Today's Real Estate Pulse
Berkshire Hathaway to Acquire U.S. Homebuilder in $6.8B Deal
Berkshire Hathaway, now led by CEO Greg Abel, announced a $6.8 billion acquisition of a U.S. homebuilder, marking the conglomerate’s first major entry into residential construction. The purchase is intended to add stable, long‑term cash flow from the housing sector to Berkshire’s portfolio.
Also developing:
Talking Local Law 97 with DOB Head Ahmed Tigani
New York’s Local Law 97, which caps greenhouse‑gas emissions for buildings over 25,000 sq ft, saw a 91% compliance rate in its first phase that began in 2024. The Department of Buildings, led by Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, is now reaching out to the remaining non‑reporting owners and preparing for phase two, which will involve tighter limits and new financing incentives. The city is also expanding tools like the HPD term‑sheet packages and an offset program to help owners fund retrofits. While penalties of $268 per excess ton are on the books, officials stress compliance over enforcement.
The Evolution of Entertainment-Driven Retail Spaces in 2026
In 2026 retail centers have shifted from pure transaction hubs to experience‑focused destinations, blending shopping with gaming, live events, and dining. Operators rely on digital ecosystems such as Winbeatz to synchronize online engagement with on‑site activities, extending dwell time and...
Video: May 8, 2026, Economic and Housing Market Update
Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale reported that April’s jobs report added 115,000 positions, keeping unemployment at 4.3% and average hourly earnings up 3.6%. Mortgage rates rose to 6.37% this week, driven by inflation worries and renewed Middle East tensions, though...
Down Payment for Investment Property: How Much and Requirements
Investment property purchases typically require larger down payments than primary homes, with lenders often demanding 15%‑25% of the purchase price. Single‑unit rentals may qualify with as little as 15%, but 20% or more is common to secure better rates and...
Joseph Fingerman, Signature Bank's Former CRE Head, Is Growing A New Lending Force
Joseph Fingerman, former head of Signature Bank’s commercial‑real‑estate (CRE) unit, joined Peapack Private in March 2025 to spearhead its aggressive CRE expansion. Within his first year he is on track to originate $750 million in loans, driving the bank’s quarterly CRE...
IPA Arranges First 50-Unit-Plus Encino Multifamily Sale Since 2017
Institutional Property Advisors arranged the sale of Park Encino, a 52‑unit apartment complex in Los Angeles’ Encino neighborhood, for $28 million ($538,462 per unit). The deal marks the first institutional‑sized multifamily transaction of 50 plus units in Encino since 2017. IPA also secured...
Regulation, Not Airbnb, Drives Western Housing Shortages
"The housing crisis in the United States (and in France, and everywhere in the West) has a single cause, perfectly documented by 60 years of economic literature: the shortage of supply, created by public regulation." This is 100% accurate. In fact,...
Edgewater’s Bryn Mawr Avenue Block Nears Chicago Landmark Designation
The City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development will ask the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to approve a preliminary designation for the Bryn Mawr Avenue Landmark District, covering three blocks and 15 historic buildings. The move would add city‑level...
Equity‑Rich Home Rate Falls to 43.3% in Q1 2026, Underwater Homes Rise to 3.2%
ATTOM released its first‑quarter 2026 Home Equity & Underwater Report, finding equity‑rich mortgaged homes fell to 43.3% of the market, the lowest level since late 2021. At the same time, seriously underwater properties rose to 3.2%, up from 3.0% a...
Davis Secures $5.5 Million Seed Funding to Launch AI‑Driven Real‑Estate Design Platform
Davis, a London‑based PropTech startup, closed a $5.5 million seed round led by Heartcore Capital and Balderton. The funding will accelerate the rollout of Gaudi‑1, its proprietary AI model that generates regulatory‑compliant architectural designs in days instead of months. Investors cite...
Indianapolis-Based Ambrose Executes 190K Square Feet of Industrial Leases in Several States
Indianapolis‑based developer Ambrose announced three new industrial leases covering more than 190,000 sq ft across Denver, Cincinnati and Orlando. Sky Café secured 16,640 sq ft at Denver’s Ascent Commerce Center, OSH Cut took 69,659 sq ft in Cincinnati Logistics Park‑Airport West, and a confidential Fortune 500 tech subsidiary leased...
The Second-Home Tax Is Spreading—Is Your Vacation Property Next?
Governor Kathy Hochul’s budget deal adds a controversial pied‑à‑terre tax on New York City second homes, joining a wave of similar levies in at least eight states. The tax targets non‑primary residences valued over $1 million and is projected to raise $500 million...
QuikTrip Expanding Chicago Footprint with Three New Locations
QuikTrip Corp., the Tulsa‑based gasoline and convenience‑store chain, opened a 7,300‑square‑foot Remote Travel Center in Minooka, Illinois, marking its latest move in the Chicagoland market. The company also announced two additional sites—a 5,300‑square‑foot store in Bridgeview and a 7,300‑square‑foot location...
An Industrial-Size Data Center Is Moving in Next to the Appalachian Trail
A 700‑acre hyperscale data center, dubbed PAX‑1, is under construction in Middlesex, Pennsylvania, just 0.3 mi from the Appalachian Trail. The project will encompass 18 buildings and up to 5 million square feet, representing a $15 billion investment. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and...
LP Digest #87
LP Digest #87, the free weekly newsletter for limited‑partner investors, is sponsored by Fondu, which promotes video‑production services for general partners. The issue curates several Twitter threads that highlight real‑estate rent dynamics, development activity, and market volatility, reminding LPs to...
Woodfield Delivers 360-Unit San Marcos Apartments
Woodfield Development has completed Strait & Nelson, a 360‑unit apartment community in San Marcos, Texas, positioned midway between Austin and San Antonio. The complex offers one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom units ranging from 719 to 1,387 sq ft, with one‑bedroom rents starting around $1,300 per...
Prime Data Centers Breaks Ground on Second Sacramento Facility
Prime Data Centers has broken ground on SMF02, a 150,000‑square‑foot data center in Sacramento that will provide 18 megawatts of critical IT load. The new facility expands the company’s existing SMF01 campus, reinforcing its presence in California’s growing tech corridor. SMF02...
Pharma Company Planning $280M Denton Plant
Novartis broke ground on a new 46,000‑square‑foot manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, investing roughly $280 million. The plant will specialize in producing radioligand therapy drugs, a targeted radiation treatment for advanced cancers. Scheduled to open in 2028, it will be Novartis’s...
Geelong Buyers Snap up Smaller Lots as Affordability Pressure Bites
Geelong’s land market is accelerating as buyers gravitate toward smaller, more affordable parcels. Colliers data shows an average of 606 lot sales per month in the first quarter of 2026, driven by rebates of up to $16,500 USD on titled lots...
Inside Architect Robert A.M. Stern’s Multimillion-Dollar New York City Apartment
Renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern’s personal residence at The Chatham, a 34‑story Lenox Hill tower he designed, is now on the market for $4.5 million. The 1,700‑square‑foot, sixth‑floor condo boasts 11‑foot ceilings, French windows, custom millwork, and an 88‑square‑foot private terrace....
Law Firm Gallet Dreyer & Berkey Inks 14K SF at BGO’s 685 Third Avenue
Gallet Dreyer & Berkey has signed a twelve‑year lease for a full floor of 14,000 square feet on the 28th floor of 685 Third Avenue in Midtown East. The lease, brokered by CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield, adds to BGO’s...
Runyon Group Notches Hamptons Retail Sale Record
Runyon Group and River Oaks Properties purchased two Water Mill retail complexes for $39 million, establishing the most expensive retail sale in Hamptons history. The combined 50,000 sq ft of space accounts for 84 percent of the hamlet’s gross leasing area, giving the buyers...
Approved Data Center Plans Have Neighbors on High Alert
Atlanta’s planning department approved a 400,000‑square‑foot data center at 1611 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard in Blandtown just weeks before the city council enacted a ban on new data centers within the Beltline Overlay District. The project, submitted by New York‑based developer...
Fortnum & Mason Launches Biscuitorium, a New Immersive Space Range
Fortnum & Mason unveiled the Biscuitorium, a 200 sqm immersive biscuit destination on the mezzanine of its Piccadilly flagship, opening on 14 May 2026. The space features an interactive Biscuit Library with 12 flavor profiles, a Made in Piccadilly counter showcasing handcrafted sandwich biscuits,...
Gary Barnett Buys Park Avenue Dev Site for $500M
Gary Barnett's Extell Development closed on a Midtown Manhattan assemblage at 405‑417 Park Avenue for $500 million, adding $20 million of air rights from the nearby Central Synagogue. The combined blockfront between East 54th and East 55th streets can accommodate roughly 527,000 sq ft...
Market Discounts High Oil, Hot Jobs; Rates Stay Firm
It has become obvious now that the market is looking through both high oil prices and the recent hot jobs reports. They're both seen as temporary and the broader view is labor gets worse and oil comes down. That's why mortgage rates...
Developers File Application for $1.6bn Data Center in Cleveland, Ohio
Lakeland Equity Group, a private‑credit firm, filed a permit for a $1.6 billion, 150‑megawatt data‑center campus on a 35‑acre site in Cleveland. The project would comprise three two‑story buildings covering roughly 300,000 sq ft and employ closed‑loop cooling to eliminate emissions and truck...
Higher Rates Hit Mortgage Apps, But Only Modestly
Mortgage applications slipped 4.4% week over week as the 30‑year fixed rate rose to 6.45%, the highest in a month. Both purchase and refinance activity declined, with the Refinance Index down 5% but still 29% above a year ago. The...
Arizona-Based MLS Rebrands; MARIS Touts ‘Incredible’ Demand
Arizona‑based WARDEX rebranded as Momentum MLS on its 20th anniversary, serving roughly 1,100 broker‑subscriber members. The new name signals a commitment to technology, data analytics, and training tools aimed at helping agents grow their businesses. Meanwhile, Mid‑America Regional Information Systems...
Di Nalli Construction Pushes Bespoke Luxury Housing in Los Angeles
Founder Farbod Phil Rezvani’s Di Nalli Construction unveiled a portfolio of 220 luxury apartment units across five active projects in Los Angeles, championing a fully integrated, custom‑built approach that rejects volume‑driven development. The strategy highlights a growing consumer appetite for...
Short Sales Surge 1,000% but only 30 More
There has been a 1,000% increase in short sales in the Sacramento region since 2022. Yes, we are seeing an increase, but let's be careful about percentages when dealing with small numbers. What that means is there were 3 in...
Housing Market Tracker Shows Inventory Near Negative YoY
It was another positive week for the housing market tracker, with inventory on the verge of going negative year over year. More updates on this will be provided over the weekend.
Cushman & Wakefield Posts Record $2.5B Q1 Revenue on AI‑Driven Lease Surge
Cushman & Wakefield announced a record first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $2.5 billion, a 9% rise from a year earlier, driven by a 17% jump in AI‑linked leasing activity. The surge underscores how artificial‑intelligence tools are reshaping demand for office and industrial...
LA Institutional Apathy Boosts SoCal Apartment Demand
Camden found a buyer for its SoCal apartment portfolio (most of which is Orange County or San Diego), and industry gossip is it's at aggressive price. More broadly: It seems the growing institutional disinterest in L.A. is driving increased interest in...
Real South Philadelphia Project Confirmed with Visual Proof
In case it wasn't clear ... this is a REAL project in South Philadelphia https://t.co/zOt3tE1fu9 https://t.co/K9dWSRlKNl
Bright Power Unveils AI Platform for Energy Compliance in Commercial Real Estate
Bright Power announced the launch of an AI‑powered platform that automates energy‑code compliance and carbon‑forecasting for commercial real‑estate owners. The tool aims to streamline ESG reporting and reduce operational risk as regulators tighten energy‑efficiency standards. The rollout comes amid heightened...
Even Iconic Skyscrapers Pay Massive Land Rent
The Chrysler Building pays $32.5M / year to rent the land beneath it. There's a lesson here I think. https://t.co/IY1LC0BiHT
Apartment REITs Reveal Merger Rumors and Rent Rebound
The apartment REITs wrapped up earnings calls, and just wrote up 8 takeaways -- the rumored merger, renter financial health, the potential rent rebound, market conditions across the country, stock buybacks, new regulatory risks, etc. https://t.co/I7IyydGpMM
Hurricane Season 2026 Looms as Insurers Brace for Flood Claims Amid Texas Legislative Gaps
AccuWeather predicts 11‑16 named storms and up to four major hurricanes for the 2026 Atlantic season, prompting insurers to urge policy reviews. In Texas, decades of rejected flood‑safety bills have left 650,000 structures exposed, driving the state’s flood‑insurance payouts to...
UK House Prices Slip 0.1% in April, Pressuring London Real‑Estate Stocks
Halifax data showed UK house prices fell 0.1% in April, marking a second consecutive monthly decline and underscoring concerns over inflation and interest‑rate outlooks. The modest drop, slower than March’s 0.5% fall, is expected to weigh on real‑estate equities on...
Bob’s Q1 Growth Defies Wider Sector Trends
Bob’s Discount Furniture reported an 8.5% rise in first‑quarter revenue to $578 million, helped by five new store openings and 1.2% comparable‑store growth. Net income, however, plunged 81% to $2.5 million as SG&A rose 9% and a $2 million advisory termination fee was...
Take in the Wild American West From This Linda Taalman House, Now on the Market
A desert‑modernist, off‑grid home designed by Linda Taalman in Lone Pine, California, has been listed for $1.65 million. The eight‑year project, half of which was built by hand, sits between the Eastern Sierra and Death Valley, offering panoramic mountain views and...
Keystone National Lends $46M for Arizona Industrial Campus
Silver Creek Development secured a $46 million construction take‑out loan from Keystone National for its newly built Sossaman Business Campus in Mesa, Arizona. The 330,492‑square‑foot, eight‑building site targets technology tenants in semiconductor, aerospace and defense sectors. Arrow Real Estate Advisors negotiated...
Stockland Files to Develop 250MW Data Center Campus in Melbourne, Australia
Australian property giant Stockland has applied for a planning permit to build a 250 MW data‑center campus on a 20,000 sqm former warehouse site at 72‑76 Cherry Lane in Laverton, Melbourne. The land was bought from Toll Transport in 2025 for AU$35.5 million...
5 Areas of Your Home to Renovate Before Retiring
Most U.S. seniors prefer to stay in their own homes, but many older houses lack age‑friendly features. Experts recommend focusing renovations on high‑impact areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, flooring, and overall layout before mobility declines. Affordable upgrades like grab...
Wyndham to Launch Vienna House and Dolce Branded Residences in Ras Al Khaimah: Exclusive
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is launching two new branded‑residence brands—Vienna House and Dolce—on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. The projects, developed by Sugee Group and BNW Developments, aim at the mid‑market segment that the company says has been overlooked in the...
'So Excited And So Terrified': Sternlicht Sees Opportunity Despite Earnings Miss
Starwood Property Trust announced a $4 billion investment push for 2026 while reporting first‑quarter revenue of $512 million and net income of $52 million, down sharply from $97 million a quarter earlier. The REIT’s earnings miss reflects losses in its property and corporate segments...
Inside Salt Lake City’s Gateway District
At NAIOP’s National Forums Symposium in Salt Lake City, participants toured the Gateway District, a former retail center now transformed into a mixed‑use, experience‑driven destination. The 1‑million‑square‑foot area now blends retail, dining, office, residential and hospitality, anchored by the adaptive‑reuse...
How to Unlock Building Value with Strategic Decarbonization
The article outlines how commercial property owners can boost asset value by embedding strategic decarbonization into capital‑planning cycles. LEED‑certified buildings now command 3‑4% higher rents and deliver roughly 5% better total returns, while tenant surveys show 70% will penalize non‑sustainable...
480-Acre Master-Planned Community Gets Grocer: The D.C. Deal Sheet
Developer Walton Global announced Sprouts Farmers Market will anchor Westphalia Town Center, a 480‑acre master‑planned community in Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County. The grocery will occupy roughly 23,000 SF within a 140,000 SF retail hub slated to open in the second half...