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Top 10 Markets for Single Family Rental Investments

June 13, 2018 by DAWGS Vacant Property Security

Hot Markets for Single-Family Rental Investment

With rent prices increasing right alongside home prices in many markets, rental investment can pay serious dividends for those savvy enough to do their homework before they invest.

But like the old adage goes, one critical element is “location, location, location.” With that in mind, HouseCanary recently examined the state of rental investment, including single-family, condos, and apartments, to see which markets are hot … and which are not.

Read Full Article [Source: www.dsnews.com]

Teen Found Dead in Unsecured Vacant Property in Chicago

June 13, 2018 by DAWGS Vacant Property Security

Message to Property Owners, Property Managers:
Secure Your Vacant Property Before It’s Too Late

An unsecured vacant property is not just a target for theft, a shelter for squatters, a hazard for fires – in this case, it became a final resting place for a teen. Property owners and managers must take proper steps to secure vacant properties.

Extract from article:

Community activist Andrew Holmes demanded the building owner come forward.

“This place, one, was unsecured. We see this over and over again, when your property is unsecured, then all of a sudden an incident happens and you come out and secure it,” Holmes said.

Read Full Article [Source: www.abc7chicago.com]

16 Best Places to Buy Rental Property in the Year 2018

May 9, 2018 by DAWGS Vacant Property Security

Where Should You Invest in Rental Property in 2018?

The best places to buy rental property for cash flow and equity growth often have three things in common: job growth, population growth and affordability. When you find a market that has all three of these factors, you’ll probably be able to find good investment opportunities.

There are several cities across the United States where these factors exist today — places where you can buy high cash flow rental property while prices are still low (around $100,000 in many cases), and watch your equity grow.

Read Full Article [Source: www.realwealthnetwork.com]

Freddie Mac Forecasts Housing Conditions Through 2019

May 9, 2018 by DAWGS Vacant Property Security

Where is the Housing Market Heading?

Freddie Mac has released its latest Outlook, breaking down the state of the housing market in April 2018 and examining where things are likely to head over the next few years. The Outlook forecasts continual gradual growth through Q4 2019, so long as construction continues to ramp up to help offset current constraints on available housing inventory.

Freddie’s Outlook predicts that mortgage rates will wind up averaging 4.9 percent in Q4 2018 and 5.4 percent in Q4 2019, respectively. Freddie’s Outlook bases these predictions on the assumption that housing supply will continue to increase, whereas demand will cool slightly as mortgage rates rise. The Outlook also anticipates that the Fed will continue raising rates in order to combat inflation.

Read Full Article [Source: www.dsnews.com]

DAWGS and Humble Design Provide a Furnished Home to a Family in Need

May 8, 2018 by DAWGS Vacant Property Security

DAWGS Day of Service with Humble Design

Furnishing Homes for Families Escaping Homelessness in the Windy City

On a chilly Chicago morning, April 25th 2018, DAWGS (Door and Window Guard Systems) partnered with Humble Design to provide a brighter future for a struggling, hard-working mother and her four children.

Chicago based DAWGS, the leading manufacturer and provider of steel door and window guards for vacant property security, has a long history of giving back to the communities they serve. When Humble Design approached the DAWGS team and asked them to sponsor and take part in a Day of Service — to provide home furnishings for a deserving family in Chicago, DAWGS did not hesitate to support the initiative financially and by providing DAWGS employees to do the work.

The Makeover:

DAWGS Day of Service with Humble Design resulted in moving a deserving mother, a victim of domestic violence, and her four children out of a shelter and into a safe, fully furnished garden apartment with four bedrooms and one bathroom.

The beneficiary of the DAWGS Day of Service is a very special family. This mom, an amazing quiet warrior of a woman, is in school full time, studying to obtain a degree in Nursing. She also works full time and is a single parent raising four children. She is doing all the right things to provide a safe environment for her children. If ever a dedicated hard-working mother deserved a helping hand it would be this mother and this family.

A DAWGS Day

The DAWGS Day of Service with Humble Design began early in the morning. Nine DAWGS team members met at the Humble Design warehouse where they loaded trucks and cars with new home furnishings that would soon transform an empty apartment into a comfortable home.

After departing the warehouse, they caravanned to the apartment where the DAWGS and Humble Design teams cleaned the residence from floor to ceiling. Once the residence was clean, they moving in the furniture and décor and furnished and decorated the home.

Watch the video of the new home revealed to the family.

Later that afternoon the new home was revealed to the family. There were tears and hugs and laughter when the family saw the home. DAWGS had also learned that the mother did not have her own laptop and needed to borrow one in order to do her homework. Upon hearing this, DAWGS purchased a new laptop and surprised the family with this gift at the reveal.

Brandon Buhai, Vice President at DAWGS spoke of the experience “Working with Humble Design to provide this family with a furnished home and a brighter future was a heart-warming experience for all of us who participated. This mom is working so hard to provide for her family, she was so truly grateful. It was really great for us to see our efforts change lives in real-time.”

DAWGS Examines the True Cost of Vacant Properties

April 23, 2018 by DAWGS Vacant Property Security

The Vacant Property Problem

Vacant properties are not just eyesores, they pose a real threat to public safety. When not properly secured, vacant properties, especially in distressed areas, attract criminal activity. Drug and theft calls to the police are more than double in neighborhoods with abandoned buildings.

Another threat to public safety results from fires in vacant buildings. Arson and accidental fires in vacant structures cause numerous deaths and injuries and cost millions of dollars in property damage annually. Fires in vacant properties unnecessarily put the public and firefighters at risk.

Homeowners also pay the price

Homeowners in communities with vacant properties are negatively impacted financially. Studies reveal that property values are decreased in neighborhoods with vacant properties. In addition to plunging property values, homes in close proximity to abandoned properties often times have higher insurance premiums. Higher premiums are assessed due to the risks associated with abandoned properties.

Steel Door and Window Guards Stop Break-ins

A vacant property not properly secured only exasperates these problems. In distressed neighborhoods, the only sure way to stop break-ins and reduce crime is with DAWGS steel door and window guards. DAWGS recently surveyed Property Investors, Rehabbers and Real Estate Professionals who have used steel door and windows guards to secure their vacant properties. These property stakeholders agreed that steel is most effective material when it comes to safeguarding a vacant property in distressed neighborhoods.