The Lede

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.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 23, 2016--Plevin, Liam The rise of online shopping and changing consumer habits are battering the big department stores known as anchors that once lured shoppers to malls-leaving landlords with empty space and forcing them to undertake expensive overhauls to stay relevant.

Bisnow, Feb. 22, 2016--Drake, Martin If a slowdown is underway, multifamily didn't get the memo. Freddie Mac's employment hit a 10-year high in 2015 with 400 new hires to bring the staff to 5,416--and most of those went to work on multifamily deals.

After 18 months of falling oil prices, the downturn's ripple effect spilled over into energy-related commercial mortgage-backed securities loans, said Kroll Bond Rating Agency, New York.

Florida and Louisiana are home to the top five single-family rental markets in the country, reported RentRange, Westminster, Colo.

A "flight to quality" mentality has spurred record capital flows into U.S. commercial real estate, reported JLL, Chicago.

The office market saw both rent and occupancy gains in late 2015, but analysts diverge slightly on the sector's outlook for the rest of this year.