According to a recent survey, over 95% of renters are planning on moving this year.This will be fantastic news for the apartment industry, if true. The survey also reinforced the importance as advertising online…as those who were moving indicated they would look there first for listings. Go to full article

more than 95% of renters said they are planning a move in 2010. Striking while their 2010 moving resolutions are hot, many renters are also moving earlier this year, searching for better deals and nicer apartments in great neighborhoods…

…nearly 60% of renter respondents moving this year said they are either paying the same or more in rent as last year. Renters are also factoring in how their new home will suit their needs and lifestyle. Some renters are looking for a more convenient commute to work, family and school while others want more space to start a family or to double up with roommates.

The National Association of Home Builders has released their quarterly index of apartment demand (both existing units and new constructions. New construction sentiments appear to be improving as well as future expectations for rental demand. Rent’s however are not showing improvement. From the article

“While the multifamily market indices measuring current rental demand were little changed on a year-over-year basis, indices measuring expected demand for apartments in the next six months rose for all types of apartments.  For lower-end apartments, the future index increased to 43.9 in the third quarter of 2009, compared to 28.2 a year earlier.

Asking rents and effective rents (net of concessions), however, do not yet show progress.  In the third quarter of 2009, the index measuring asking rents dropped from 50.8 a year earlier to 41.7, while the index that measures effective rents declined from 38.5 to 26.6.”

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