Lenders Keep Eyes on Residential for Clues

Carl Cronan is editor of Real Estate Florida.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL-Commercial real estate lenders should pay closer attention to what happens on the residential side as a harbinger of economic troubles ahead, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s top experts are advising members gathered here Tuesday.Douglas G. Duncan, MBA chief economist and senior VP of research and business development, led the morning’s economic outlook session with Jamie Woodwell, senior director of commercial/multifamily research. They are expecting the nation’s housing market to recover during the latter half of this year, though trouble spots such as California and Florida may take more time to overcome excess inventories.

“The rest of the country is in relatively good shape,” said Duncan, who addressed thousands of professionals from across the country gathered at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort for the four-day Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo concluding Wednesday.