For the better part of the past decade, investors have flocked to senior living, long viewed as the golden goose for sure-bet growth as the baby boomer generation aged. More recently, however, due in large part to pandemic-related challenges including health safety considerations and staffing shortages, the gold has lost its luster. Other options for senior living, including multigenerational housing, are gaining in popularity; along with them come market opportunities for savvy industry participants. … READ MORE >
Troy Merkel
What investors must know about opportunity zones before 2022 and beyond
The December deadline is drawing increased interest from real estate investors. There are benefits to investing in opportunity zones past 2021. Check out the questions investors should ask. … READ MORE >
Rising rental market is tied to limited supply, not affordability
Higher home prices in the United States are not fueling the rental market, despite media reports to the contrary. Instead, would-be buyers are seeking rentals due to the limited supply of homes for sale in what is expected to remain a hot market throughout the remainder of this year. … READ MORE >
North American housing markets remain bullish
In spite of the pandemic, the U.S. and Canadian housing markets have seen significant growth over the past year as individuals and families stuck in apartments were driven to the suburbs in search of bigger homes with space to live, work and play … READ MORE >
Real estate investors seen as primary funding source for “the caring economy” plan
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled a 10-year, $775-billion plan to support what he deemed “the caring economy,” which is comprised of jobs that provide care for children and the elderly. In order to finance this proposal, Biden is looking to the real estate investment community. … READ MORE >
Miles away: U.S. airports face heavy lift and slow recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place protocols have devastated the airline industry. Along with it, airports across the country, rife with retail, have suffered significant losses.
As cancellations of business trips and vacations mounted beginning with the onset of the outbreak in mid-March, traffic from travelers plummeted. The Transportation Safety Administration reported that throughput fell to approximately 100,000 people per day by the first week of April, down from almost 2.2 million daily a month earlier. … READ MORE >
Construction sector uncertainty shows up in labor, loans and demand data
Slow and uncertain—that is the state of the construction ecosystem right now. The unstable environment for builders has resulted in huge layoffs for their workforce and a disproportionate amount of loans taken under a new SBA lending relief program. … READ MORE >
Betting that size matters: Macy’s closures on trend in retail
Retail closures are not always related to underperforming stores or the downsizing of operations. In many cases, a retailer closes a location because the real estate no longer suits the intended use of physical space now and in the future. … 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. While low unemployment and modest wage growth are driving strong demand, housing inventory is lacking. … READ MORE >
Is the next mortgage bubble imminent? Not so fast, the debt data tells us
There’s no denying that U.S. consumer debt is high. But despite headlines about a pending mortgage crisis not unlike the one that preceded the Great Recession, data shows that the U.S. economy is not yet ready for a “back to the future” scenario, writes RSM Senior Real Estate Analyst and Partner Troy Merkel. … READ MORE >