As Covid restrictions ease across the United States, hospitality and leisure-focused businesses must now contend with a new risk—stubborn, elevated inflation that could further curb recovery in the travel industry. The war in Ukraine has driven up global oil prices, pressuring already high U.S. energy ... READ MORE >
From distress to recovery, hospitality avoids worst-case scenarios: Spring 2022 outlook
Business travel, while recovering, has suffered amid pandemic restrictions. Rising room rates nationwide are a worrisome trend consumers are watching. Labor presents significant challenges to hospitality, and new incentives are important. Read about other sectors As the pandemic appears to be ... READ MORE >
Pandemic pressures leave women struggling to regain lost ground on jobs
During the pandemic, women have taken the brunt of the damage to the labor force, whether in the form of losing their jobs or working triple-duty at home with child care and education on top of their work obligations. Real wage differentials between men and women during the pandemic have turned into a ... READ MORE >
C-PACE: Government push toward greener buildings may fuel financing demand
Real estate businesses looking to move forward with their strategic plans during the downturn while preserving equity may just have another tool in their tool belt: Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy programs, or C-PACE. C-PACE, a public-private financing option, allows commercial property owners ... READ MORE >
Hanging on: Five ways that hotels can survive the pandemic economy
(This is the last of three articles examining how the pandemic is affecting the hospitality industry. Read the first and second.) Even the most basic financial strategist knows that there are two ways to improve a company’s bottom line — cut costs or drive revenues. In a time of Depression-like ... READ MORE >
Hotels face a long road to recovery emerging from the pandemic
(This is the second of three articles examining how the pandemic is affecting the hospitality industry. Read the first here, about how the industry is struggling to adapt.) Even as the American economy continues to emerge from the shock of the coronavirus pandemic and economists predict strong growth ... READ MORE >
Reeling from the pandemic, hospitality industry struggles to adapt
(This is the first of three articles examining how the pandemic is affecting the hospitality industry.) If there was any sign of the hospitality industry’s rapid change amid the continuing fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, look no further than the recent debut of home rental portal Airbnb in the ... READ MORE >
Death and taxes are the only certainties in a volatile Chicago office market
The Chicago real estate investment community is bracing for a rough winter as both commercial and residential owners prepare for property tax hikes as COVID-19 continues to present a significant threat. Compelled by what Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot characterized as a “the hikes come as the city’s tax ... READ MORE >
FHA mortgage delinquencies show some homeowners in trouble
Federal Housing Administration mortgage delinquencies hit an all-time, four-decade high, according to data released on Monday, a sign that disadvantaged homebuyers are clearly struggling in the pandemic-impacted economy. The share of FHA mortgage delinquencies rose to almost 16% in the second quarter, ... READ MORE >
Hotel occupancy data: It’s only half the story
Hotel occupancy is typically measured by the consistent supply of rooms, and on the surface recent numbers have been looking favorable. Occupancy was up to 49.9% in the week ended Aug. 8, up from 48.9% a week earlier, and 45.9% a month earlier. But given that the pandemic has forced closures of ... READ MORE >