A report from the Bakersfield Californian. "The average, per-unit sales price of multi-family housing properties in akersfield climbed last year to a whopping 17.8 percent year over year. That's 'pretty staggering,' said real estate agent Mark A. Thurston, senior vice president of ASU Commercial. Rent prices haven't gone up nearly as fast as purchase prices have. In fact, according to Abodo, the median rental price for a one-bedroom unit in Bakersfield actually dropped 6.1 percent to $666 between December and January."

"In the high-priced real estate markets of Southern California and the Bay Area, apartment purchase prices are so high that investors can only hope their value goes up over time. 'The Central Valley is the last place you can get cash flow' in California, Thurston said."

The Auburn Examiner in Washington. "Seattle’s apartment scene is exploding. Why is this important?  Because if apartment rent doesn’t rise, the motivation for renters to buy a home falls. This equals downward pressure on the Puget Sound housing market appreciation rates."

"According to Rentjungle, there are currently 2,039 apartments listed for rent in Seattle. Rents have increased by 2.97% from 12 months ago. But according to the Seattle Times, much of that is due to the new luxury units flooding the market. When looking at the same unit year over year, rents have increased only .5%.  This is less than inflation. Lastly, a picture is worth a thousand words: That’s A LOT of new apartments."

The Times Union in New York. "In the Capital Region, the apartment market might seem saturated, but construction of multifamily units, especially those in the urban cores, continues. Jesse Holland, the president of Sunrise Management and Consulting, said he would not recommend construction of new multifamily units at this time. 'The market needs a breather,' he said. 'I would discourage anyone from building anything right now.'"

The Chesterfield Observer in Virginia. "The county’s overhaul of the cash proffer system nearly three years ago, along with a growing economy and rising home prices, has led to an influx of new apartment construction. Since the Board of Supervisors slashed proffers by 50% in September 2016, thousands of new apartment units have either been built or approved for construction."

"But an oversupply of apartments does concern Emerson. Citing market studies, George Emerson, a local developer currently involved in building Moore’s Lake Apartments, says quadrants of Midlothian and Broad Street may see a surplus of multifamily housing. 'They think they’re overbuilt. In other words, there’s more apartments than there is demand,' Emerson says. 'I think you’re going to see that apartment market take a pause.'"

From Arlington Now in Virginia. "WhyHotel, which uses a portion of new luxury apartment buildings as a 'pop-up' hotel, has opened a new location in Ballston. WhyHotel launched in 2017 and operates temporary hotels in D.C., Baltimore and Northern Virginia, taking advantage of the fact that it usually takes a year or more for all of a new apartment building’s units to be leased."

"'We do expect to be in Arlington in perpetuity,' said Jason Fudin, WhyHotel’s CEO. 'And as there’s more and more development, we’re hoping to be the solution people look to as they activate their developments.'"

From The Torch in Illinois. "There are many new changes in store for on campus housing for the upcoming 2019-20 academic year. Starting next semester, the price of single rooms will decrease to $9,975, bringing the price closer to the cost of a double bedroom at $9,412. This is a significant decrease in the price for single bedrooms, saving students $3,000."

"While $9,975 can still be quite a lot for some students to pay each year, a $3,000 decrease may still seem pretty appealing for some students. Sophomore psychology major Maggie Vasha lived in a single dorm this past year and feels that the price drop is good for some students, but feels as if the school should be held responsible in providing a refund for students who live in singles this year. 'It’s so expensive and they don’t realize it. It’s ridiculous. I want a refund, or some sort of it,' Vasha said."

From Senior Housing News. "With shiny new supply flooding various markets around the country, senior living communities must make a good first impression on prospective residents, or they will quickly lose customers to the competition. In this environment, providers are wise to invest in stellar model units and to focus on reception and common areas that prospects first encounter."

"'If a property doesn’t show well, it gets removed pretty quickly [from prospects’ lists], is something we hear a lot,' Seniorly CEO Arthur Bretschneider told Senior Housing News. 'It’s a marketplace now where consumers have a lot of choice.'"

From Bisnow. "Press coverage of student housing typically focuses on the glitziest new trophy properties, complexes that increasingly provide residents with amenities once thought suitable for top-line resorts. That is understandable, as these buildings can sell for eye-popping amounts. But some developers and school administrators have begun to reconsider the emphasis on amenities, and say paying more attention to mundane but necessary features, ones that help students succeed both academically and socially, will more effectively sustain occupancy levels and still increase values."

"Jason Schwartz, managing principal and head of student housing for Blue Vista Capital Management, said he recently visited a new student housing complex at a major school in Arizona, and noticed it had an entire room dedicated to a skiing simulator, an amenity he estimates could have cost $200K. He asked how often students used the room. 'I was told that once a month somebody comes in and plays with it,' he said."

The Philadelphia Inquirer in Pennsylvania. "Developer Eric Blumenfeld is aiming to break ground in July on a 30-story North Broad Street tower with offices, apartments and a fitness club that he hopes to cap with digital screens featuring animated versions of the famous mural next door."

"Along central Philadelphia’s South Street commercial strip, meanwhile, Blumenfeld is seeking to stave off the foreclosure of the commercial and rental units he owns in the property known as Abbotts Square."