by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Mar 21, 2026 | Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Selling a rental property triggers capital gains tax and depreciation recapture. Combined, you could easily lose 25-35% of your gains to taxes. A 1031 exchange lets you defer those taxes by rolling proceeds into a replacement property. But most...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 | Spark Blog |
The Short Version: The AI “fever dream” in investing is about to hit reality. Docupace’s CMO predicts overpromising and under-delivering will cause some wealthtechs to shutter in 2026. AI is genuinely useful for data processing, automation, and...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: A Pew survey found 72% of Americans have a negative view of the economy, with nearly 40% expecting things to get worse. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is near all-time highs. Pessimism at extremes is usually wrong. March 2009 felt apocalyptic… and...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 | Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Multifamily construction starts just hit their lowest level in over a decade. Only 234,900 units broke ground in the 12 months ending Q3 2025… the weakest pipeline since 2013. Developers have pulled back because the math doesn’t work....
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Over $500 billion in commercial real estate loans come due between 2025 and 2027. Operators who borrowed at 3% now face refinancing at 6-7%. The math doesn’t work anymore. When operators can’t refinance profitably, they sell. And when...
by G. Brian Davis | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 | Personal Finance, Spark Blog |
The Short Version: Morningstar, Schwab, and Morgan Stanley are all forecasting higher volatility in 2026. Three straight years of double-digit S&P gains have stretched valuations, and a 12-15% correction is widely expected. Most people think they’re...