Global Real Estate & Economy Brief — 2025-11-05

🌍 At a Glance

• US Fed Funds Rate: 4.09 (as of 2025-10-01)
• US 30Y Mortgage: 6.17 (as of 2025-10-30)
• ECB Policy Rate: 2.0 [FRED:ECBDFR] as of 2025-11-04
• BoE Bank Rate: 4.00 (as of 2025-08-07)

🇺🇸 United States

• A Family Grows Their House, and Grows Into It, Too — Architects Dimitri Brand and Nelly Mecklenburg built a custom New York home, currently utilizing only a fraction of their new addition.
• A Famous Narrow House in the West Village Listed for $4.195 Million — The iconic narrow house at 75½ Bedford Street, once home to celebrities, is now listed for $4.195 million.
• $2 Million Homes in California — California offers $2 million homes, including a midcentury modern in Palm Desert and a Pacific-view property in Jenner.

🇪🇺 Europe

• MPs ask HMRC to explain child benefit error that froze payments to parents — MPs are pressing HMRC for clarification on a child benefit error affecting 23,500 families wrongly accused of fraud.
• England curriculum should focus less on exams and more on life skills, finds review — A review suggests England's education system should prioritize life skills over traditional exam preparation.
• National curriculum review in England: 10 key recommendations — Key recommendations from England's curriculum review include shorter GCSE exams and a new diagnostic test in core subjects.

🌏 Asia

• Dharshini David: Reeves lays ground for painful Budget, but will it be worth it? — Chancellor Reeves warns of a painful Budget aimed at addressing debt and promoting growth.
• Head of UK's richest family dies aged 85 — Gopichand Hinduja, head of the UK's richest family, dies at 85, leaving a legacy of global business expansion.
• Alan Bates to get multi-million-pound payout over Post Office scandal — Sir Alan Bates is set to receive a multi-million-pound payout for leading a legal action against the Post Office scandal.

🎯 GPT Strategy

🇺🇸 United States

• **Positioning Idea:** Consider investing in residential REITs focused on urban markets, as demand for unique homes may drive rental growth.
• **Risk Note:** Urban market volatility could impact occupancy rates.
• **Positioning Idea:** Explore mid-tier housing ETFs targeting California markets, where luxury homes are becoming more accessible, indicating potential for appreciation.

🇪🇺 Europe

• **Positioning Idea**: Consider investing in education-focused REITs or ETFs, as reforms may drive demand for innovative learning environments.
• **Risk Note**: Monitor potential government budget constraints impacting education funding.
• **Positioning Idea**: Explore sectors related to family services and support, as increased scrutiny on child benefits may lead to higher demand for social services.

🌏 Asia

• **Positioning Idea:** Consider investing in UK-focused infrastructure REITs to capitalize on potential government spending aimed at growth.
• **Risk Note:** Economic uncertainty may impact project timelines and returns.
• **Positioning Idea:** Explore diversified global business ETFs to benefit from the legacy of expansion by influential business families.

Not financial advice. Educational insights only.