The Lede

The Real Deal, Oct. 30, 2015--Bockman, Rich Cushman & Wakefield went through a round of layoffs that hit the marketing and research departments in what appears to be fallout from the merger with Chicago-based DTZ earlier this year.

HousingWire, Nov. 3, 2015--Lane, Ben Kroll Bond Rating Agency now has a new majority owner, as the credit ratings agency announced Tuesday that one of its minority investors, private-equity firm Wharf Street, acquired a majority stake in the firm.

U.S. News & World Report, Nov. 2, 2015--Wiseman, Paul (Associated Press) U.S. construction spending rose 0.6 percent in September to the highest level since March 2008, pushed up by a surge in apartment building.

National Mortgage News, Nov. 2, 2015--Peters, Andy Defaults on commercial mortgage-backed securities declined from the end of the third quarter, compared to the previous quarter, according to Fitch Ratings.

Wall Street Journal, Oct. 29, 2015--Tracy, Ryan; Glazer, Emily New rules to be proposed by the Federal Reserve likely will force the San Francisco bank-more than some of its rivals-to make significant changes to its balance sheet, even though Wells Fargo has fared better than competitors in earlier tests on safety and soundness.

Housing Wire, Oct. 29, 2015--Lane, Ben Several of the largest civil rights groups in the country are joining together to call on the federal government to end the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and recapitalize the agencies, stating that an independent and fully capitalized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can better serve the country's housing needs.

The outlook improved slightly for properties that support most commercial mortgage-backed securities, reported Moody's Investors Service, New York.

Retail fundamentals are improving only slightly, reported Reis, New York.

In 2014, 2,876 lenders closed 40,974 multifamily mortgages for a total of $195 billion. 

Increasing rents, limited inventory of low-value homes and the popularity of urban life have prompted runaway condo-value appreciation in many housing markets, said Zillow, Seattle.

New York City construction activity resembles the previous boom years of 2007 and 2008, the New York Building Congress said.

At the MBA Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors meeting on October 20, incoming Chair Bob Stout (Q10), Vice Chairs Tom Dennard (Grandbridge) and Byron Boston (Dynex), and other members of COMBOG led a broad discussion on current commercial/multifamily issues and MBA business impacting the industry.

Despite an economic slowdown in some areas of the country, both the industrial and office sectors performed strongly in the third quarter, reported Cushman & Wakfield, New York.