Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%
Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.
CRE Has Survived Crises In the Past and It Will Overcome This One Too
The CRE industry in the U.S. is a large and diverse alternative asset sector valued at about $15 trillion. The industry is very resilient and adaptable even though many pundits over the decades have called for its collapse and extinction. Since the 1980s, the country has been through numerous recessions and real estate crashes as follows:
|- Recession and high interest rates of 1980 to 1982
- S&L, real estate, and oil crash from 1987 to 1992
- Recession of 1990 to 1992
- com crash of 2000
- Recession of 2001
- The Great Recession and real estate crash of 2007 to 2012
- COVID recession of 2020
In each of the above downturns, the CRE industry has suffered mightily with substantial loan defaults, foreclosed assets, and billions in lost investment. In the crash of 1987-1992, the value of all property types declined at least 60% and there were thousands of vacant and "see-through" office buildings and run-down apartment complexes scattered in every market in the country. The carnage was especially bad in the southwest states of Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. In the Great Recession, the value of the average CRE property also declined precipitously to about 50% and there were thousands of defaults, foreclosures, and lawsuits.
During each of these calamities, the pundits proudly proclaimed the death of the CRE industry, and many properties would be vacant, untenantable and need to be demolished. However, the CRE industry has thrived over this 40-plus-year period, even with all the defaults and foreclosures. Does anybody remember the Resolution Trust Corporation that was created in 1989 and sold much of the foreclosed S&L real estate assets at 30% and 40% on the dollar? Investors at the time who bought these discounted assets made huge profits years later when the assets were sold. This period also saw the creation of most of the public REITs that exist today.
What about the carnage that happened to the retail real estate industry just six or seven years ago? There were over 50,000 store closures, dozens of retail companies went bankrupt including Toys R Us, Sears, JC Penney, Gymboree, Forever 21, Mervyns, RadioShack, Ascena Retail Group, Belk, Payless Shoes and many more. Many financial mavens predicted that the retail industry was history, and everyone will shop online and never visit a store again. This did not happen. The closed stores were sold, repurposed, and re-leased and today, if you drive around any suburban area in the country, you rarely see a vacant Sears store or an empty box that was formerly a Toys R Us or big box tenant. The CRE industry is very adept at taking vacant and unused real estate and changing its "highest and best use" or repurposing the use into another cash-flowing real estate asset. Whenever these downturns or crashes occur, the distressed side of the industry, which is usually dormant until the crash occurs, rises to the challenge and mobilizes its resources to acquire, renovate, release, and sell these foreclosed and vacant properties.
This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only
ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN ENTERTAINMENT LAW.
- Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
- Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
- Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Already a have an account? Sign In Now Log In Now
For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473
Top 5 Strategies for Managing the End-of-Year Collections Frenzy
End of year collections are crucial for law firms because they allow them to maximize their revenue for the year, impacting profitability, partner distributions and bonus calculations by ensuring outstanding invoices are paid before the year closes, which is especially important for meeting financial targets and managing cash flow throughout the firm.
The Self-Service Buyer Is On the Rise
Law firms and companies in the professional services space must recognize that clients are conducting extensive online research before making contact. Prospective buyers are no longer waiting for meetings with partners or business development professionals to understand the firm's offerings. Instead, they are seeking out information on their own, and they want to do it quickly and efficiently.
Should Large Law Firms Penalize RTO Rebels or Explore Alternatives?
Through a balanced approach that combines incentives with accountability, firms can navigate the complexities of returning to the office while maintaining productivity and morale.
Sink or Swim: The Evolving State of Law Firm Administrative Support
The paradigm of legal administrative support within law firms has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last decade. But this begs the question: are the changes to administrative support successful, and do law firms feel they are sufficiently prepared to meet future business needs?
Tax Treatment of Judgments and Settlements
Counsel should include in its analysis of a case the taxability of the anticipated and sought after damages as the tax effect could be substantial.