December 9th – Balancing Act

One Big Thing California’s eviction moratorium is scheduled to expire in early February.  A new assembly bill is seeking to extend it through the end of 2021. Concurrently another assembly bill is attempting to establish a framework for dispersing rental relief. (h/t Steve Sims) Connect Media  Two comments here:  While I’m...

December 7th – Behind the Curve

What I’m Reading Behind the Curve: As expected, eCommerce orders surged to previously unseen levels this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  It got to the point that UPS put limits on pickups at several large retailers in an effort to not overwhelm their systems, despite knowing that this was coming.  Wall Street...

December 4th – Strings Attached

What I’m Reading Strings Attached: CMBS borrowers that were granted initial forbearance in Q2 2020 are requesting another round of debt relief from servicers.  However, even if granted this relief is likely to come with more stringent parameters such as additional equity contributions and personal recourse.  Those who refuse or don’t...

November 18th – Back in Line

First, Some Corporate News: RanchHarbor closed on our second deal since launching.  This one is a sale-leaseback industrial portfolio in San Diego that was purchased in a joint venture with Stos Partners.  Really excited to get another one in the books that will provide a solid yield for our investors. ...

November 16th – Such a Tangled Web

What I’m Reading Tangled Web: As malls continue to struggle, their financing structures – which have only grown more complex over time – are making restructuring particularly challenging.   This is perhaps the biggest downside of using CMBS, especially when layered with other forms of financing.  When you borrow from a bank...

November 13th – Pile Up

What I’m Reading Pile Up: Corporate tenants put a record 42 million square feet of space on the office market in the second and third quarters, according to data firm CoStar Group Inc. That increased the total sublease space in the U.S. to roughly 157 million square feet, or 1.7% of...

November 10th – Shot in the Arm

One Big Thing Like me, most of you probably woke up yesterday morning to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine news from the AP: Pfizer Inc. said Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine may be a remarkable 90% effective, based on early and incomplete test results that nevertheless brought a big burst of optimism...

November 9th – Thou Dost Protest Too Much

One Big Thing Its no secret that office landlords – especially those in expensive coastal markets – are struggling.  Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) is one of the worst positioned for the post-pandemic world with the vast majority of its holdings in NYC.  Vornado’s recent earnings sucked – and missed already-low...

October 6th – Ridin’ High

What I’m Reading Ridin’ High: While the general election may still not be officially settled, one clear winner has emerged: recreational marijuana.  Ballot measures passed in New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana to legalize the adult use and sale of recreational cannabis, while Mississippi and South Dakota (in a separate...

November 2nd – Lifeline

What I’m Reading One Big Thing: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how ESG trends are likely to provide a growing headwind for the office market in the coming years.  Today, I’m going to focus on a different segment of the real estate market that I’ve followed closely for years: housing....