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The past week was very quiet; volatile as usual, but very quiet. There was little to report: some deals funded; some properties were turned over to their special services; some deals went under contract; some fell out of contract; and some closed.

The Commercial Mortgage Alert Trepp weekly survey of 15 active portfolio lenders narrowed significantly (17 basis points on average) with multifamily spreads breaking the 200 basis point barrier between sanity and complete madness. Less than 200 over the 10-year curve seems a little too low a spread to compensate for the risks associated with making a loan secured by an operating business. During the period, 10-year Treasury bond yields were flat, with average all-in cost equal to 4.66 percent.

The Commercial Mortgage Alert Trepp weekly survey of 15 active portfolio lenders came in slightly during the most recent survey period. During the period, 10-year Treasury bond yields were unchanged. There seems to be an all-in cost of 5.0% “glass ceiling” in place. For the survey period, average all-in cost equaled 5.02%, the “present” glass ceiling. Not much is expected to happen during the next two weeks so we’ll sit on the sidelines and wait for January’s allocation to re-fill lender’s coffers.

The Commercial Mortgage Alert Trepp weekly survey of 15 active portfolio lenders widened slightly during the most recent survey period. It’s year-end, and lender’s are starting to focus on next year’s allocations. If it’s a typical start, rates will be up slightly as lenders test the waters as to what spreads will work and what borrowers” will accept. We’ll see if the current glass ceiling of 5.0 percent holds or if it’s off to the races in 2011.

With the United Nations General Assembly, Pope Francis, and President Obama converging on New York City, booking a hotel room there has become next to impossible. Room prices have spiked—at least temporarily—throughout much of the city. Yet, it is at odds with a real estate investment trust (REIT) sector where total returns are down 16.41 percent year-to-date in 2015. Plus, interest rate survey results from Trepp.

In May, Barry Sternlicht capped investors’ ability to exit his $10 billion real estate fund—a strategic move to avoid a fire sale of properties at a less-than-ideal time. Sternlicht lowered the limit on monthly withdrawals from Starwood Real Estate Income Trust (SREIT). That limit, previously 2 percent, went to 0.33 percent of net asset value (NAV), the value of SREIT’s assets minus its debt.

The main artery of Charlotte’s east side, Independence Boulevard has for decades been proposed for conversion to a freeway. But uncertainty about the transportation project’s timeframe as well as its final design has resulted in a trend of disinvestment on the city’s east side. Read what an expert panel from the ULI Rose Center suggested during a January study visit to make this plan succeed.

In many U.S. cities, the pressure to attract and retain workers and create a better quality of life coupled with the declining use of waterways for industrial purposes has made riverfront revitalization a cost-effective redevelopment strategy.

Jacksonville’s One Spark Festival more than doubled the number of attendees from last year and is planning a sister festival in Europe this fall.

In the new China, demand for housing for seniors is real. The country’s rapid urbanization is affecting China’s centuries-old tradition of multigenerational living, says Harvard’s Nicolas P. Retsinas.