Malls, Outlets Are Risky Business For Lenders, Report Says
A report by Integral Realty Resources shows lenders are finding regional malls and outlet centers riskier compared to other retail shopping centers.
The report puts outlet centers at the highest average interest rate spread across all LTVs, with grocery-anchored centers at the lowest on all deals except ones between 76% and 85% LTV. (People have to eat, after all.)
The difference between grocery and outlet centers maxed out at 91 bps in deals between 61% and 75% LTV.
Looking at the numbers, it's hard to question the banks' trepidation. Regional malls and outlets have been struggling, with 24 malls closing up shop since 2010 and another 60 on the brink of closing, the New York Times reports.
Investors aren't too keen on throwing money into malls, either. Regional mall cap rates dropped last year, a decline that continued into 2015. And midway through the year, all regional mall REITs—with the exception of one—were trading at a discount.
Lenders put malls as the second-riskiest site at 316 bps for deals 61% to 75% LTV, as the e-commerce boom and overbuilding has investors wondering: Is this the death of the shopping mall?
