October 16th – In the Blocks

What I’m Reading In the Blocks: Conditions are perfect for distressed debt funds – which usually perform well during certain economic conditions, including when monetary conditions have been dramatically eased and when high-yield debt issuance is high. This according to a report on crisis-era distressed debt returns by Julian Falcioni at...

October 13th – Mind the Gap

One Big Thing Over the past couple of months, it has become fairly obvious that another round of support will not be forthcoming from the federal government – at least not until after the election.  Given our recent economic struggles, conventional wisdom dictates that this sort of news would send...

October 12th – Hanging On

What I’m Reading Hanging in There: After showing signs of deterioration when enhanced UI ended, the NMHC Rent Payment Tracker is – remarkably – at exactly the same level that it was at in 2019 for the first week of October.  NMHC  The Great Divide: Pricing expectations between sellers and buyers have continued...

October 2nd – Headache

What I’m Reading Headache: Percentage rents are likely to have staying power for retailers even after the pandemic subsides.  However, As omnichannel sales strategies grow more popular, the breakdown between online and brick-and-mortar stores is becoming blurry, making it difficult to establish what sales should be included in the percentage rent...

September 21st – Still Flowing

One Big Thing Still Flowing: CMBS originators and debt funds have pulled back during the pandemic.  However, the real estate capital markets have largely continued to function, thus far avoiding the near-complete shutdown experienced during the Great Financial Crisis and preventing a major crash in valuations.  Real Clear Analytics  This brings to mind...

September 17th – Aaaand Scene

What I’m Reading Aaaaand Scene: The cameras are rolling and Hollywood’s film industry is slowly coming back to work, That is bringing intense demand for studio space, new interest from investors and higher rental rates. Commercial Observer Losing Hope: As the pandemic recession continues, many small and midsize U.S. banks find themselves buried...

September 2nd – The Waiting Game

What I'm Reading Waiting Game: Although many tenants are not paying rent and many landlords are not paying their mortgages, the floodgates for distressed opportunities have not yet opened, largely because of eviction and foreclosure moratoriums.  Deal flow will start once these moratoriums lift and the first shoe to drop...

September 1st – Liftoff

Welcome to Basis Points, a daily go-to for the best and most interesting curated commercial and residential real estate stories, combined with original commentary and analysis.If you are frequent reader of my blog (formerly Landmark Links), you may have picked up on some hints I’ve been dropping about an upcoming...