Casualty of Cities’ Resurgence: The Suburban Offices Left Behind

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2016–Brown, Eliot 
Companies from General Electric to Weyerhaeuser are pulling their headquarters out of leafy suburban campuses and moving to downtown high-rises. Figuring out what to do with the vacant corporate campuses left behind is a quandary for civic leaders and landlords across the U.S.

Freddie Mac Announces Top Multifamily Lenders For 2015

Real Estate Journals, Feb. 8, 2016
Freddie Mac at the MBA Commercial Real Estate Finance Conference announced the lenders that closed the most multifamily financing volume with the company last year. CBRE Capital Markets and Berkadia Commercial Mortgage topped the list.

Record Year Ahead for Commercial, Multifamily Originations

Commercial Property Executive, Feb. 5, 2016–Murray, Barbra
Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations will reach new heights in 2016, according to a new report by the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA expects originations to total a record $511 billion this year.

Seven More Takeaways from the MBA CREF 2016 Conference

National Real Estate Investor, Feb 5, 2016–Misonzhnik, Elaine
Here is what economists and bank executives had to say about which real estate sectors will enjoy a resurgence in the coming year, which mistakes investors should be wary of and how to stay ahead of the market in 2016.

Construction Industry Optimism Declines with Uncertain Economy, Survey Finds

Bay Area Real Estate, Feb. 5, 2016–Steinhauer, Adam
Construction executives are less optimistic about business conditions going into 2016 than they have been in three years, with a growing number concerned about the uncertain economy, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance reported.

New York Real Estate Developer John Tishman Dies at Age 90

Associated Press, Feb. 6, 2016
A builder whose company worked on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Century City complex in Los Angeles and Walt Disney’s EPCOT center in Florida among other high-profile developments has died. John Tishman was 90.

Pepperdine Launches Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate

Malibu Times, Feb. 7, 2016–Giacobbe, Katie 
Pepperdine University launched a six-month Executive Certificate in Commercial Real Estate program on Feb. 1. Designed for working professionals, the the curriculum is based on Mortgage Bankers Association training and includes five real estate courses and one elective course.

Retailers Pare Store Counts as Landlords Brace for Bumpy Transition

National Real Estate Investor, Feb. 4, 2016–Mitchell, Donna 
The holiday season could have been a lot more jolly for retailers, so it came as no surprise when about 30 retail chains announced a total of 2,282 store closings for 2016 and beyond.

Multifamily Lenders Predict another Strong Year for the Sector in 2016

Multi-Housing News, Feb. 2, 2016–Stribling, Dees
Indications suggest that multifamily debt levels this year will match 2015 levels. Overall, the Mortgage Bankers Association forecasts $225 billion in originations in 2016, roughly the same as in 2015. Also, the conduit market, while experiencing pricing volatility, isn’t expected to see any retraction in the new year.