The Commerce Department reported that retail sales increased 0.4 percent in June – lower than the 0.8 percent predicted by economists, according to The New York Times. Some of the growth is attributed to an increase in auto sales and … Continue reading →
Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of a building’s total floor area (or a building’s total possible floor area) to the size of the lot upon which the structure is built. FAR limits are usually a part of local … Continue reading →
Banks are taking a more aggressive approach toward lending in the commercial real estate market and as a result, underwriting standards are eroding. According to Moody’s Investors Service, underwriting standards have gone from very good in 2010, to just O.K. … Continue reading →
A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is a company that owns and in some cases manages income producing commercial real estate. Unlike a public REIT, a non-traded REIT does not trade on a securities exchange and is therefore less liquid. … Continue reading →
Hines recently sold two Manhattan trophy buildings to separate buyers for a total of over $1 billion, according to Commercial Property Executive. J.P. Morgan Asset Management acquired the 31-story, 750,000sf office building at 425 Lexington. The building has been fully … Continue reading →
The Federal Advisory Council – a Federal Reserve advisory committee composed of 12 representatives of the banking industry – wants to see more federal oversight of Wal-Mart’s prepaid card services, according to Bloomberg. It wants the Fed to consider restricting … Continue reading →
Revenue from retail sales in Aspen was 8.2 percent higher in March 2013 compared with March 2012, according to Aspen Times. The increase is attributed to this year’s heavier snowfall. The numbers by sector (March 2013 vs. March 2013) are … Continue reading →
The Delaware legislature recently passed the “Commercial Real Estate Brokers’ Lien Act” which allows brokers to place a lien on commercial real estate that is the subject of a brokerage/commission agreement in order to collect unpaid commission. The Act requires … Continue reading →
Brookfield Property Partners is the most recent spin-off company from Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange as BPY, the new company’s portfolio includes 300 office and retail buildings, totaling over 250 million square Dosage The most recommended … Continue reading →
U.S. retail sales declined by 0.4 percent – the largest drop in nine months – according to data from the Department of Commerce, quoted in The Washington Post. Core sales (excluding autos, gas and building materials) dropped 0.2 percent in … Continue reading →