Dallas News, Jan. 12, 2016–Brown, Steve
Despite challenges of storefront retailing in the e-commerce age, Dallas-Fort Worth shopping center vacancies are starting out 2016 with the lowest vacancy in 31 years.
Category: Top National News
Housing Regulator Closes Loan Loophole Used by REITs
Wall Street Journal, Jan. 12, 2016–Light, Joe
The Federal Housing Finance Agency said so-called captive insurance companies, which insure the risks of the companies that own them, no longer will be eligible for membership in government-backed federal home loan banks. Mortgage Bankers Association President David Stevens said the rule “removes a vital component of the FHLBank membership which provides liquidity for the real estate finance market.”
Banks Grapple with “High Volatility” CRE Loan Rules
National Real Estate Investor, Jan. 13, 2016–Mattson-Teig, Beth
Banks are wading through the still murky issue of dealing with new Basel III rules related to high volatility commercial real estate loans. “We have definitely heard of instances where lending decisions have been impacted by the HVCRE rule,” says George Green, a senior vice president at the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Manhattan Real Estate Prices Shatter Records
CNBC, Jan. 5, 2015–Frank, Robert
The average apartment price in Manhattan hit a record $1.95 million in the fourth quarter, as high-end real estate continued to defy volatile stock markets and slowing growth overseas.
Foreign Investor Interest in Seattle Real Estate Ratchets Up
Puget Sound Business Journal, Jan. 5, 2016–Stiles, Marc Seattle is back on the list of the top five U.S. cities for foreign commercial real estate investment, according to a new survey.
How Will the U.S. Fare in 2016 and Beyond? Top Economists Break Out Their Crystal Balls
Wall Street Journal, Jan. 4, 2015–Leubsdorf, Ben
Nobel laureates, Federal Reserve policy makers and other top economists converged on San Francisco for the American Economic Association’s annual conference. One topic of discussion: the state of the U.S. economy and its prospects at the start of a new year.
Fischer Worries Fed Can’t Head Off or Contain Financial Crises
Bloomberg, Jan. 4, 2015–Miller, Rich
Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer sounds concerned that the central bank may lack some key tools needed both to prevent another financial crisis and to contain the fallout should one occur.
Here’s What to Expect from Tighter Fed Policy
CNBC, Jan. 3, 2015–Gillies, Trent
In the shadow of the Fed’s modest tightening of monetary policy, mortgage rates have risen as borrowers seek to refinance before interest rates jump in earnest. In the immediate aftermath of the Fed’s decision, mortgage applications and refinancings jumped, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Real Estate: 2016 Brings Another Banner Year
Colorado Springs Business Journal, Jan. 6, 2016–Vader, MarijaThe commercial real estate industry will continue its fast pace into 2016, according to Colorado Springs real estate agents, who attribute the quicker pace of transactions to the local favorable political climate locally.
Fed’s Lockhart Suggests Pace of Four Rate Increases Over a Year
Bloomberg, Dec. 21, 2015–Matthews, Steve
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart said the central bank’s commitment to a “gradual” tightening suggests interest rates could be raised at every other meeting of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, though the actual pace will depend on incoming economic data.