The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced that Judith Ricks has joined the association as Associate Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Research. In this role, Ricks will develop and oversee MBA’s extensive research and analysis that covers commercial real estate finance (CREF) markets.
Category: News and Trends

Dealmaker: Berkadia Secures $32M for Salt Lake City Apartments
Berkadia, Ambler, Pa., secured a $31.5 million bridge loan for sponsor Midtown Capital to complete The Astoria, a 149-unit apartment community in Salt Lake City, Utah.

CREF Policy Update: MBA Again Leads Coalition Effort to Build Support for Trigger Leads Fix
Commercial and multifamily developments and activities from MBA important to your business and our industry.

Commercial and Multifamily People in the News April 17, 2025
Commercial and multifamily personnel news from CBRE, Gantry, JLL and Merchants Bank.

CMF Quote of the Week
“It has become increasingly challenging for American renters to make the shift to homeownership thanks to the triple whammy of rising home prices, high mortgage rates and a shortage of houses for sale.”
–Redfin Senior Economist Elijah de la Campa.

LightBox: CRE Index Posts Strongest Reading Since 2022, but Outlook Uncertain
LightBox, New York, reported its Commercial Real Estate Activity Index rose sharply in March to 104.4, the highest level since June 2022 and only the second triple-digit reading in nearly three years.

Colliers: Big-Box Industrial Properties Lead the Way
Big-box industrial buildings have led the way for the overall industrial market over the past several years according to Colliers, Seattle.

MBA Newslink Q&A: JLL’s Kent Cullins Discusses the Healthcare Sector
MBA NewsLink sat down with JLL’s Kent Cullins, who leads JLL’s Value & Risk Advisory Healthcare team, to discuss some of the major trends, opportunities and challenges he’s seeing in the sector.

RentCafe: Average U.S. Apartment Size Is Increasing
RentCafe, Santa Barbara, Calif., reported the average apartment size in the U.S. increased last year, to sit at 908 square feet.

Redfin: Gap Between Income Needed for Buying vs. Renting Widens
Redfin, Seattle, found that Americans need to earn $116,633 per year to afford the median priced home for sale, compared with $64,160 needed to afford the typical apartment for rent.