Fannie Mae releases October report on the economy
Fannie Mae’s report on the economy paints a generally positive picture of the economy but with a prediction of slowing growth ahead. Mixed bag for housing The report notes that multifamily (here defined as 2+ units...
Multifamily jobs markets diverge
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLT) report for August was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently. Its data on the parts of the job market of interest to the multifamily...
Fighting the good fight
Robots, AI, machines—whatever the latest buzzword for automation—will not take over the world. Far from it. Why? Because the sea, as significant as it is, is still below the rivers that supply it. Humans...
Apartments no longer trickling down
As the nation’s builders naturally navigate toward projects that financially pencil, large-scale luxury properties have continued to boom. In fact, 87 percent of the large-scale communities under construction this year inside high-demand, tech-driven cities...
Moderate rent growth
Rent growth remains moderate nationally, although significant variations were seen across different metro regions. This according to the Yardi Matrix Monthly Multifamily report for September. After the typical summer run-up in rents, the average rent nationwide...
Key construction material prices decline in September
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index report for September. It showed that overall prices for processed goods for intermediate demand were unchanged from August, the third month in a...
Rent control’s negative impacts
The Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics (FCREUE) at UC Berkeley issued a paper intended to lay out the case against re-introducing rent control in California. The report was written by the...
Census releases housing construction data for August, 2018
The Census Bureau released its monthly new residential construction report for August, 2018. The report shows declines in multifamily housing permits and completions but and uptick in multifamily housing starts. Fewer permits are issued Nationally, permits...
Report shows mixed multifamily jobs market
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLT) report for July was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently. Its data on the parts of the job market of interest to the multifamily...
Annoying the neighbors
A recent survey, commissioned by ImproveNet of 2,500 residents of 24 of the largest cities in America sought the answer to the question: what annoys you about your neighbors? Most annoying practices Survey participants were asked...
One argument for rent control
The Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley has issued a policy brief intended to lay out the case for re-introducing rent control in California. The report gives insight into...
Things that matter: words
The former pro wrestler, Tyrus, who is partly of African-American descent, tells a story from his high school days of being annoyed by a boy who wore a shirt with an image of the...
Key construction material prices decline in August
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its producer price index report for August. It showed that overall prices for processed goods for intermediate demand were unchanged from July, the second month in a...
Google Fiber
In 2010, Google rocked the $60 billion broadband industry by announcing plans to deploy fiber-based home internet service, offering connections up to a gigabit per second—100 times faster than average speeds at the time....
Proposition 10: It can get worse
Proposition 10 will be on California’s November’s ballot. Its passage would mean repealing the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Act, a state law that severely restricts rent control in California cities. The effect of rent control is...
