- Fannie-Freddie’s Multifamily Loan Cap Kept Unchanged in 2016 “The U.S. regulator of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is maintaining its $30 billion multifamily loan cap next year for each mortgage company. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the two government-sponsored enterprises, plans to institute a quarterly review to allow for possible adjustments, given market conditions, director, Melvin L. Watt, said Monday at a conference in San Diego.” (Bloomberg)
- Brad Thomas: 4 REITs That Are Gaining from Disruptive Technology “Technology has transformed the way all industries work, and that includes real estate investment trusts, says Brad Thomas, chief analyst at iREIT Investor. REITs traditionally have owned property like malls and office buildings, but they now include cellular towers and even life sciences companies. In a blog post for Forbes.com, Thomas points to four REITs that are harnessing technology to drive value for investors.” (Newsmax)
- Housing Starts Rise as Construction Underpins Economy “New-home construction in the U.S. climbed in September, a sign residential real estate will bolster the world’s largest economy. Housing starts increased 6.5 percent to a 1.21 million annualized rate, more than forecast and the second-highest level in eight years, figures from the Commerce Department showed Tuesday in Washington. A drop in building permits indicates the rebound will be slow to materialize.” (Bloomberg)
- Applying Analytics to Real Estate Assets “For most companies, one of the biggest commitments they will make — both in regards to cost and flexibility — is in the form of corporate real estate. The purchase or lease of office space can represent not only a significant expense but also an ongoing legal and operational liability. As the global business environment becomes increasingly analytical across all industries, many firms have adopted alternative financial modeling methods and metrics.” (CFO)
- Optimizing Real Estate Space Use through Technology “In the office sector, technology has changed where and how people work. Tech companies have reinvented office space, making what many consider to be better use of the resource. Their practice of putting more people in less space, while making the space functional and fun, has been adopted by many other office users. Because businesses and technology evolve much faster than real estate, however, design flexibility is critical for new buildings.” (Urban Land)
- Harrison Street Snaps Up Campus Crest “Troubled student housing REIT Campus Crest Communities Inc. has entered into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Harrison Street Real Estate Capital L.L.C., in a deal worth a reported $1.9 billion, Campus Crest announced last Friday. The transaction, which is not subject to a financing condition, is expected to close during the first quarter.” (Commercial Property Executive)
- Congress Inclined to Add Alternative Measures to CRE Audit Bill “One Congressional bill that has had the commercial real estate industry very worried is the bipartisan ‘Partnership Audit Simplification Act of 2015,’ which was introduced in June. While the legislation is still being written, The Real Estate Roundtable says that it is likely that some of the alternative measures developed by The Tax Policy Advisory Committee of the Real Estate Roundtable will be included in the final bill in place of the most onerous requirements that were part of the original proposal. (GreenSt.)
- Online Overload: Big Landlord Blocks Deliveries After Deluge of Packages “Camden Property Trust was being buried under a mountain of packages. So the Houston-based apartment landlord took drastic measures: It stopped accepting parcels at all of its 169 properties nationwide. Camden executives said its buildings had received one million packages in 2014, and that the rate was increasing by 50% a year.” (Wall Street Journal)
- Japanese to Significantly Boost Outbound Global Property Investment in 2016 “CBRE is now predicting a significant boost in outbound real estate investments by Japanese investors in the coming years, particularly through indirect investments through funds. Japan's interest in overseas real estate assets is set to rise on the back of the strong US economic recovery, with Japanese investors expected to increasingly diversify their investments both globally and across the Asia Pacific region.” (World Property Journal)
- Rudin: “I Was There for Family Friends” “There are many reasons to choose to work in commercial real estate, not the least of which are its potential financial rewards. But for Mitchell Rudin, CEO of Mack-Cali and an attorney by training the field offered a key enticement—longevity. And from what he shared with ALM Real Estate Media Group VP and group publisher Michael Desiato last week in Midtown, during the ‘Inside the Real Estate Mind’ at RealShare New York, it’s clear that Rudin has focused not just on having a good career but also a successful personal life.” (GlobeSt.)
0 comments
Hide comments