Posh Real Estate Deals Boom in High-Flying Junk Muni Market

  • Risky muni returns are beating US corporate high-yield debt
  • Atlanta and Miami projects sold high-yield muni debt this year
The Miami Worldcenter in downtown Miami.Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Paramount Miami Worldcenter/AP Photo
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

High-end real estate developments are tapping the municipal-bond market, leading to a slew of so-called luxury dirt deals and fueling returns for investors willing to take on the risk.

This year, state and local debt buyers have helped finance a vacation-home golf enclaveBloomberg Terminal in Florida, a resort near Zion National Park and a $4.2 billion redevelopment in Atlanta’s downtown. The deals — all high-yield and sold exclusively to sophisticated investors — represent a niche corner of a market that typically raises money to build schools, roads and bridges.