Washington Post, Feb. 26, 2016–Mui, Yian Q.; Marte, Jonelle
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of refinance activity jumped 16 percent in just one week this month as mortgage rates hit their lowest point this year. Rates have since moderated but are still well beneath what economists had projected.
Wall Street Journal, Feb. 27, 2016–Kirkham, Chris
Apartment construction has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster recovery of the nation’s housing market over the last six years. Now economists say the tide might be turning away from apartments and toward single-family homes.
Reuters, Feb. 26, 2016
Waldorf Astoria hotels owner Hilton Worldwide Holdings will spin off most of its real estate assets into a real estate investment trust, joining a list of companies turning to the tax-efficient structure to maximize shareholder returns.
Forbes, Feb. 24, 2016–Howe, Neil
After months of optimism, commercial real estate forecasters have come back down to earth. The tonal shift is warranted: While rents and prices are soaring in urban areas, CRE is stagnating or even declining in terms of new investment and in most non-urban sectors.
National Real Estate Investor, Feb. 19, 2016–Bell, Diana
Though analysts expect strong momentum in the multifamily sector this year, a handful of markets bear watching. In these markets economic indicators including employment and wage growth are stagnating and vacancy and rent growth are not in tune.
HousingWire, Feb. 18, 2016–Swanson, Brena
Freddie Mac recorded fourth quarter net income of $2.2 billion, a jump after net loss of $475 million for the third quarter of 2015, which marked the first loss in four years. The government-sponsored enterprise also posted a comprehensive income of $1.6 billion, up $2.1 billion from a comprehensive loss of $501 million for the third quarter of 2015.
Forbes, Feb. 18, 2016–Razin, Ely
Store closures by Macy’s, Walmart, Sears and others are all over the news and, with these falling dominoes, what others are at risk? Certainly lenders, owners, investors and other co-located retailers may be…but the fabric of some local communities may also change as a result. Commercial real estate players and CMBS players alike, take note, to ensure that retailers’ falling dominoes don’t nick you.
Wall Street Journal, Feb. 18, 2016–Dulaney, Chelsey; Light, Joe
Mortgage-finance company Freddie Mac said it would send a $1.7 billion payment to the Treasury in March as it reported a higher profit for the fourth quarter, driven by increased interest rates.
Bloomberg, Feb. 23, 2016–Alloway, Tracy
Morgan Stanley analysts last week predicted U.S. commercial real estate prices would grow by a big fat zero percent in 2016, replacing a previous forecast of 5 percent growth over the course of the year.
Associated Press, Feb. 23, 2016
Home rental price growth slowed down in January as even sizzling markets such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Denver and Portland are cooling.
