Freddie Mac to Integrate Small Balance Loans Into Conventional Platform
Since 2015, Freddie Mac Multifamily has financed over 17,000 loans totaling over $47 billion as part of its Small Balance Loan (SBL) program. While the government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) plans to remain active in the small loan space, it is making changes so the program isn’t siloed. Freddie Mac will combine its SBL program with its conventional product in mid-April with the SBL system retiring at the end of the month for any new loans to make for a seamless transition. “We…»
U.S. Office Leasing Has Its Best Quarter in Nearly Eight Years
U.S. office leasing in 2026 has exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to preliminary first-quarter data from CoStar Group. Office tenants signed new leases for an estimated 120 million square feet in Q1 2026, the highest quarterly total since mid-2018. This represented a 25% increase year-over-year, CoStar said Thursday. It was also the first time this decade that quarterly volume exceeded its average from 2015-2019. “While the quarterly figure signifies…»
ASU starts construction of $200M health HQ in downtown Phoenix; plus more Valley real estate deals
Arizona State University is set to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for the new ASU Health headquarters in downtown Phoenix on April 9. The 175,000-square-foot structure on the Phoenix BioScience Core campus at 620 N. Fifth St. will house the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, as well as the School of Technology for Public Health and programs in ASU’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the College of Health Solutions. General contractor for the…»
Consumer goods prices slightly decline in March after brief uptick
In good news for shoppers, a bump in the cost of consumer goods reversed course in March 2026. Prices for everyday household purchases decreased 0.02% in March 2026 following a 0.19% increase in February and a 0.33% decrease in January. The monthly Numerator Consumer Goods Price Index (CGPI) also indicates that prices for everyday goods are up 2% compared to March 2025.A similar trend is expected for the comparable categories covered in…»
Spring housing market accelerates despite mortgage rate spike
The housing market sprang forward in March, even as rising mortgage rates began to chip away at earlier affordability gains, according to the Zillow® March Market Report. Newly pending listings rose 4.6% from a year earlier to record the second-largest monthly total since the end of the pandemic boom in August 2022, a positive signal as home shopping season opens. Mortgage rates climbed from 5.98% at the end of February to 6.38% in late March, according to…»