WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 1.2 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment assistance during the week ending Aug. 1. The latest figure is the lowest weekly total since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected 1.4 million claims for the week. There have now been 20 consecutive weeks of initial claims totaling more than 1 million filings. The four-week moving average was 1.3 million claims, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous four-week average. Additionally, continuing claims dipped by 844,000 to 16.1 million.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In its midyear multifamily outlook report, Freddie Mac predicts U.S. multifamily loan originations will drop severely for all of 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the big blow the virus has dealt the U.S. economy. The gross domestic product from April to June plunged 32.9 percent on an annualized basis, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) is projecting that loan volume will decrease 20 to 41 percent across the multifamily sector this year compared with the total dollar amount of loans closed by lenders in 2019, which Freddie Mac estimates was $374 billion. Heading into this year, Freddie Mac expected that loan originations would increase 5 percent in 2020 to $390 billion. Depending on the overall strength of the U.S. recovery and the further spread of COVID-19, Freddie Mac outlined two scenarios for how the year will play out. The more optimistic scenario calls for the unemployment rate to fall just below 8 percent by the end of the year. The U.S. unemployment rate, which stood at 11.1 percent at the end of June, will be updated Friday when the Department of Labor releases the nonfarm payroll employment report for July. …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — JLL has arranged the $49 million sale of The Shaw, an eight-story, 69-unit multifamily community in Washington, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood. The property offers studio to four-bedroom floor plans. Communal amenities include a virtual front desk, a rooftop terrace and package lockers. Delivered this year, the asset is located at 618 T St. NW, one mile northeast of downtown Washington, D.C. Walter Coker, Brian Crivella and Robert Jenkins of JLL represented the seller, Monument Realty, in the transaction. A joint venture between Shimizu Realty Development Inc. and Capital Security Advisors LLC acquired the property in an all-cash deal.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — First-time unemployment claims again increased on a week-over-week basis. During the week ending July 25, 1.4 million Americans filed for assistance, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week but less than the 1.5 million claims estimate from economists surveyed by Dow Jones. Prior to the week ending July 18, there were 15 straight weeks of decreasing claims. For the week ending July 18, continuing claims stood at just over 17 million, an 867,000 increase from the previous week. (Data on continuing claims is delayed by one week.) Some states and municipalities have begun to roll back reopenings of schools and businesses, causing the unemployment numbers to tick back up. Additionally, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday morning that the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter shrunk at an annual rate of 32.9 percent. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were expecting a decrease of 34.7 percent.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wells Fargo has provided $385 million in financing for a 1,255-unit, three-property multifamily portfolio in metro Washington, D.C. The borrower, JBG Smith, received the three separate Freddie Mac loans. The properties in the portfolio are The Bartlett and 220 20th Street in Northern Virginia’s National Landing submarket and 1221 Van St. in D.C. JBG Smith developed 1221 Van Street in 2018 and acquired the other two properties in 2017. The Bethesda, Md.-based company manages all three communities. The loans each feature 10-year terms with floating interest rates underwritten at LIBOR plus 251 basis points. Each loan also features five-year interest-only payment period and are not cross-collateralized or cross-defaulted with each other.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the first time since March, the number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims increased on a week-over-week basis. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday morning that more than 1.4 million people filed for assistance during the week ending July 18, an increase of 109,000 from the previous week. It is the first weekly increase in 15 weeks. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected an increase of 1.3 million claims. The four-week moving average stood at 1.4 million, a decrease of 16,500 from the previous four-week average.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The advanced estimate for June retail sales nationwide is up 7.5 percent on a month-over-month basis, the U.S. Commerce Department reports. Consumers visited stores and auto dealerships in-person for the second straight month as businesses began reopening their doors. Retail sales totaled $524.3 billion in June, up from $487.7 billion in May. The most recent figure shows spending is near pre-pandemic levels, as the Commerce Department reported that February 2020 spending reached $527.3 billion. The Commerce Department also revised the May retail sales rate up by 50 basis points to 18.2 percent growth from April. Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation (NRF), says that while the growth is trending positively, the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases across the country could slow sales in the months to come. As of this writing, there were nearly 3.6 million positive cases in the U.S, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Additionally, JHU reports that there were 77,255 new cases Thursday, setting a single-day record. “The retail sales numbers from last month were very encouraging and reflect continued progress in the right direction,” says Shay. “However, recent spikes in infection rates across the country have us focused …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another 1.3 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment assistance during the week ending July 11, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. The figure is down 10,000 from the previous week’s total. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected just under 1.3 million claims. The four-week moving average decreased by 60,000 claims to nearly 1.4 million. This marks the 16th consecutive week that the initial claims have totaled more than 1 million due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Whole Foods Market will open a new location July 23 in Washington, D.C. The new 46,000-square-foot grocery store will be situated at 967 Florida Ave. NW in D.C.’s Pleasant Plains neighborhood, less than two miles north of downtown D.C. and less than one mile from Howard University. The new store will offer a full-service butcher, bakery, produce department and a seafood counter. Amazon Prime members who shop at the location will have access to two-hour delivery on certain items, as well as a 10 percent discount on several in-store items.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The novel coronavirus could result in record-levels in spending for back-to-school supplies as families across the country are expected to buy more electronics to prepare for at-home learning, a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics has found. Major school systems around the country, including the Ivy League, Los Angeles Public School District, Atlanta Public Schools, New York City Public School system and the University of California school system have announced virtual learning or a hybrid of in-person and online classes for this fall. According to the annual survey, spending could reach $789.49 per family with children in elementary through high school, which would break last year’s record expectations of $696.70 per family. College students are expected to spend $1,059.20 per family. Retail spending from college students and their families is expected to total $67.7 billion, up from $54.5 billion last year and breaking the record of $55.3 billion set in 2018. Total spending for kindergarten through college combined is projected to reach $101.6 billion — exceeding last year’s $80.7 billion and topping the $100 billion mark for the first time. NRF surveyed 7,481 U.S. consumers from July 1 to 8. …