The number of store closings in the retail industry is widely publicized. Many media outlets cite data published by Coresight Research, which tracks store openings and closings in the retail ecosystem. Closings reached a record high of 9,302 in 2019, and 2020 is off to an equally troubling start, as Macy’s announced 125 store closings—amounting to roughly ... READ MORE >
Real Estate
Real estate and the middle market go hand in hand. Developers in commercial, residential and industrial markets provide the economic fuel to transform local economies, building infrastructure that leads to new business and job creation.
Hospitality industry braces for the worst as coronavirus spreads
As the human and economic toll of the coronavirus continues to mount, the hospitality industry is bracing for the worst. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization cautioned against non-essential travel to China after declaring the outbreak a public health emergency. Major airlines quickly responded, as British Airways, United, Delta and American, among ... READ MORE >
Americans face housing affordability crisis as paltry inventory sends costs higher
The decline in housing numbers reported for December on Wednesday is tied to the dwindling available supply of housing for purchase. Pending home sales reported by the National Association of Realtors through December 2019 decreased 4.9% month over month; however, the year-over-year comparison shows a 6.8% gain on an unadjusted basis. While low ... READ MORE >
Housing to start 2020 with a bang
When Boeing announced on Monday that it would halt production of its troubled 737 Max in January, it raised the prospect that the economy could take a hit in early 2020. But Tuesday's announcement of stronger-than-expected housing starts could ease some of those concerns. The Commerce Department reported that November housing starts rose by 3.2% in ... READ MORE >
How senior housing developers can respond to sagging demand
Developers eager to fill the demand for senior housing created by an aging U.S. population are facing a new and unexpected challenge in the form of rapidly advancing technologies that allow seniors to stay in their homes longer. It’s called “aging in place,” and a host of disruptors have set their sights on this growing market as a participants across ... READ MORE >
As recession looms, U.S. homebuilders show strength
Even as slowing global growth and rising trade tensions have increased the odds that the American economy will enter a recession, one sector – homebuilding – has emerged as a bright spot. Thanks to a focus on the domestic economy and the resilient spending of the American consumer, the homebuilding industry has held up relatively well recently compared to ... READ MORE >
Real estate dry powder hits record levels amid stock market volatility, rising property values
No one wants to pay top dollar for real estate. A volatile stock market that has left investors looking for safe haven, with many allocating dollars to real estate fund managers. However, real estate funds have not yet deployed that capital, in part due to escalating property values. As a result, real-estate focused private equity funds are sitting on record ... READ MORE >
Is the next mortgage bubble imminent? Not so fast, the debt data tells us
Residential mortgages totaled $9.4 trillion as of June 30 and overall consumer debt reached an all-time high of $13.86 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Residential mortgage debt eclipsed the 2008 peak of $9.29 trillion, fueling the belief among some market watchers that a housing crash apocalypse they’ve been counting on since the ... READ MORE >
Low treasury rate is a boost for home builders, neutral for commercial real estate
Bonds have been declining in recent weeks following a 25-basis-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve and expectations of further cuts amid rising concerns over an impending recession. Recession concerns were underscored Wednesday by the inversion of the U.S. and U.K. two- and 10-year yield curves and the fall of 30-year Treasury yields to 2.07%, a record ... READ MORE >
Homebuilder confidence indicators rise but still lag 2018
The homebuilder confidence index rose to 65 in July, according to the National Association of Homebuilders, as a dovish Federal Reserve is expected to reduce interest rates later this month and potentially two more times by the end of 2019. But while confidence has increased, homebuilders are still facing headwinds related to land, labor and tariffs, all of ... READ MORE >