CRE loans rise in value in August: DebtX

Commercial real estate loans climbed in value in August, according to a company that specializes in loan sales. The value of real estate loans used to collateralize commercial mortgage-backed securities increased to 85.9% in August from 85.3% a month earlier, according to the Debt Exchange Inc., a Boston-based company that provides loan analysis, advisory, and exchange services. The firm priced more than 53,000 commercial real estate loans with an aggregate principal balance of $637.4 billion in August. The loans provide collateral for 646 CMBS trusts in the United States. The value of loans tracked by DebtX has risen over the year, suggesting a gradual improvement in the fundamentals of the commercial real estate market. At the end of December, the value of loans collateralizing CMBS stood at 79.4%, according to DebtX, substantially lower than values in August. “Commercial real estate loan prices rose in August mostly due to a decline in Treasury yields,” according to DebtX CEO Kingsley Greenland. “CRE loan prices are also continuing to recover due to improving conditions in the marketplace.” Write to Liz Enochs.