The Soft Panic of 2009 Has Just Begun

The Soft Panic of 2009 Has Just Begun

By Andrew Mickey, Q1 Publishing

Highlights:

New York is the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to CRE. A year ago, vacancy rates in the Big Apple were between 7% and 8%. The rate climbed to 10.9% at the end of 2008. Now, just three months later, the vacancies are up to 12%. And they’re still going to go.

Climbing vacancy rates have pushed the cost of renting way down. The lease rate on a square foot of office space went from $74.49 to $65.18 in just the past three months. That’s a 12.5% decline in just three months. Keep in mind; this is in New York City where some of the world’s most valuable CRE is. We can only imagine what is going on across the country.

CRE has its own vicious cycle. Unemployment increases, demand for office space decreases, rents fall, and then commercial property prices fall. CRE prices have already fallen and the next leg down could make the subprime crisis look like a cakewalk.

In the end (yes the end is near – this was a bit long, but it’s not a simple topic and the risks posed warrant the time), the CRE debt issues are a ticking time bomb. With unemployment on the rise, vacancy rates rising, rents dropping, and CRE loans on the brink of default, this is shaping up to be a big problem.

The deal to unload the iconic Hancock Tower is just a sign of what’s to come. There are buyers now. But when liquidations increase, you’ll see prices fall much faster than the three year near-50% decline in the price of the Hancock Tower.


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