Switch Reportedly Preps an IPO at Up to an $80B Valuation
Reuters: Switch has engaged banks for a possible IPO valuing it up to $80 billion — the public market’s biggest AI-infrastructure test yet.
Don Baker
Staff Reporter, RealtyWire
Don Baker is a full-time staff reporter for RealtyWire, where he covers residential real estate, commercial real estate, multifamily housing, market trends, finance, construction, rental data, and regulatory issues affecting the real estate industry.
Before joining RealtyWire, Don worked as an investor relations director for a multifamily private equity fund, where he wrote investor updates and reporting materials on the performance, operations, and outlook of investment properties. That role gave him hands-on experience analyzing real estate trends, rental statistics, construction activity, financing issues, multifamily operations, compliance matters, and the legal and regulatory factors that shape property ownership and investment.
Don brings a broad understanding of both residential and commercial real estate to his reporting, with a particular focus on helping readers understand how market data, policy changes, capital markets, and local property trends affect buyers, sellers, investors, brokers, developers, and property owners.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from Southern Illinois University and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Articles by Don Baker
Don Baker
Construction Backlog Slips to 8.8 Months in June, ABC Reports
ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.8 months in June, down from May but still above last year’s level, as data center work continues to outpace the rest of the commercial construction market.
Update: New Details on Meta’s Louisiana Data Center Ownership and Tax Breaks
Public filings and a rejected regulator request show Meta holds only a 20% stake in its own Louisiana data center campus, alongside a multibillion-dollar incentive package and unresolved questions about ratepayer risk.
Developer Files Plans for 1.25-Gigawatt Data Center Campus in Lovejoy, Georgia
Stillwater Development LLC has filed rezoning and state regional-impact requests for a data center campus of up to 1.25 gigawatts in Lovejoy, Clayton County, Georgia, about 25 miles south of Atlanta.
UWM Calls Rocket’s $100 Million Mortgage Lawsuit ‘Baseless’
Rocket has sued United Wholesale Mortgage for at least $100 million, alleging UWM violated a non-solicitation agreement tied to mortgage-servicing rights on loans Mr. Cooper bought from UWM in 2024. UWM calls the suit baseless.
Saronic to Build $3 Billion Port Alpha Shipyard in Brownsville, Texas
Saronic Technologies will build a $3 billion-plus autonomous vessel shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, with the company projecting up to 10,000 jobs over the next decade.
Newsom Announces $109.6 Million in Prop 1 Funds for 278 California Supportive Homes
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $109.6 million in Proposition 1 funding for 278 permanent supportive homes statewide, including 103 units reserved for veterans, through California’s Homekey+ program.
2-Gigawatt Data Center Project Advances in Texas
LandBridge and PowerBridge have signed a lease development agreement for a 2-gigawatt data center campus on roughly 3,400 acres in Reeves County, Texas, near the Waha natural gas hub.
National Equity Fund Acquires 32 Affordable Housing Properties in $200 Million St. Louis Deal
National Equity Fund has acquired 32 affordable housing properties from St. Louis Equity Fund in a transaction with an equity value of more than $200 million, preserving nearly 2,000 homes in the St. Louis region.
Google Named End User of 8 Million-Square-Foot Data Center Project in Columbia, Georgia
Columbia County, Georgia officials announced Thursday that Google will be the sole end user and operator of an 8 million-square-foot, 23-building data center campus in Appling, part of a deal tied to a Ratepayer Protection Pledge and local tax relief plans.
Howard Hanna Acquires Maine’s Top Independent Real Estate Brokerage
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is entering Northern New England, announcing a partnership to acquire Portside Real Estate Group, the brokerage it calls Maine’s top independent firm, extending its footprint to 18 states.
Coldwell Banker Warburg, NYC’s Largest Coldwell Banker Franchise, to Join Compass
Coldwell Banker Warburg, Coldwell Banker’s largest New York City franchise, is folding into Compass and will operate as “Warburg at Compass,” The Real Deal reports, following Compass’s completed acquisition of parent company Anywhere Real Estate.
Berkshire Hathaway Completes $8.5 Billion Acquisition of Taylor Morrison
Berkshire Hathaway has closed its $8.5 billion acquisition of Taylor Morrison, merging the homebuilder with Berkshire’s Clayton Properties Group to form the nation’s fourth-largest homebuilding operation.
Big Banks Post a Sharp Second-Quarter Mortgage Rebound
JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Bank of America grew mortgage originations roughly 32% on average in Q2 — banks are competing for home loans again.
HUD Withholds Records on AI Used to Review Housing Rules
Reporting says DOGE used AI to flag HUD rules for deletion — and HUD withheld 100+ documents about it, citing a FOIA privilege that doesn’t exist.
House Subcommittee Summons Compass, MRED CEOs Over Private Listings Deal
A House Judiciary subcommittee asked Compass and MRED to brief lawmakers by August 5 on a private-listing partnership raising antitrust and affordability concerns.
LivCor Agrees to $7 Million Deal in Rent-Software Case
Blackstone-affiliated LivCor agreed to pay $7 million and drop competitor-data rent software in a proposed nine-state deal. It denies wrongdoing.
Meta Commits Over $50 Billion to Louisiana Data Center
Meta is expanding its Louisiana campus to nearly 10 million square feet and 5 gigawatts — a $50 billion bet that reshapes land, power and labor markets.
Title Premiums Jump to $4.5 Billion as Deal Volume Returns
Title insurers wrote $4.5 billion in Q1 premiums, up from $3.9 billion, while claims fell — a clean confirmation that transaction volume is recovering.
Texas Tilts Toward Buyers as Supply Hits 5.2 Months
Texas’s median price slipped below last year as supply reached 5.2 months — yet sales keep growing. Inside the most orderly correction in the country.
Inside the OCC’s $2.6 Trillion Window on Bank Mortgages
The OCC’s Q1 report tracks 10.2 million bank-serviced mortgages — $2.6 trillion, 19.1% of the market — the regulator-grade check on mortgage health.
June CPI Falls 0.4%, Easing the Pressure on Mortgage Rates
June’s CPI fell 0.4% — the largest monthly drop since April 2020 — cutting annual inflation to 3.5% and cooling expectations of another Fed hike.
Appraiser Gets 20 Years in $65 Million Mortgage Fraud Case
A Florida man received 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in an appraisal-fraud scheme prosecutors tied to $65 million in defective loans.
U.S. Home Prices Hit a Record as Buyers Gain Leverage
The median U.S. sale price hit a record $408,776 in June, Redfin says — but the gains came from a handful of wealthy metros, not the whole market.
Drone Photography in Real Estate: What Actually Helps Listings Stand Out
Drone photography can help real estate listings stand out, but agents must understand FAA rules, safety and when aerial images add value.
Grocery-Anchored Retail Centers: Why Investors Still Like Them
Grocery-anchored retail centers keep drawing investors: necessity traffic, steady tenants and limited new supply support returns.
Commercial Mortgage Maturities in 2026: Why the Refinance Wall Matters
A wall of commercial mortgage maturities hits in 2026. Why refinancing math, not property performance, is the real risk.
Why Apartment Rents and Single-Family Rents Are Moving Differently
Apartment rents and single-family rents are diverging in 2026 as new multifamily supply cools one market but not the other.
Single-Family Rentals vs. Apartments: Which Rents Are Rising Faster?
Single-family rents are still rising faster than apartment rents in 2026. New rental supply explains most of the gap.
Rental Yield Explained: How Investors Measure Income Property Returns
Rental yield compares a property’s annual rent to its price. How investors calculate it — and the costs that skew it.