Deconstruct

Traded has emerged as a very popular site for brokers, developers and industry professionals to see what has recently, for lack of a better word, traded, and as a way to advertise their own deals. But, who is behind the mysterious account? For this month’s issue of The Real Deal, Joe Lovinger, a reporter at The Real Deal, set on a mission to find out. Deconstruct chats with Joe about Traded and how he did a lot of digging to find out who was behind this account.

Over two years into the pandemic, office towers across the U.S. are still struggling with high vacancy rates. Among the nation’s largest metros, one central business district has emerged as a venerable ghost town — downtown Chicago. Deconstruct chats with TRD reporter Sam Lounsberry about how the Chicago office market has fared. CREDIT: ABC7, WGN News, CBS Chicago

Last week, Blackstone announced it was buying American Campus Communities for $13 billion. And it's not the only firm getting into student housing. As colleges and enrollment numbers have grown and admission rates have dropped, investment firms and developers have started investing in and building more and more apartments around college campuses. But when did the asset class become so institutionalized, and why? Deconstruct talks to Justin Gronlie, Harrison Street's head of education real estate, CBRE's Jaclyn Fitts and Core Spaces COO Chad Matesi. Credits: Yahoo! Finance and CNBC.

If you’re a New York renter, chances are if you haven’t been hit with a rent hike yet, you’re bracing for one. But those colossal jumps don't necessarily mean the market has hit it’s peak. TRD's Deconstruct looks at how rents in New York have come soaring back and how experts think more rent rises are to come. You'll hear from Jonathan Miller, the CEO of appraisal firm Miller Samuel, David Kazemi of Bond New York, Devin Someck, the co-founder of Living New York and Stan Broekhoven of Keller Williams.

In the market for a mansion in Connecticut with a potato shed? How about a Friends-themed two-bedroom home? On social media page Zillow Gone Wild, Samir Mezrahi posts the craziest, wackiest and most outlandish homes found on Zillow. TRD's Deconstruct chats with Mezrahi about how the page has grown over the last two years and some of the wildest homes he's seen. Credits: NBC's "Saturday Night Live," Zillow sketch from Feb. 2021.

Demand for short-term rentals has soared during the pandemic. Companies like June Homes, Blueground and Landing carved out their own niches in the Airbnb-dominated market as renters looked for flexible living during work-from-home periods. Deconstruct's Suzannah Cavanaugh looks at whether these growing rental firms will see continued demand, as companies finalize plans for employees to return to the office. You'll hear from Jamie Lane, vice president of research at AirDNA, and Daniel Mishin, the founder and CEO of June Homes.

Home flippers in California are taking advantage of high housing prices and demand for turnkey homes. But, they could face a 25 percent tax on properties under a proposed state bill. TRD's Deconstruct looks at how it may become more difficult to flip homes and whether it's still a profitable investment opportunity. You'll hear from Page Turner, a broker and home flipper on HGTV's new "Fix My Flip," Tami Pardee, the CEO of Venice-based brokerage Pardee Properties, and Eric Sussman, an adjunct professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Credits: HGTV, Fox 5 San Diego

At the turn of the 21st century, something in New York City shifted. The city’s real estate started to change and suddenly, you had billion-dollar developments and $200 million penthouse sales. In TRD's new book, The New Kings of New York, Adam Piore tracks the biggest players behind New York City's ascent to becoming a global hub for luxury real estate and development — from Kent Swig to Harry Macklowe to Stephen Ross. Deconstruct sat down with Piore to chat about the book. The New Kings of New York is available for pre-order on Amazon now.

The Fed is expected to approve a quarter of a percentage point hike on rates, a raise that will make borrowing more expensive for homebuyers and commercial investors. And now the inflation caused by the war in Ukraine has introduced another variable to the lending puzzle. So what should borrowers expect? You'll hear from Martha Olney, a teaching professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, Melissa Cohn, a regional vice president of mortgage for William Raveis Mortgage and Mark Fogel, the CEO and president of ACRES Capital. Attribution: CNBC, "Here's how Fed Chair Powell sees the March Fed meeting."

Bankers and Wall Street employees have racked up incredible bonuses throughout the pandemic, as profits and compensation packages have soared to their highest level in a decade. Deconstruct looks at how financial workers are spending their newfound cash on real estate. You'll hear from Stan Ponte, a senior global real estate advisor and associate broker with Sotheby's International Realty, and TRD reporter Joe Lovinger.