Archive

Lenders perceive multifamily as the strongest and safest real estate asset class going forward.  The agency lenders have been extremely aggressive on pricing with no changes in sight.  Count on banks, life companies and CMBS lenders to become more aggressive on terms, specifically debt service coverage ratios and cash-out restrictions, in order to compete with More

When it comes to financing, retail is a story of the haves and the have-nots.  Expect a barbell shaped market with high-quality opportunities on one side and challenged properties on the other side.  Grocery-anchored centers in strong markets are doing well and even thriving, while vintage mom-and-pop centers without essential retail are having a tough More

Cell phones are a daily necessity that the populace cannot live without and even with the ongoing coronavirus concerns, people will make an exception with leaving their homes when it comes to repairing their cell phones. As a result, cell phone repair stores still have plenty of guaranteed foot traffic. Although there are many mom-and-pop More

Retail stores that sell secondhand merchandise are seeing an uptick of growth, perhaps because of economic uncertainties due to the fallout from COVID-19. The popularity of secondhand stores coincides with a quarantined populace that has had extra time to sort through and purge items in their own closets. There is also the allure of earning More

Condominium borrowers will see available capital from banks, debt funds, bridge and private money lenders. Watch for condo lending to be more location and borrower specific than in the past. Lenders will be extremely conservative and require additional borrower equity. Borrowers will see 5% to 10% lower leverage and an increased focus on pre-sales. Lenders More

There is an increasingly popular trend this year in which retail spaces are being converted into fulfillment-only centers. Amazon got the ball rolling in August with rumors that some of Simon Property Group’s big-box mall spaces may become Amazon fulfillment centers. Variations of this online fulfillment need are showing up in “dark stores,” in which More

There has been a major expansion push recently with regards to cookie shops. The national yearning for the comforting, feel-good sensation that fresh baked cookies represent is spurring demand for these retailers. Customers are drawn to impulse treat purchases that will sweeten their moods in these increasingly stressful pandemic-era times. Cookie brands tend to seek More

Condominium borrowers will see available capital from banks, debt funds, bridge and private money lenders.  Watch for condo lending to be more location and borrower specific than in the past.  Lenders will be extremely conservative and require additional borrower equity.  Borrowers will see 5% to 10% lower leverage and an increased focus on pre-sales.  Lenders More

Bridge lending is picking back up and should become even more abundant going into 2021.  Look for many bridge lenders who had been on the sidelines to return to the space, although seeking less risky deals with more conservative terms.  Plenty of opportunities await active bridge lenders, especially on higher quality properties in favorable locations More

Count on an influx of developers wanting to repurpose big-box anchor mall spaces, specifically former Sears stores, into apartments. This trend has especially revved up as the coronavirus lockdowns are adversely affecting mall traffic. There are ample retailers and restaurant chains that are especially attracted to the big-box apartment conversion concept, as it means there More

Count on many lenders, especially the agencies and banks, to be active in the small-balance multifamily space going forward. Small-balance properties will continue to be sought after as they include a big component of workforce housing, which is in high demand. Lenders will especially target small properties with an affordability component. Rates will remain low More

Salad chain brands will see a rise in popularity throughout the country as national lockdown measures ease up and Americans move away from their comfort food quarantine diets and resume their health and fitness routines. As many Americans work to shed those extra pounds they gained through both stress eating and mandated gym lockdowns, the More