Retail News Blog

Woe is the market analyst who shoots from the hip. There is too much opportunity and rationale these days, or for that matter, at any time, for closer examination of the data, analysis, and conclusions set forth by appraisers reporting the decision-making processes of participants in the real estate market.
Who among us has not been [...]

Arriving at a decision on the best strategy for how to successfully navigate the commercial real estate market during these challenging economic times is vexing to many an investor. Do I, or don’t I??? That is the conundrum facing most commercial real estate investors in today’s market. Do I, or don’t I liquidate my portfolio (or at least my non-performing assets)? Do I, or don’t I stand on the sidelines and wait-out these turbulent times? Do I, or don’t’ I get aggressive and take advantage of the decline in property values and the spike in acquisition cap rates? In the text that follows I’ll put forth counsel based not upon the emotions of the times, but rather the forthcoming advice is based upon my years of experience in successfully advising clients in both advancing and declining commercial real estate markets.

Do you think the collapse of the real estate market place is determinism (by design) or randomness (everything means nothing)? We can not deny that we have experienced a “bubble”. A bubble merely transfers a share of the future demand into the present. It’s linked with dramatic valuations and always debt funded. It is this [...]

The dislocation in the commercial real estate capital markets that exists today in the second quarter of 2009 has frustrated users of capital and left them feeling hopeless. The small universe of debt and equity providers that are willing and able to provide capital today want to advance less loan dollars on your deal while also taking on less risk. Most of the time that means that it’s a deal you cannot make. Thankfully, after successive quarters of bad news, most of us are past the denial stage and are making attempts to exist in a broken market. The leverage being offered by capital providers today would make sense if cap rates were closer to double digits, but unless and until that market correction happens, there will be further frustrations as both borrowers and lenders are fighting to preserve their equity and maintain returns seen earlier in the decade. The following are some survival tips that could help your deal:

According to the most recent Real Capital Analytics® Quarterly Retail Report the national retail asset sales volume at $1.9 billion (1st Quarter 2009) is down more than 74% from the same quarter one year ago. The only regional mall sale transaction in 2009 year-to-date (YTD) on a national level was the Cincinnati Mall which traded [...]

“I rarely have a conversation these days where the topic of financing doesn’t arise as a serious concern for my clients. When the economy is robust, and the capital markets are frothy, financing a commercial real estate transaction is a relatively simple matter. However during today’s recessionary times, the commercial capital markets are severely constrained. Not only is the supply of capital tight, but the demand may be near all time highs as well. Depending on which industry source you quote there is between $150 and $200 billion dollars of CMBS debt maturing in 2009 alone. This figure doesn’t include maturing loans from insurance companies, banks and other lenders, which means that many borrowers will be forced to secure financing in a market that presently offers little liquidity.” (”Getting your Property Financed” – Jackson Cooper, SVN – Boise, ID)