Recently, Ross Litkenhous of Altus Group invited me to participate as a guest on his CRE Insider podcast series. We covered a variety of subjects including the SWAMP Act, downsizing, GSA lease terminations and more. The conversation…
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Agency Profile: The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, popularly known as BuRec, is not much heard of east of the Hundredth Meridian, but in the 16 mainland states to the west it plays a central role in managing water…
Agency Profile: The US Army Futures Command
If knowledge is power, as the English scientist and politician Sir Francis Bacon is credited with saying, then knowing how and when to use force can be thought of as a kind of superpower. It requires…
The REAL Reform Act of 2018
On June 27th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee considered and ordered to be reported H.R. 6194, the Real Estate Assets and Leasing (REAL) Reform Act of 2018. The bill is a mostly recycled grab-bag of initiatives…
In Some Ways, the Swamp Has Already Been Drained
As a candidate for the presidency, Donald Trump famously pledged to “drain the swamp” by, among other things, reducing the size of the federal government. This would be accomplished in part by workforce attrition and in…
“Reduce the Footprint” Faces Public and Political Headwinds for the Social Security Administration
With over 1,000 leased facilities, often in single-tenant buildings, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is a staple of many federal investor portfolios. Like other federal agencies, however, SSA has been dutifully implementing the “Reduce the Footprint”…
What to Watch for in Trump’s Infrastructure Plan
Last week, the Trump administration revealed its proposed 2019 budget and a companion proposal, the Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America. Together, these proposals describe the president’s much-anticipated infrastructure plan. The centerpiece of the plan is…
Beware the “Retirement Tsunami”
Immediately following Donald Trump’s oath of office, his campaign proposal Contract with the American Voter became an action plan. The second item listed is the President’s declaration that he would pursue “a hiring freeze on all…
The “Holdover” Problem
If you are the owner of a GSA-leased property, you’ve probably recognized by now that there is no holdover clause in your lease. This doesn’t mean the government cannot hold over; it only means that it…
Is Government Growth Inevitable? Insights from a 19th Century Economist
The late-19th century German economist, Adolph Wagner, observed that as progressive industrialized economies grow the public sector expands as a percentage of the overall economy. Wagner’s observation, which later became known as Wagner’s Law, or “The Law…