‘Basel Is on Life Support’ in Trump Era

National Mortgage News, Nov. 28, 2016–Heltman, John; McKendry, Ian
With the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. and an increasingly isolationist mood pervading European banking regulators, the international Basel III accords that underpinned much of the global post-crisis regulatory framework face an uncertain future.

Tallest Skyscraper Planned for City of London Wins Approval

Bloomberg, Nov. 28, 2016–Sidders, Jack; Mayes, Joe
The 73-story building, which will include a public viewing gallery and restaurant at the top, as well as enough workspace for 10,000 people, was approved at a vote on Monday. The tower will be constructed by Aroland Holdings Ltd., a closely-held company based in Singapore.

Waterfront Towers Reel In Unusual Loan Deal

Wall Street Journal, Nov. 27, 2016–Morris, Keiko
The partners behind a gargantuan apartment complex being built on Manhattan’s far West Side have nailed down $2.3 billion in construction financing at a time when money from traditional lenders is hard to come by.

Deutsche, Citi Team Up on Risk-Retention CMBS

Business Recorder/Reuters, Nov. 21, 2016
Deutsche Bank and Citigroup teamed up to offer a new $975 million commercial mortgage-backed securities bond they hope will satisfy new risk-retention rules that take effect next month. The banks plan to keep at least 5 percent of each class of the securitization.

Some Mortgage REITs to Benefit from Trump Policies

Barron’s, Nov. 14, 2016–Stone, Amey
Analysts at FBR & Co. expect commercial mortgage real estate investment trusts to be among the beneficiaries of a Trump presidency as interest rates rise.

Two Potential Trump HUD Secretaries Are Touted

National Mortgage Professional, Nov. 14, 2016–Hall, Phil
Politico says Pamela Patenaude of Bipartisan Policy Center under consideration; Daily Caller says Westchester (N.Y.) county executive Rob Astorino in mix.

Six Property Types Strong Enough to Thrive in a Recession

National Real Estate Investor, Nov. 15, 2016–Bell, Diana
One thing is sure: eventually every commercial real estate cycle winds down. But which property types might be good hedges against an economic downturn?