This article is presented by Connect Invest.
The Sunbelt area is facing a housing slowdown. Metro regions in Austin, Phoenix, and Tampa saw a multifamily construction boom in 2023 and 2024, which pushed vacancies to nearly 15%. This oversupply has dragged rent prices down in some areas, contributing to sluggish investor returns.
While LeaseLock data shows that the U.S. housing market is starting to recalibrate in some Sunbelt metros like Tampa and Houston, it might take a while to rebound. Areas in once-hot markets are now taking longer to sell, as homeowners are losing hope of having a 3% mortgage rate.
Inventory Overload and Investor Risk
This surge in supply means the area’s housing market is cooling. Inventory across the U.S. has been rising steadily all summer, with the strongest growth in the West and South, according to data from Realtor.com.
While an increase in supply is usually a good thing in real estate markets, buyers aren’t biting.
Mortgage rates are high. Many of what’s for sale are larger homes and not what buyers are looking for. The jobs market is in low gear, while inflation has climbed, meaning buyers might be holding off or looking to downsize. This oversupply increases the risk that properties are devalued, especially in areas exposed to job loss and increasing insurance premiums.
Even landlords are losing out, as rent prices are declining or stagnating in many Sunbelt metro areas, according to Redfin data.
For example, Austin saw a 3.1% decline in year-over-year asking rent in August, while areas like Phoenix and Orlando have barely budged.
Real Estate Investing Alternatives
All this means that as a real estate investor, it might be a smart move to hold off on new acquisitions and see how the market picks up. But keeping your capital in cash might not be the best strategy either, as it means missing out on yield.
And with inflation rising, even keeping your money in a savings account won’t give you much. Even high-yield savings accounts won’t give you a return over 5%.
A better real estate alternative? Consider investing in short-duration, real estate-backed notes that deliver mid-single-digit returns while letting markets recover.
Real estate-backed notes
Real estate-backed notes are a debt investment secured by real property. As the debt is repaid, investors receive interest income. While it might seem like a complex model for institutional investors, real estate firms like Connect Invest make passive investing in real estate easy.
With Connect Invest, you could earn 9% in passive income by investing in real estate debt securities that are used to fund a diversified portfolio of private and commercial real estate. For investors, this means having exposure to real estate without overhead, liquidity, or account fees, with short commitment terms.
See how Connect Invest’s notes can keep your capital working through the down cycle and positioned to reenter when vacancy pressure eases.