Displaying items by tag: real estate

CrowdStreet Advisors, the in-house investment manager for the real estate investing platform CrowdStreet, recently announced plans to accelerate the development of private commercial real estate solutions for financial advisors. CrowdStreet Advisors provides access to private commercial real estate investments that had previously only been available to institutional investors. As of September 30th, the firm had $431 million in assets under management across separately managed accounts and more than 25 private funds. CrowdStreet REIT I (C-REIT), the firm's flagship fund, was recently launched and offers financial advisors a low-cost entry point for clients interested in private commercial real estate projects focused on growth and capital appreciation. C-REIT, which has so far raised $37 million, is available on custody platforms such as Fidelity, Schwab, Pershing, TD Ameritrade, and 17 self-directed IRA custodians. The accelerated expansion of these solutions is due to an increased need for client portfolio diversification and inflation protection.

Finsum: Due to increased demand for portfolio diversification, CrowdStreet Advisors is accelerating the development of private real estate solutions for financial advisors and their clients.

The pandemic affected the economy in a variety of different ways, but combinations of unemployment and work from strategies caused a mass exodus from major American cities and New York has been no exception. However, UBS Group AG says that is about to change. They are recommending investments into REITs, e-commerce ETFs, and fintech/smart mobility in order to be a part of the comeback. A combination of higher vaccination rates and more tolerance for state and local governments to avoid shutdowns will help spur New York's comeback. They particularly cite Manhattan’s REITs for having a fruitful future.

FINSUM: More jobs than ever have moved fully remote and it's questionable whether the city lifestyle will be as appealing if it's not necessarily a requirement.

House prices are at all-time highs, and since a small slump at the start of the pandemic have really seen rapid growth but are they in a bubble? Long story short, probably not, because a few key metrics are keeping them elevated. Federal Gov assistance programs have diminished the foreclosure numbers. Added to that the trillions poured into countless QE and MBS purchases have made mortgage rates be at near all-time lows. Finally, there appear to be real shortfalls in different housing markets, and the pandemics work from anywhere policies are having strong growth in places like Boise, Austin, and Orlando. All of these factors come together to say that there is a relatively low risk of a housing bubble but to keep your eyes peeled.

Finsum: The Case Shiller home price index is at an all-time high but more importantly growing at an all-time rate, this is getting close to bubble territory but it is lacking the speculative component.

The active ETF market is full of bonds as nearly 2/3rds of all active funds are in fixed income. Everyone is searching for a beta advantage in this market, and real estate could be the play. Index tracking fixed income isn’t cutting it because of the low yield environment, and treasuries taking up too much space. Investors are shortening the duration to mitigate the interest rate risks as inflation is baring down as well. Funds like DigitalBridge Fundamental US Real Estate, are managed fixed-income products that give exposure to fixed-income and REITs. Most investors hold bond funds for precaution but real estate does a better job of providing uncorrelated returns. DBRIX just hit a three-year anniversary in a growing market segment.

FINSUM: Shortening duration has been a no brainer for those with bond exposure but adding some real estate to the fixed income could really distinguish an active FI opportunity.

Everyone and their dog is searching for viable alternatives because omicron has the stock market skittish and there’s absolutely no yield in bond markets. This has many investors turning to REITs, but how do you find the outperformers. There are six key metrics to look out for: a high fund from operations, total cash from operations growth, high liquidity ratios, accelerated dividend growth rates, a good-sized market cap, and finally price gain. These are the most important factors when evaluating REITs. Some of the best examples in these leading categories are Prologis, Essential Properties, Innovative Industrial Properties, and Life Storage Inc.

FINSUM: Alternatives could have their most promising year yet with all the outflows from the bond market coming in.