The Real Economy Blog

Troy Merkel, Partner, Real Estate Senior Analyst

@troymerkel

Troy has 15 years of experience in audit and consulting, with a particular emphasis in real estate and financial services reporting, in accordance with US GAAP, IFRS, NCREIF PREA Reporting Standards and income tax basis. He is also an expert in accounting for asset acquisitions and complex leases and specializes in various tax-advantageous, in particular Opportunity Zones and government subsidized deal structures.

Troy’s financial services background involves audits of private equity funds, which hold equity or debt interests in a variety of industries including technology, consumer products, personal services, real estate and renewable resources. His expertise includes complex valuations, mezzanine and first lender analysis, as well as, the evaluation of options.

In 2018, Troy was selected as a senior analyst in RSM’s cutting edge Industry Eminence Program, which positions its senior analysts to understand, forecast and communicate economic, business and technology trends shaping the industries RSM serves. These senior analysts advise clients on conditions impacting middle market leaders. Troy’s focus is on the real estate industry.

Homebuilder confidence supported by rise in housing starts

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There is good news for the U.S. housing market that saw a rough end to 2018. Domestic housing starts rose 5.7 percent to 1.235 million in April, while permits grew at a more modest 0.5 percent to 1.296 million. The growth was primarily driven in the Northeast and Midwest—drying out after a wet and soggy start to the 2019 building season—with month-over-month ... READ MORE >

Key construction index shows improvement, but builder cost hurdles remain

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The National Association of Homebuilders’ Housing Market Index rose 3 points to 66 in May—a seven month high—helped by lower mortgage rates and improved sales of new homes. The increase added momentum to this year’s upward trend following a low at the end of 2018. A reading above 50 indicates more builders see conditions as good than poor. While stable ... READ MORE >

Government offers further clarity in opportunity zone regulations

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury released its latest set of regulatory guidelines on opportunity zones on Wednesday, offering significantly more clarity about the program, which provides tax incentives to developers entering geographic areas slated for improvement. Real estate investors appear to be getting everything they want from the program. The ... READ MORE >

Low interest rates alone can’t save the housing market

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The government reported on Tuesday that December housing starts fell 11.2 percent—their lowest level in two years. Despite this, many remain hopeful of a bounce back by spring. We believe that optimism should be kept in check, as high home prices remain a drag on the market. The Commerce Department said new starts in the month slid to a seasonally ... READ MORE >

Demographics, policy to drive 2019 real estate investment

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Fundamentals in the real estate market continue to be strong; however, at this late stage in the business cycle, investors need to be cautious as they venture into the development of more third-tier markets. Changes in demographics will also influence real estate as more people opt to rent, e-commerce grows and the density of offices’ increases amid an ... READ MORE >