The Declining Market
29 Sep 2008
Like all the other sectors in the properties market, the commercial real estate market is feeling the effects of the housing lending disaster. Vacancy rates for retail, office and industrial properties are rising. With the decrease in rental income, building owners are finding it hard to generate enough income to pay off mortgage loans. Some lenders are beginning to put foreclosed properties on the market. Tighter credit has slowed the sales in the urban property market. Reis Inc., a New York-based real estate research firm, recently estimated that nationwide prices for office deals were down 11 percent from last year, while retail property prices were off 4 percent and warehouse property prices were down 7 percent. Foreclosed property is now being offered at substantial discounts, way below the lots’ original prices. There’s no indication that the market will be improving soon, so debt restructuring might be a better solution to the real estate problem.