Has anyone else noticed that in the last 6 months, it seems to be easier to rent apartments. I am getting many more calls that before and renting most units quicker and for more money. Plus the tenants that I am taking are much high quality.

Anyone else seeing the same thing?

Our investors have noticed as they have picked up buying property. A lot of the people losing their homes still need a place to live and are going the rent rout. The other things they've noticed, however, is also an increase in applications for subsidized rent. I don't take that as a good indicator.

Of course! As mortgage guidelines continue to tighten less people can purchase homes. Also as people lose their homes they too are forced to rent.

Whenever a poor economy presents itself people are scared to liquidate cash reserves and commit to a mortgage loan. Pretty soon everyone will be forced to put a down payment on a home as the House and Senate agreed on a bill "HR3221" that finally will ban the use of seller funded down payment assistance on FHA loans leaving only VA and USDA as the only 2 remaining "No Down Payment" loan options available. Both of these loans come with restrictions that make them unable to be used by the majority of the United States. Then you have lenders continually tightening up on risk.

With that being said it is undoubtably a great time to invest and retain property as rentals!

And yes the increase for applications surely is related to the struggling economy, higher gas prices, and inflation.

I also have noticed a higher quality pool of tenants applying to my properties. I rent single-family homes, and many of my prospects lately have gone through a short-sale or foreclosure. I've been having pretty good experiences with these types of tenants.