HOW LOW CAN THEY GO?

Interest rates hit an all-time low on June 1, when the 10-year Treasury reached 1.48%. What does a limbo contest mean for CRE? NorthMarq's Warren Hitchcock (with colleague Kerry French, both in the Houston office) tells us deals are coming in with 10-year debt at 3.5% all in, causing borrowers to take as much money as they can (even historically all-cash developers). It's also driving investors to CRE in search of yield, bringing CMBS back at aggressive rates. Warren says it all means potential for owners to cash out and reinvest elsewhere.
Rates haven’t been near this low since 1945, when they bottomed at 1.54%. Warren says the low interest rates owe largely to pricing in fear (eurozone, slow economic growth, election, etc). Kerry says there could be a downside: Record interest rates that come from artificial manipulation usually have unintended consequences(and if you've seen Prometheus, you know how "artificial manipulation" can backfire). In the meantime, rates could go even lower. Goldman, which had projected rates to increase to 3.25% by year's end, now expects them no higher than 2.5%. JPMorgan estimates that Treasury yields will drop to 1.40%.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Related Topics: Kerry French , Warren Hitchcock
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Boston Newsletters
Related Stories

Texas Flips Blue, Putting Data Center Boom On Notice

Hynes Vows To Bring Property Tax Stability As New Cook County Assessor

Donalds Makes History With Win For Florida Governor, Voters OK Property Tax Amendment

BioMed Sells Cambridge Office At A Loss: The Boston Deal Sheet

Former Randolph Event Venue Planned For 200-Room Hotel, Theater

The Geo Group To Reopen 2,329-Bed Immigration Facility In Texas

What's At Stake For CRE In Tuesday's U.S. Midterm

From Pandemic Darling To Cautionary Tale: Pickleball Clubs Face A Reckoning After Betting Big On Retail Space

'Distress Is Finally Trading': Investors Chasing Big Discounts On Boston Office

140-Acre Attleboro Golf Course Hits Market, Pitched For Redevelopment

Foundry Robotics Leaves San Francisco For New East Bay HQ

Alexandria Sells Stakes In Megacampuses To Weather Life Sciences Downturn