The Lede

Business Insider, Mar. 30, 2017--Stephen McBrideBearish bets against commercial loans jumped 50% year-over-year in February.

NPR Marketplace, Mar. 30, 2017--Molly Wood, Maria HollenhorstCrowdfunding has become a popular source of development financing, said Rodrigo Niño of Prodigy Network, which uses crowdfunding to build commercial real estate.

Forbes, Apr. 3, 2017--Stephen McBrideAt its March meeting, the Federal Reserve said monetary policy will remain accommodative "for some time." This willingness to let inflation "run hot" means even as nominal rates rise, real rates--that is, the nominal interest rate minus inflation--are headed into negative territory.

National Real Estate Investor, April 3, 2017--Eli RazinBank of the Ozarks, based in Little Rock, Ark., broke into CrediFi's ranking of the top 10 New York City lenders in the fourth quarter of 2016 with over $500 million in loan originations and a 3.0 percent market share.

HousingWire, Mar. 31, 2017--Ben LaneFriday, the company announced that it is growing its single-family rental portfolio again, in another deal with Amherst Holdings affiliates.

National Real Estate Investor, Mar. 31, 2017--Patricia KirkChicago's 43-year-old Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which at 110 stories is the tallest building in Chicago and the nation, is getting a $500-million facelift, expected to be completed in 2019.

National Real Estate Investor, Mar. 29, 2017--Diana BellReal estate economists and researchers share their advice for today's commercial real estate investors.

National Real Estate Investor, Apr. 4, 2017--Bendix AndersonJust when lenders and borrowers thought interest rates would finally start to rise in 2017, interest rates stopped going up. Lenders are struggling to adapt. But they keep on lending.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 4, 2017--David Harrison; Ben Leubsdorf; Michael S. Derby (subscription)Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker said he was stepping down effective Tuesday in a statement that revealed his involvement in an alleged 2012 leak of confidential Fed information.

Scotsman Guide, Apr. 4, 2017--Victor WhitmanDespite the early-year slowdown in sales, the Mortgage Bankers Association projected a record year for commercial and multifamily originations.

Washington Post, Apr. 5, 2017--Travis AndrewsPayless ShoeSource became the latest major retailer to declare financial distress when, on Tuesday, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced a restructuring plan that includes the immediate closure of 400 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico.

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The Mortgage Bankers Association and nearly a dozen other industry trade groups sent a letter supporting proposed House legislation that would clarify High Volatility Commercial Real Estate provisions under the Basel III rule.

The single-tenant net lease sector slowed in 2016 following a "robust" 2015, reported Boulder Group, Northbrook, Ill.

The commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate rose for the third consecutive month in February, edging up three basis points to 3.04 percent, reported Morningstar Credit Ratings, New York.

The single-family rental vacancy rate decreased to 4.6 percent in February--partly because of a firm and still-improving 79 percent average retention rate--reported Morningstar Credit Ratings, New York.

The Mortgage Bankers Association released its fourth quarter 2016 Commercial/Multifamily DataBook.

Global property fund returns moderated after reaching new highs in recent years, reported MSCI, New York.

CHICAGO--For future leadership in the real estate finance industry, says author Tracey Wilen, look to women and younger professionals.

CHICAGO--For future leadership in the real estate finance industry, says author Tracey Wilen, look to women and younger professionals.

CHICAGO--For future leadership in the real estate finance industry, says author Tracey Wilen, look to women and younger professionals.