Fed Sounds Alarm on Commercial Real Estate, Business Bankruptcy

Bloomberg, Feb. 19, 2021–Rich MillerThe Federal Reserve warned of significant risks of business bankruptcies and steep drops in commercial real estate prices in a report published on Friday.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-19/fed-sounds-alarm-on-commercial-real-estate-business-bankruptcy

Marriott Posts First Annual Loss Since 2009

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 18, 2021–Dave Sebastian (subscription)Marriott International Inc. ended 2020 with a loss of $267 million—its first annual loss since 2009, and second largest on record—as the company …

MBA’s Marcia Davies on the Power of Supporting Women

HousingWire, Feb. 18, 2021–Victoria WickhamMarcia Davies, chief operating officer at the Mortgage Bankers Association and HousingWire Women of Influence winner, talks about the power of leadership and what women can …

Retail Sales Surge 5.3% in January

Axios, Feb. 17, 2021–Courtenay BrownRetail sales jumped 5.3% last month — blowing past the 1.2% increase anticipated by economists, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday.https://www.axios.com/january-retail-sales-39168f85-9100-4f53-b202-a10b4c62379b.html

California Cities Rethink the Single-Family Neighborhood

KQED Radio, Feb. 17, 2021–Erin BaldassariMore than a century ago, Berkeley, Calif., pioneered rules prohibiting affordable, multifamily housing from certain areas. Now it’s one of a handful of cities in …

Banks Trimming Branches, Creating Empty Retail Storefronts

Bank mergers and increasing online banking have led to numerous bank branch closings in recent years, which could have a “profound” effect on commercial real estate, said DBRS Morningstar, Toronto.