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Top Markets for Multifamily Building Permits

Multifamily permitting trends indicate continued national stability amid local recalibration. Across the country, issuances were steady, rising just 2.6% in 2025. At the metropolitan level, trends diverged sharply, with some markets accelerating and others pulling back. Per-capita leaders continued to cluster around high-growth Sun Belt and regional hubs, while year-over-year market-level fluctuations suggest that more pipelines have become increasingly selective and, in some cases, more concentrated in large-scale projects.

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Seven Facts About FHA Multifamily Loans

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is one of the largest mortgage insurers in the world. The agency insures mortgages on affordable housing, multifamily properties, single-family homes, and healthcare facilities. Since 1934,  FHA has financed over 50,000 multifamily mortgages nationwide. Whether you’re interested in acquiring, refinancing, or rehabilitating an affordable housing property, FHA multifamily loans are a financing route you need to know about.

FHA 232/223(f)

FHA® 232/223(f): Healthcare Refinance, Acquisition or Mod Rehab  

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Top States for Population Growth

Despite a national slowdown, population growth remained concentrated in a small group of states in 2025, where strong net domestic migration inflows, economic opportunity, and in some cases elevated birth rates drove the annual increases. Overall, 14 states had an annual population growth rate above 0.75%, while 12 states had less than 0.1%, according to a Chandan Economics analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey.

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Arbor’s Build-to-Rent Financing: 10 Reasons to Choose a Premier Lender

Build-to-rent (BTR), a compelling solution to the U.S. housing market’s evolving needs, is experiencing record growth. BTR accounted for 8% of all single-family rental (SFR) construction starts in the 12 months that ended in the first quarter of 2024, according to Arbor’s Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report Q2 2024. As the need for quality rental units remains high, borrowers have much to gain from partnering with an experienced lender who specializes in build-to-rent financing.

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Nearly All Metros Post Positive Rent Gains

National rent growth in the single-family rental (SFR) sector remained strong and consistent in 2025 as market-level pricing momentum was broad-based and robust, according to an analysis of newly released data from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. Year-end annual rent gains averaged 2.9%, down from 4.1% in 2024, marking the most modest increase since 2015. But even as the intensity of SFR rent growth abated last year, its reach was extensive, with 98 of the 100 largest markets posting year-over-year gains.

General: 800.ARBOR.10

Ivan Kaufman Talks 2021 Housing Demand on Yahoo! Finance Live

Ivan Kaufman on Yahoo! Finance Live

Arbor Realty Trust’s CEO discusses the company’s strong first-quarter earnings and his outlook for housing demand this year

Arbor has had an “unbelievable run,” with the first quarter of 2021 marking the 10th year in a row that the mortgage REIT has raised their dividend, noted Ivan Kaufman, founder, chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) in an interview on Yahoo! Finance Live with Adam Shapiro and Seana Smith. Much of Arbor’s success can be attributed to its focus on resilient asset classes like multifamily and single-family rental (SFR), he noted.

“We’re just in a great space. We’re a multifamily lender. We’re very active in the single-family rental space. Those segments of the economy are just ripping and roaring, fueled by low interest rates, an imbalance of supply and demand, and an attractive investment class. We’re just in the right place at the right time,” Kaufman said.

In the interview, Kaufman discussed why single-family rentals have become so appealing. While the market has largely been dominated by mom-and-pop investors, institutional players have slowly been entering the space since the Great Recession.

“With institutional capital coming and professional management coming to the space, it’s just becoming more and more attractive,” he said.

The pandemic has only accelerated demand for SFR product, as households began to move out of urban areas in search of more space and affordable prices in the near suburbs. As home prices have jumped in the last year, those priced out of the market are looking to rent homes as an alternative.

On the multifamily side, Kaufman noted that there is still a lot of demand and new developments are being leased up, albeit at a slower pace.

Kaufman also shared his outlook for housing demand in 2021, noting that home prices will likely only continue to go up due to the persistent imbalance of supply and demand.

“You’re going to see too many people looking to buy homes, not enough homes for sale. You’ll still see some level of appreciation,” he said, adding that if interest rates remain low, people will lean toward buying a home.

Labor market shortages and high lumber prices are also delaying construction of new homes. “You’re going to see a little bit of a slow move on new homes coming to market,” Kaufman noted.

Watch the full interview here.