... The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate has issued a forecast saying that the commercial market won't grow for two years. Lusk Center Chairman Stan Ross reported that "a lack of liquidity remains the major obstacle to a recovery in the commercial real estate markets at least until the end of this year." Ross projected that real estate markets, both commercial and residential, will start to recover in Q4 '09 - but only slightly - "with another full year before they grow again."...
.. Lusk's Director Richard Green added that now would be a good time for developers in a strong financial position to buy up such building materials as wood, steel and concrete to take advantage of falling prices. Green and Ross added that the slow market also provides an opportunity for well-capitalized opportunity funds to buy distressed assets or debt at a deep discount:
"More Warren Buffett-type investors will emerge this time around. .. While some are having problems with their assets now, others are positioning themselves for another good ride."...