Commercial Real Estate Finance

Posts Tagged ‘Dodd-Frank Act’

Mensch:

Noun, informal. A decent, upright, mature and responsible person.

Schlemiel:

Noun, slang. An awkward, clumsy, or unlucky person whose endeavors tend to fail; a loser.

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Mensch of the Week:

Robert Rubin

Co-chair, Council on Foreign Relations & Former U.S. Treasury Secretary

Earlier this month, Robert Rubin spoke to CNBC about a comment made by Sandy Weill, his former colleague at Citigroup (NYSE: C). Mr. Weill said, in essence, that it would be wise for the U.S. government to split up financial institutions that are “too big to fail.”

Any matter that involves public and private interaction tends to be complex, not to mention controversial. Though many have railed against the “cozy” relationship between government and commercial entities, the interdependence of these two groups doesn’t always mean one side understands the other. Maybe the economic and regulatory problems highlighted by the Great Recession are just as much a product of this lack of understanding as they are of government/Wall Street cronyism?

Luckily, there are people like Robert Rubin, who have a depth of experience on both sides of the public/private divide. Mr. Rubin spent years as an executive with Goldman Sachs and later Citigroup, but also served as the Treasury Secretary during the Clinton years. Such a resume affords him a unique insight into the complex world of financial regulation. Read the rest of this entry »

The New York Times recently discussed some regulation changes coming out of the SEC. The revisions, mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, seek to protect investors from the dangers of high-yield, high-risk investments. The regulations are being redesigned to provide more information for potential investors–a positive outcome, it seems–but the rules will also curtail who is “accredited” (deemed competent enough to make such risky investments).

As the New York Times article points out,

…it has broader implications. Should the United States government be deciding what people can do with their money? And how do you define who is wealthy enough — and smart enough — to invest in these offerings?

Private placements, exclusive investment opportunities not offered to the general public, are a significant part of the economy–and a major reason the world of investment and finance can’t be simplified to a few numbers from the stock market. The SEC’s way of “accrediting” investors for private placements consists of measuring investors’ income and net worth. If a person makes over $200k per year, they’re deemed competent for such private, high-risk investment.

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Commercial Real Estate Week in Review for the Week of July 16th to July 22nd

- REITs Are Ripe for the Picking

- Wall Street is Shocked by REIT Performance

- Singapore’s K-REIT is Set to Acquire Stake in Australian Property

- RioCan Teams Up With Dunhill Partners to Buy Arlington Shopping Center

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Commercial Real Estate Week in Review for the week of July 2nd to July 8th

- The Dodd-Frank Act Could Put a Snag in Plans for U.S. Capital Rules

- Ascendas Group Considers New REIT

- British REITs Are Attracting Investors

- Camden Property Trust Acquires Texas Apartment Portfolio $261 Million

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Commercial Real Estate Week in Review for the Week of June 4th to June 10th

- REITs Are the Light at the End of the Economic Tunnel.

- It’s Quality vs. Quanity With Glimcher Realty Trust (NYSE:GRT).

- REIT Investors May Need a Reality Check.

- General Growth Properties (NYSE:GGP) Refinances Five Retail Centers.

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Commercial Real Estate Week in Review for the week of May 7th to May 13th.

- Regulatory Expenses Increase for Banks as Dodd-Frank Act Pulls Through.

- Are REITs the Chameleons of the Stock Market?

- Australian REITs Look to Sell $3.1 Billion in American Office and Retail Real Estate.

- Companies Shift From Shaving Real Estate to “Growing Smart.”

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Commercial Real Estate Week in Review for the week of March 19th to March 25th

- AEW Europe and Tristan Capital Partners Acquire Three Shopping Centers for $236.5 Million.

- Equity Capital Management Remains Private, Ruling out REIT IPO.

- Government Cutbacks Include Office Space.

- PwC Reports Slow Confidence Growth in CRE Market.

- Publicly Traded REITS Make Up 47% of Hospitality Acquisitions. Read the rest of this entry »

Sam Zell, Chairman of Equity Investments, Discusses How Low Commercial Realty Supply is Stabilizing the US CRE Market

William Walker, Walker & Dunlop Real Estate Financial Services, Asks to Reform Fannie and Freddie

Commercial Real Estate Week in Review for the week of February 26th to March 4th

- An Influx in REIT Share Sales Supports Debt market While Lowering Borrowing Costs.

- 3 Multi-Billion Dollar REIT Deals Finalized This Week Acting on The First Signs of Market Recovery.

- Will Commercial Real Estate Purchases Double in 2011?

- After investing $200 Million in Shopping Centers in 2010, Weingarten Realty Slows Down Investing for 2011 Read the rest of this entry »

Commercial Real Estate Week in Review For the Week of  February 12th to February 18th

- Strategic Hotels Recapitalizes by Restructuring with Blackstone.

- Greater Gains in REIT Stocks Attracts Investors

- Will the First Yuan Denominated Equity Product be a REIT?

- Banks Are At Risk for Credit Rating Cuts.

- What does the New Housing Market Reform Mean for Multifamily Home Owners?

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