Some Investors Have Lost Their Entire Retirement Savings, It’s Heartbreaking

A report from the San Francisco Chronicle in California. “At this time last year, Brooke and Zach Davis fully expected that their family would celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in their new, factory-built home on a quiet hillside in Soquel, an unincorporated area in Santa Cruz County. They had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to knock down the 750-square-foot house on the property where they had been living. All of this was done at the direction of Arizona-based Connect Homes, a modular builder. Now, a year later, work on the couple’s property is at a standstill as they rent a home in Aptos. With each passing day, they’re losing money and hope now that the company filed for liquidation last month. By November 2021, the couple completed a refinance of their Soquel property, using up all equity to build their modular project. Brooke Davis said she has developed insomnia from the daily stress that her family’s situation has created, and the $460,000 they’ve spent on a home that has yet to arrive. ‘Honestly, we could lose all of our life savings,’ she said, breaking into tears while talking about the ordeal. ‘We have three kids, and we want them to go to college.'”

“And, because of how Connect Homes filed for liquidation, the Davises may never see that money again. Brooke Davis turned to Reddit and found stories eerily similar to her own family’s. ‘Total nightmare. Where are you in the process? The lack of communication has been truly shocking. We know nothing other than they’re working on an acquisition,’ a Reddit user posted four months ago. Others complained about the Connect Homes’ website being down too often, or its phone number being disconnected, with customers unable to receive updates. All of those in the Reddit thread had been ghosted by Connect Homes in the fall. ‘This is a kick in the gut,’ she said. ‘Based on very limited communication from Connect Homes we had hopes that a deal would be made to restart operations. Now that hope is basically gone.'”

The Los Angeles Times. “It took a decade of scrimping and saving for the Ramirez sisters to buy their first house, a fixer-upper in Altadena. Nine years later, they bought another, and after a few more years, a third, all within a few blocks of each other. By 2013, the three single women all had their own homes, and they enjoyed watching their properties rise in value to more than $1 million each. Now, after the Los Angeles fires burned all three homes to the ground, the Ramirez sisters are back to square one. The Ramirezes are likely to find they’re underinsured. After previous California wildfires from 2013 to 2020, almost 40% of homeowners’ insurance claims were underpaid, with households receiving settlements that were 28% lower than the expected rebuilding costs, according to research.”

“Teresa Ramirez’s neighbor on Olive Avenue, Paul Wallace, a retired civil engineer, bought his three-bedroom house 23 years ago. He has just 2½ years left on a 15-year mortgage, and says he has reserves to pay that off. Wallace plans to rebuild, although he, too, worries about the cost. Others, after refinancings and cash-outs, have bigger mortgages. Teresa Ramirez’s is $460,000. Overall, homeowners in Altadena, on average, carried a mortgage balance of $515,000 at the end of last year, according to Moody Analytics’ analysis of credit files for The Times. The Ramirez sisters also have a GoFundMe page and are trying to move quickly, concerned that their Altadena location will put them at the back of the rebuilding line, especially behind wealthier places such as the Palisades. ‘We don’t want to be a forgotten community,’ she said.”

From The State. “After years of soaring prices and declining sales that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Carolina housing market has readjusted to a more typical state. ‘Over the past two years, South Carolina’s housing market has been going through a major correction period,’ said Joey Von Nessen, research economist at the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. ‘Following a mini-housing bubble that emerged with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and that later peaked in 2021, housing sales activity in South Carolina has since been steadily adjusting back to pre-pandemic levels.'”

From Realtor.com. “Homebuying is often a very pricey business, particularly if you’re looking at properties in an enviable or exotic location—but one Hawaiian condo listing is flipping that script and offering up a 99% discount as part of a ‘flash sale’ that has seen the abode priced at just $1. That’s right, the two-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling on the island of Honolulu—which was originally listed for $775,000—is now available for a buck. At least in theory. Though the property seems wonderful, it’s had trouble attracting a buyer. The updated unit has been on and off the market since last year. It last changed hands in August 2024 for $570,000, according to Realtor.com® records.”

“The condo came back on the market in October 2024, listed at $775,000. By December, the price had been reduced to $730,000. In mid-January, it was relisted for $725,000. On Jan. 27, it was priced at a shocking $1. The ‘flash sale'” offer, as it’s described in the listing, is available until Feb. 3. And you might want to offer for more than just a dollar. The listing notes that ‘best and final offers’ are due by 8 p.m. HST. The condo does come with some fees, such as monthly maintenance costs. One commenter asked about the cost of the maintenance fees, to which agent Brian Terayama replied that ‘maintenance is $1,393/month which includes a $361/m assessment for insurance until the end of 2025.’ One noted the high monthly costs, posting, ‘$1,400 in Maintenance is Crazy.’ Cara Ameer, a licensed real estate agent in California notes that there may be a reason that the condo is having trouble selling at list price. ‘Buyers are likely staying away because of the HOA fees,’ she says. Depending on the community’s ‘covenants and restrictions,’ owners may not be able to offer it as a short-term rental.”

Gulf Shore Business in Florida. “‘I’m hopeful the market will improve,’ said Cindy Marsh-Tichy, 2025 president of Realtors of Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port-DeSoto. The Coldwell Banker Sunstar broker noted that unless mortgage interest rates decrease and homeowner and flood insurance prices become more affordable, they will be barriers for would-be buyers. In Charlotte County, the inventory level for single-family homes rose from 3,233 in November to 3,361 in December, boosted by 637 new listings and 399 pending listings. A number of homes were put on the market after they were flooded and repaired following hurricanes Helene and Milton. December’s monthly inventory rose to 7.9 months, versus 7.7 months in November. Inventory levels of six months or more constitute a buyer’s market.”

“December’s median sale price for single-family homes was lower than in November — $342,000 versus $349,950 — and December’s average sale price was $396,655, compared to November’s $407,990. Unlike single-family homes, the median and average sale prices were higher in December for townhomes and condos. Inventory levels for condos and townhomes rose to 11.4 months. There were 951 units in December’s inventory and 151 new listings with 72 pending.”

The Baltimore Banner in Maryland. “Chasen Cos., a Baltimore development firm that gained steam during the pandemic housing boom, faces new legal trouble after a bank alleged it defaulted on a nearly $14 million loan. It’s the third time since September that Chasen Cos. has faced a foreclosure filing over its Baltimore properties, and at least a dozen contractors and vendors also have alleged nonpayment in lawsuits. Orrstown Bank gave Chasen Cos. and its founders, Brandon Chasen and Paul Davis, a deadline of Dec. 13 to begin satisfying their obligations, according to court documents. But Chasen Cos. offered no such relief, the bank trustees allege. To date, the real estate firm owes more than $4.6 million on the loan and is accruing as much as $1,317 a day in interest, the documents say.”

“The company owns as many as 2,000 housing units across its portfolio in Baltimore, Virginia and Florida and agreed to strict loan terms that allow the bank to automatically enter judgment in the event of a default. Chasen Cos., which has offices in Fells Point and was as recently as a year ago poised to become a dominant landlord in that neighborhood, has stopped working on many of its projects. Today, the empty lots near the Broadway Market are cordoned off by metal fences. Inside, piles of bricks, rubble and concrete chunks are all that are visible.”

Owen Sound Current in Canada. “An Ottawa man who says BG Wealth Group defrauded him of $30,000 is speaking out to warn others, alleging that company operators Craig Dunkerley and Claudia Harvey lured investors with false promises of guaranteed returns. In recent years, BG Wealth Group heavily promoted its real estate investments in Owen Sound, boasting opportunities for double-digit returns. The company acquired several properties in the city, advertising to investors that rents would be increased and building values improved. However, the cracks began to show early in 2024, when The Owen Sound Current reported that one of BG Wealth’s buildings had a tax lien registered by the City of Owen Sound.”

“In November 2024, several BG Wealth companies tied to Owen Sound properties were placed into receivership by the Ontario Superior Court after defaulting on millions in debt. Commercial and residential buildings on 2nd Avenue East were seized to recover unpaid loans. It was against this backdrop that Rishabh Sethi, an Ottawa-area investor, found himself unable to recoup the $30,000 he had invested in BG Wealth’s Private Lending Program. ‘They had graphs and everything of how your investment grows,’ he added. ‘He told me for the one-year, the banks are giving 2%, but we’re going to give 14 or 16%.’ Sethi expressed his frustration, describing the ordeal as emotionally and financially draining. ‘I’ve spoken with other BG Wealth investors, some of whom have lost their entire retirement savings,’ he said. ‘It’s heartbreaking.’ He hopes that by sharing his story, others will approach investment opportunities like this with caution. ‘No one can guarantee you wealth except through hard work and proper research,’ Sethi said.”

Swindon Advertiser in the UK. “The unfinished state of a Swindon suburb has made national headlines after the Adver first reported on residents’ concerns. In January, this newspaper highlighted neighbours’ frustrations with unfinished and unmarked roads, a lack of street lighting, construction material dumped on corners, and poor sewerage infrastructure. The media outlet spoke to 55-year-old National Rail employee Matt Pordy, who has lived in the estate for five and a half years and bought his house for £200,000. He said that work is carried out in front of his house every week, adding: ‘I can’t sleep in my own house. I can’t sleep during the day when they are doing work because I work night shifts sometimes. I am looking at selling the house because of the stress all of these builders have caused because nothing gets done.'”

ABC News in Australia. “CoreLogic head of research Eliza Owen said values had dropped in Melbourne and were currently about 6.5 per cent below their peak. ‘This is firmly a buyers’ market. That’s also reflected in ABS lending data which shows the biggest share of first home buyer finance is going to property purchases in Victoria,’ Ms Owen said. ‘Hobart is also a very strong buyers’ market, with values about 12 per cent below the high in early 2022.'”

The Daily Mail. “Chinese homebuyers have made a strong return to the Australian housing market, driven in part by the weaker dollar and the Chinese New Year holiday period. Daniel Ho of the Kuala Lumpur-based real-estate group Juwai IQI said the slow domestic home market and the strength of the yuan against the Aussie dollar both help to make Australian property more attractive. He said investors currently have little incentive to purchase property in China due to an oversupply, which makes overseas real estate more appealing by comparison. ‘Buying property is in our blood, but in China the market is gone. So, families will put more into their children’s Australian homes than they otherwise would.'”