"Investors are flooded with opportunities," explained panelist Alex Moglia, president of Moglia Advisors. "They want easy deals," he added, noting that many investors are still holding back and waiting for assets to get cheaper.

Lorie Beers, managing director of KPMG Corporate Finance LLC agreed with Moglia. "There is still liquidity in the market," she said. "There is also great opportunity for foreign investors in US real estate to take advantage of the hedge. It is a currency play, but you still need solid fundamentals."

Beers continued that these foreign investors or foreign funds are looking at the long-term investment as opposed to the US investor. "The US investor is looking for the ROI (return on investment) from the get go."

When moderator John Collen, partner of Quarles & Brady LLP asked panelists how investors actually find out about opportunities, most responded that it is all about meeting people and marketing. "Marketing, marketing, marketing," Moglia said. "Find out where the loan may be in an earlier stage than others. You should be mining those relationships from financial institutions."

Beers said that if investors want to invest in distressed arenas, they need to make sure they are in that deal flow. "Investors have to get on investment banker's list for when assets or portfolios come up."

Alec Ostrow, a shareholder at Stevens & Lee PC explained that there are other ways to acquire assets than just buying the assets itself. "Purchasing a loan or a buying a lien is an indirect way of getting to land. In bankruptcy, we have discovered all kind of things that can trade such as unsecured claims, mortgage claims, liens and more," he said. "There are enormous opportunities if investors buy the debt instead of the asset."

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Natalie Dolce

Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.