Investment Banks Wreak Havoc on Commercial Real Estate Financing

The recent collapse of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch will make it even more difficult for borrowers to refinance commercial real estate loans.

According to UBS AG, the world’s largest manager of private wealth assets, eight of the top 10 investment banks accounted for about half of the loans packed into commercial mortgage-backed securities in 2006 and 2007. As of today, the eight are now either merging with other companies, no longer in business, or significantly reducing their real estate holdings.

By the end of 2012, UBS analysts anticipate a competitive market and estimate that almost $151 billion in commercial mortgage loans that were underwritten by investment banks and securitized will be due.

Source: Bloomberg.com