Commercial Real Estate & Business News 5-15-2025

Both commercial real estate investment and lending activity were up significantly in Q1, according to a new CBRE report. CRE investment volume was up 14% year-over-year to reach $88 billion in the first three months of 2025. Trailing four-quarter volume was up by 18% year-over-year to $408 billion. That’s the largest amount since the third quarter of 2023. As one might expect with a large jump in investment, there was also a big increase in lending…»

The U.S. inflation rate hit a 40-year high after the pandemic but has since cooled significantly due to factors like the Federal Reserve rate hikes. The year-over-year inflation rate sits at 2.3% as of April 2025, lowest rate recorded since February 2021, but is still above the target rate of 2%. Various factors, such as the war in Ukraine and labor shortages, drive this higher than average inflation. Despite the country not meeting its target yet, the Federal…»

Construction crews are busy transforming hundreds of acres of North Scottsdale desert land. An update on a few of the biggest North Scottsdale projects: Optima: On Scottsdale Road just south of the Loop 101, Optima McDowell Mountain Village is well under way. The first of six planned apartment buildings – all to have rooftop pools – has been framed. Ultimately, the project plans 1,330 apartments and 36,000 square feet of commercial area…»

The long-delayed opening of what’s slated to be Arizona’s largest hotel project could face more setbacks, pending the results of a special election this month. Glendale residents have a May 20 deadline to vote by mail on two measures related to the massive VAI Resort project. Propositions 401 asks Glendale voters whether to uphold a decision made by City Council to rezone 10 VAI-owned acres adjacent to the resort that are slated to be…»

Optima, an internationally acclaimed architecture and real estate development firm, announced today the launch of sales for the first luxury condominium tower at Optima McDowell Mountain—a $1 billion, design-forward community in North Scottsdale that has already secured close to $27 million in early reservations ahead of its public release. Optima McDowell Mountain represents the latest evolution of architectural design, sustainability…»