• Zero Flux
  • Posts
  • The apartment forecast changed. Is your market next?

The apartment forecast changed. Is your market next?

Plus: Mapped: Americans With No Net Wealth by State.

Author

Vidit Saxena
November 10, 2026

In partnership with

ZERO FLUX10 NOV 2026 / 5 MIN
TODAY'S MAIN SIGNALS
1More first-time homebuyers are paying cash.
2Renters could fill new apartments sooner than expected.
3Data centers could have to supply their own power.
MARKET SIGNALSFREE
RESIDENTIALLINK
First-time buyers are paying cash in record numbers. Where is the money coming from?
-First-time buyers are using family wealth, savings and investments to avoid expensive mortgages. A record 10% paid cash, while 28% of cash buyers used an inheritance versus 9% of financed buyers.
COMMERCIALLINK
Apartments.com's latest U.S. multifamily growth forecast
-Apartments.com expects rents to grow 2.6% and vacancy to fall to 7.5% by late 2027. Renters are expected to fill apartments built in 2024 and 2025 faster than previously forecast.
COMMERCIALLINK
Democrats could revive a power rule covering 99% of planned data center capacity
-Democrats could revive the GRID Act, which would require projects representing over 99% of planned data center capacity to supply their own power. That could shield nearby residents from higher bills, but a presidential veto could block it.
MARKETS TO WATCH
Where does a VA loan give homebuyers the biggest advantage?
Which monthly-paying REITs have the safest dividends?

Why Overseas Producers Can't Undercut Atlas Salt, Even for Free

Cities are already running short on road salt, and winter hasn't even started. Some supply bids are going unanswered, prices have nearly doubled in parts of the market, and the backup plan is two weeks away by boat. Here's why Atlas Salt (TSXV: SALT | OTCQX: SALQF) can get salt to the people who need it most, faster and cheaper than anyone shipping from overseas: 

• Three days by ship to Boston, not fourteen

• Shallow deposit that's cheaper and faster to mine

• Projected C$188M a year in free cash flow

• Export Development Canada interested in lending C$150M

• Early supply deal with top U.S. salt distributor

THE AI LAYERAI + REAL ESTATE
TOOLS TO KNOW
Sunbound   Sunbound helps senior living operators collect payments and check insurance claims with AI, reducing manual follow-up and flagging billing problems.
FUNDING ROUNDSPROPTECH
Optivolt, a company helping solar panels recover power lost to shade and wear, raised $32 million in Series A funding led by VXI Capital.
Firefly, a company using AI to monitor building safety, raised $20 million in Series A funding led by Definition Capital.
VECKTA, a platform helping businesses plan and buy onsite energy systems, raised $11 million in Series A funding led by Origin Ventures.
Linkener, a Spanish energy-management platform, raised €7.5 million in a round led by Klima Energy Transition Fund.
DrizzleX, a water-monitoring company for apartments and commercial buildings, raised $6.8 million in Series A-2 funding led by Israel Investment Fund Group.
MARC, a platform helping property owners manage vendor costs, raised $5 million in seed funding led by Work-Bench.
THE EDGEPREMIUM
COMMERCIALLINK
What matters most in a warehouse location now?
-Reliable power now matters most for logistics locations, while faster delivery is pushing warehouses closer to population centers. Owners may need to provide power on site to keep their properties competitive.
COMMERCIALLINK
Could the CVS breakup hurt the value of its stores?
-A CVS breakup could leave landlords with a weaker tenant and push asking cap rates from 6.90% toward Walgreens' 8.20%. The resulting value decline would put older stores nearing renewal most at risk.
RESIDENTIALLINK
Do Opportunity Zone homes deliver better price growth?
-Opportunity Zone homes were cheaper, without a clear price-growth advantage: 48.9% of tracts had annual gains versus 51.6% elsewhere. Nearly 80% had median prices below the $368,000 national median.
EVERYTHING ELSE IN REAL ESTATE
Cutting renovation costs? These repairs get more expensive when you waitREAL ESTATE
Warehouse leasing is back near boom levels. Where is the demand coming from?INDUSTRIAL
8.5 months of housing supply. Why isn't that a crash warning?RESIDENTIAL
AI is saving property managers time, but not lifting NOI for mostAI
OFF TOPIC
LINK
Mapped: Americans With No Net Wealth by State
Mapped: Americans With No Net Wealth by State
Source: Visual Capitalist
-Oklahoma has the highest share of households with no net wealth at 20.1%, followed by Nevada at 17.7% and Mississippi at 17.6%. Each exceeds the 11.3% national rate, showing where debts more often fully offset household assets.
UNREAL REAL ESTATE
An 1891 Red Brick Castle With Tea Service
An 1891 Red Brick Castle With Tea Service
In Milwaukee, WI, the 1891 red-brick Schuster Mansion combines castle towers and carved interiors with a bed-and-breakfast that serves afternoon tea. LINK

 

What did you think of today's newsletter?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Want to sponsor the newsletter? Details here

Reply

or to participate.