Quote from ByLoSellHi:
I'm intimately familiar, as in face-to-face, with commercial real estate, in no fewer than 5 states (Nevada, Arizona, Florida, California and Michigan), and I can confidently predict that the shakeout of the overbuilding, over-leveraging and underperforming office buildings, retail 'power centers,' shopping malls, lifestyle centers, professional/medical, and free standing single use retail (i.e. Walgreen's, CVS, banks, fast food) is going to be absolutely devastating.
Consider these facts: 58% of commercial real estate mortgages taken out in 2005 were no principal, interest only, nothing down, 125% LTV, adjustable mortgages.
Consider also that much of the land these properties were built on, alone, has depreciated 30% to 60%, and the structure replacement cost is 60% to 85% of what the original cost was when contractors and materials cost more.
Consider that vacancies are skyrocketing, and rents are plummeting (many national retailers are demanding 15% to 50% rent reductions).
Yeah, it's going to be absolute devastation in the commercial real estate market.
There are brand new malls, built in just the last several months to 18 months, because the financing was obtained several years ago when banks were still lending money, that I've personally seen, that are literal ghost properties; big, bold, beautiful and either empty or nearly so.