Or so those in the real estate investment management sector must be feeling.  As the music has stopped, are there sufficient chairs? The extraordinary rise of the institutional investor in real estate for the past twenty plus years spawned an equivalent rise in the number of real estate investment managers of all sizes and types: equity, debt (whole loan and securitized), securities, international, sector specific, geography specific, etc.  Now we see a precipitous drop in the level of new capital to be provided by such institutions as they face issues of liquidity, and consequently we may well see a corresponding…

  Due to the depth of the recession and complexity of issues leading to the global financial crisis, government intervention and stimulus have escalated to unprecedented levels. In addition to the Fed’s interest-rate reduction to almost zero, the government’s unconventional initiatives have helped spark market activity. These include the doubling of the Fed’s balance sheet over the past two years as result of various rescue packages and liquidity injection and programs such as Cash for Clunkers and tax credit for first-time homebuyers, which targeted trouble spots in the economy. These programs have not compensated for the unprecedented drop in consumer…

  During a time when most retail markets across the region remain stagnant, Downtown Miami’s is surprisingly enjoying relative growth. An area widely recognized as the epicenter of where boom turned to bust is turning a corner, and ironically, the downturn is serving as its catalyst. As price discounting continues and demand for urban living remains high, renters and buyers are flooding the Downtown market to take advantage of the killer deals and centralized urban location, in turn, creating a built-in customer base for retail entrepreneurs to capitalize on. In July of this year, Downtown Miami’s Central Business District welcomed…