Latest Edition of

The AZREIA Advantage Digital Newsletter

Cover Article | Jeff Watson

Stop Being the Landlord. Start Being the Bank.

Most real estate investors spend their careers on the wrong side of the deal. They buy. They fix. They rent. And then they deal with the calls — the tenant who can't pay, the water heater that fails at midnight, the insurance renewal nobody warned them about. There is another way. I've been teaching it for over two decades, and I'm still surprised by how few people know it exists......[READ MORE]

Executive Director Message

Why Real Estate Headlines Are Misleading Arizona Investors

Michael Del Prete | AZREIA Executive Director

Most people talking about the Arizona housing market are committing the same mistake. They are speaking in averages. The “Phoenix market,” they call it. But there is no Phoenix market. There are only neighborhoods. Streets. School districts. Buyer pools. Price brackets. And each one is behaving differently. A homeowner in Ahwatukee may receive multiple offers within days. Meanwhile, a seller less than twenty miles away watches his property sit untouched for weeks........[READ MORE]

Moving West: But not very far, and not very fast.

Rob Jafek | Boomerang Capital Partners

Last month, we dove into institutional ownership of SFR. Let’s keep looking at some of what those larger investors and developers are up to, and the impact. From a distance, Phoenix real estate markets get a lot of hate in the national press, although it certainly hasn’t always been that way. Contrast that with the fact that once you are actually in Phoenix, there is a lot of opportunity and optimism for development.....[READ MORE]

Creative Finance in Arizona: A Few Follow-Up Thoughts

Michael J. " McGirr | Phocus Law

I had the opportunity to sit on AZREIA’s creative finance panel last month, and it was a great discussion. There was a lot of interest, a lot of practical questions, and thankfully only a reasonable amount of confusion. For those who attended, I wanted to share a few follow-up thoughts in reflection on that panel. And for those who were not able to make it, here is the high-level version from a legal perspective......[READ MORE]

When Note Investors Must Carry Insurance: Protecting Your Position

Derek Kartchner | Gila Insurance

As a note investor, you may not hold the deed — but that doesn't mean you're off the hook when it comes to insurance. Understanding when you have an insurable interest in a property, and when coverage becomes not just smart but necessary, is essential to protecting your investment. What Is an Insurable Interest? An insurable interest exists any time you stand to suffer a financial loss if a property is damaged or destroyed. This could be if you own it outright, have a.......[READ MORE]

Landlord’s Obligations Under the Fair Housing Act

Mark Zinman | Zona Law Group

April is Fair Housing Month, and this year it ended with a stark reminder of what's at stake when landlords fall short of their obligations under the Fair Housing Act.

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the second-largest fair housing settlement in history. A landlord agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve claims that it failed to accommodate a mother's repeated requests to transfer her family to a ground-floor unit — requests driven by her son's.....[READ MORE]

Invest Your Retirement Savings with Pride

J.P. Dahdah | VantageIRA

Investing is typically not an area most people are confident in. In fact, anything surrounding money and financial matters tend to make people uncomfortable, stressed, and anxious....[READ MORE]

Deconstruction vs. Demolition: 4 Primary Benefits

Chuck Warshaver | Stardust

When a business and/or homeowner decides to rebuild or remodel an existing structure, they want to finish the project as soon as possible and at the lowest cost. At first glance, it seems easier and quicker to demolish the building....[READ MORE]

Where the Smart Money Moves Next: A Clear Read on Today’s Market

Dan Noma Jr. | Easy Street Offers

After six months inching toward a buyer’s market, Phoenix has snapped back to balanced—not because demand spiked, but because over 40% of Q2 listings were canceled. When that much inventory is pulled from the MLS, supply appears tighter even as motivation among sellers quietly rises. Active listings are up double digits year over year, yet prices per square foot remain flat. Days on market have stretched toward 70, and price reductions are climbing....[READ MORE]

Design as Dividend: Why Good Architecture Pays You Back

Nicholas Tsontakis | Dwell Boldly

When Loloma 5, a set of five live-work units designed by Will Bruder in Phoenix in 2004, hit the market, it didn’t lean on excess square footage or trend-driven finishes to justify its value. Instead, the difference was design: disciplined, intentional, and built to endure. Even as newer product entered the market, Loloma 5 held its position....[READ MORE]

Legally Speaking Q&A: What Is the Tenant Talking About?

Mark Zinman | Zona Law Group

Question: We are considering having our maintenance team wear recording devises, like GoPros or smart glasses, while performing service calls. The goal is to improve safety for our team, provide protection for the company, and create verification of the work being completed. Is there any legal concerns with this? Answer: There is nothing in the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant....[READ MORE]

50-Year Mortgage: Why the Lower Payment Sounds Good but May Cost You More

Jason Powers | 1024Wealth

The idea of a 50‑year mortgage recently resurfaced in Washington corridors as a proposed solution to America’s housing‑affordability squeeze. The Trump administration and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) floated it as a “game changer.” According to an Associated Press analysis in November 2025, on a median‑priced U.S. home ($415,200) with a 10 % down payment and a 6.17 % interest rate, a 30‑year mortgage would have a monthly payment of about.....[READ MORE]

Rethinking the Traditional 1031 Exchange

Eckard Enterprises | Eckard Enterprises

Many real estate investors use a 1031 exchange to defer capital gains taxes while moving from one property into another. Traditionally, this means trading an apartment building for a retail center or raw land for an industrial asset. However, some investors are exploring a different path by exchanging into mineral rights. Because certain mineral interests are treated as real property, they can qualify within a properly structured 1031 exchange.....[READ MORE]

Know Your Ceiling: Navigating the 10-Property Financed Limit Before It Stops You Cold

Jake Burt | Neighborhood Loans

Investing in Real Estate With Your IRA: What Investors Need to Know

Nate Hare | Directed IRA

Many real estate investors focus on finding deals, raising capital, and managing cash flow, but overlook one of the most flexible tools available to them: their retirement account. Contrary to common belief, IRAs have always been permitted to invest in real estate. They can own rental properties, participate in private real estate partnerships, lend money as private lenders, or invest in commercial and multifamily projects. The limitation most investors encounter is not a legal one, but.....[READ MORE]

PadSplit Market Update

Ellis Tran | PadSplit

Total Unit Count: 1282 (202 Properties)

Occupancy: 83% (87% Mature)

Weekly Rates: $212/week ($918/mo)

Days for First Booking in PadSplit: 6.1

Days to Reach 80% Occupancy: 33.1/49

Most real estate investors know the basics of conventional financing. What fewer track closely enough is the hard cap that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac place on the number of financed properties a single borrower can hold: ten. That number includes your primary residence. It sounds like a problem you would only hit after years of building a portfolio, but in active markets, investors can close in on that limit faster than expected, and the ones who are not paying attention....[READ MORE]

Trading Up Without Cashing Out: How Smart Investors Use 1031 Exchanges to Build Wealth

DiAnna Jackman | NorthStar Title Agency

In Arizona real estate, timing matters—but strategy matters more.

While many investors focus on finding the next great deal, seasoned investors understand that long-term wealth is often built through what you keep, not just what you earn. That’s exactly why 1031 Exchanges continue to be one of the most powerful tools in real estate investing......[READ MORE]

Why Consistency Matters More Than Experience in Real Estate Investing

Jake Martin |REI Print Mail

One of the most exciting things about real estate investing is that you do not need years of experience to start building momentum. In fact, many successful investors began with very little experience at all. What separated them was their willingness to stay consistent, learn through action, and continue improving over time. One of the biggest things I encourage newer investors to avoid.....[READ MORE]