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When you [shop for insurance](https://www.offermarket.us/insurance?ref=content-am-best-ratings), whether it's **Landlord Insurance** or **Fix and Flip Insurance**, it's important to choose an insurer that is financially strong and able to meet its obligations detailed in your insurance policy.

Many private lenders, including [OfferMarket Capital](https://www.offermarket.us/loans?ref=content-am-best-ratings), have a minimum AM Best rating requirement for [DSCR Loans](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/dscr-loan-program) and [Fix & Flip Loans](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/fix-and-flip-loans). 

At OfferMarket, we require all policies be written through insurers with a minimum of A- / VIII. As you will see from the ratings tables below, that means the insurer must be considered to have an "Excellent" ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations, and their policyholder surplus must be at least $100 million.

## What is AM Best?

AM Best is a financial services rating agency that specializes in assessing the financial strength and size of insurance companies.

## Financial Strength Rating (FSR) Scale

The Financial Strength Rating is a statistical assessment of an insurer's ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations. AM Best assigns a financial strength rating from A++ (Superior) through D (Poor). Our private lending division, OfferMarket Capital, requires a minimum FSR of A- (Excellent).

<div style="display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(1, minmax(0, 1fr)); overflow: auto; white-space: nowrap;">
<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>Rating<br>Categories</th>
    <th>Rating<br>Symbols</th>
    <th>Rating<br>Notches*</th>
  </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>Superior</td>
    <td>A+</td>
    <td>A++</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Excellent</td>
    <td>A</td>
    <td>A-</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Good</td>
    <td>B+</td>
    <td>B++</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Fair</td>
    <td>B</td>
    <td>B-</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Marginal</td>
    <td>C+</td>
    <td>C++</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Weak</td>
    <td>C</td>
    <td>C-</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Poor</td>
    <td>D</td>
    <td>-</td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>

<br>

## Financial Size Category (FSC)

The Financial Size Category is a measure of **Policyholder Surplus** which is calculated by subtracting the insurance company's liabilities from its assets. The greater the policyholder surplus, the better able the insurance company can withstand adverse economic conditions and remain solvent.

<div style="display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(1, minmax(0, 1fr)); overflow: auto; white-space: nowrap;">
<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>Class</th>
    <th>Policyholder Surplus ($ Millions)</th>
  </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>I</td>
    <td>Less than 1</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>II</td>
    <td>1 to 2</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>III</td>
    <td>2 to 5</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IV</td>
    <td>5 to 10</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>V</td>
    <td>10 to 25</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>VI</td>
    <td>25 to 50</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>VII</td>
    <td>50 to 100</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>VIII</td>
    <td>100 to 250</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>IX</td>
    <td>250 to 500</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>X</td>
    <td>500 to 750</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>XI</td>
    <td>750 to 1,000</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>XII</td>
    <td>1,000 to 1,250</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>XIII</td>
    <td>1,250 to 1,500</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>XIV</td>
    <td>1,500 to 2,000</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>XV</td>
    <td>2,000 or greater</td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>

### How to calculate Policyholder Surplus

Assets - Liabilities = Policyholder Surplus

### What is Policyholder Surplus

Policy holder surplus is the liquidation value of an insurance company. If you were to sell all assets and repay all liabilities, the policyholder surplus is what would be left. In business, this is is otherwise known as **book value**.

---

[![Shop 40+ carriers landlord insurance.jpg](https://cms.offermarket.us/uploads/Shop_40_carriers_landlord_insurance_974b0d370b.jpg)](https://www.offermarket.us/insurance?ref=content-am-best-ratings)

---

## Protect and grow your portfolio with OfferMarket

OfferMarket is a real estate investing platform focused on serving rental property investors, specifically 1-4 unit residential properties. Our mission is to help you build wealth through real estate.

☂️ **[Landlord Insurance](https://www.offermarket.us/insurance?ref=content-am-best-ratings)** rate shopping platform specialized in landlord insurance that meets DSCR loan guidelines</br>
🏚️ **[Off Market Properties](https://www.offermarket.us/insurance?ref=content-am-best-ratings)** marketplace featuring hundreds of exclusive and off market deals posted by wholesalers, tired landlords and distressed sellers.</br>
💰 **[Private Lending](https://www.offermarket.us/loans?ref=content-am-best-ratings)** featuring instant quotes and a simple, low cost, transparent borrowing experience for DSCR loans, Fix and Flip loans and Slow Flip loans.</br>
💡 ***[Insights](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRoNHXFVgI36SV0QQpyf9fw)** regularly published to provide you with a knowledge advantage.

---

AM Best ratings assess the financial strength and size of insurance companies, minimums of which are often required by private lenders.

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AM Best Ratings | OfferMarket

AM Best Ratings

<br>

## Seller needed to sell fast

<br>

If you need to sell your house fast, we are here to help. Let's meet a seller who received multiple competitive offers within 2 days of launching his Get Offers campaign and closed his sale in just 25 days.

<br>

## Home in poor condition

<br>

Dan from Ocean City, MD had a second home in Parkville, MD in poor condition that he needed to sell fast. He understood that the most likely buyer for his house would either be a fix and flip or a rental property investor, and he wanted to get the best possible offer from verified buyers.

<br>

## Sell house fast for most money

<br>

Dan just wanted to sell his house fast for the highest possible net proceeds -- he didn't want to deal with coordinating repairs, interviewing agents, endless showings and post-inspection negotiations, and he certainly didn't want to handle everything himself in a For Sale By Owner process. 

<br>

Dan did his research and found OfferMarket.

<br>

**Day 1:** Dan filled out our [Get Offers form](https://www.offermarket.us/sell).

<br>

**Day 3:** Free professional photography and a 3D home tour was completed and Dan now had a beautiful listing to [showcase his property](https://www.offermarket.us/listings/22-Maple-Hollow-Ct-Parkville-MD-21234-USA). Dan's Get Offers campaign is officially launched.

<br>

**Day 5:** After just two days of tour requests and buyer verification coordinated entirely by OfferMarket, Dan receives multiple competitive offers at his target price point.

<br>

**Day 7:** Dan selects the best offer (AS IS, cash, close in 21 days or less)

<br>

**Day 25:** Coordinated by OfferMarket, Dan closes his transaction and receives his target proceeds.

<br>

## Seller feedback:

> From start to finish OfferMarket was wonderful to work with. They communicated well in every step of the process and made me feel very comfortable that I was in good hands. I got the price I was looking for and they made the closing process very easy.  I highly recommend OfferMarket.

<br>

## Buyer feedback:

> I enjoyed working with OfferMarket. The team there was very responsive and easy to deal with. They kept to the timeline and the deal closed without a problem.

<br>

Every seller has a story, read our [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/search?q=offermarket) to see if selling your house fast with OfferMarket is right for you.

<br>

## Sell My House Fast: Get Offers with OfferMarket 👇

Every seller has a Sell My House Fast story to tell. Meet Dan, who sold his house in Parkville, MD in 25 days.

Sell my house fast seller success stories

large_5-Star Reviews - OfferMarket Seller Stories - Blog.jpg

medium_5-Star Reviews - OfferMarket Seller Stories - Blog.jpg

small_5-Star Reviews - OfferMarket Seller Stories - Blog.jpg

thumbnail_5-Star Reviews - OfferMarket Seller Stories - Blog.jpg

Sell My House Fast Success Stories - Blog.jpg

Sell My House Fast: Parkville, MD - OfferMarket Blog

Sell My House Fast Success Story: Dan From Parkville, MD

<br>

If you are buying a house and you are requesting a repair, concession, or change in purchase price, then the answer is yes -- you need to provide the inspection report to the Seller to validate your request.

<br>

If a buyer requests repairs or concessions, they are required to share the home inspection report with the seller in real estate transactions.

Does Buyer need to provide home inspection report to Seller?

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thumbnail_Does Buyer need to provide home inspection report to Seller.jpg

Does Buyer need to provide home inspection report to Seller.jpg

Does Buyer need to provide inspection report to Seller?

Does the Buyer need to provide the inspection report to the Seller?

Grow your real estate investing business with the most competitive DSCR loan product. OfferMarket provides DSCR rental loans, bridge loans, hard money, fix and flip, slow flip, and ground up construction loans.

Private Lending | OfferMarket

Private Lending

Off Market Properties

Market Insights

Archive of Rental Property Investing Updates

Grow and optimize your rental property portfolio with OfferMarket

<br>

**Published:** January 8, 2025

<br>

## **Off Market Properties**

<br>

**616** active [off market properties](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/off-market-properties?ref=content-rental-property-investing-update-1-8-2025) posted by wholesalers, tired landlords and distressed sellers.

<br>

---

<br>

[![Got off market listings - access deals](https://cms.offermarket.us/uploads/Got_off_market_listings_access_deals_73468e4b7a.jpg)](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?ref=content-rental-property-investing-update-1-8-2025​)

<br>

---

<br>

## **Private Lending**

<br>

* **[DSCR loan interest rates](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/dscr-loan-interest-rates):** 7.69% (market), 7.49% (OfferMarket)
* **Lowest DSCR loan quote today:** 7.25%
* **Lowest [Fix and Rent loan](https://www.offermarket.us/fix-and-rent-loan) quote today:** 10.75% and 1.5 points
* **Fix and Rent “BRRRR” loan:** bundle your Fix and Flip + DSCR refi (no and low seasoning) for major savings.

<br>

---

<br>

[![Need a DSCR loan, instant quote, takes 1 minute, no credit pull, no obligation](https://cms.offermarket.us/uploads/Need_a_DSCR_loan_9e30509b1d.jpg)](https://www.offermarket.us/dscr-loan?ref=content-do-i-need-a-business-license-for-rental-property​​​​​)

<br>

---

<br>

## **Market Insights**

<br>

### **Zillow’s prediction for the 10 hottest housing markets of 2025**

<br>

1. [Buffalo, NY](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-78.36249277831932,-79.43990529848458,43.0642557242719,42.70883630874704&limit=25&)
2. [Indianapolis, IN](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-85.86722362744119,-86.44881237255869,39.869648373993584,39.668384528608385&limit=25&)
3. [Providence, RI](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-71.11047751470629,-71.71596159506645,41.928667760872685,41.72553251890977&limit=25&)
4. [Hartford, CT](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-72.38257792744031,-72.96416667255782,41.86338272899414,41.66807723915514&limit=25&)
5. [Philadelphia, PA](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-74.87442712744236,-75.45601587255985,40.05287345343757,39.8521470782093&limit=25&)
6. [St. Louis, MO](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-89.90860982744069,-90.49019857255819,38.72921080100937,38.52464830102198&limit=25&)
7. [Charlotte, NC](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-80.55233232744078,-81.1339210725583,35.33396456412065,35.1200682717447&limit=25&)
8. [Kansas City, MO](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-94.28777232744184,-94.86936107255899,39.20125675400385,38.99804982333049&limit=25&)
9. [Richmond, VA](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-77.14525372744093,-77.72684247255846,37.644464611395776,37.436840046617476&limit=25&)
10. [Salt Lake City, UT](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?mapBounds=-111.600253027442,-112.18184177255914,40.85987266028158,40.661537990390485&limit=25&)

<br>

### **Predicting S&P 500 Returns Over the Next 10 Years vs Rental Properties**

<br>

![S&P 500 forward P/E ratio and expected 10-year performance.](https://cms.offermarket.us/uploads/sp500_forward_pe_ratio_10_year_performance_0896f696ef.jpg)

<br> 

Based on historical data and the current forward-looking price/earnings (P/E) ratio, we can expect annual returns over the next 10 years for the S&P 500 index to be near 0%.

<br>

Given the structural shortage of homes in most major markets, we expect continued upward pressure on rents and home values to support market-beating returns for investors that are able to opportunistically purchase at below market prices (i.e. off market, tenant-occupied, distressed).

<br>

### **Insuring Your Rental Property Against Wildfire Risk**

<br>

The stories, images and videos coming out of Los Angeles this week are devastating. Our heart goes out to the wonderful people of LA and all those affected by the ongoing wildfire. Our prayers and appreciation goes out to the first responders and firefighters who are putting their lives on the line to save people and property.

<br>

Early estimates indicate well in excess of $50 billion in property damage and the total destruction of over 9,000 structures, many of which were beautiful homes which are stores of wealth. With support from local, state and federal (FEMA) agencies, LA will be rebuilt.

<br>

The stocks of major publicly traded insurance and reinsurance companies including Allstate, Chubb, Berkshire Hathaway and MunichRe are all trading lower on expectations of major losses. Major losses means insurance premiums will increase, placing more stress on an already fragile housing market as the cost of homeownership rises. 

<br>

Be sure to review your homeowners and landlord insurance policies to make sure your dwelling coverage includes risks associated with wildfires. In insurance speak, make sure there are no wildfire exclusions.

<br>

---

<br>

[![Got landlord insurance, shop now, takes 1 minute, shops 40+ carriers.](https://cms.offermarket.us/uploads/Got_landlord_insurance_c09902fc1b.jpg)](https://www.offermarket.us/insurance?ref=content-do-i-need-a-business-license-for-rental-property​​​)

<br>

---

<br>

### **Newly published insights for rental property investors:**

* [Buying Rental Property Out of State](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/buying-rental-property-out-of-state)
* [Turnkey Rentals](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/turnkey-rentals)  
* [MLS Rental Properties](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/mls-rental-properties)  
* [Off Market Properties](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/off-market-properties)  
* [Best ways to mitigate risk as a rental property owner](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/best-way-to-mitigate-risk-as-rental-property-owner)  
* [Can a tenant run a business from a rental property?](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/can-a-tenant-run-a-business-from-a-rental-property)  
* [When lawn care is and isn’t tax deductible](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/is-lawn-care-tax-deductible-for-rental-property)  
* [When storage expenses are and aren’t tax deductible](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/can-i-deduct-storage-expenses-for-rental-property)

<br>

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<br>

## **Archive of Rental Property Investing Updates**

<br>

* [January 1, 2025](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/rental-property-investing-update-1-1-2025)
* [December 25, 2024](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/rental-property-investing-update-12-25-2024)
* [December 18, 2024](https://www.offermarket.us/blog/rental-property-investing-update-12-18-2024)

<br>

---

<br>

## **Grow and optimize your rental property portfolio with OfferMarket**

<br>

OfferMarket is a rental property investing platform. Membership is entirely free and includes access to the following:

<br>

🏠 **[Off market properties](https://www.offermarket.us/listings)**</br>
💰 **[Private lending](https://www.offermarket.us/loans?ref=content-rental-property-investing-update-1-8-2025)**</br>
☂️ **[Landlord insurance rate shopping](https://www.offermarket.us/insurance?ref=content-rental-property-investing-update-1-8-2025​)**</br>
💡 **[Community & insights](https://www.offermarket.us/login?ref=content-rental-property-investing-update-1-8-2025)**</br>

<br>

Our mission is to help you build wealth through real estate. If you are not already a member, we hope you will **[accept our invitation](https://www.offermarket.us/listings?ref=content-rental-property-investing-update-1-8-2025)** to join us!

<br>

Your weekly rental property investing update featuring predictions for the top 10 housing markets in 2025, and stock market returns vs rental property returns. 

Rental Property Investing Update January 8, 2025. Top 10 housing markets. 616 off market properties. Stock market vs. Rentals. Wildfire insurance.

*Quote takes 1 minute, no credit pull

*1 quote from 40+ carriers

*New listings daily

Rental Property Investing Update - January 8, 2025

Off Market Properties

* Takes 2 minutes, no credit pull