Experts Debate Impact of GSE News

[IMGCAP(1)]WASHINGTON, DC-The turmoil on Wall Street, rising operating expenses, escalating job losses and the sagging economy are weighing heavily on the minds of many in the commercial real estate arena. But for those in the multifamily sector–where job growth, consumer confidence and the mortgage market have a direct correlation to demand–those issues have become hot-button topics in recent weeks.

At the National Multi Housing Council’s Apartment Strategies Update, a handful of apartment industry experts got together recently to go over the current state of the market, the factors weighing heavily against it and where they believe the sector is headed.First and foremost is the issue of the government-sponsored entities. After a glut of financial woes, federal officials took over conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Doug Bibby, president of NMHC, characterized the GSE bailout as “a hybrid between the Continental Bank and Chrysler-type approach;” that is, somewhere between nationalization and giving the firms an equity infusion. “Secretary Paulson I believe was more concerned with the worldwide stability issues, particularly Asian holdings of MBS and agency debt,” he related. “There’s also a lot of political undercurrent in just putting an equity infusion into the companies as they’re structured. The conservatorship approach is kind of like being in Chapter 11 versus being in Chapter 7.”