Welcome to The Print, Blueprint's weekly curation of the most important things going on in real estate and construction technology. We hope our newsletter will keep you informed as we shine a light on the newest innovations and opportunities that exist in the built world.
- Developers are sitting on empty lots after the historic apartment boom. Higher interest rates and flattening rents are scuttling?new projects. (WSJ)
- Zero-down mortgages are making a comeback. A?new program?offered by United Wholesale Mortgage?will allow buyers to pay for 97% of the home’s value with a first mortgage and then provide the remaining 3%?in the form of a second mortgage.?(CNN)
- Squeezed by high interest rates and record prices, many homeowners are frozen in place. They can’t sell their starter homes — so first-time buyers can’t buy.?(NYT)
- Home insurance is clobbering consumers —?yet it’s barely counted in inflation. Skyrocketing premiums are hitting homeowners hard, but they barely factor into common price measures.?(NYT)
- Adam Neumann's multifamily ownership company Flow has acquired Whalebone, a quirky bimonthly Montauk lifestyle publication,?according to an announcement on the magazine's website.?(Business Insider)
- The world’s largest 3D printer is building cozy homes from wood. (CNN)
BLUEPRINT'S BUILT WORLD CHALLENGE
The Built World Challenge, which will debut at Blueprint Vegas 2024,?showcases how the latest technologies can solve real world problems today. This year's judges represent some of the best known brands, and jointly represent $400B+ in real assets. In this challenge we will be looking for?solutions?relating?to everyone's favorite, inescapable topic,?Generative AI.? Submissions are open now! Deadline to submit is Friday, July 19.?? ?
RAISES, BUILDS AND TEARDOWNS
- Frontdoor,?the nation’s leading provider of home warranties, will acquire?2-10 Home Buyers Warranty?in an all cash transaction valued at $585M.?(Press Release)
- Honeywell is?acquiring?Carrier Global Corporation’s Global Access Solutions business for $4.95B, in an all-cash transaction.?(Press Release)
- A U.S.?bankruptcy judge has approved WeWork’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan, enabling the struggling shared office space provider to eliminate $4B?of debt.?(The Guardian)
- Infra.Market, an Indian startup?that helps construction and real estate firms procure materials, has raised $50M in new funding?from MARS Unicorn Fund.?(Techcrunch)
- EverFence, a?digital platform connecting homeowners and contractors, has raised $7M in Series A funding.?(FINSMES)
- Portuguese home services app?OSCAR?has just raised over €6M.?The company connects users to over 12,000 highly-qualified home service technicians.?(Tech.eu)
NEWLY POSTED JOBS IN REAL ESTATE & TECH
