The Lede

GlobeSt.com, Jan. 15, 2016--Bubny, Paul Returns on commercial mortgage loans held by life insurance companies made a strong recovery in the third quarter, LifeComps said Friday.

Crain's Detroit Business, Jan. 17, 2016--Pinho, Kirk Some real estate finance experts predicted turbulent seas ahead two years ago, expecting a wave of defaults on commercial mortgages issued during the free-lending heyday in the mid-2000s. But it appears as though the choppier waters have subsided.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 15, 2016--Hilsenrath, Jon Federal Reserve officials, facing an economic jumble as 2016 begins, will almost certainly keep short-term interest rates steady at a policy meeting this month and turn their focus toward a potential cliffhanger decision about whether to lift them when they gather again in March.

Bloomberg, Jan. 14, 2016--Levitt, David M. Companies are seeking to pack more workers into smaller spaces, a trend that's having an impact on office occupancy in Manhattan.

Commercial real estate showed healthy demand across property types during the fourth quarter, reported CBRE Group, Los Angeles.

Commercial and multifamily real estate activity generally improved over the past six weeks, the Federal Reserve reported. But financial conditions tightened slightly.

The retail sector continued its slow recovery in the fourth quarter, but several factors still conspire to make the recovery challenging, reported Reis, New York.

This year opened with some uncertainty that could affect the way owners and occupiers invest in and operate commercial real estate, reported Avison Young, Toronto.