Archive for October 2009

Inland Empire Vacancy

Tweet Calculated risk put up a post yesterday about a topic that is near and dear to my heart: the Inland Empire commercial real estate market.  In summary, the retail vacancy rate continues to rise in the Inland empire.  I also thought it was humorous that the primary source for this data was CB Richard [...]

Have CRE Prices Bottomed?

Tweet I just came across this article in which Mike Kirby, Director of Research at Green Street Advisors claims that CRE values may not drop any further than they already have. My head is spinning now.  I don’t know what to think anymore.  Its almost as if everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Maybe [...]

Never Mind, No Green Shoots for Retail

Tweet It looks like retailers are not faring so well after all.  From an article published today at DallasNews.com titled “Speakers at Retailing Summit in Dallas offer sobering assessment” (emphasis mine): Retailers shouldn’t expect to see the pre-recession shopper in this economic recovery, and a shakeout with store closings is still ahead, speakers said Thursday [...]

Staying Alive – Blockbuster Gets a Lift

Tweet Blockbuster has secured $675 million in new debt (due in 2014) which will be used to pay off old debt.  The loan is nice and cheap at an 11.75% interest rate and represents 94% of par value.  Blockbuster is continuing its aggressive cost-cutting strategy in hopes that people will stop using the internet and [...]

Overpriced Deal of the Week

Tweet For those of you who have been reading this blog lately you will know that the overpriced deal of the week was already announced on Tuesday.  To call Moreno Beach Plaza overpriced would be like saying Fresh & Easy is underperforming.  So in honor of this new and (potentially) recurring post, I present you [...]

Let Me Count The Ways

Tweet

Green Shoots in Retail?

Tweet I just read a post on the CRE blog Net Lease Nation talking about the upcoming holiday season.  Apparently, Fitch Ratings is bullish on the retail sector: “Many companies across Fitch’s U.S. retail coverage have been managing inventory positions well. Gross margins have rebounded for those companies in the discretionary categories that were hit [...]

Calls From Appraisers Increasing – Banks Clearly Worried About Losses

Tweet Lately I have been receiving a high volume of calls from appraisers.  Appraiser calls are nothing new.  Normally, I receive a handful a month calling to ask questions about properties I have sold or asking for my opinion on a particular property they are trying to value.  Now, I am receiving several appraisal calls [...]