Realtor.com released its March Rent Report, finding that despite the 20th consecutive month of year-over-year rent declines, almost all major metro areas still have higher rent than pre-pandemic.
Category: News and Trends

March Housing Starts Fall From February
Privately-owned housing starts for March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,324,000, the Census Bureau reported. That’s 11.4% below February’s revised estimate of 1,494,000.

82% Consider Homeownership Part of the American Dream, Bankrate Finds
More than eight in 10 Americans consider homeownership to be part of the American Dream, up from 78% last year and 74% in 2023, according to Bankrate, New York.

Judith Ricks Joins MBA as Associate Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Research
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.

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.