National
Economy Watch: Will Interest Rates Rise Sooner Rather Than Later?
Predicting what the Federal Reserve’s going to do about interest rates is something of a mug’s game, since the central bank goes out of its way to be opaque about policy matters.
Seniors Housing Wins Cincinnati’s Greenest Building for ’15
The Reserve on South Martin, a seniors housing property, has been named Cincinnati’s Greenest Building for 2015 by the Cincinnati Business Courier.
TODAY’S DEALS: Forest City Completes Three Investments with Arizona State Retirement System
Forest City closes investment allocations in D.C., Philadelphia; and Oakland, Calif.; a joint venture led by The Preiss Co. completes a Florida student housing acquisition; and CareTrust REIT closes a $7.5 million preferred equity investment.
Economy Watch: Another Strong Jobs Report to Round Out 2014
The U.S. economy gained 252,000 jobs in December, representing another healthy month of job growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
TODAY’S DEALS: Oak Grove Keeps the Texas Deals Rolling
Oak Grove Capital arranges four acquisition loans for ICG; Blue Ridge Cos. lands a property management gig in South Carolina; and NorthMarq Capital finalizes a $19.95 million refinance carrying a five-year interest-only feature.
Economy Watch: Retail Recovery at a Snail’s Pace
Reis released its latest quarterly report on the U.S. retail real estate market.
TODAY’S DEALS: Berkshire Group Takes Two Assets Off Crescent’s Hands
Crescent Communities continues to sell in North Carolina; Cushman & Wakefield originates $49.6 million in seniors housing construction financing; and Dobbins Group completes and sells a 135-unit upscale apartment community it redeveloped.
Apartment Fundamentals Still Strong
The apartment market isn’t remotely sluggish, but it isn’t the frenetic, ants-in-its-pants creature it became after the housing crash converted a lot of people into renters, or persuaded Gen Xers and Millennials that renting a few more years than their parents isn’t a bad thing.
TODAY’S DEALS: Dwight Capital Funds $41.5M in HUD Loans
Dwight Capital closes out 2014 with a trio of HUD loans; a Canadian investment firm nabs a REO condo parcel in Illinois; and Meridian Capital arranges a five-year, $10.5 million acquisition loan for a Queens, N.Y., property.
Office Vacancies Drop as Economy Strengthens
Reis reported that U.S. office vacancies—the national average—dropped from 16.8 percent in the third quarter of 2014 to the 16.7 percent in the fourth quarter.