COVID-19 has displaced hotel owners and stripped properties of guests and reliable revenue streams. In addition, travelers are not yet returning to normal patterns. … READ MORE >
Real estate
CHART OF THE DAY: New home sales bounce back
New home sales bounced back to 842,000 in December, representing a 1.8% increase over the previous month, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Housing activity continues to surge
Housing starts rose by 5.8% to an annualized rate of 1.67 million in December, ending the year as one of the strongest in a decade. And housing permits, an indicator of future activity, increased as well, by 4.5% to an annualized rate of 1.7 million in December. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Residential construction spending remains robust
Residential spending has been rising since February 2019, increasing by nearly 18% on a year-over-year basis in November. … READ MORE >
Traditional retail’s loss has been industrial’s gain
The growing reliance on contact-free e-commerce is providing new opportunities and unique challenges to the commercial real estate sector, specifically those focused on retail and industrial space. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Homes for the holidays
Nine months into the pandemic, demand for single-family homes, buoyed by historically low interest rates, continues to soar. Confidence among builders remains high, with the National Association of Home Builders index coming in at 86 for December. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Vaccine at the top of holiday wish list for senior housing
Senior housing of all kinds – including independent and assisted living facilities, as well as those that offer skilled nursing – have been hit hard by the pandemic, both in human and economic terms. … 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 in Illinois. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Booming mortgage originations
After a slow first quarter, mortgage originations in the United States are surging as homeowners capitalize on historically low interest rates, with the totals approaching levels not seen since 2003. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Existing home sales climb, further depleting inventory
Existing home sales increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.85 million in October, representing a 4.3% increase month over month and the highest level since February 2006, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors. … READ MORE >