A report from Bisnow on California. "The health of San Diego's commercial and residential properties in 2019 probably depends on job creation more than any other economic metric. In the apartment market, construction will continue unabated, except for a few markets that are overbuilt with high-end apartments — such as San Diego and Orange County, Xpera Group Director of Economic and Market Research Alan Nevin said."

"'In those markets, I anticipate that high-end projects scheduled to move forward in 2019 will take a breather,' Nevin said. 'That is going to happen until the developers can be convinced that newly completed units are being rented, and without serious concessions and at rental rates that match their pro formas.'"

The San Francisco Chronicle. "Bay Area rents are expected to grow a little more slowly this year, thanks to an expected increase in new apartment completions. 'The demand is there, but it’s tough to digest that much new supply at once, especially given the luxury price point for pretty much all of that product,' said Greg Willett, chief economist with RealPage."

"Allison Landa and Adam Sandler were bracing for the worst when they got an eviction notice in August from the owner of the one-bedroom cottage in Berkeley they had rented for 13 years. The owner, who lived in the main house, was selling the property."

"But Landa found the market 'better than I expected. The open houses were not as competitive. We were offered several places. I wonder if the market is softening a little bit,' she said."

"In the San Francisco metro area, which also includes San Mateo and Marin counties, RealPage expects that about 4,000 new units will be completed this year, about double last year’s number. In San Jose metro (Santa Clara and San Benito counties), the number will nearly triple to about 6,400. And Oakland metro (Alameda and Contra Costa counties) could see as many as 6,800 completions compared with about 1,000 last year."

From LA Downtown News. "In a supercharged development scene, it barely counts as news anymore when a Downtown housing project opens. Eight market-rate developments are coming online in the South Park area in the space of about six months, bringing a total of more than 3,300 rental units."

"The development at 1200 S. Figueroa St. consists of a pair of curving, 35-story towers with a total of 648 luxury-priced units. The project is 25% leased, according to general manager Chad Vasquez of Greystar, which is managing the building. Full occupancy is expected by the end of 2019."

"Steve Basham, senior market analyst with the firm Costar, said Circa will likely be a local draw, with people relocating from the Westside. He noted that many people already commute to Downtown from Santa Monica and West Los Angeles."

"However, Basham pointed out that the potential tenant pool at this price point is limited. 'There are only so many households and families that can afford that much a month for an apartment, he said. But Downtown has become more of a viable option for those who can.'"

From Curbed Los Angeles. "Just three weeks after a family from the Inland Empire moved into their El Sereno home, they found graffiti on their fence signaling they weren’t welcome in the Northeast LA neighborhood. 'F*** gentrification,' the graffiti said."

"The homeowner, who did not want to be named, said the fence was spray-painted the night of January 4. Her residence, a flip on Templeton Street, is one of several that has been defaced with anti-gentrification messages."

"Since late October, pictures of flipped or newly constructed homes in El Sereno marred by tagging have made the rounds on social media sites like Nextdoor and Instagram. An advertisement for real estate agent Mike Antonelli was tagged with the word 'gentrifier,' and his image was defaced with a tail, pitchfork, and horns to liken him to a devil."

From Sonoma West. "At the Dec. 19 meeting of the Windsor Town Council, Ken MacNab, the Community Development Director and current interim town manager, presented the annual growth report for Windsor."

"According to the report, in 2018, 18 building permits were issued for construction of 23 new residential units. Ten of the permits were for new single-family homes and eight were for new accessory dwelling units. Five permits for new temporary residential units were approved this year under the town’s Temporary Housing Ordinance for victims of the 2017 Nuns and Tubbs fires."

"In 2018, a total of three units were completed and occupied, down significantly from 43 units in 2017. Of those three units, one was for a new single-family residence and the other two were for new accessory dwelling units. The estimated population increase resulting from the units coming 'on-line' in 2018 is projected to be nine."

"The total number of residential units in the 'pipeline' is 1,652. 'The idea of the pipeline bothers me,' said Mayor Dominic Foppoli. 'Its a flashpoint in the community, that ‘they are coming’ and the fact is, most aren’t coming. It creates a focus on hypothetically built rather than what will be built. We have a horrible housing crisis, and it was made worse by the fire, and I look here and see a grand total of three units finished in Windsor after the most devastating fire in our history and that’s a problem.'"