For the better part of the past decade, investors have flocked to senior living, which was 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 ... READ MORE >
Troy Merkel
What investors must know about opportunity zones before 2022 and beyond
There isn’t much time left for real estate investors to take advantage of one of the biggest perks of opportunity zones. Opportunity zones—a program started under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017—are economically distressed areas where the government hoped to create jobs and increase spending through ... 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. The primary driver ... 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. In addition to a rise in demand for single-family housing, ... 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 ... 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 ... 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, a disproportionate amount of loans taken under a new SBA lending relief program and a downturn in demand. Many states have shut down all ... READ MORE >
Betting that size matters: Macy’s closures on trend in retail
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 ... 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 ... 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 ... READ MORE >