Credit quality

Commercial real estate portfolios have held up better than expected during the pandemic. But rising delinquencies and fears of a delayed economic recovery are renewing questions about credit quality.

In November, more loan products were being offered both at the upper and lower ends of the market.

Lenders also increased jumbo product availability as well as rolling out new SOFR-indexed ARMs.

Lenders pushed back against the notion that city dwellers' pandemic-driven flight to suburbia would hurt them. They say fewer landlords have sought deferrals as vacancy rates remain low and rent collections have stabilized.

Deferrals may be hiding credit issues, leading lenders to track deposit flows, property maintenance and other factors to gauge the true health of their portfolios.

The government-sponsored enterprises set a Sept. 30 deadline for sellers to accept applications for Libor adjustable-rate mortgages.

Low rates and intense competition might lead some banks to ease underwriting standards in 2021, when the economy may not yet have recovered.

Commercial real estate loans are vulnerable as financial assistance for tenants winds down and might not be fully renewed. Late rent payments could rise, leading lenders to press landlords to pay up.

Uncertainties in the job market drove mortgage credit availability down again, falling to the lowest point since March 2014, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Conditions have improved for the first time since November.