Supply is still the bottleneck.Let’s break down what actually matters heading into spring 2026.PCE Inflation Runs Hotter Than ForecastDecember’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — came in slightly above expectations.Headline inflation: +0.4% for the month, 2.9% annuallyCore inflation: +0.4% for the month, 3.0% annuallyStreaming services jumped nearly 20% in December, adding unusual pressure to the monthly number.What this means for mortgage rates:Inflation is still above the Fed’s 2% target, which keeps policymakers cautious on rate cuts.However — context matters.Higher inflation readings from early 2025 will soon roll off the annual comparison.

I'll go first:We upload vendor quotes, contractor bids, and comps and have it build comparison tables.When something is broken, we send a picture of an appliance with the name and AI tells us what's wrong and how to fix it.We have a team rule - every question asked publicly must go through ChatGPT first and share the link.

And that analogy is even far too weak a comparison.

In fact, ‘affordability’ is a side effect/feature of a pro-housing development environment, executed over time.Again, to borrow a fantastic comparison I read this week: “build affordable housing” is like saying “build used cars.”So true.And, think of this.

I've attached my full analysis spreadsheet with cash flow projections, sale proceeds breakdown, and 10-year comparison if anyone wants to dig into the numbers.Am I leaving money on the table by selling, or is this the right call?

Interesting comparison — both markets can work, but from the duplex / build-to-rent side I tend to lean Florida.Lower land + construction basis in markets like Ocala makes it easier to pencil cash flow earlier, especially when compared to higher entry pricing in Phoenix.

Painting, flooring, and small maintenance tasks priced individually often come in lower.If this were my property, I’d probably get one or two comparison quotes, especially for the painting.

For many of my clients, the premium difference ends up being about buying smoother claims handling and fewer unknowns.If you’d like, I’d be happy to:Review what you’re currently carryingIdentify potential exposure gapsRun a quick scenario comparison so you can see where the real differences areNo pressure either way — just making sure you’re making a decision with full clarity.Out of curiosity, how many doors are you operating right now?

We review deals as a group before investing, dissect the assumptions, ask sponsors tough questions on live calls, and share side by side comparisons so members can see how others are underwriting the same opportunity.

Nicholas ran a full bull/base/bear framework earlier that puts the bear case IRR at ~4% pre-tax, which is a much more honest picture.I'd push back a little on the Bitcoin comparison though.