700MW Data Center Could Be Built at Port of Dunkirk, Northern France
The Dunkirk Port Authority has opened a 21‑hectare brownfield site for a potential AI‑focused data center, offering developers a power connection ranging from 400 MW to 700 MW. Power will be supplied by RTE from the nearby Flanders Maritimes substation, with a transformer substation to be built by the winning bidder. The project is classified as high‑priority by France’s Energy Regulatory Commission, aiming for power availability within three to four years. Expressions of interest must be submitted by 15 May 2026.
Fed’s Miran Backs Four Rate Cuts
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran urged a faster easing path, calling for four quarter‑point rate cuts in 2026 to support the labor market. He argued inflation is largely contained and that the Fed should act sooner rather than later. Miran...
Kroger Traffic Rises as Trips Grow Shorter in Q4 2025 – Placer.ai Blog
Kroger reported a 2.3% year‑over‑year rise in overall store traffic and a 2.8% increase in visits per venue for Q4 2025, signaling continued grocery demand resilience. At the same time, average dwell time slipped, indicating shoppers are making more frequent, mission‑driven...
Denver Has a New Neighbor: Kiel Murphy Wins the Great American Home Search
Redfin announced that Kiel Murphy from El Mirage, Arizona, won the Great American Home Search, a nationwide scavenger hunt linked to its Super Bowl commercial, by locating a $1 million Denver home in just 19 seconds. More than a quarter‑million participants used...
Home Improvement Loan Applications Moderate as Borrower Profile Gradually Ages
Home‑improvement loan applications peaked at 1.49 million in 2022 and have moderated to 1.20 million in 2024, remaining above pre‑pandemic levels. The borrower age profile is gradually aging, with the 65‑74 and 75+ cohorts expanding modestly. Meanwhile, the 45‑54 group stays the...
REIT Investor & Author Jussi Askola on Sector’s Advantages Versus Private Real Estate
Jussi Askola, president of Leonberg and author of *The REIT Advantage*, argued on the REIT Report podcast that real‑estate investment trusts generally outperform private real‑estate holdings. He cited higher returns, superior liquidity, broader diversification, economies of scale and access to...
Federated Hermes Secures Dual Lettings at Fareham Reach Business Park
Federated Hermes secured dual lettings totalling 34,000 sq ft at Fareham Reach Business Park in Gosport, Hampshire. Healthcare logistics firm Life Couriers UK added 27,231 sq ft, bringing its total footprint to 55,076 sq ft and consolidating its headquarters. The Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner renewed...
Affordability Pyramid Shows Over Half of U.S. Households Cannot Buy a $300,000 Home
The National Association of Home Builders' 2026 Priced‑Out Analysis reveals that 52 % of U.S. households—about 70 million—cannot afford a $300,000 home, while the median new‑home price is expected to reach $410,000. The affordability pyramid shows 47.5 million households limited to homes under...
How Downtown Sacramento Is Rebuilding Demand Through Social Collisions – Placer.ai Blog
Sacramento’s downtown is rebuilding demand by engineering “social collisions” through a surge in programming, festivals, and policy tweaks. The city leverages its farm‑to‑fork identity, major sports events and over 200 annual gatherings to attract out‑of‑market visitors and extend dwell times....
PKF Francis Clark Expands Office Space at RO Real Estate’s Bristol Development
PKF Francis Clark is moving into 12,960 sq ft of office space on the second and third floors of RO Real Estate’s 90 Victoria Street development in Bristol, vacating its ground‑floor suite by end‑March. RO Real Estate will refurbish the ground floor...
Court Slashes $6.85bn Judgment in California Apartment Partnership War
The California Court of Appeal trimmed a $6.85 billion judgment stemming from a family‑run apartment partnership dispute. The Jogani brothers’ oral agreement created a de‑facto partnership that the jury found liable for breach of contract, fiduciary duty and fraud, awarding Shashi...
Court Voids Texas Lien After Servicer's Nine-Year Foreclosure Delay
A federal appeals court ruled that a Texas home‑equity lien that remained unforeclosed for more than four years is void, not merely unenforceable. Houston Prime's $500,000 loan, defaulted in 2014, was sold to Community Loan Servicing, which only initiated foreclosure...
Shellpoint Hit with RESPA Suit After Servicing Transfer Sparks Foreclosure
Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing allegedly failed to carry over a borrower’s successor‑in‑interest information during a March 2022 servicing transfer, creating an artificial default that led to foreclosure. The servicer admitted the boarding error in writing yet continued to assess fees and pursue...
Invesco Launches a CIT With Private Real Estate Exposure
Invesco has launched the Invesco Core Plus Real Estate Trust, a collective investment trust (CIT) that blends core‑plus private real estate managed by Invesco Real Estate with passive U.S. REIT holdings, offering daily liquidity for defined contribution (DC) plans. The...
Hong Kong Banks’ Collateral Asset Valuations to Continue Declining in 2026: S&P
S&P Global Ratings warns that collateral values backing Hong Kong banks' commercial property loans will keep declining through 2026, reflecting a market that has yet to find a bottom. The Bank of East Asia disclosed a HK$723 million valuation loss in...
Momentum Builds in Athletic Apparel & Sporting Goods: DICK’s, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Lululemon – Placer.ai Blog
Foot traffic data and Q3 earnings show DICK’s, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Lululemon each leaning on distinct growth levers in 2026. DICK’s maintains stable visits while integrating Foot Locker and rolling out experiential House of Sport and Field House concepts. Academy...
Fairfax Times the Cycle with a Bet on a Manager Intent on Scaling Its Credit Business
Fairfax Financial is timing the market cycle by investing in Kennedy Wilson’s credit platform as the real‑estate firm prepares for privatization. Kennedy Wilson has steadily expanded its real‑estate debt capabilities while maintaining a global equity presence. The move reflects Fairfax’s...
Pressure Mounts for Mandatory Disclosure of Home Energy Efficiency Ratings
The Royal Automobile Association is urging South Australia to require energy‑efficiency ratings on every home at sale or lease. Around 70% of the state’s housing stock predates the 2003 minimum standards, leaving the average Australian home at a meagre 1.7‑star...
Independent Agencies See OpenRent as a ‘Major Threat’
Independent UK estate agencies with fewer than five branches view DIY platforms such as OpenRent as a major threat, with one‑third flagging heightened risk. Larger firms, by contrast, largely dismiss these services, seeing little danger to their market share. The...
Google Cloud to Develop AI Planning Decisions Tool
The UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has awarded Google Cloud a £6.9 million contract to build an AI‑powered planning decisions tool. The system will initially focus on householder developments, which account for 69 % of applications, with a target...
Setting up Shop with Brotherwolf
Brotherwolf has opened a flagship studio on Clarendon Street in South Melbourne, converting a 19th‑century bank into a 100‑square‑metre grooming and fashion hub. The new space reflects a decade of learning, shifting from instinctive expansion to deliberate design that blends...
Estate Agents See DIY Disruptors as a Threat
Research from Alto shows 34% of UK estate agents consider DIY property platforms a threat, with smaller agencies feeling the pressure most acutely. Among sole traders, 37% view services like OpenRent and FSBO as a major risk, while larger firms...
Hilton Grand Vacations Inc (HGV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Hilton Grand Vacations reported fourth‑quarter 2020 revenue of $233 million, a 5% sequential increase, and adjusted EBITDA of $35 million (excluding a $3 million CARES Act credit). The company posted a net loss of $143 million, driven by a $209 million non‑cash land impairment. Contract...
Hudson Pacific Properties Inc (HPP) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Hudson Pacific Properties reported a transformative 2025, completing roughly $330 million of strategic asset sales and over $2 billion of capital transactions that doubled its liquidity to $934 million. The REIT reduced net debt by 22%, improved its debt‑to‑book ratio to 31.9%, and...
Compass Inc (COMP) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Compass reported a 25.9% year‑over‑year revenue increase in Q4 2024 and generated $16.7 million of adjusted EBITDA, rising to $20.9 million when excluding Christie's acquisition costs. The broker added 669 principal agents in the quarter, boosting its net principal agent count by...
MidCap Financial Investment Corp (MFIC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
MidCap Financial Investment Corp reported Q4 2025 GAAP net income of $54.3 million ($0.42 per share) and distributable earnings of $27.8 million ($0.27 per share). The REIT acquired $1.9 billion of loans and securities, expanding its Agency MBS portfolio by over 50% and...
Eagle Point Income Company Inc (EIC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Eagle Point Income Company reported Q3 2025 results, with NAV increasing to $14.21 per share and recurring cash flows covering distributions. Net investment income after losses was $0.26 per share, while the board reduced the monthly distribution to $0.11 amid...
Nexpoint Real Estate Finance Inc (NREF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
NexPoint Residential Trust reported a Q4 2025 net loss of $10.3 million ($0.41 per share), an improvement from the $26.9 million loss a year earlier, while total revenue slipped to $62.1 million and NOI fell 4.7% to $37.1 million. The REIT repurchased 223,000 shares...
Why Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Are Surging in a Falling-Rate Market
Adjustable‑rate mortgages (ARMs) have surged to about 21% of U.S. mortgage originations, the highest share in three years, even as rates fall. In high‑cost states such as California, ARMs account for over 31% of loans, driven by a widening affordability...
American Healthcare REIT Inc (AHR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
American Healthcare REIT reported normalized FFO of $1.61 per share and 4.8% same‑store NOI growth for 2025, beating guidance. The company leased 5.8 million square feet, improved tenant retention, and cut G&A expenses to $45 million. Debt‑to‑EBITDA fell to 5.4x after $900 million...
Rocket Companies Inc (RKT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Rocket Companies forecast adjusted Q4 2025 revenue of roughly $2.1 billion, driven by the recent Redfin and Mr. Cooper acquisitions. Operating expenses are expected to rise to about $2 billion, reflecting integration costs and severance. The Redfin deal now fuels 13% of...
Frontdoor Inc (FTDR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Frontdoor reported Q3 2025 revenue of $618 million, a 14% year‑over‑year increase driven by volume growth and higher pricing. Adjusted EBITDA rose 18% to $195 million, with gross margin expanding to 57% and free cash flow conversion improving to 60%....
CubeSmart (CUBE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
CubeSmart reported fourth‑quarter 2025 FFO of $0.65 per share, with same‑store revenue slipping 1% and occupancy easing to 89.9%. Move‑in rates rose 2.5% year‑over‑year, marking the first positive growth since Q1 2022, while churn held steady at 4‑5% monthly. The REIT...
Waseem Limbada Consultant, Airbnb: From Athlete to CEO
Former state champion athlete Waseem Limbada turned down a professional basketball contract to pursue finance and entrepreneurship. He now leads consulting firms and a rapidly growing Airbnb portfolio, having scaled 100 short‑term‑rental properties in under three years and helped launch...
¿Hablas Español? How a Lack of Spanish-Speaking Loan Originators Hurts Hispanic Borrowers
Mortgage brokers are confronting a growing language gap as Hispanic homebuyers surge. Industry veteran Ashlin Endter notes that 70 % of new buyers will be Hispanic, yet less than 1 % of loan officers are Hispanic and 38 % cannot find a Spanish‑speaking...
QuikTrip Opens 1,200th Store
QuikTrip celebrated the opening of its 1,200th store at 6459 Jonesboro Road in Morrow, Georgia, marking the retailer’s 181st location in the state. The new outlet features QT Kitchens, an expanded coffee menu, and creates roughly 24 local jobs with...
Sustainable Mobility and Real Estate: Opportunities for Creating Lasting Development Value
The Urban Land Institute’s new report highlights sustainable mobility as a core driver of real‑estate value, showing how transit‑oriented development and mobility amenities can lift asset performance and resilience. Case studies such as Miami’s Underline illustrate how integrating bike lanes,...
What It Takes to Be Middle Class in America – 2026 Study
SmartAsset’s 2026 study applies a Pew‑based definition—two‑thirds to twice the median household income—to rank every U.S. state and the nation’s 100 largest cities by their middle‑class income bounds. The analysis shows the highest upper‑class threshold in Massachusetts ($209,656) and the...
Trump’s Plan To Lower Home Prices for Buyers and Raise Them for Sellers Draws Skepticism: ‘He Must Be a Magician’
President Trump argued that lower mortgage rates will simultaneously make homes cheaper for buyers and preserve homeowner wealth, a claim that has drawn sharp criticism from housing economists. Current 30‑year rates hover around 6%, far above the 2.65% level needed...
MI Volumes Jump 12%, Competitive Pressure Builds
Private mortgage insurers collectively wrote 12% more new insurance in 2025, driven by a sharp rate‑cut‑induced surge in fourth‑quarter originations. While MGIC remained the top writer for the sixth straight quarter, the sector’s share continues to slip to the FHA...
Onity Group Adds a Former Truist Executive to C-Suite
Onity Group announced the appointment of Aulene Wessel, a former executive vice president at Truist, as its new chief accounting officer. Wessel replaces Francois Grunenwald, who will exit after a transition period. Her résumé includes senior roles at SoFi, Silicon...
The Typical First-Time Homebuyer Is 35 Years Old
Redfin reports the median age of first‑time homebuyers fell to 35 in 2025, down from 36 the year before and from a 2018 peak of 38. Repeat buyers now have a median age of 47, a drop from the 52‑year...
$4B Sherman Chip Fab Starts Production
GlobalWafers has launched Phase II production at its Sherman, Texas silicon‑wafer fab, a $4 billion expansion that brings total regional investment to $7.5 billion. The 12‑inch wafer line will supply Texas Instruments, TSMC and other partners producing chips for Apple. The project receives...
Tool Retailer ITS to Set up Shop at Dagenham Logistics Hub
Trade tool retailer ITS has signed an eight‑year lease for a 17,700 sq ft unit at Padrock’s Dagenham Logistics Hub, slated to open in April as London’s largest tool superstore. The hub comprises 14 industrial units ranging from 6,550 sq ft to 34,825 sq ft, all...
Cold Storage Market Working Off Oversupply
Lineage reported flat Q4 revenue of $1.34 billion and a modest $6 million net profit as the cold‑storage market works through a 10% oversupply. New refrigerated space expanded 14.5% from 2021‑2025, while demand rose only 5%, creating a capacity gap that is...
US Mortgage Rates Reach Lowest Since 2022, Spurs Refinancing
U.S. mortgage rates slipped last week to roughly 6.5%, the lowest level recorded since 2022, igniting a wave of refinancing activity. The decline aligns with the Federal Reserve’s recent pause on interest‑rate hikes and softer inflation readings that have eased...
Jimmy John’s Opens First Saskatoon Location
Jimmy John’s opened its first Saskatchewan restaurant in Saskatoon on February 24, marking the brand’s entry into the province and extending its Canadian footprint. The location at 120‑225 Payne Bend offered the first 100 guests a free 6‑inch sandwich and drink,...
Data Center Supplier Eyeing FW for $80M Plant
Stellar Energy, a data‑center cooling equipment maker, is planning a 1.1‑million‑square‑foot plant in Fort Worth’s AllianceTexas development, with a total investment of roughly $80 million. The project includes $34 million in property improvements and $45.5 million in equipment, and could break ground this...
Columbus Planning $500M Affordable Housing Bond
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther unveiled a $500 million affordable‑housing bond framework dividing funds into four buckets: $150 million for new construction and preservation, $125 million for transitional shelters, homeowner upgrades and supportive housing, $175 million for land acquisition linked to transit‑oriented and mixed‑use development,...
Planet Fitness Plots Course For Almost 200 New Locations In 2026
Planet Fitness announced plans to open between 180 and 190 new clubs in 2026, mirroring its 2025 expansion of 181 locations. The chain ended 2025 with 2,896 clubs worldwide and expects most of the 2026 openings to occur in the...