All is not exactly lost for the real estate market, according to Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman. In a capital markets update on Wednesday, the firm reports that there is capital coming into real estate, with lenders and equity investors reporting greater desire and capacity to put money to work.

More states than not saw unemployment rates increases between January and February 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics–30 in all, as well as the District of Columbia, while nine states saw decreases and 11 recorded no change. That’s the bad news.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. may be able to sidestep Simon Property Group and other unwanted suitors under a formal proposal made on Monday by Fairholme Capital Management L.L.C., one of its largest unsecured creditors, and Pershing Square Capital Management, one of GGP’s largest equity holders and a significant unsecured creditor as well.

When Jones Lang LaSalle released its Beige Book business survey this month, parts of the report were rosy with optimism.

About 36,000 employees were shown the door in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, but it wasn’t enough to budge the official unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. Moreover, it was fewer job losses than expected.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based Nationwide Health Properties has acquired five additional medical buildings with an aggregate transaction value of $211 million.

What snowpocalypse? The American consumer shrugged off the snows of February and went shopping in considerable numbers last month according to a number of retail surveys.

While a decent amount of indicators are looking brighter than in years or even months past, the amount of loan maturities coming up in the next several years could put a dent in that optimism.

The Federal Reserve released its latest “Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District,” otherwise known as the Beige Book, on Wednesday. The economy is growing, according to the report, but modestly.

Oak Brook, Ill.-based Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust has signed 10 new leases totaling 316,050 square feet of big-box space since November 2009.