Originally published by Rose Quint on March 25, 2021, for the National Association of Home Builders.

A recent NAHB study* found that COVID-19 has impacted the housing preferences of 25% of home buyers. More specifically, the survey asked about location preferences both prior to COVID-19 and now: did buyers’ preferred location change as a result of the pandemic? Results show that a segment of home buyers have in fact shifted their preference towards the outlying suburbs due to the health crisis.

Originally published by Patricia Kirk on March 22, 2021, for WelathManagement.com.

Soaring demand and constrained supply have caused industrial property values to rise for the past decade. But with the pandemic accelerating an increase in online sales, the industrial commercial property price index (CPPI) rose 8.8 percent over the previous year, with warehouse values surging 10 percent and flex industrial values rising 6.5 percent, according to a recent report from real estate date firm Real Capital Analytics (RCA). 

Originally published on March 25, 2021, by Angela Waugaman for Freddie Mac

MCLEAN, Va., March 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), showing that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.17 percent.

Originally published on March 18, 2021, by Lauren Thomas for CNBC.com.

For the first time in years, retailers across the country are planning to open more stores than they are closing.

Despite talk that businesses may move their offices from an urban location to a suburban one, or relocate to a state with more financial benefits, a new survey shows the shift may never happen as 67% of respondents to the Real Estate Market Sentiment Survey said they have no plans to pack up, the law firm Seyfarth reported March 15.

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Originally published on March 4, 2021 by Sanziana Bana for RentCafe.com. 

Vibrant Small Towns in America’s Heartland Are the Top Trending Locations for Gen Z

The downtown life in big coastal cities is so last decade. That’s according to the latest data that shows small towns in the heartland are newly trending for Gen Z renters. This is especially noteworthy because Zoomers were the fastest-growing active renter segment in the U.S. last year, and their locations of choice are just the opposite of their Millennial predecessors.

Originally published on March 9, 2021 by Chairwoman Waters and Ranking Member McHenry.

The Appraisal Institute on March 9 sent a letter to the House Committee on Financial Services expressing its support for the Real Estate Valuation Fairness and Improvement Act of 2021. The legislation would establish an interagency task force to analyze federal collateral underwriting standards and guidance and provide resources for promoting diversity in the valuation profession.

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Originally published by Michael Tucker on March 1, 2021.

U.S. commercial property prices grew again in January, sector analysts reported.

Originally published by Rich Miller on February 19, 2021, for Bloomberg.com.

The Federal Reserve warned of significant risks of business bankruptcies and steep drops in commercial real estate prices in a report published on Friday.

Originally published by Kate Duguid for Reuters.com on February 22, 2021. 

Rising sea levels and extreme weather could cause $20 billion of flood damage to at-risk U.S. homes this year, rising to $32 billion by 2051, according to research from New York-based flood research non-profit First Street Foundation published on Monday.

Originally published by Michael Tucker on February 23, 2021, for Newslink.com

The office market has seen less deterioration during the pandemic recession than it did during the Great Recession, but it’s not out of the woods yet, reported Moody’s Analytics REIS, New York.

Originally published on February 18, 2021, for the National Association of Home Builders.

Housing production softened in January as rising lumber prices continue to affect the housing industry. Overall housing starts decreased 6.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.58 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.

While housing starts ended the year on a strong note, rising lumber prices and increasing regulatory cost concerns could affect future production. Led by a solid, double-digit gain in single-family starts, overall housing starts increased 5.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.67 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The December reading of 1.67 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if development kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts increased 12.0 percent to a 1.34 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, decreased 13.6 percent to a 331,000 pace.

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By Michael Tucker

Cushman & Wakefield, Chicago, reported the recession that began in March is still being felt in the U.S. office market.

Leading diversified professional services and investment management firm Colliers International Group Inc. (NASDAQ and TSX: CIGI) reveals investors are largely optimistic about a market rebound in 2021, according to its new Global Capital Markets 2021 Investor Outlook. Colliers’ research anticipates a 50 per cent surge in investment activity in the second half of the year, pointing to a broad-based renewal of confidence in the property market as a result of recent vaccine developments and continued government stimulus.

“Based on our global analysis, which gives us a bird’s-eye view of investors’ interests and expected appetite, longer-term tailwinds in the property sector remain intact. With a massive volume of equity raised globally and the need for real assets, investors are eager to deploy pent-up capital and pursue opportunities during the year,” said Tony Horrell, Head of Capital Markets | Global at Colliers International. “We expect to see movement up the risk curve this year, with investors exploring all types of assets from senior care homes to public infrastructure projects.”

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Foreclosures were 57% lower in 2020 than in 2019, reaching a record low of 214,323 filings on residential properties — 0.16% of all housing units — due to the government moratorium, analytics firm ATTOM Data Solutions reported Jan. 14. The highest foreclosure rates were reported in Delaware, Illinois and New Jersey.

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Residential real estate activity remained strong in many fed districts even as home prices increased due to inventory shortages, but commercial activity still struggled amid weak conditions, according to the latest Beige Book released Jan. 13 by the Federal Reserve.

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Jan. 14 that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will extend their flexibilities pertaining to both property appraisals and employment verification through Feb 28. The flexibilities were initially put in place in March 2020 and extended throughout last year in an effort to facilitate liquidity in the mortgage marketplace during the coronavirus outbreak.

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