U.S. Economy Sees Downturn

Though the commercial real estate industry is definitely on an upturn, the overall economy in the United States faced some challenges during the first quarter.

A bad winter, congestion at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach and the dollar being on the upswing led to a 0.7-percent decrease in GDP. Analysts predicted the country would have a 0.2-percent growth rate.

Second-quarter predictions have a two-percent increase, making it the toughest half year for the U.S. economy since 2011.

However, housing, construction and business spending are all performing well. This could have an impact on how the Fed deals with interest rates by the end of the year.

Overall, things are expected to improve when 2015 concludes.