National

TODAY’S DEALS: Griffis Residential Enters Las Vegas Market with $41.1M Buy

ARA brokers Griffis Residential’s first Vegas acquisition; Marcus & Millichap arranges the sale of a 696-unit portfolio in Ohio; and Centerline Capital Group completes a $7 million refinance of a Brooklyn, community.

Most Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Rates Decline in Q1

Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgage loans generally declined in the first quarter of 2013, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report.

Economy Watch: Construction Spending Ekes Out Gain

The Census Bureau reported that U.S. construction spending edged up in April by 0.4 percent compared with March, to an annualized rate of $860.8 billion.

TODAY’S DEALS: MAA and Colonial Properties Trust to Merge

MAA & Colonial Properties to merge in an 85,000-unit REIT; Post Properties closes on a $48.6 million buy in Orlando, Fla.; and Meridian Capital negotiates financing for mixed-use and multifamily properties in New York.

Economy Watch: Income Drops Slightly in April

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that personal income was down $5.6 billion, or a bit less than 0.1 percent, in April.

TODAY’S DEALS: Milestone Acquires 346-Unit Apartment in Atlanta

Milestone Apartments REIT invests $46 million in Atlanta; Marcus & Millichap secures a buyer for a Saint Paul community; and Gebroe-Hammer completes Pennsylvania multifamily sales totaling $4.94 million.

Economy Watch: Foreclosures Continue to Drop

CoreLogic reported that there were about 52,000 completed residential foreclosures in the United States in April 2013, down from about 62,000 in April 2012, for a year-over-year decrease of 16 percent.

TODAY’S DEALS: Berkeley Point Capital Closes $49.7M for a Salt Lake Acquisition

Kennedy Wilson completes an acquisition with financing from Berkeley Point Capital; HFF closes $23 million for a Cambridge renovation; and Eastern Consolidated sells sponsor condos near New Jersey’s “Gold Coast” for $15.25 million.

Apartment and Condominium Market Remains Strong After Small Correction in the First Quarter of 2013

The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), inched down two points to an index level of 52.

Economy Watch: U.S. Banks Are Healthy

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., American banks had their best-ever quarter during the first quarter of this year.