Latest Edition of

The AZREIA Advantage Digital Newsletter

Cover Article | Nate Hare

Unlocking The Power of Self-Directed Retirement Plans Through Real Estate Investing

For many real estate investors, retirement accounts are viewed as little more than a place to hold mutual funds, ETFs, and publicly traded stocks. But what many don’t realize is that an old 401(k), Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, HSA, ESA, and even certain Solo 401(k) plans can be self-directed to invest in real estate and other alternative assets. A self-directed retirement account opens the door to many of the same investment strategies.....[READ MORE]

Location. Location. Location. Still The Best Investment Advice.

Rob Jafek | Boomerang Capital Partners

Real estate investors have long relied on the mantra "location, location, location." It endures because there is no such thing as a monolithic national real estate market. Instead, thousands of local markets exist, each shaped by unique employers demographics, and regulations. While national statistics offer context; they rarely explain what is happening in a specific neighborhood. This lesson is vital today....[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]

Who's Actually on the Policy? Why Your Insurance "Name Game" Matters

Derek Kartchner | Gila Insurance

Let's talk about something that sounds boring but can absolutely ruin your week: the name on your insurance policy.

Real estate investors love a good acronym — LLC, IRA, DSCR, ARV — but here's one that deserves more attention than it gets: NI. Named Insured. Two words at the top of your declarations page that most investors skim right past. Big mistake........[READ MORE]

A New Arizona Law Potentially Affecting Your Eviction Judgment

Mark Zinman | Zona Law Group

The Governor has signed HB 2244, which amends A.R.S. §§ 12-1567 and 22-247 - the satisfaction of judgment statutes for superior and justice court. The law still requires a prevailing party to file a satisfaction of judgment within 40 days of full payment, but it adds a new fast track procedure that community owners and operators need to watch closely.....[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: New Squatter Law

Mark Zinman | Zona Law Group

Question: Question: I heard that there is a new law on squatters. Does this mean I can just throw someone out of my vacant house, if they are there?.....[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]

The DSCR Landmines that Wreck More Deals Than Anything Else

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

DSCR loans are the backbone of serious investor financing. No tax returns, no income docs, no W2s. You qualify on the property, not yourself, based on whether the rent covers the payment. Simple on paper. But two things quietly sink more DSCR deals than everything else combined, and both are avoidable once you know what to look for. The first is the unique property. DSCR lenders live and die by resale.....[READ MORE]

Arizona's New Notary Thumbprint Rule: What AZREIA Members Need to Know Before September 2026

DiAnna Jackman | NorthStar Title Agency

Beginning in September 2026, Arizona real estate professionals, investors, escrow teams, mobile notaries, and anyone involved in property transfers will need to pay close attention to a new fraud-prevention requirement: thumbprints in the notary journal for certain real estate and power of attorney documents. For AZREIA members, Beginning in September 2026, Arizona real estate professionals, investors, escrow teams, mobile notaries, and anyone involved in property......[READ MORE]

Mesa Launches Redevelopment Toolkit to Help Unlock Underutilized Properties

Jeffrey Robins |City of Mesa

The City of Mesa is launching a new Redevelopment Toolkit aimed at helping owners, investors, brokers, and developers unlock value in older commercial and industrial properties. Across Mesa, many well-located sites have strong fundamentals—access to customers, existing infrastructure, established employment. areas, and proximity to growing neighborhoods—but may face redevelopment barriers that make reinvestment difficult to pencil.....[READ MORE]

Defend Your Transaction

Maria Brandenburg |Great American Title

Real estate fraud continues to rise, making it more important than ever for investors, buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals to exercise due diligence throughout every transaction. As technology advances, fraudsters are finding increasingly sophisticated ways to impersonate legitimate parties, forge documents, and use artificial intelligence to create convincing emails, text messages, and even phone calls.....[READ MORE]