As real-estate investment trusts wind up their second year of deteriorating markets and dwindling rents, investors are asking: How much more financial stress can REITs withstand?
The answer: It's getting a little close for comfort... For the first three quarters of this year, REITs paid an average dividend of 7%, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, the Washington-based trade group, compared with an average dividend of 1.95% for companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index. That helps draw investors to REITs. But when dividends are threatened, many of those investors tend to flee. The issue has huge implications for real-estate stocks.
Thanks to REIS, Inc.
FULL STORY: Dividends Look Shaky For Many REIT Shares

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
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