DID YOU KNOW? Bigger state and local tax collections, propelled in part by an acceleration in sales-tax receipts from consumer spending, is boosting capital projects and driving a municipal borrowing boom. Spending on transportation infrastructure in October was up 15% from a year earlier. State tax revenues grew 6.3% in the second quarter of 2018 compared with an average second-quarter growth rate of 2.5% for the previous eight years Local infrastructure spending may accelerate. (WSJ)

DID YOU KNOW? Apple is also expanding its presence in San Diego as part of its plan to expand its operations across the country. While its $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas made headlines this week, it will also "establish new sites" in San Diego, Seattle, and Culver City, California. The San Diego, Seattle and Culver City sites would each have more than 1,000 workers, Apple announced. Apple will add 20,000 jobs in the U.S. by 2023. (10news)

DID YOU KNOW? Approximately 80% of all population growth since 2000 in Texas has been in the four large metropolitan areas: Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Houston. Between 2000 and 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS, Austin expanded its employment by over 50%, while Houston, Dallas and San Antonio grew above 30%, more than twice the growth of New York and three time that of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Texas added 3 million people between 2010 and 2016 - including 940,000 migrants from other states. In comparison, California lost more than 500,000 domestic migrants to other states and New York lost nearly one million.  Since 2000, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston grew by under 10%. (Daily Beast)

“We don’t have any of the early signs of recession. Yet, we have a market where despite 20% earnings growth, the price-earnings ratios have fallen 20%. This tells us the market is pricing in recession in 2019. We just don’t think that is going to happen.” - Steve Chiavarone, Federated

 DID YOU KNOW? New York, Connecticut, Louisiana, California, Florida, and Massachusetts ranked worst in income inequality. The fastest growing income inequality is in Montana, California, Maine, Rhode Island and Idaho. (CNBC)

In George H. W. Bush's famous "thousand points of light" nomination acceptance speech on August 18, 1988, he called for a "kinder, gentler nation" specifically referring to volunteering and giving back. In his lifetime it is estimated he helped raise around $1 billion for various charities. As we all know, this past week President George H. W. Bush passed away. While you may or may not have agreed with his politics, one of his principals everyone can relate to - especially at Compass where Robert made this a cornerstone of his future vision for the company - is the concept of working together and giving back.

DID YOU KNOW? Airbnb will soon announce that it will begin selling multi-unit buildings and houses next year, according to Fast Company. Called Backyard, is "an endeavor to design and prototype new ways of building and sharing homes," extending and bolstering their services to architecture and urban planning. Backyard could start offering small existing dwellings, according to the report, and could also sell energy-efficient building materials, stand-alone homes and multi-unit complexes. Airbnb has more than 5 million rental listings on its platform, across nearly 200 countries.

DID YOU KNOW?  Microsoft regained its stature as the world's most valuable company after losing the title for 16 years, beating out APPLE whose stock price has dropped badly over the past few weeks. Apple lost the top spot after 6 years. GE used to have this title....(CNBC)

DID YOU KNOW? Home price appreciation continues to moderate following a half-decade of strong growth. Market fundamentals, however, are vastly different than the pre-crisis period in the mid-2000s. US equities delivered a strong week despite the sharp oil price decrease with the S&P 500 jumping nearly 4%: lower-than-expected PCE inflation data and signs that the Fed may be easing their rate hike plan....which would be good for real estate. (Seeking Alpha)

DID YOU KNOW? U.S. consumer spending increased by the most in 7 months in October. (Reuters)

DID YOU KNOW?  Pending US Home Sales slid 2.6% in October. Contract signings were down 6.7% compared to 2017. Pending sales rose in the NORTHEAST by 0.7%. In the MIDWEST sales fell 1.8%, in the SOUTH they fell 1.1%, and in the WEST they were down 8.9%. (MARKET WATCH)

DID YOU KNOW? Millennial spending habits are a lot like the generations that came before them, they just have less money at this point in their lives. The group born between 1981 and 1997 has fallen behind because many of them came of age during the financial crisis. (Business Insider)

DID YOU KNOW?  The Fed is expected to raise interest rates a fourth time this year in December but stated it would be 'flexible' on plans to raise rates. (CNN)

DID YOU KNOW? The Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Federal Reserve have proposed loosening real-estate appraisal requirements to enable a majority of U.S. homes to be bought and sold without being evaluated by a licensed human appraiser, potentially opening the door for cheaper, faster, untested property valuations based on computer algorithms. It would increase to $400,000, from $250,000, the value of homes that can be bought and sold without a human appraiser visiting a property. (WSJ)

DID YOU KNOW? Since 1946, there have been 18 midterm elections. Stocks were higher 12 months after every single one. Every single one. That’s 18 for 18. Even though we’ve had every possible political combination in the past 72 years. Republican president years with Democratic Congress. A democratic president with Republican Congress. A Republican president and Congress. Democratic president and Congress. Since 1946, stocks have risen an average of 17% in the year after a midterm. (Marketwatch)

"You're gonna go a little bonkers if you work 120 hours a week." - Elon Musk

DID YOU KNOW?  It is now rumored that Amazon will split its 'second headquarters' into TWO centers creating 25,000 jobs in each.....stay tuned. What is Amazon looking for? Skilled labor, housing, public transportation and infrastructure......and a few tax break perhaps? Amazon employs 45,000 people in Seattle alone. (WSJ)

DID YOU KNOW? Digital Real Estate is News Corp’s fastest-growing segment, contributing 44% of the total company (Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, & Amortization) EBITDA, almost 4X those of the company’s other segments individually largely due to the relatively low-cost nature of the business. Digital Real Estate accounts for around 45% of the company’s value, especially notable since the segment only accounts for about 14% of its total revenues. News Corp owns a 61.6% interest in the REA Group (Australia and Asia) and an 80% interest in Move Inc. (realtor.com in the U.S.). (Forbes)