Warding off defaults a priority for commercial sector

November 2nd, 2009

Commercial loans are defaulting at record-high rates, and many industry insiders believe the pace will only worsen, both in South Florida and nationwide. As revenues drop amid a severe recession, savvy commercial property owners in the region are working with banks — some more than others — to avoid default now before market conditions worsen.

According to a recent report from Real Estate Econometrics, the default rate of commercial real estate bank loans has reached its highest level in 15 years. And momentum is moving toward worsening default rates, which more than doubled nationally in the second quarter, up to 2.88 percent from 1.18 percent year-over-year, the report shows. And the company expects the default rate to rise to 4.1 percent by the end of the year, and to 5.2 percent by the end of 2010.

Rising vacancy rates, falling rents and increased operating expenses are contributing to the default surge. But the inability to refinance, sell or meet balloon payments also plays a part. Legal experts suggest commercial property owners looking to avoid default should get honest and aggressive about trying to find a middle ground.

Read the rest of my story on The Real Deal.

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