Latest Edition of

The AZREIA Advantage Digital Newsletter

Cover Article | Gina and Brian Kingdeski

From Struggling Flip to Cash Flow: How One Arizona Investor Found the Better Way to Flip

The Green Light Buying Machine is helping experienced fix-and-flippers rethink their strategy in today’s changing market. For years, the fix-and-flip formula was simple: buy right, renovate, sell, and collect the profit. But with higher interest rates, rising renovation costs, and longer hold times, even experienced investors are finding that the traditional model isn’t as predictable as it once was........[READ MORE]

Executive Director Message

Are You Paying Attention to the Demand Side?

Mike Del Prete | AZREIA Executive Director

When we look at a rental property, most of us know exactly what numbers we want to see. What’s the purchase price? What’s the rehab going to cost? What can I finance it for? What are the comps? And, of course, what will it rent for? But there’s another question I think investors need to spend more time asking: Who is actually going to rent it? We spend a lot of time analyzing the property and not nearly enough time thinking about the person who needs......[READ MORE]

Wholesaling Real Estate in Arizona in 2026: What Every Investor Needs to Know

Mick MicGir | Phocus Law

Three years ago, I wrote for AZREIA about whether wholesaling real estate is legal in the Grand Canyon State. Since then, wholesaling has stayed one of the most popular ways for new investors to get into the market without a lot of capital, and it has also drawn more scrutiny from sellers, title companies, and listing agents. Arizona’s disclosure statute has now been in effect for several years, and the market has, adjusted around it. So it’s a good.....[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]

How Landlords Can Handle a Property Claim the Right Way

Derek Kartchner | Gila Insurance

When a pipe bursts or a kitchen fire guts a unit, what you do in the next few days can decide whether your claim is paid in full, paid in part, or denied. Here’s what every landlord should know. Start the Claim the Right Way - First, protect the property from further damage. Shut off the water, board up broken windows, and tarp the roof. Most landlord policies require reasonable steps to prevent additional loss, and damage that spreads because nobody acted may.......[READ MORE]

Security Deposits in the Age of AI: Back to the Basics

Mark Zinman | Zona Law Group

With AI being promoted everywhere, we expect to see more lawsuits by residents against landlords. A tenant who once would have just grumbled about a deduction can now have a chatbot draft a complaint in minutes. Security deposit lawsuits are already the #1 lawsuit filed by residents, so we thought it would be a good time to review the basics, to help in the event you end up in a lawsuit...[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: Who Gets the Deposit if a Tenant Dies?

Mark Zinman | Zona Law Group

Question: Question: One of our residents passed away in his unit. We sent the security deposit accounting with a refund check made out to “The Estate of” the tenant. His children came into the office and said they can’t cash it. Who should the check be made out to?......[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]

Your Assets Are Your Income: How the Asset Utilization Loan Works

Jake Burt | Neighborhood Loans

Every month I talk to an investor with a seven figure balance sheet and a tax return that says they barely work. Great for taxes. Terrible for a loan application. Asset utilization, sometimes called asset depletion, fixes that mismatch by converting what you own into qualifying income.Here is the math most borrowers never see. The lender takes your eligible liquid assets, applies a haircut by account type, subtracts whatever you are using for the down payment,.....[READ MORE]

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

How New SBA Guidelines Are Making Commercial Real Estate Investment More Accessible

DiAnna Jackman | NorthStar Title Agency

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to play a critical role in helping entrepreneurs acquire, improve, and occupy commercial real estate. Recent updates to the SBA's lending policies, particularly through SOP 50 10 8, have modernized loan procedures and provided greater clarity for lenders and borrowers seeking financing through the SBA's 7(a) and 504 loan programs.......[READ MORE]

Beyond the Flip: Planning for a Cash Flow Exit

Jakob Fuhriman |Capital Fund 1

An Arizona investor finds a property with renovation potential, but selling after construction is not the only strategy on the table. The investor is considering keeping the home as a rental or exploring a co-living model. Before making an offer, one question matters: how will the financing support both the renovation and the planned exit? At Capital Fund 1, we help investors evaluate that question from the beginning. Our asset.......[READ MORE]

Your Buyer’s Payment Is Your Exit Price

Alex Hollien and Janet Moe | Great American Title

Flippers and wholesalers don’t sell to the market. When a retail buyer looks at your property, the question isn’t only whether it’s worth the asking price. It’s whether they can live with the payment. Price Cut or Buydown? Let the Numbers Make the Call When a flip sits, it often reflects in a price reduction. When the investor is considering selling to an end buyer who has secured financing, talk to the buyer’s lender. Inquire what concessions may be needed on the loan program, the end buyer is considering......[READ MORE]