List of Best Cities to Rent a Home

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Households Running Out of Emergency Funds link

• The ability of households to come up with $2,000 for an emergency expense within the next month is at the lowest level since the survey began in Q4 2015. The CPI level is now 35% higher than in 2015, making the financial strain even worse.

• Fed data shows that fewer households have emergency savings, raising concerns about financial resilience. The declining trend reflects increased cost of living pressures and stagnant wage growth.

• The combination of higher inflation and lower savings means households are more vulnerable to unexpected expenses. This could lead to higher reliance on credit and increased financial instability.

Richmond and Raleigh Top List of Best Cities to Rent a Home link

• Richmond, VA, and Raleigh, NC, scored 63.41 and 63.15 out of 100, making them the top two cities for single-family and build-to-rent homes. Salt Lake City, Boise, Honolulu, and Allentown also ranked in the top 10.

• The East Coast dominated the rankings, with five of the top 10 cities located there. Omaha and St. Louis stood out for economic stability, low renters’ insurance, and unemployment rates.

• The number of single-family rental households has increased by 31% over the last 20 years. Renters are staying in their homes for 10 years or more, driven by high home prices, mortgage rates, and limited supply.

Walgreens set to go private: unpacking the commercial real estate implications link

• Walgreens will be acquired by Sycamore Partners for up to $23.7 billion, making it the largest leveraged buyout in recent years. The deal will be financed with $19 billion of debt and $2.3 billion of equity, with the executive chairman rolling his 17% stake into the deal.

• Walgreens plans to close 450 more stores this year after shutting down 311 locations over the past two years. Weak retail sales, lower drug reimbursement rates, and heavy losses from healthcare expansion have contributed to the company's struggles.

• Walgreens leases back 1,996 properties in CMBS pools worth nearly $6 billion, with 38.85% of the loans on servicer watchlists. While distress remains low, credit issues and store closures could push up default rates, especially among the 16 CMBS pools where Walgreens-backed loans make up 10% or more of the deal.

NYC rental market sees record highs in Manhattan and Brooklyn link

• Median rents in Manhattan hit a record $4,500 in February, up 6.4% year-over-year. Loft apartments saw the biggest jump at 25% to $8,750, while doorman rentals increased 4% to $5,230.

• Brooklyn’s average rent increased 6.3% to $4,035, with bidding wars hitting a record high—35.1% of leases were signed above asking price with a 12.9% premium. Northwest Queens rents rose 7% to $3,466, with new leases up 12.9%.

  

• NYC's multifamily sector generated $8.91 billion in 2024, up 14% from the previous year. Total transactions increased by 4% to 1,107 deals.

Chicago multifamily rents set to boom amid decade-low supply link

• Chicago multifamily rents are expected to grow 4.2% in 2025 to an average of $2,137 per month. Vacancy is set to drop by 20 basis points to 4.5%, driven by the lowest projected completions (4,300 units) since 2015.

• Class C multifamily properties led rent growth in 2024, exceeding 5%, outperforming other property classes. Hyde Park-South Shore and the north side from Uptown to Evanston saw the tightest supply.

• Institutional investors are shifting focus toward lower-quality assets due to rising taxes and stagnant household growth. Chicago's investment in public transportation could help offset slower job growth, which is expected to rise only 0.4% in 2025.

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Accacia is an AI-powered platform that helps real estate and infrastructure companies track, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions. It provides real-time ESG and sustainability insights across property portfolios to support decarbonization and regulatory compliance.

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