Commercial Property Executive, May 22, 2018–Paul FiorillaForged out of crisis and sharpened during a cycle of frenetic activity, the commercial mortgage-backed securities market is struggling to adjust to a period of relative calm.
Category: Top National News
Cities Now Use Taxes to Fight Blight. Is It Working?
Governing Magazine, May 14, 2018–J. Brian CharlesSome cities are turning to vacant property taxes to nudge property owners of both retail and residential spaces to lease, develop or sell their properties before a short-term vacancy turns into what some cities see as blight.
In the Pipeline: Navigating This Multifamily Sellers’ Market
HousingWire, May 11, 2018–Jeremiah JensenThe multifamily market is in on hold as far new starts go with the exception of an odd permitting blip registered over the course of March, in which permit numbers spiked by 19%. That aside, researchers are predicting a slowdown in new construction starts as the market is full-up on Class-A product, and construction costs don’t allow for developers to build Class-B product.
The Time May Be Right for More M&A in the REIT Sector, Analysts Say
National Real Estate Investor, May 15, 2018–Mary Diduch There are several large proposed real estate investment trust mergers in the books already in 2018, but analysts in the space say the activity may not be done yet.
Why Universities Became Big-Time Real Estate Developers
Slate Magazine, May 11, 2018–Henry GrabarA university is now the largest employer in two-thirds of America’s 100 largest cities and they have enthusiastically seized more economic and urban development responsibilities.
These 95 Apartments Promised Affordable Rent in San Francisco. Then 6,580 People Applied
New York Times, May 12, 2018–Emily BadgerThe development, Natalie Gubb Commons, was reserved for households with incomes up to 50 percent of the local median. The applications were open for three weeks last fall, and 6,580 households applied for a chance to rent there, or nearly 70 for each unit.
Economists See Less Risk of Economic Downturn Over The Next Year
MarketWatch, May 12, 2018–Gregg RobbEconomists have trimmed their odds of an economic downturn through early 2019, according to the latest survey of professional forecasters released by the Philadelphia Fed on Friday.
‘Wonder Woman 2’ to Film at Alexandria’s [Va.] Dead Landmark Mall
Washington Business Journal, May 3, 2018–Michael NiebauerResurrecting a dead mall, even if only for a short time, is a job for an Amazonian princess. “Wonder Woman 2,” the sequel to the smash 2017 hit movie, will film at the shuttered Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va.
New York’s Storied Plaza Hotel Is Set to Sell for $600 Million
Bloomberg, May 4, 2018–Gillian TanNew York’s iconic Plaza Hotel is about to change hands. Its buyers are Shahal Khan, founder of Dubai-based family office White City Ventures, and Kamran Hakim, of New York landlord Hakim Organization. They agreed to pay $600 million for the hotel, at the southeast corner of Central Park, in a deal that is set to be completed on June 25.
GSE Reform Is Dead–Long Live GSE Reform!
Urban Institute, May 9, 2018–Jim Parrott, Mark M. ZandiAs it becomes apparent that the 115th Congress will not pass legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the authors describe the path the current administration will likely take to reform the government-sponsored enterprises administratively.