Work resumes at Finger building, city to lease pier to beer distributor … and more

1. Work set to resume at the Finger building [Curbed]

2. MTA plans for $150 million renovation of 370 Jay Street building [Brownstoner]
3. Pending home sales nationwide fall in November [AP via Sun-Sentinel]
4. Real estate market takes hits in the new year [NY1]
5. Commercial real estate faces trouble in 2009 [Washington Post]
6. Fed records indicate recession worries [WSJ]
7. Tax cuts likely to help homebuilders [WSJ]
8. Retailers in trouble in 2009 [The Street]
9. Miller Samuel’s Jonathan Miller discusses Elliman report [CNBC]
10. Two Apthorp owners in arbitration, one could throw project into default if dispute isn’t resolved by Friday [Crain’s]
11. Toll Brothers and Hovnanian Enterprises face city’s real estate market slump [Seeking Alpha]
12. Nationwide, foreclosure sales tripled during the first 10 months of 2008 [Bloomberg]

13. Office rents fall with decline in demand [WSJ]

14. Construction at Metropolitan Cinema and Condos on schedule [GL]
15. High population increase expected because of large construction projects [Metro]

16. City’s Economic Development Corp. plans to lease Pier 11 to beer distribution trucking facility [Brooklyn Paper]

17. In letter, Deb Howard of Pratt Area Community Council said predatory equity will be next mortgage crisis [Brooklyn Eagle]
18. Shared office space coming to President Street [Brownstoner]