House Rejects Bailout Package

By Keat Foong, Executive Editor We are going from crisis to crisis. The House voted down the $700 billion bailout plan, and the Dow Jones Industrials plunged by 777.68, or nearly 8 percent—its worst drop in two decades. In the immediate aftermath, it looks as though banks’ short term  interest rates are spiking. That means…

By Keat Foong, Executive Editor

We are going from crisis to crisis. The House voted down the $700 billion bailout plan, and the Dow Jones Industrials plunged by 777.68, or nearly 8 percent—its worst drop in two decades. In the immediate aftermath, it looks as though banks’ short term  interest rates are spiking. That means higher benchmark for short-term, LIBOR-based multifamily borrowing. On the positive side, Treasury yields have fallen further. This is a plus for longer-term, fixed-rate loans, provided spreads do not widen further—which is a big if. If the bailout plan should eventually pass, that should have a calming effect on markets and perhaps spreads as well. But even then, lenders will continue to be conservative, says Bill Hughes, senior vice president and managing director of Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp.