Keith Larsen

6 days ago | therealdeal.com | Keith Larsen

Jeff Simpson was wrecked at the end of a recent hearing. A Lower Manhattan judge had appointed a receiver for properties his company owned. This, he said, amounted to his “last will and testament.”“I think I’m speaking about my eulogy here to be honest, because I’m done,” Simpson said. But Simpson was far from done. The one-time CEO of New York City development firm Arch Companies shot off an email to New York Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen hours after courts closed.

1 week ago | therealdeal.com | Keith Larsen

Two of Fannie Mae Multifamily’s top brass, Rob Levin and Dan Dresser, are out at the mortgage giant, according to sources familiar with the matter. Levin was head of multifamily customer engagement, and Dresser was the vice president of multifamily capital markets and pricing. Dresser had been at the agency since 2006, while Levin joined Fannie Mae in 1998. The departures, announced in an email, come amid a leadership change at Fannie Mae’s multifamily arm.

1 week ago | therealdeal.com | Keith Larsen

Meridian Capital Group can re-enter Fannie Mae’s loan market. Meridian announced on late Friday afternoon that Fannie Mae lenders can request quotes for Meridian-brokered loans. The news means the brokerage is technically off of Fannie’s blacklist. It follows Freddie Mac’s decision last year to accept Meridian brokered loans. But Meridian, a powerhouse commercial brokerage, announced few details in its announcement about Fannie’s move.

1 week ago | therealdeal.com | Keith Larsen

Former Omnibuild project manager Roy Galifi pleaded guilty this week for his role in running a kickback scheme at the XI condo development. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office charged Galifi with orchestrating a fraudulent scheme with a subcontractor to steal an additional $300,000 from the XI’s lender. Prosecutors promised Galifi a sentence of three years probation, including 90 days of home confinement, 250 hours community service and $51,000 forfeiture.

2 weeks ago | therealdeal.com | Suzannah Cavanaugh |Keith Larsen

Everyone is talking tariffs. Well, just about everyone. Hedge funder Bill Ackman dragged Trump on Sunday over “Liberation Day” tariffs, warning they would spur a “nuclear winter,” before celebrating the “brilliantly executed” policy reversal. Citadel’s Ken Griffin called the tariffs a “huge policy mistake” at a Monday event in Miami. Jamie Dimon, in a Fox News appearance, raised red flags about a potential recession because of Trump’s initial tariff plan, as did other economists.