Using Technology to Build Support for Affordable Housing

For developers of affordable housing, a certain amount of NIMBYism is virtually inevitable. But the contentiousness of our times has amplified the rumbling of, “not in my backyard,” into a shout. Time consumed in countering the claims and tactics of affordable housing opponents can damage or derail a developer’s plans — delaying approvals, raising costs and in some cases causing the project to be abandoned altogether. At a time when large segments of the population have been priced out …

January 15, 2019Development, Features, Midwest, Multifamily, Northeast, Southeast, Texas, Western

Strong December Jobs Report Delivers ‘Dose of Good News’ In Uncertain Environment, Say Economists

U.S. stocks took a beating in the final month of 2018, with the S&P 500 falling 6.2 percent for the year and the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 5.6 percent. There was no Santa Claus rally on Wall Street down the stretch. Instead, the mood was more “bah humbug.” To add insult to injury, the year ended with a partial government shutdown amid a budget impasse in Washington, D.C. Then came along a strong December jobs report, which provided a reassuring sign that the U.S. economy …

January 10, 2019Features

10 Ways to Screw Up a Retail Investment Sale

By Philip D. Voorhees, Vice Chairman, CBRE During more than 730 retail investment transactions in the Western U.S. totaling more than $11 billion, we’ve identified some sure-fire ways to make an already tough retail investment sale transaction even more challenging. Our pain is your gain. In the cases below, we’re giving you the test after the lessons! [caption id="attachment_220352" align="alignleft" width="120"] Philip D. Voorhees[/caption] 1. Move Slowly, and Lack …

January 9, 2019Features, Retail, Western, Western Feature Archive

E-Commerce Logistics Impact Industrial Property Loans

The evolution of retail logistics is cultivating a new industrial landscape. “With the explosion in popularity of e-commerce, logistics models have shifted from hub-and-spoke organization to a product-to-consumer model,” says Casey Martin, commercial real estate commercial loan underwriter with Chicago-based Alliant Credit Union. The traditional hub-and-spoke distribution model features a central warehouse supporting a few large distribution centers, allowing product to move within a …

January 8, 2019Alliant Credit Union, Content Partner, Features

Self-Storage Development Boom Causes Rental Rates to Dip, Says Yardi Matrix

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — Rental rates are on the decline for the U.S. self-storage market as owners look to increase absorption of their new supply, according to a December self-storage report from research firm Yardi Matrix. Overall asking rents for 10-by-10-foot, non-climate-controlled units declined by 4.1 percent year-over-year in November, while rents for climate-controlled units of similar sizes dropped by 2.2 percent. The report cites that there may be some seasonality behind the …

January 3, 2019Features, Self-Storage

As Affordable Housing Demand Grows, Developers Struggle to Keep Up

A shortage of more than 7.2 million affordable housing units exists nationwide for households with incomes at or below the poverty level, defined as 30 percent of area median income, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. But finding affordable housing is not just an issue for impoverished people. Typically, renters who earn up to 60 percent of area median income are also eligible to live in affordable housing properties. Clearly, affordable housing developers are in …

December 20, 2018Development, Features, Multifamily

Skilled Nursing Occupancy Increases Slightly, May Be First Sign of Recovery

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The skilled nursing occupancy rate saw a slight uptick in the third quarter of 2018, increasing 14 basis points to 82.2 percent, according to data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). Despite the increase, occupancy is still a full percentage point below year-earlier rates and has been on a sharp slide for the last three to four years. NIC is an Annapolis-based nonprofit data firm serving the seniors housing industry. The …

December 18, 2018Features, Seniors Housing

RED: Texas Multifamily Performance Moderates in 2018, While Economy Booms

With a preference for low taxes and business-friendly regulation, Texas is America’s proving ground for free market economic theories — a crucible in which the benefits of economic liberty are tested. While the long-term impact of the Lone Star State’s experiment remains an open question, it is hard to gainsay its impressive accomplishments to date. [caption id="attachment_215024" align="alignright" width="100"] Daniel HoganDirector of Research,RED Capital Group[/caption] Texas …

December 14, 2018Content Partner, Features, Multifamily, RED Capital Group, Texas

Lower Returns is a Fact of Life for Multifamily Stakeholders, Say InterFace Speakers

There is no shortage of capital available to seasoned multifamily developers and investors because the property sector’s underlying real estate fundamentals remain so strong. That was one of the key takeaways of the ninth annual InterFace Multifamily Southeast, a real estate conference hosted by InterFace Conference Group and Southeast Real Estate Business. The event drew more than 400 multifamily professionals to The Whitley hotel in Atlanta on Nov. 27. Speakers during the development …

December 13, 2018Conference Coverage, Features, Georgia, Multifamily, Southeast

Will Fed Hit Pause Button on Rate Hikes In Wake of November Jobs Report?

The U.S. economy added 155,000 jobs in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), falling well short of the consensus forecast of 195,000 jobs. Still, November marked the 98th consecutive month of employment gains. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent, while year-over-year wage growth registered 3.1 percent, one of the highest rates of the cycle. Given the recent volatility in the stock market, the shrinking spread between the two- and 10-year …

December 12, 2018Features