Credit Crisis Clouds Tomorrow's Outlook

(Read more on the debt and equity markets.)

NEW YORK CITY-Real estate investors and financiers have, over the years, used the real estate cycle to not only time their investments, but also maximize their returns and profits. In response to the current credit crisis, recently, chairman Ben Bernanke told the market that the Federal Reserve stands by ready to take additional actions as needed to provide liquidity and promote the orderly functioning of markets.

In today’s fluctuating market, it is essential to understand the rigidities regulating the market’s behavior, time the movements of rents, prices and the markets and also be prepared for any irregular and unpredictable movements of stocks and bond prices. Understanding this investment cycle, where it is now, and more importantly, where it is headed will be the focus of Real Estate Media and the RealShare Conference Series’ Investment and Finance Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

The conference, held at New York City’s Marriott Marquis, is a combination of last year’s Structured Finance Conference and National Investor Forum and is set to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 200 registrants are expected at the conference including leading investors and financiers of commercial real estate, who will provide their thoughts on what the credit crisis means, both now and going forward.

Some observers believe the real estate market is starting to experience a slowdown, leaving investors and lenders full of questions about the industry’s short- and long-term prospects. At the Investment and Finance Summit, some of those questions will be answered when everything will be on the table for discussion, including private equity, M&A activity, joint ventures, creative capital stack deal structures, hedge funds and CDOs.

“After the credit and capital markets turmoil of past month, the timing of the RealShare Investment & Finance could not be better,” comments Richard Kelley, executive director of the RealShare Conference Series. “This event will bring buyers, sellers and lenders together in an atmosphere where people can compare notes and discuss whether this is a temporary market blip that the industry will get through, or a more challenging situation that could roil the market and turn deals upside down for the forseeable future.”

Sessions that will gauge the current real estate climate and how it is interacting with the investment, finance and capital markets include: The State of the Real Estate Investment, Finance, and Capital Markets; Investor Power Panel; Different Deal Structures for Different Deals: Forming Complex Deal Structures with Less Stress; Capital Sources Power Panel; Investor Update: How are Different Types of Buyers Viewing Today’s Market?; Pushing the Envelope in Debt Financing: How Much is Too Much when it comes to Liquidity & Innovation?; Buy, Sell, Refi, Hold: Landmines in Today’s Acquisitions, Dispositions & Financing Markets; Predicting the Next 12 Months: Trends to Come for the Investment, Finance, and Capital Markets–How to Plan Ahead and Take Advantage.

Speakers include: Craig Butchenhart, NorthMarq Capital; Ed Coco, GE Real Estate; Bruce Cohen, Wrightwood Capital; Paul Fox, Cerberus; Spencer Garfield, Hudson Realty Capital; Jon Geanakos, Houlihan Lokey; Cory Grubner, GVA Williams; Pete Johnson, Spectrus; Jeff Lenobel, Schulte Roth & Zabel; John Lyons, Granite Partners; Lee Neibart, Apollo Real Estate Advisors; Russell Schildkraut, Ackman Ziff; Bob White, Real Capital Analytics; Dennis Yeskey, Deloitte & Touche; and Tim Zietara, CIT.