Shareholders in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) should be prepared to forgo dividends over the next year as trusts are keeping cash in crisis.  According to BMO Capital Markets, almost 30% of all REITs have made changes so that they can suspend, cut or switch to...

Recently Fannie and Freddie both announced broken records for apartment mortgage lending volume in 2008.  The two were highlighted at the Mortgage Bankers Association Commercial Real Estate Finance Convention in San Diego.  They bought a combined $60 billion in loans...

Recently the CoStar Group performed an analysis on the commercial mortgage backed securities market (CMBS).  Historically CMBS loans have been fairly insulated from market flux because of their diversified portfolios. In 2008, distressed CMBS loans were at a historic...

Speculators are bursting bubbles all over the city since Joe Sciolla, managing principal at CresaPartners, released his thoughts about Boston commercial real estate in 2009.  Although Sciolla is often viewed as an “alarmist” by the local real estate community, he has...

Let’s reflect upon the following quote by Lisa Harlow “Thanks for showing me that even on the darkest, rainiest days the sun is still there, just behind the clouds, waiting to shine again”. While we attempt to navigate these choppy economic waters, let’s keep in mind...

In a down market with potentially high vacancies, there are many opportunities for landlords to incentivize existing clients to renew a lease and to ensure that the market is aware of their product.  On the flip side, tenants will be looking for “deals” and incentives...

A 2008 review of US financial markets would reflect on a year in crisis, a year leading to unprecedented reorganization and capital restructuring, and a year presenting perhaps one of the biggest challenges for financial systems that we’ve historically ever seen. A...

It could always be worse, but consider some positive points – our trade deficit has finally decreased after so many years of the reverse situation; gasoline has dropped from over $4.00 per gallon for regular to $1.63 per gallon which I just paid to fill up – a total...

I sincerely appreciate the emails I have been receiving as a result of my recent post which focused on the timing of an economic turn-around.  It was geared more toward the general public if you will. As for some thoughts for buyers of commercial real estate in these...

Although my expertise, with over 25 year’s experience, lies in the selling and leasing of office and industrial buildings in the suburban Boston area, over the last 8 weeks or so I have been besieged by customers and clients alike soliciting my opinion on the subject...