The USC Lusk Center’s Richard Green blogs about the retail sector’s performance: positive trends, areas for concern and what to watch.

With a growing number of high-profile Web sites such as those belonging to Sony, Citibank and even the CIA becoming victims to hacker attacks, there has never been a better time to re-evaluate the passwords you use for your online accounts.

The GSEs have continued to perform profitably the core business of providing long-term fixed-rate mortgage capital to the apartment market. But it wasn’t the corporate structure that created this excellent, well-operated business line within Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, it was the people who were there every day. And through the inaction and missteps–and in some cases careless negligence–of regulators and politicians, the multi-family businesses of the GSEs are on a path that, if not corrected soon, will lead to their effective demise.

Shekar Narasimhan offers his thoughts on how the GSEs benefit the rental housing market, whether privatization is a viable alternative and the risks of not finding a solution quickly. Click on the link for his thoughts. And then weigh in with your own thoughts!

The USC Lusk Center’s Richard Green blogs about how the property sectors are performing.

Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, offers insights into the best alternatives for reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

With the rise in use of iPads and smartphones in real estate, Peter Boritz of Real Data Management offers advice on how to protect yourself against viruses and security breaches.

The Lusk Center’s Richard Green blogs about the Port of Los Angeles, remote officing and other impacts on Southern California’s industrial and office markets.