The Independent Market Observer

Justin Cleare

Justin Cleare is an investment research analyst with Commonwealth’s Investment Management and Research team. In this role, Justin facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments (e.g., real estate, infrastructure, natural resources, and commodities). Justin is a Level III Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate and holds FINRA Series 6, 26, and 99 securities registrations. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in finance and operations management.

Recent Posts

Remote Work and Its Effect on the Traditional Office

October 21, 2022

In the face of a public health crisis, the decision to send remote-capable workers home from the office seemed an obvious one. But as vaccines became widely available and the rate of Covid-19 infection started to decline, harder questions arose. When and how do employees return to the office? To be sure, defining the post-pandemic “new normal” has been tricky. Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution, clear trends are emerging—which will have definite implications for the use of office property.

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Record-Breaking Home Prices and Rent Growth

December 23, 2021

Rising home prices have been the focus of countless headlines throughout the past year. Accelerated demand in a tight real estate market has produced some captivating statistics. Recently, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that the third-quarter median sale price for an existing single-family home was 16 percent higher year-over-year. That marks a record since the NAR began capturing the data in 1968. 

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Certain sections of this commentary contain forward-looking statements that are based on our reasonable expectations, estimates, projections, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

The S&P 500 Index is a broad-based measurement of changes in stock market conditions based on the average performance of 500 widely held common stocks. All indices are unmanaged and investors cannot invest directly in an index.

The MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australia, Far East) Index is a free float‐adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada. The MSCI EAFE Index consists of 21 developed market country indices.

One basis point (bp) is equal to 1/100th of 1 percent, or 0.01 percent.

The VIX (CBOE Volatility Index) measures the market’s expectation of 30-day volatility across a wide range of S&P 500 options.

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