The Lede

Los Angeles Times, Apr. 1, 2018--Roger VincentLast year, Chinese investors interested in buying or developing property in Southern California peppered World Trade Center Los Angeles officials with questions about how best to break into the market. But questions such as those have nearly ceased as China's feared pullback from overseas investments has been borne out.

HousingWire, Apr. 2, 2018--Ben LaneHomeUnion is launching a new program that will make the company itself an investor in single-family rentals, but the company isn't using its own money.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 1, 2018--Peter Grant (subscription)Empty space in regional shopping malls reached a six-year high in the first quarter, adding further stress to regions being hit by a retail earthquake that is shaking up the job market across the U.S.

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 3, 2018--Michael S. Derby (subscription)The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Tuesday that John Williams, who has helmed the San Francisco Fed since 2011, will become its next leader, assuming one of the top leadership positions at the U.S. central bank.

HousingWire, Apr. 4, 2018--Kelsey RamirezAs job gains continue in the construction industry, employment is expected to surge in March, according to the ADP and Moody's Analytics National Employment Report.

Commercial real estate assets prices rose slightly in February. But analysts said moderating space absorption and slowing transaction volume indicate the commercial real estate cycle is maturing.

The apartment vacancy rate climbed 0.1 percent to 4.7 percent in the first quarter while net absorption and new completions fell to the lowest quarterly levels in three years, reported Reis, New York.

In past real estate cycles, developers have overbuilt just as the economy slowed down, leading to a glut of space. But Cushman & Wakefield Principal Economist Ken McCarthy predicts history will not repeat itself this time.

Single-tenant net lease sector cap rates remained relatively stable in the first quarter across the retail, office and industrial sectors, reported Boulder Group, Northbrook, Ill.

StepStone Real Estate acquired Courtland Partners Ltd. and the firms are now fully integrated. The firms announced a merger agreement in December.

Commercial real estate and real estate finance markets were steady during the fourth quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association Fourth-Quarter 2017 Commercial/Multifamily DataBook reported.