NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc may leave its headquarters in lower Manhattan next year when its lease expires, an executive at SL Green Realty Corp, the company that owns the building said.

AIG’s lease for 803,000 square feet of the 1.1 million square-foot building at 180 Maiden Lane expires next year. SL Green bought a 49.9 percent interest in the building when it helped The Moinian Group refinance the property last year.

NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) – Taubman Centers Inc
said a key earnings measure rose and it raised its outlook for
the year, as rent at its luxury malls increased in the second
quarter.

But for the first time in over two years, sales at its
tenants’ stores failed to rise by double-digits.

NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) – Two large U.S. apartment
landlords raised rents during the second quarter and expect to
continue to do so through the rest of 2012, as the apartment
rental market grew stronger despite economic uncertainties
troubling other real estate classes.

Equity Residential, whose chairman is Sam Zell, and
AvalonBay Communities Inc on Wednesday reported funds
from operations (FFO) that met Wall Street’s forecasts, and both
narrowed forecasts that expect continued rent growth.

NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) – Apartment owner Equity
Residential said on Wednesday a key earnings measure
rose 15 percent in the second quarter, helped by the company’s
ability to push up rents.

Equity Residential, whose chairman and founder is real estate
mogul Sam Zell, said second-quarter funds from operations (FFO),
excluding one-time items, rose to $215 million, or 68 cents a
share, from $186.7 million, or 60 cents a share, a year ago.
Revenue rose 13.2 percent to $541.6 million.

NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) – Apartment landlord AvalonBay
Communities Inc said an earnings performance measure
rose 28.3 percent in the second quarter, helped by lower utility
costs from mild weather and higher rental rates, especially in
Northern California.

The company on Wednesday reported funds from operations, or
FFO, of $128.2 million, or $1.34 per share, up from $99.9
million, or $1.13 per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue
rose 6.9 percent to $261.9 million.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Simon Property Group Inc (SPG.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reported an 18 percent increase in a key earnings measure on higher rents and sales at its malls and outlet centers, easily beating estimates, and the real estate investment trust raised its outlook and dividend.

Simon is one of the first mall companies to report second-quarter results amid a weak U.S. retail environment, with sales under pressure from stubbornly high unemployment, slow job growth and wary consumers.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Simon Property Group Inc (SPG.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reported second-quarter funds from operations jumped more than 18 percent, on greater rents and sales at its malls and outlet centers, easily beating estimates, and raised its outlook and dividend.

For more than a year, Simon, the largest U.S. owner of malls and outlet centers, has consistently posted increased growth in tenant sales and comparative net operating income, but gains slowed in the second quarter. Still, rents posted their highest increase in five quarters.

NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) – Simon Property Group Inc
, the largest U.S. owner of malls and outlet centers,
reported second-quarter funds from operations (FFO) rose more
than 18 percent, easily beating estimates, and raised its
outlook and dividend.

“We continue to deliver strong results as demonstrated by
5.1 percent growth in mall and Premium Outlets comparable
property net operating income,” David Simon, chairman and chief
executive, said in a statement on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Blackstone Group LP (BX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has spent more than $300 million to purchase over 2,000 foreclosed homes in order to rent and bet on a recovery of the U.S. housing market, the private equity company’s global head of real estate said Wednesday.

“Our bet is over time, vacant homes will fill up and markets will begin to recover,” said Jonathan Gray, senior managing director and global head of real estate. “Our exit will be to sell the individual homes to the renters themselves, or there could be a very large market for public housing units.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Blackstone Group LP (BX.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is in no rush to sell its vast U.S. office portfolio, the head of the private equity firm’s real estate unit said Wednesday.

“At this point we’re not actively marketing anything,” Jonathan Gray, senior managing director and global head of real estate, said of the firm’s office holdings across the United States.