Multifamily scores ballot winners and losers
The USA is preparing to swear in President-elect Donald J. Trump as its 47th president, or what some housing experts call the return of the nation’s builder-in-chief. Housing was a major focus...
Redfin survey suggests a majority of Americans favor rent control
A recent survey commissioned by Redfin exposes a stark misconception among Americans about rent control. Although economists are in almost total agreement that rent control drives up rent rates over time and...
7 Strategies for retaining multi-gen employees
It’s deceptively simple, but practices emphasizing flexibility, respect, adaptability, and communication are the key to success. As most leaders know (though I’ve met my share who don’t agree), a one-size-fits-all strategy simply doesn’t work with...
RE shake up
The National Association of Realtors’ landmark settlement is changing the way homes are bought and sold. Now, another industry dispute threatens to shake up how homes are listed for sale. A rule implemented in 2020...
DOJ sues RealPage for housing inflation government caused
President Biden, Vice-President Harris and their Department of Justice have come out strongly against RealPage for their algorithm designed to help landlords better understand current market conditions in setting their rents. They claim it enables...
Lawsuits coming as courts question federal agencies
You might have seen the headlines: “Supreme Court Just Defeated Big Government" (Fox News), “Guts Agency Power” (Axios), “Imperils an Array of Federal Rules” (New York Times). In August 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a...
Why corporate America is retreating from social activism
In January, Axios reported a developing trend in corporate America: corporations across the United States were backing away from DEI, which had become a “minefield” for companies. Following a multi-year boom in the Diversity, Equity,...
Paying the fox to watch the chickens: The war on private housing
Despite the rise in homelessness, the federal government continues to raise the barrier to creating shelter for those without permanent housing. Infusing bad actors with HUD money is another layer. In September the Biden admin....
RealPage reconfigures revenue management products after San Francisco bans rent-setting software
RealPage has reconfigured its revenue management products after San Francisco bans rent-setting software in a direct attack on the Richardson, Texas-based company. RealPage announced Thursday that it is offering its revenue management software...
The price of disorder
I was once pitched a deal in the heart of the Amazon—Manaus, Brazil. What was I buying? Firstly, a commercial asset. But I couldn’t shake my concern around governance. The sanctity of a contract...
New game post-Chevron
For decades, the judicial doctrine called “Chevron deference” dominated American administrative law. In the aftermath of Chevron’s demise in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, however, a new legal debate is brewing over an 80-year-old judicial precedent:...
“Sitting empty:” Vast expanse of federal land eyed for new housing
The White House and the Republican National Committee agree on one thing at least: The sale of surplus federal land could help alleviate a crushing shortage of affordable housing. Proposals to sell federal land to...
Why Johnny can’t build
We were once a nation of builders—from the toll roads and canals of the early nineteenth century and the railroads of the second half of that busy century, to the construction of power, energy,...
Major U.S. Supreme Court decisions coming down the track MAJOR UPDATE
June 28, 2024 Update: The Supreme Court in an unprecedented victory for multifamily and other businesses, has today reversed its 40-year-old decision in Chevron v. Natural Resource Defense Council. This law governed how courts...
The incredible disappearing Starwood CRE investor
The $10 billion fund from Starwood Capital Group has been trying to preserve its available cash and credit by limiting investor redemptions. In the first quarter, the fund was hit with $1.3 billion in...