Fed minutes indicate a rate increase coming in June
Assuming economic conditions warrant it, the Federal Reserve indicated it will raise its benchmark rate in the near future, possibly at its next meeting in June, according to minutes from the last policy meeting. The Fed also came to an agreement on the mechanics of unwinding its $4.5 trillion in Treasury and mortgage securities holdings. Read full story
Luxury Apartments Galore: At What Cost?
Too many high-end units are creating an affordability crisis among renters. But a huge opportunity for owner–operators. Read full story
Fannie, Freddie Profit Payments Should Continue, Treas...
The position is likely to disappoint some advocates of immediately suspending the dividend, including small lenders, affordable housing advocates and large home builders. Read full story
RCA: Apartment Deal Volume Falls 35% in 1Q
Despite the drop in volume, apartment investment activity is still ahead of the $17.0 billion average pace set in the first quarters of 2001 through 2016, and prices remain tight. Read full story
Renters Say Down Payment Costs Prevent Home Purchases
Zillow report shows almost 70% say the expense holds them back. Read full story
Reis: Rent-Growth Deceleration Continues in 1Q ’...
National vacancy rate stays stable, but numbers rise in 39 of 79 MSAs. Read full story
Fed’s $4.3T wind-down might cause volatility
The Federal Reserve’s wind-down of $4.3 trillion in mortgage-backed securities and Treasurys likely will reintroduce market volatility, experts say. Several scenarios could unfold, including wider mortgage spreads and reduced use of the Fed’s facility for overnight reverse repurchase agreements. Read full story
Investors eye $1.7T for global CRE investment
Investors have $1.7 trillion in capital ready to invest in global commercial real estate, according to CBRE, although not all of it will be actually invested. Most of this capital is controlled by the investment management community, but 11% comes from REITs and another 11% from private investors. Read full story
Rate rise looks 95% certain, FedWatch says
CME Group’s FedWatch gauge puts the likelihood of the Federal Reserve announcing a rate increase today at 95%, after positive reports on US employment and inflation. With the rise priced into the market, observers are considering the possibility of more increases in 2017 than the three the Fed forecast in December. Read full story
Survey predicts rate increases now and in June
A full 100% of economists, fund managers and strategists surveyed by CNBC said they expect the Federal Reserve Bank will raise the federal funds rate on Wednesday. Seventy percent said they expect another rate hike in June, while 25% believe the Fed will raise rates four times this year. Read full story
‘Surban’ Investment Suffers from Short Supply
“Surban” may become an important word for real estate investors this year. It’s short for “close-in” suburbs next to major cities, and surban locations are where much of the 25- to-34-year-old cohort is looking to live. Read full story
HUD Could Face Over $6B in Cuts Under Trump
Preliminary budget calls for 14% reduction in funding starting in fiscal ’18. Read full story
Sentiment on Market Cycle Phase Moves to ‘Peak’ Settin...
Forty-four percent of readers reported that they think the real estate cycle is currently at its peak in February—up from 42 percent in January. Read full story
Rents Rise Fastest in Class-B Submarkets
Rents are growing much more slowly in the urban, core markets where the rents are already high. Read full story
Apartment market fundamentals prompt banks to pull bac...
The apartment market’s swelling pipeline is threatening to outpace demand for multifamily housing, prompting banks to pull back from this asset class and forcing builders to seek other forms of finance, such as mezzanine loans. Rent decreases in some markets and increasing vacancies are part of the concern for banks. Read full story
Cleveland Fed: Economy promising for rate hike
Inflation is moving up and the economy is on sound footing, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester said, advocating an interest-rate increase. Monetary policy cannot be expected to boost productivity, she said. Read full story
Court orders document disclosure in Fannie, Freddie la...
A federal appeals court has ruled that the US Justice Department must disclose documents related to its decision to seize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s profits in August 2012. Fairholme Funds is suing the government, arguing that the action was an illegal seizure of private property. Read full story
Fed considers timing of bond-holding reduction
Federal Reserve officials are debating whether it is time to divest mortgage and Treasury securities, which have grown to $4.45 trillion from less than $1 trillion in 2007. Though the economy is growing, the Fed worries that reducing its portfolio could drive up interest on debt, negatively affecting financial markets. Read full story
Takeaways on Tax Reform from NMHC Annual Meeting
Among the first sessions was a joint finance and tax committee discussion of the impact of the Better Way tax reform “blueprint” proposed by Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. Read full story
Apartment Building Owners Face Higher Rates on Loans
Lenders are looking more skeptically at the prices buyers are willing to pay for assets relative to the income from the properties. Read full story
The End of the Low Interest Rate Environment?
The squeeze on cap rate spreads remains of some concern for real estate investments should rates rise more rapidly than expected, especially with the “frothiness” we have seen in certain gateway class-A markets. Read full story
Luxury apartment market adjusts to oversupply
The seven-year luxury apartment boom appears to be nearing its end as a glut of product is causing landlords to drop rents and offer deep concessions even as demand for high-end apartments remains strong. Last year, rents rose 3.8%, a slowdown from recent years, according to MPF Research. Read full story
Multifamily demand strong in face of new supply
Housing starts rose 25.5% in October to a 1.32 million annualized rate, the fastest pace since August 2007, the Commerce Department reported. Multifamily starts rose 68.8%, and single-family starts were up 10.7%. Read full story
What a Trump Administration Means for Banking Regulati...
Although both the Dodd-Frank Act and Basel III international banking standards will be targets, it appears as though Dodd-Frank is the bigger priority. Read full story
Places to Go for Development and Investment
The recently released “Emerging Trends in Real Estate, United States and Canada 2017” ranked Texas cities — Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth — first and second when it came to investment and development. Yet, also within the top-10 list were West Coast and Southeast metros. Read full story
What the Trump Administration Means for the Apartment ...
Axiometrics: Expect tax reform, ACA changes, and a focus on supply-side economics. Read full story
Trump win might signal end to low-interest-rate era
President-elect Donald Trump has said low interest rates distort markets, and he could seek to appoint Federal Reserve governors who share his view. Some economists think Trump’s economic policies could spur growth and inflation, advancing the pace of rate increases, but others say Trump’s ideas could lead to a recession. Read full story
MPF: 78,000 Units Delivered in 3Q; Demand Still Outpac...
Third-quarter demand was 109,600 units. Read full story
Yardi: National Average Rent Falls for First Time Sinc...
Long-expected rent-growth slowdown should level off at sustainable long-term rate. Read full story
Outstanding CRE Debt Keeps Growing, Expected to Surpas...
Latest Fed figures show a new high. Read full story
Demand for Student Housing Assets About to Increase
The bidding for student housing properties seems likely to get more intense. Read full story
REIT Deal About market Share
Mid-America Apartments will gain market share in its top metros with the purchase of Post Properties — and it will also spread its reach farther into the urban core. Read full story
As Busy Season Looms, Cap Rates May Yet Fall Lower
Transaction velocity should be strong in the fourth quarter. Read full story
MPF Research: Right Suburban Investments Will Generate...
High-rent suburban investments in superior job-growth metros are outperforming their urban counterparts. Read full story
Cap Rates Hold Steady Year Over Year for Q2 2016
Deals in pricier markets are rising, while nonmajor metros show stable price growth. Read full story
Top Five Multifamily Investment Markets
Ten-X finds employment beating its recession low here by 17 percent, as the Research Triangle fuels job growth. Read full story
Apartment REITs could shift back to acquisitions
Multifamily REITs appear ready to restart their acquisition activities — as indicated by Mid-America Apartment Communities’ deal to buy Post Properties for nearly $4 billion — after a roughly six-month period when they were net sellers. Buying will increase, experts predict, because REITs’ stock prices are up and their access to capital has improved. Read full story
Credit Standards on Multifamily Debt Are Tightening
The share of federally insured depository institutions with an outstanding amount of multifamily residential debt on their balance sheets has risen while the amount of debt outstanding has remained stable. Read full story
Homeownership Rate in the U.S. Drops to Lowest Since 1...
The U.S. homeownership rate fell to the lowest in more than 50 years as rising prices put buying out of reach for many renters. Read full story
Fed holds rates steady but notes brighter outlook
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, as expected, but it offered an optimistic outlook on the economy and a diminished risk profile. Improvements in the labor market and the economy likely merit “gradual increases in the federal funds rate,” the Fed said. Read full story
