Housing starts rose 7.0% in September due to a rebound in multifamily homes, according to government data released on Wednesday, partly offsetting the sharp drop in August. Still, new residential starts remained a drag on growth in the third quarter amid higher mortgage rates, falling 4.2% on a quarterly ... READ MORE >
Real estate
SEC expands regulation of private fund advisers
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 23 adopted new rules aimed to expand the regulation of private fund advisers. According to a news release from the SEC, “the new rules and amendments are designed to protect private fund investors by increasing transparency, competition, and efficiency ... READ MORE >
Generative AI: Disruptive or flawed innovation for real estate?
It’s hard to imagine the passage above is a direct output of innovative technology, ChatGPT. We were intrigued by what the chatbot driven by generative artificial intelligence could tell us about digital transformation in real estate, and it took only seconds for it to come back with the ... READ MORE >
Real estate to remain strong in face of interest rate bump
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday boosted interest rates by a quarter percentage point, leaving many landlords and real estate fund managers to wonder how the increase will affect their operations and bottom line. Fortunately, no one needs to ring the alarm. With the cost of capital remaining low, ... READ MORE >
The hot housing streak endures: Spring 2022 outlook
The housing market, while strong, is hampered by limited supply. Home affordability is set to be challenged by rising interest rates. Builders continue to be constrained by the limited supply of materials and their rising costs. Read about other sectors The spring housing market might not be as ... READ MORE >
Real estate and construction industry outlook: Spring 2022
Amid the ongoing pandemic, the real estate industry has shown significant opportunity and resilience. Hospitality has been sustained by the revival of leisure travel, as customers once again embark on vacations. While corporations still exercise caution over business travel, signs of the sector’s ... READ MORE >
Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package and real estate
On Nov. 15, President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package—The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—that provides historic funding levels to improve public works, including roads, bridges, highways, internet access and the power grid, as well as to mitigate the effects of climate change. ... READ MORE >
Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package and the construction industry
On Nov. 15, President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package—the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—providing historic funding levels to improve public works, including roads, bridges, highways, internet access and the power grid, as well as to mitigate the effects of climate ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Home affordability continues to drop
U.S. housing was less affordable in the third quarter than in the previous quarter, with the composite homebuyer index dropping from 151.9 to 150.8, and the first-time buyer index dropping from 100.1 to 99.2, according to data released this week by the National Association of Realtors. A value of 100 ... READ MORE >
Multi-family dwellings drive Canada building permit value up 8.2%
The value of building permits in Canada grew to CA$10.14 billion in September, an 8.2% increase compared to August, driven by the increasing value of multi-family residential permits, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday. That growth marks a reversal from the drop in residential ... READ MORE >