The Lede

Washington Business Journal, May 3, 2018--Michael NiebauerResurrecting a dead mall, even if only for a short time, is a job for an Amazonian princess. "Wonder Woman 2," the sequel to the smash 2017 hit movie, will film at the shuttered Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va.

Bloomberg, May 4, 2018--Gillian TanNew York's iconic Plaza Hotel is about to change hands. Its buyers are Shahal Khan, founder of Dubai-based family office White City Ventures, and Kamran Hakim, of New York landlord Hakim Organization. They agreed to pay $600 million for the hotel, at the southeast corner of Central Park, in a deal that is set to be completed on June 25.

Urban Institute, May 9, 2018--Jim Parrott, Mark M. ZandiAs it becomes apparent that the 115th Congress will not pass legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the authors describe the path the current administration will likely take to reform the government-sponsored enterprises administratively.

Washington Post, May 8, 2018--Robert PinnegarInstead of viewing renting as a short-term phase, an increasing number of residents are choosing rental housing specifically because it offers a more flexible lifestyle than homeownership.

The Mortgage Bankers Association welcomed 36 new regular members to its ranks, which currently numbers more than 2,300 member companies.

The retail sector's long and slow recovery, already well behind other commercial real estate sectors, is definitively sputtering to a halt, reported Ten-X, Irvine, Calif.

The U.S. multifamily market is poised to benefit from December's income tax changes, reported CBRE, Los Angeles.

Demand for small-cap commercial real estate slowed "considerably" during the first quarter, but tepid new supply kept vacant space in check and rents soaring, reported Boxwood Means, Stamford, Conn.