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Steve Marcinuk
10 Dec 2025

The idea that banks can indefinitely extend troubled commercial real estate loans is likely overstated, according to Bill Bymel, founder and CEO of First Lien Capital LP. While regulatory forbearance and creative loan restructuring have allowed banks to avoid recognizing losses, Bymel contends that structural and political forces will eventually require banks to confront the ...

Steve Marcinuk
10 Dec 2025

A mounting systemic risk in the credit markets is being overlooked, according to Bill Bymel, founder and CEO of First Lien Capital LP. He points to two intersecting problems: a surge in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and approximately $1.5 trillion in loans from banks to non-bank financial institutions that he describes as opaque and potentially ...

Steve Marcinuk
10 Dec 2025

The commercial real estate default crisis is deeper than official bank reporting suggests, according to Bill Bymel, founder and CEO of First Lien Capital LP. While major banks currently report default rates between 3% and 5% on their commercial real estate loan portfolios, Bymel contends the true level of distress is much higher once loans ...

Rudi Davis
10 Dec 2025

Burr Ridge mayor says sales tax and development fees, not property taxes, determine whether suburbs can fund police, roads, and services – creating a fundamental disconnect with residents who oppose revenue-generating projects Most suburban residents assume that property taxes are the lifeblood of their local government. But according to Gary Grasso, Mayor of Burr Ridge, ...

Rudi Davis
10 Dec 2025

Burr Ridge mayor describes how a premature leak about Costco consideration created a false narrative that spread faster than the village could correct it – offering a cautionary tale about information management in suburban development. One of the most overlooked challenges in suburban development is not organized opposition or legitimate community concerns, but the rapid ...

Rudi Davis
10 Dec 2025

After a failed development proposal, Burr Ridge, Illinois, has changed its strategy for handling large, strategic properties. Instead of waiting for developers to pitch ideas, the village is investing in its own planning process – a notable departure from the traditional, reactive model of suburban development. “If we made an error in the beginning, we ...

Rudi Davis
10 Dec 2025

First-time homebuyers in Rhode Island are struggling to compete for move-in-ready properties, but there are alternatives for those willing to adjust their expectations, according to Walt Buteau, a real estate advisor at Engel & Völkers Oceanside. Limited inventory under $500,000 and widespread demand for turnkey homes have created a market where entry-level buyers routinely lose ...

Rudi Davis
10 Dec 2025

Rhode Island’s house-flipping market remains active, but investors are struggling with rising acquisition costs that are reducing the profitability of renovation projects. Walt Buteau, a real estate advisor at Engel & Völkers Oceanside who specializes in investment properties and flips, says the challenge is not a lack of interest but a sharp increase in prices ...

Rudi Davis
09 Dec 2025

Seller psychology and demographic trends are creating a housing shortage in Rhode Island that extends far beyond the 20% of homeowners holding onto low mortgage rates, according to local real estate advisor Walt Buteau of Engel & Völkers Oceanside. Rhode Island’s inventory crisis is often blamed on homeowners with sub-4% mortgages who are unwilling to ...

Rudi Davis
09 Dec 2025

The traditional real estate brokerage model, built on networks of physical branch offices across every market, is under increasing financial strain. Cheryl Wellman, Chief Financial Officer at AccountTECH and former controller at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, says rising costs are forcing brokerages to close and consolidate branch offices at a pace not seen in decades. ...

Rudi Davis
09 Dec 2025

Established hotel owners are increasingly lending money to other hotel owners and operators, stepping into a role traditionally filled by banks and debt funds. As credit tightens and acquisition opportunities shrink, these experienced operators are using their own balance sheets to finance deals, effectively becoming lenders, but with the ability to step in and operate ...

Rudi Davis
09 Dec 2025

The idea that regional banks have pulled back entirely from commercial real estate lending oversimplifies the reality, according to Stephen Haase, Director of Capital Markets at Greysteel. While regional banks have not exited hotel lending altogether, they have become much more selective based on deal size. Haase says this shift is creating a clear split ...

Steve Marcinuk
09 Dec 2025

Jacksonville’s real estate landscape has become significantly more challenging for resale sellers, according to Terry Sadowski, a Realtor with RE/MAX Specialists and former new home sales professional. Sadowski warns that outdated pricing tactics are no longer effective as builders roll out aggressive incentives to attract buyers, intensifying competition and forcing resellers to adapt or risk ...

Steve Marcinuk
09 Dec 2025

Jacksonville’s real estate market has shifted decisively away from the frenzied conditions of the pandemic years, with homes now selling at an average of 93.5 percent of list price—down sharply from the 100 to 105 percent seen just 18 months ago. According to Terry Sadowski, a Realtor with RE/MAX Specialists and a Jacksonville-area agent since ...

Steve Marcinuk
09 Dec 2025

Recent building safety legislation enacted after the Surfside collapse has fundamentally changed the balance of supply and demand in Miami’s luxury condo market, but not in the way most expected. Joelle Oiknine, Senior Global Real Estate Advisor at One Sotheby’s International Realty, reports that mandatory building assessments are now shaping distinct buyer and seller behaviors ...