Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP) to be Unveiled Wednesday

The U.S. Treasury is planning to roll out its long-awaited Public-Private Investment Program (PPIP) plan, aiming to unveil it on Wednesday.

The program is likely to include as many as nine participants. CNBC has confirmed that two firms will be Wilbur Ross's Distressed Real Estate/debt fund and a joint venture between GE Capital and private investor Angelo Gordon & Co. As many as seven other firms will likely participate.

Other firms widely expect to be named include PIMCO and Blackrock. [Read More Here]

Harvey Green | Marcus & Millichap CEO on CNBC Closing Bell

Harvey Green, Marcus & Millichap's CEO recently appeared with Neal Elkin, Real Estate Analytics on CNBC's Closing Bell to discuss the whether the recent decline in Moody's real commercial property price index is a sign of a bottom in real estate.

Mr. Green emphasizes the importance of differentiating property level performance based on transaction vintage with the highest risk transactions in this cycle having been executed in the late stages of the up-cycle. He also highlights some of the differences of addressing distressed assets in the current environment compared to the early 1990s.

Endowments Dipped | Aid Experts Like President's Plan

Foundation Endowments Dipped in 2008, but Giving Rose

Grant makers’ endowments plunged by 26 percent last year as the stock market fell to levels not seen in years, says a new report from the Commonfund Institute.

That was a sharply different picture from the one in 2007, when endowments grew by 9.9 percent. But foundations’ returns still compared favorably to the overall performance of the market. [Click Here for more]

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Aid Experts Like President's Plan to Streamline FAFSA but Hope for Bigger Changes

"The plan that the White House unveiled on Wednesday for simplifying the form, known as the FAFSA, wouldn't go that far, and its most significant changes would require Congressional approval. Still, financial-aid experts say the president's proposal will greatly simplify the process of applying for student aid, while creating momentum for broader change going forward," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. [Click Here for more]

June 2009 Special Report - Apartment Outlook

Marcus & Millichap recently released an Apartment Investor Outlook for June 2009. The Outlook discusses the latest market trends and developments, along with how these will affect the overall economy as well as multifamily investors.

Home Sales Starting to Show Life After Bottoming in January

• April housing statistics suggest that the residential sales market may be approaching bottom, as sales velocity for both condos and single-family homes increased during the month. While this is a positive sign, sales are still below levels from a year ago.


• The rebound in sales can be attributed to investors and first-time homebuyers purchasing distressed properties. Distressed sales accounted for between 45 percent and 50 percent of recent sales, while first-time buyers accounted for 40 percent of the transactions in April.


• The increasing inventory of homes for sale remains a concern for the recovery of the housing market. The months' supply of single-family homes increased from 9.1 to 9.6 months, while condo supply increased from 15 to 15.1 months. A balanced market typically has four to seven months of supply.


• On a year-over-year basis, the supply of single-family homes has declined from 10.7 months, whereas the supply of condos continues to grow from 14.7 months.


• The increase in sales activity by first-time home buyers and investors will further elevate competition for rental units. This will put additional pressure on apartment owners to raise concessions.


• The bottoming of the housing market sets the stage for recovery over the next year, as many of the jobs lost since 2008 were housing-related positions. A recovery in this sector will help to stabilize the economy and commercial real estate.

Harvey Green on CNBC Squawk on the Street

Harvey Green recently appeared on CNBC's Squawk on the Street to discuss the possibility that Commercial Real Estate is a "Ticking Time Bomb" waiting to go off.