A report from the News Gazette in Illinois. "Although investors in private student housing have cited concerns about vacancy rates and overbuilding in the Champaign-Urbana market, even more substantial student housing complexes are slated to open this fall. 'The overall occupancy rate in the area is 84 percent,” wrote appraisers for Latitude’s owners. 'The subject (property) also has several first floor retail units. Demand is weak for these units and leasing is not occurring as projected.'"

"Meanwhile, more apartment units are on the local market this fall. And more units are in the development pipeline for years after that. But what the report didn’t address — and what for now is an uncertainty — is what happens when the higher education bubble bursts. What happens to university communities and their big inventory of student housing when there are fewer students and an overabundance of apartments?"

From Crain's Cleveland Business in Ohio. "Recent rents have been coming in at just more than $800 per month, said Brian Gage, executive director of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. Rents have been on the rise in Akron in recent years, and are up about 9% in the past decade, despite the city and region losing population, Gage said, adding he thinks the city overbuilt its student housing when it expected the University of Akron to grow. Much of that housing is not useful for families."

The Daily Wildcat in Arizona. "Ward 1 City Council candidates and the three competing democratic Tucson mayoral candidates came together to discuss gentrification in Tucson. Luxury student housing developments have appeared at an incredible rate, causing concern and push-back within the community."

"More high-rise, high-end student housing continues to be built in and around downtown– though candidate Lane Santa Cruz called the market over-saturated, developers would seem to disagree. 'There are a surprising number of students with deep pockets looking for a certain lifestyle,' said mayoral candidate and former developer Randi Dorman."

"After community push-back, high-rises claimed the stage. Dorman said in this way, they’re a positive impact. She speculated that, especially with the Mark on Broadway, Tucson may finally be hitting saturation of luxury student housing."

From Multi-Housing News on Colorado. "It can be hard to differentiate your apartment communities in an over-saturated market. Many prospective renters begin their search online, and often times their search criteria will return hundreds of options. So how do you set your community apart from the rest?"

"'Same is lame, we need to differentiate,' said Lisa Trosien, president of ApartmentExpert.com, during her session at the National Apartment Association’s Apartmentalize conference in Denver."

The Real Deal on Florida. "A Miami-based private equity firm is doubling its fundraising goal to $200 million to buy up distressed commercial real estate loans. Besides Safe Harbor Equity. London-based Cheyne Capital and New York City-based Churchill Real Estate Holdings are among the private equity firms looking to profit from the distressed loans."

"One recent foreclosure was initiated by Madison Realty Capital over $40.6 million of allegedly delinquent construction debt for Costa Hollywood Beach Resort, a new 326-unit condo-hotel in Hollywood."

The Wall Street Journal on New York. "Buyers have been racing to close on purchases of expensive Manhattan homes to avoid higher taxes that take effect July 1. Yet the surge of closings wasn’t enough to offset weakening apartment sales in the second quarter, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of city property sales."

"'Rich people didn’t get rich by wasting money,' said Kirk Henckels, the vice chairman of brokerage Stribling & Associates."

"But overall sales of existing apartments fell 2.3% during the second quarter. Other measures of the strength of the market also deteriorated. Inventory rose and the number of luxury contracts signed fell. Closing prices were sold at an average discount of 9% from initial asking prices, the highest such discount in many years, said Garrett Derderian, managing director for market analysis at brokerage CORE."

"Donna Olshan, a Manhattan broker who compiled statistics on the luxury market, found that the number of contracts signed for apartments listed or $4 million in the second quarter fell by 16.1% compared with the same quarter last year, to the slowest pace in seven years."

"Lisa Lippman, a broker at Brown Harris Stevens, said she had seven closings last week. 'There won’t be a closing for the next two or three months,' she said."