- Traders Doubt the Fed Will Hike Rates Three Times Next Year “The Federal Reserve's indication this week that it expects three rate hikes in 2017 both moved markets and generated skepticism. In particular, traders in the fed funds futures market believe the year ahead probably won't see more than two increases. If 2016's action was any indicator, it probably is a wise idea to trust the market's interpretation.” (CNBC)
- U.S. Consumer Index Rose 0.2% in Nov vs. 0.2% Increase Expected “Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI rising 0.2 percent last month and climbing to 1.7 percent from a year ago. The so-called core CPI, which strips out food and energy costs, rose 0.2 percent last month after edging up 0.1 percent in October. Rents accounted for most of the increase in the core CPI last month. Despite the increase, the year-on-year increase in the core CPI was unchanged at 2.1 percent.” (Reuters)
- Home Builder Sentiment Soars to 11-Year High as Developers Bank on a Trump Bump “Home builder confidence soared in December to a level last seen at the heights of the housing bubble as construction firms anticipated less red tape under the presidency of Donald Trump. The National Association of Home Builders said its closely-watched sentiment index surged to a reading of 70, the highest since July 2005. Economists had forecast an unchanged reading of 63. The surge in builder confidence is due to a ‘post-election bounce,’ the group said in a statement.” (MarketWatch)
- A Bird’s Eye View of Real Estate Risk Disclosure “What does this higher-risk investor appetite mean for real estate sustainability disclosure and performance? Some investment managers express hesitation to report environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of their funds operating in the upper spectrum of risk, often presuming that sustainability negatively affects returns or that this type of investor communication is better suited for core real estate funds.” (GreenBiz)
- Host Hotels & Resorts CEO Walter to Depart “Host Hotels & Resorts CEO Edward Walter will step down by year's end and Executive VP James Risoleo will take his place. It is unclear why Walter is leaving, and Host Hotels did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He served as CEO of the Bethesda, Md.-based lodging real estate investment trust since 2007. Risoleo, as executive VP, is also managing director of Investments, West Coast and Europe. He will gain a seat on the company's board of directors.” (The Street)
- The Fateful Vote That Made New York City Rents So High “At the end of a pedestrian tunnel, down a flight of stairs from street level, a plush bar with a Prohibition motif caters to wealthy newcomers who have gentrified Manhattan’s Lower East Side, displacing immigrants and blue-collar workers. Amid chandeliers, velvet couches and Rubenesque oil paintings, bartenders serve beer bottles in paper bags and pour $14 cocktails into teacups. The beige pre-World War I tenement above the bar also profits from the neighborhood’s transformation. In 1994, a typical apartment in the 25-unit Norfolk Street building cost $552 a month. Today, it rents for $4,800.” (The Real Deal)
- Mortgage Rates Rise as Bond Rout Continues, Freddie Mac Says “Rates for home loans rose for a seventh-straight week, mortgage finance provider Freddie Mac said Thursday. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.16% during the December 15 week, up from 4.13% a week ago. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.37%, up one basis point during the week. The 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 3.19%, up from 3.17%.” (MarketWatch)
- Shovels Hit Ground on Giant Nashville Project in 2017 “Construction on Fifth+Broadway, a $430 million mixed use project destined for the former site of the Nashville Convention Center, will get underway in second quarter 2017, according to co-developers OliverMcMillan and Spectrum Emery. It will include 183,000 sq. ft. of retail space. The mixed-use project will house the National Museum of Africa American Music and feature 345,000 sq. ft. of high-rise residential and 350,000 sq. ft. of offices. A 16,000-sq.-ft. roof-top event deck is also in the blueprints.” (Chain Store Age)
- JFK to Become ‘Real Destination’ with Swanky Upgrade Project “You may soon be swigging martinis and lattes in a $265 million space-age air terminal at JFK International Airport that’s being revitalized and reinvented with new hotel rooms and ballrooms, along with plenty of restaurants, bars and even a nightclub. The former Trans World Flight Center, which opened in 1962 in the golden age of Mad Men and manned flight, will be filled with curated food courts, name-chef restaurants, retailers, the hotel, event space and museum as part of the upcoming TWA Hotel by MCR Development that is breaking ground on Thursday.” (New York Post)
- First Pier-Top Office Building Planned for D.C. “Something never before seen in the Washington, D.C., office market is on the way. Hoffman-Madison Waterfront just announced Pier 4, the first office building to be erected on a pier in the District. The 28,000-square-foot structure will be part of The Wharf, HMW’s transformative, $2 billion mixed-use project in the city’s Southwest Waterfront area. Pier 4 will be a sight—and a site—to see, jutting 260 feet into the Potomac River. Commercial real estate services firm JLL is spearheading leasing at Pier 4.” (Commercial Property Executive)
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