Construction materials prices continue to surge
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index report for May 2022. It stated that construction materials prices were up 1.1 percent in the month, seasonally adjusted. The index was 18.2...
Emergency Rental Assistance funds going out – slowly
A report by the U.S. Department of the Treasury states that, as of the end of July, approximately 24 percent of the $25 billion in emergency rental assistance funds allocated under the Consolidated Appropriations...
California rent control – round 3?
A new rent control initiative, titled the Justice for Renters Act, has been cleared by the California Attorney General to begin the process of collecting enough signatures to qualify it for the ballot.
Update May...
Construction materials prices higher in January
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index report for January 2021. It showed that the BLS price index of materials and components for construction was up 1.5 percent from December,...
Fannie Mae forecasts a downturn in 2023
Fannie Mae’s April economic and housing forecasts anticipate that rising interest rates will cause the U.S. economy to contract in the second half of 2023. While this is expected to reduce the number of...
Multifamily housing construction starts plunge in May
The Census Bureau’s new residential construction report for May showed softening in multifamily permit issuance and a drop in unit starts. Unit completions rose during the month but still trailed unit starts resulting in...
Fannie Mae updates 2021 and 2022 forecasts
Fannie Mae recently revised its economic outlook for 2021. The new forecast predicts significantly higher growth over the next two years than their last forecast from only one month ago. The economists at Fannie...
California rent control – round 3 is on
The California Secretary of State’s (CASoS) office announced that the rent control initiative called the Justice for Renters Act has qualified for the November 2024 election ballot. California voters will have their third opportunity...
Construction materials price rises spread in February
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index report for February 2021. It showed that the BLS price index of materials and components for construction was up 1.4 percent in the...
Construction materials prices higher again in April
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index report for April 2021. It showed that construction materials prices were up 2.1 percent in the month, seasonally adjusted. The construction materials price...
GSEs increase share of multifamily mortgage debt again in Q4 2020
A Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) report on multifamily and other commercial mortgage debt shows that the GSEs accounted for 96 percent of the increase in multifamily mortgage debt outstanding in Q4.
Unlike the MBA report...
Construction materials price decline continues
The January producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated that construction materials prices fell 0.2 percent in the month, seasonally adjusted, the fifth monthly decline in a row....
HUD announces $180+ million in COVID-19 funding for multifamily owners
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Multifamily Housing Programs announced that it is opening a new application period for owners of Multifamily properties participating in assisted housing programs to...
Forecasts say higher inflation is coming
A pair of forecasts, one from Fannie Mae and one from the Federal Reserve anticipate that a period of significantly higher inflation than had been predicted in earlier forecasts may be on the way.
Fannie...
Construction materials price rises pause in September
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index (PPI) report for September 2021. It showed that construction components and materials prices were down 0.2 percent in the month, seasonally adjusted. However,...
