Blog
‘Foong on Finance’: U.S. Will Not See 3% GDP Growth Until 2014
As they say, we won’t see a desirable employment environment in the U.S. soon. U.S. GDP growth is not expected to hit 3 percent until 2014. That analysis comes from the international real estate group Grosvenor. Grosvenor declined to call the current economy “robust.” “Analysts are pointing to major shifts in structural unemployment in the U.S. as a result of the recession,” says the real estate group. “The construction industry is a prime example of why so many people are staying unemployed for so long,” states Eileen Marrinan, director of research for San Francisco-based Grosvenor Americas. “Their skills are simply not in…
‘Foong on Finance’: CMBS Delinquency Rate to Stay in High-Single to Double Digits, Says Moody’s
Delinquencies rates remain high, though there is light on the horizon. The CMBS conduit/fusion delinquency rate is now 9.22 percent, an increase of six basis points, according to Moody’s Investors Service. To place it in perspective, Fannie and Freddie’s multifamily delinquency rates come in below 1 percent, while the CRE delinquencies of life insurance companies are about 4 percent. “We expect the delinquency rate to run high-single to low-double digits over the near term,” states Tad Philipp, director – CRE Research, of Moodys Investors Service. “The resolution process is in full swing, and liquidations should roughly balance new defaults.” The…
‘On the Ground’ with Eric Brown: More Web Traffic May Not Yield More Rentals
As we gain more clients, in many instances we are seeing significant increases in web traffic but poor conversions from web traffic to actual rentals. There might be a reason for this.
‘Foong on Finance’: Commercial Real Estate Has Not Truly Recovered, Says Trepp
Both residential and commercial real estate may still be marked by weak growth. GDP growth has dropped to 1.8 percent in the first quarter, according to government estimates released this week. And there has been an unexpected rise in the number of unemployment claims. Now, Trepp LLC maintains that the recently improving numbers for delinquencies in commercial and residential real estate loans held by banks may be reversing itself. Trepp estimates that delinquencies, which have been falling in the latter part of last year, will decline slightly in the first quarter. “Our detailed research through earnings reports and call report…
‘On the Ground’ with Eric Brown: Who Owns the Residents’ Experience?
What if leasing agents owned the entire resident experience, from lease to move out? What if we gave them enough autonomy and authority to actually solve resident problems?
‘Foong on Finance’: Cuts in HUD Funding Mean Less Housing for the Needy
This week, the House passed FY 2011 Continuing Appropriations Act (HR 1473) to fund the federal government for this fiscal year. Altogether, $38 billion in federal spending cuts have been passed. HUD’s budget, which was $46.9 billion in FY2010, is cut by 6.4 percent for this fiscal year. Funding for the HOME block grant program for developing low-income housing, and the Community Development Block Grant program, will be reduced. The budgets for the Section 8 voucher and project based programs will see some increases, though less than the President requested. The shrinkage in the federal budget, “amounting to $2.8 billion in…
‘Gimme Shelter’ with Daniel Gehman: Same-Day GB/GO–Feels Like Good Times
With unemployment dropping, money finally becoming available, and construction remaining on sale, there’s a window of opportunity in the multifamily space unlike anything we’ve seen in a while.
‘The Accidental Economist’ with Jack Kern: Provando et Riprovando
It seems the Fed will aver to the position of maintaining the final phase of QE2, the last part of the current round of expansionary monetary policy started near the end of last year.
‘The Accidental Economist’ with Jack Kern: 60 Is the New 60
This booming cluster of future renters–seniors–is becoming a more important force in property management, and yet we still see the focus on Gen Y.
‘Foong on Finance’: GSE Reform Update
It has been a busy week on the GSE and financial reform fronts. There were hearings in both the Senate and the House on GSE reform. The Republicans in the House are reportedly planning to release a series of eight bills to curtail Fannie and Freddie. Proposed 5 percent risk-retention regulations, requiring lenders to have “skin” in the loans they make, have been released, and the government agencies are asking for public comment. In a released report, the inspector general of the federal Housing Finance Agency criticized high executive pay at Fannie and Freddie. And Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman Michael…