What I’m Reading Blurred Lines: States are facing off in a high-stakes legal battle over who is entitled to income taxes on remote workers when one is employed by a company in one state but resides in another. The results of this high-stakes legal battle will have a profound impact on...
December 22nd – Under the Tree
Quick programming note: I’m going to be taking a break from blogging the next week or so and won’t be posting every day. That being said, if something looks particular interesting, I’ll check in. This week’s big news is obviously the $900 billion rescue package that looks likely to be...
December 21st – Temporary Move?
What I’m Reading Temporary Solution: The number of renters seeking short term (less than 6 month) lease arrangements when moving to new cities is way up this year. This suggests that the move away from urban markets may be more temporary than thought. Apartment List Sweet Spot: Pent up demand, healthy...
December 18th – The Great Mirage
One Big Thing Jonathan Litt of hedge fund Land and Buildings is predicting that next year will see a bounce back in the performance of pandemic-impacted real estate but that it will ultimately prove to be a mirage as secular headwinds turn against these market segments (emphasis mine): The Vaccine...
December 17th – Flotation Aid
One Big Thing In the first week of December, the proportion of mortgage borrowers that sought forbearance rose to its highest level since August. Delinquencies are climbing as well, as some borrowers are either not eligible for forbearance or are still unaware that they may be eligible. NREI Reading the paragraph...
December 16th – Cracking the Code
Cracking the Code: Dr. Peter Linneman of Linneman Associates and Matt Larriva, vice president of research and data analytics at Chevy Chase, Md., property firm FCP, believe they have devised a methodology that accurately forecasts acquisition yields up to a year into the future. The model is based on the unemployment...
December 15th – Checked Out
What I’m Reading Checked Out: Buyers are spending more time than ever in their vacation homes. Mansion Global See Also: A new homes.com survey found that 45% of respondents would move if they could work remotely. Forbes Soaring: Home equity reached a record high in 2020 as American homeowners gained a whopping $1 trillion. Core Logic See...
December 14th – Unlocked
What I’m Reading Unlocked: Increased adoption of remote work has enabled high earners to move to lower tax states like never before. At some point high tax cities and states are going to have to acknowledge that the conditions that allowed them to increase rates – namely the requirement of proximity...
December 11th – Staying Power
What I’m Reading Staying Power: Office CMBS distress may last quite a bit longer than initially thought according to Trepp as revenues continue to decline while expenses rise. Globe Street See Also: As employers eagerly await the Covid-19 vaccines that promise to return staff to offices after months of working from home, new...
December 10th – Downdraft
What I’m Reading Downdraft: The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)’s Rent Payment Tracker found 75.4 percent of apartment households made a full or partial rent payment by December 6. While that is a whopping 780 basis point drop from 2019, it should be noted that December 5th and 6th both fell...