The Lede

National Real Estate Investor, Mar. 1, 2016--Anderson, Bendix Developers can still find financing to build new apartment properties, but lenders are becoming more cautious.

HousingWire, Mar. 1, 2016--Ishbia, Mat There's something very empowering about working for something beyond yourself or beyond your company, and realizing that you're working for the greater good of a community.

HousingWire, Mar. 1, 2016--Lane, Ben In a move that creates a giant in the single-family rental space, American Homes 4 Rent and American Residential Properties announced Tuesday that the companies finalized their merger, which was first announced in December.

Washington Post, Feb. 26, 2016--Mui, Yian Q.; Marte, Jonelle The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of refinance activity jumped 16 percent in just one week this month as mortgage rates hit their lowest point this year. Rates have since moderated but are still well beneath what economists had projected.

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 27, 2016--Kirkham, Chris Apartment construction has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster recovery of the nation's housing market over the last six years. Now economists say the tide might be turning away from apartments and toward single-family homes.

Reuters, Feb. 26, 2016 Waldorf Astoria hotels owner Hilton Worldwide Holdings will spin off most of its real estate assets into a real estate investment trust, joining a list of companies turning to the tax-efficient structure to maximize shareholder returns.

Forbes, Feb. 24, 2016--Howe, Neil After months of optimism, commercial real estate forecasters have come back down to earth. The tonal shift is warranted: While rents and prices are soaring in urban areas, CRE is stagnating or even declining in terms of new investment and in most non-urban sectors.

WASHINGTON--For all the debate about the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, one aspect appears to be a consensus view: the current system cannot sustain itself.

New York City set another record last year with aggregate sales totaling $74.5 billion, exceeding 2007's $62 billion prior peak, reported Cushman & Wakefield, New York.

Brookfield Asset Management, New York, agreed to acquire real estate investment trust Rouse Properties, New York, for $18.25 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $2.8 billion.

Single-family rental investors saw healthy income and appreciation returns last year in most markets across the country, reported HomeUnion, Irvine, Calif.

The Mortgage Bankers and other industry trade groups asked the House Financial Services Committee to approve a bill that would amend the Securities Exchange Act to modify requirements for qualified commercial real estate.

Investors remain optimistic about U.S. commercial real estate, with 91 percent expecting fundamentals to hold steady or improve, reported KPMG, New York.

Retailers are expanding stores internationally this year despite growing online shopping, with a greater percentage eyeing growth in the Americas than last year, reported CBRE Group, Los Angeles.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage delinquency rates generally held steady or improved in the fourth quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association said this morning.