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Younan

Executive opinions from Younan Properties Inc., Behringer Harvard Funds and Cobalt Capital Partners, most likely reflecting peers in their income group, run counter to soothsayers' claims that hard times will befall CRE next year. The common belief is opportunity is knocking for the deep-pocketed crowd because the credit crunch has eliminated high-leveraged buyers from the bidding ranks due to lenders' tightening underwriting practices.

"We will benefit from it. The smaller players will not be able to compete and buy buildings," says Zaya S. Younan, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based Younan Properties Inc. "That's the one change I see in 2008." In anticipation, Younan is planning to deploy $3 billion on acquisitions next year in Chicago, Dallas and Houston. This year, he's spent $1.5 billion for 19 office buildings, totaling 4.4 million sf in the three cities.

Friedland