General Motors just had its best year for vehicle sales since 2019. The automaker reported that it sold 2.6 million vehicles in 2023 — good for a 14.1% increase over 2022.
Single Family Home Rentals
During the third quarter of 2023, big landlords that own anywhere from 100 to more than 1,000 housing units purchased just 1% of all the homes sold in the U.S. This is down from roughly 3% throughout 2022. America’s rental market remains dominated by mom-and-pop landlords, who buy nearly one-in-five of all the U.S. family homes that come up for sale.
Apartment Rent
Rents for new leases rose more than 20% during two years spanning 2021 and 2022. That growth moderated last year as rents either barely rose or slightly declined with real-estate firms projecting total rent growth in the very low single digits this year.
Nontraded REITs
Nontraded REITs raised $9.8 billion last year, compared with $33.2 billion during all of 2022. Meanwhile, investors redeemed about $17.4 billion, far surpassing the $12 billion redeemed in all of 2022.
Pricey Retail
Rents averaged $2,000 a square foot on upper Fifth Avenue over the past year. That was about 13% higher than the world’s next-most-expensive shopping destination, Via Montenapoleone in Milan. New York City displaced Hong Kong last year to top the chart for the first time since 2017.
ERC
The employee retention tax credit (ERC), projected to cost the government $55 billion, is a Covid giveaway that keeps on giving. The government has paid $230 billion in claims, including about $120 billion this year.
Consumer Sentiment
The December index of consumer sentiment jumped to 69.7 from November’s 61.3. This was still below its April 2020 level of 71.8. In February 2020, it was at 101.
Four Seasons Telluride
$1 billion Four Seasons Telluride resort is being planned by Fort Partners and Merrimac Ventures. The project will feature 52 guest rooms, where the owners expect to charge an average rate of more than $1,000 a night. Prices are still being worked out for the 68 residences, but the plan is to list one-bedrooms starting at more than $2 million. They expect to break ground late next year.
PE Lending
Warburg Pincus turned to investment giant Apollo Global Management Inc. for a $1 billion loan to pay down bank facilities involving an older fund.
CHH Update
Choice Hotels International’s hostile buyout offer of rival Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has entered a new phase: recriminations. Choice Hotels said on Wednesday that institutional shareholders representing 40% of Wyndham’s total outstanding shares have talked with Choice about its recent offer to exchange their shares for Choice shares or cash.