Urbanexus Update - Issue #61
Please scroll down for the weekly compilation of analysis, reporting and opinion about real estate and community development. Some links may lead to material that is behind a paywall.
Real estate investment
REITs with the fastest-growing payouts — seekingalpha.com
One of the best ways to screen for the top-performing REITs is to consider the list of the top dividend growers. These 10 REITs have solid dividends.
Residential
Housing permits and housing starts
Housing permits don’t always equal housing starts. Say you want to build a house… You’ll need to plan for financing and contractor schedules, among other things. But first and foremost, you must apply for and be granted a building permit before you can start to build.
Three "C" firms, Century, Clayton and Cornerstone, top the 2019 Builder Magazine list of homebuilders ranked by production volume.
Three residential construction disruptions
Here’s a look at three of the most disruptive trends builders face today, and how to confront these challenges with a data-driven approach.
Affordable housing crisis: Why are U.S. cities struggling? Market forces, policy decisions, and demographic changes have converged, making it more difficult to increase affordable housing for renters and buyers in U.S. cities.
Washington State and housing affordability The 2019 legislative session had successes and disappointments, and sets the stage for more state-level action on housing next year.
Environment and resiliency
Optimism about addressing climate change
Enviro-pessimists have always failed to consider that past beneficial trends and subsequent progress were achieved, not in spite of the growing human numbers and their increased use of fossil fuels, but precisely because of them. Unlike other animal species, among humans more people are not merely more mouths to feed, but also more arms to work and more brains to solve problems.
Property values sink with climate change factors
Coastal properties have long been in high demand. Sites that offered a view of the ocean and the rhythmic sound of the waves most often carried a premium price tag. But, now, that premium is threatened by rising tides. Asaf Bernstein, assistant professor of finance at the University of Colorado at Boulder, did a study that showed that homes exposed to sea level rise sell for approximately 7% less than similar properties.