Daily News 8-19-2026

The Phoenix multifamily market recorded its strongest first half of demand on record in 2026. Net absorption, a key demand metric that measures the change in occupied stock, totaled 13,300 units in the opening two quarters of 2026, surpassing the previous first-half high of 9,500 units set in 2021 and marking a 68% increase from the first half of 2025. The acceleration came amid an ongoing drawdown of new supply additions and may signal a point of inflection for Phoenix’s apartment…»

For net lease investors, the latest fast-food earnings reports offer a reminder that a familiar brand name is not, by itself, a complete credit story. McDonald’s disappointing value-menu performance, a 7% same-store sales decline at Wendy’s and a 7.5% U.S. same-store sales decline at Wingstop suggest that discounts are not consistently bringing lower-income consumers back to restaurants. That matters to owners and buyers of QSR real estate because sustained traffic and restaurant…»

Square One Concepts, the Scottsdale-based company behind Valley favorite restaurants such as Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers, Bourbon & Bones Chophouse and Nook Kitchen, is in expansion mode with two locations of a new Italian steakhouse concept under construction. The new restaurant is called Bistecca & Bones and will be the Italian chophouse sister concept to Bourbon & Bones. Bistecca & Bones will feature several Italian dishes beyond just steaks including pasta and seafood. It…»

Porta Via, a family-owned Southern California restaurant group known for its seasonal California cuisine and neighborhood-focused dining experience, announced plans to open its first restaurant outside California in early 2027 at Scottsdale Fashion Square. The Scottsdale restaurant will be the fifth Porta Via location, joining restaurants in Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Pacific Palisades and Palm Desert. Founded as a four-table neighborhood bistro and deli on Canon Drive in Beverly…»

U.S. housing starts are falling as economic uncertainty continues to weigh on multifamily and single-family homebuilding. Seasonally adjusted groundbreakings totaled a 1.239 million annual pace in July, down 12.4% from the revised June figure and 13.5% lower than July 2025, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. July’s multifamily starts totaled 421,000, a decline of 15.6% from June and of 7.1%…»