What I'm Reading Help Wanted: Booming demand for warehouse space, bolstered by the record 423.7 million square feet of industrial property under completion this quarter, could lead to significant labor shortages in the near term. A new report from Newmark estimates that more than 280,000 additional warehouse workers will be...
August 3rd – Packing Heat
What I'm Reading Packing Heat: The packaging industry is growing as soaring ecommerce adoption has led to higher demand for boxes. As a result, demand is increasing for industrial space used to produce and distribute packaging. Fast Company Waiting Game: Home builders are intentionally restricting the sale of new homes...
July 30th – Hitting the Brakes
What I'm Reading Hitting the Brakes: The CDC has reversed course on indoor masking, saying that vaccinated Americans should once again wear masks indoors. The announcement complicates return-to-office plans for many companies at a time the Delta variant is already forcing some of them to push back their start dates....
July 29th -Open Field
What I'm Reading Open Field: Startups in smaller MSAs are facing competition from large Silicon Valley competitors when it comes to hiring employees: Some of the biggest names in tech aren’t just allowing existing workers to relocate out of the Bay Area, they are also starting to hire in places...
July 28th – Sitting it Out
What I'm Reading Sitting it Out: Foreign purchases of U.S. residential real estate were down 27% in the year ended in March, a new low since the end of the Great Recession. As insane as the housing market has been, the boom has taken place with little foreign interest compared...
July 27th – Mismatch
What I'm Reading Mismatch: Most of the US is simultaneously experiencing a severe housing shortage and an office glut. Conventional wisdom suggests that vacant office buildings could be converted to residential uses. However, the bureaucratic processes are difficult, the conversions are typically too costly and office floorplates don't translate well...
July 26th – Front Row
What I'm Reading Front Row: As boat sales continue to soar and manufacturer backlogs grow, waterfront homes with private docks are becoming even more valuable. In other related news, its a great time to own boat storage facilities and non-seasonal marinas. Wall Street Journal Sweet Spot: NMHC's July Apartment Market...
July 23rd – Drying Out
What I'm Reading Drying Out: The western mega-drought is forcing cities with water shortages to issue building moratoriums. Ironically, many of the areas hardest hit by the the drought are also experiencing the largest housing and population booms. The forced shutdown of development will force even more people into the...
July 21st – Legal Remedy
What I'm Reading Roll the Dice: Escalating material prices have made it challenging for contractors and manufacturers to bid on jobs, with owners sometime finding themselves paying out of pocket to cover overruns. Wall Street Journal Opt Out: Some workers are beginning to look for legal remedies that allow them...
July 20th – Diverted
What I'm Reading Diverted: Money is pouring into real estate funds but investor strategies are different in the past. Historically, downtown office towers were prime targets for institutions, as the size of the assets allows them to deploy hundreds of millions of dollars at once. But now, the long-term stability...