Deconstruct

The U.S. is short 6.5 million homes, Realtor.com estimates. The solution, argues Kurt Carlton, co-founder of investment platform New Western, are the 16 million houses that sit vacant. Deconstruct breaks down how small-time investors are fixing up empty properties to put supply back on the market.

In the pandemic, a wave of new residents flooded into Texas. No income tax, cheaper homes and plenty of good barbecue joints. Six of the 15 fastest growing cities in the country from July 2021 through July 2022 were in Texas, the only state with more than three on the list. That presented a massive opportunity for developers, with homebuilders such as Lennar developing entirely new cities on the outskirts of Austin, Houston and Dallas. But will a bust come after the boom? Deconstruct chats with The Real Deal reporter Joe Lovinger about where investors are starting to see signs of distress in Texas and how commercial and residential real estate players are grappling with a new interest rate reality.

Nearly four years after landlords challenged New York’s sweeping set of rent reforms, their suit has finally landed where they'd hoped: U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep. Deconstruct breaks down owners’ two-pronged approach to a rent law rollback and what drama could come from the rent guidelines board vote next month.

For many, the U.S. mall is an institution. But for others, as more brick-and-mortar stores face trouble, malls are an opportunity. More and more developers are looking at malls to redevelop them into apartment complexes, with restaurant and retail components. The Real Deal’s podcast Deconstruct chatted with Bill Shopoff of Shopoff Realty Investments, which is leading some of these conversions in California.

Credits: CBS New York

After approving another rate hike, The Federal Reserve left the door open for an interest rate pause when it meets next in June. Fannie Mae’s Chief Economist Douglas Duncan details how a trio of bank collapses helped drive that potential pause and what a mild recession means for the mortgage market.

In the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, First Republic, a prominent mortgage lender in San Francisco, lost billions in deposits. But what does that mean for lending and can the bank survive? The Real Deal's Isabella Farr looks at First Republic Bank's financial health and how some of its long-term mortgages are posing issues for the bank's balance sheet. Plus, Deconstruct chats about the New York state budget and New York Community Bank’s earnings.

Disclaimer: This story was recorded before the FDIC seized First Republic Bank and sold it to JPMorgan on Monday morning.

Credits: Yahoo! Finance, ABC News

Last November, Airbnb launched its tenant-friendly apartment venture, a product that allows renters to list units with their landlords’ consent. The firm pegs the service as a win-win that offers on-the-books income for tenants and perks for owners. Jesse Stein, Airbnb’s global head of real estate breaks down the product’s potential and which national landlords are already on board.

When Jacob Garlick, a relative unknown in the small world of New York real estate, secured the winning bid on the Flatiron building, he told NY1 the moment had been a “lifelong dream since he was 14 years old.” Two days later he flaked on the down payment. The Real Deal's Deconstruct chats with senior reporter Keith Larsen on the man behind the botched buy and why Garlick is still gunning for the building.

Credits: NY1

The launch of ChatGPT last year presented an existential problem for residential brokerage: Would the new tech transform into a beloved virtual assistant or the type of threat that could undermine their role in real estate?

We all know the story: wealthy buyers flocked to pour money into homes in South Florida. But is the demand still there, given rising interest rates? The Real Deal's Deconstruct chats with TRD's residential bureau chief Katherine Kallergis about how the market has softened, but some are plowing ahead with exorbitant buys. Plus, Deconstruct chats about the Flatiron building, Chicago's upcoming election, Blackstone's multifamily loans and First Republic's balance sheet.

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Credits: CBS News