Local Real Estate ‘Authority' 
I seek out the real estate agent who is the "authority" of that area to stay on top of trends. Someone who not only has sold at least 25 homes in the same city, but a person who knows about all of the nuances of the local market—issues like traffic commute times, new developments, special taxing districts, school boundaries and changes with city planning and city development. - Steven Caporale, ACCELAnton

16. Check Local Building Permits
Building permits are often overlooked when evaluating local trends. What type of building activity is going on within an area? Are homeowners pulling permits to make updates, or is there a demolition permit pulled with plans for construction? Staying on top of this information will help you understand what type of growth a region is going to see based on construction activity. - Anton Danilovich, TopHap, Inc.

Check us out on social media!