CMBS issuance riding high for first months of 1998

The volume of commercial mortgage-backed securities issued during the first month and a half of 1998 rose 250%. Demand has increased so much that some commercial lenders have been able to raise their spreads from .10% to .15%. However, the volume of payoffs of existing loans is also increasing for a few institutional lenders, which is making it hard for them to achieve strong growth.
Commercial mortgage activity has returned to a feverish pace, according to the Barron's/John B. Levy & Co. National Mortgage Survey of more than 30 institutional lenders and players in the [...]