on Consolidation in the real estate investment trust (REIT) industry has become more prevalent in recent years, a trend that is likely to continue. There are a variety of factors contributing to the accelerated consolidation of firms in the industry – from favorable current economic conditions that are generating increased economies of scale to optimization opportunities… Continue Reading REIT Sector Likely to See More Consolidation
on Photo Credit: Neil Moralee via Compfight Governmental sources of funding are often contentious or controversial in real estate projects, but perhaps none is more politically charged than EB-5 financing. Named after the United States Customs and Immigration program which provides, “employment based” pathways for foreign citizens to gain green cards and, eventually, full citizenship, the… Continue Reading EB-5 Financing Once Again Faces an Uncertain Future
on Summer Internship Recap Who: Dustin Dunham – Baker Program Class of 2019 Where: Mercer Street Partners, New York, NY Position: Summer Associate – Acquisitions and Asset Management My 10-week summer internship at Mercer Street Partners was a transformative experience that accelerated my career growth. Mercer Street Partners (MSP) is a quickly growing value-add private equity… Continue Reading 2018 Summer Internships: Dustin Dunham, Mercer Street Partners (4 Min)
on In 2017, Congress established a new community development program known as Opportunity Zones in order to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities nationwide. The Opportunity Zones program provides a tax incentive for investors to re-invest their unrealized capital gains into Opportunity Funds that are dedicated to investing into Opportunity Zones designated by… Continue Reading What Are Opportunity Zones and How Can Investors Utilize Them?
on Inside the Gulf – Part 4 – This series of articles will explore several major projects taking place in the Persian Gulf countries. While much of the news coming out of Qatar over the last few years has been its recent battle with its neighbors in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who established… Continue Reading Qatar Looks to Take Lead in US Real Estate Investments by Gulf Wealth Funds (6 mins)
on How trends in the U.S. Agriculture industry can affect farm related real estate. Similar to periods before deleveraging and bust periods in agricultural environments, today’s low interest rates and high farm land values are encouraging farmers to incur significant amounts of debt while national net farm income continues to decrease, and U.S. interest rates continue… Continue Reading Are Farmland Values Ripe For A New Season? (7 mins)
on The contractual elements of real estate transactions can be complex and cumbersome. In order to protect their respective positions and overcome the barrier of lack of trust, parties to a transaction are forced to utilize intermediaries such as lawyers and escrow accounts. Smart contracts are blockchain-based tools that have the potential to transform the process… Continue Reading Smart Contracts: Changing the Way We Do Deals (6 min)
on Beginning December 15th, 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) issued in February 2016 will go into effect, requiring organizations that lease assets to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The ASU will take effect for public companies for… Continue Reading How FASB’s New Guidance on Lease Accounting Will Affect Co-Working Companies (4 mins)
on The Strategy Of Real Estate Economic Development The fourth in a series of articles on how changes in port infrastructure and development can impact industrial real estate. The previous article addressed inland ports’ impact on industrial real estate. To read the previous article in this series, Inland Possibilities, please click here. U.S. agriculture is a good… Continue Reading The State Of Economic Development (7 mins)
on How the future of real estate in Cuba hinges on Cuba’s next elections. Take a break and imagine feeling a warm breeze rush over you as you hear a horn of a cruise ship through a rustling of palm leaves. You are handed a refreshing beverage and newspaper as you gaze onto the Caribbean. Surrounded… Continue Reading The Cuban Transition (6 mins)