Industry News

Oct 06, 2020 12:30 PM

Retail, Office and Industrial Cap Rates at New Lows: Report

Cap rates in the single-tenant, net lease retail, office and industrial sectors reached record lows during the third quarter, down 19, 10 and 11 basis points, respectively, from the second quarter, real estate firm The Boulder Group reported Oct. 2 in its Q3 Net Lease Market Report. The drop is mainly due to the Fed’s announcement that interest rates will remain near zero at least through 2023.

Aug 05, 2020 12:30 PM

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Update Appraisal Guidance FAQ

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on July 29 released an updated FAQ document that provides temporary guidance to appraisers on several policy areas in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. The document updates guidance on the use of photos in reports for exterior-only appraisals and provides new guidance on UCC-1 financing statements and waivers for exterior-only or desktop appraisals.

Mar 18, 2020 12:30 PM

Appraisal Institute Seeks Guidance from Policy Makers

The Appraisal Institute announced March 18 that it is aggressively engaging all primary appraisal policy makers to help guide appraisers during the coronavirus pandemic. AI expects some guidance to be released as early as this week about exterior-only and/or desktop appraisals for loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Feb 06, 2020 12:30 PM

FHA Delays Launch of Electronic Appraisal Delivery System

The Federal Housing Administration announced Jan. 28 it is postponing changes to its Electronic Appraisal Delivery system Appraisal Logging Screen due to a lapse in appropriations. FHA also is delaying the Appraisal Case Transfer screen in FHA Connection and the start date for business-to-government appraisal logging and transfer connections to an undetermined future date.

Nov 20, 2019 12:30 PM

AQB Clarifies Sanctions Criteria, Reviews PAREA Guidelines

The Appraiser Qualifications Board at its Nov. 1 public meeting adopted the second exposure draft of proposed changes to the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria pertaining to supervisor qualifications. The changes clarify that sanctions levied against an appraiser over administrative matters do not prevent that individual from acting as a supervisory appraiser. The changes take effect Jan. 1.

Nov 06, 2019 12:30 PM

FHFA Scorecard for GSEs Sets Stage to Exit Conservatorship

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Oct. 28 released its annual scorecard outlining goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for the coming year, and this one emphasized the removal of the government-sponsored enterprises from conservatorship, HousingWire reported. The scorecard also addressed national housing finance matters and safe and sound business practices.

Sep 11, 2019 12:30 PM

White House Unveils Plan to End Fannie, Freddie Control

The Trump administration on Sept. 5 shared its plan for releasing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from more than 10 years of government control, including the creation of new competitors, Bloomberg reported. The plan involves cooperation from multiple federal agencies and calls for reforms that protect the government-sponsored enterprises from another housing crash.

Sep 11, 2019 12:30 PM

Housing Sector Slow, Commercial Sector Steady: Beige Book

Home sales through the end of August remained slow in most fed districts due to ongoing housing inventory shortages and flat new home construction, the Federal Reserve reported Sept. 4 in its newest Beige Book. On the commercial side, construction and sales activity held steady, and leasing increased slightly.

Sep 11, 2019 12:30 PM

Office Sector Shows Weakest CRE Growth Outlook Despite Strong Job Market: Report

The office market shows the weakest growth among commercial real estate sectors — despite strong job reports, according to real estate marketplace Ten-X, MBA NewsLink reported Sept. 5. The number of new office projects in the pipeline is expected to eclipse absorption and push vacancies up to 17.3% by the end of the year.

Sep 04, 2019 12:30 PM

Warning Sign for US CRE as Global Investors Selling: RCA

For the first time in seven years, global investors in U.S. office buildings and retail space sold more than they bought, according to a Real Capital Analytics...