Subject: Economic News (ECO)

As expected, September is becoming a busy month for CMBS issuance. Three deals, from Lehman Brothers, Chase Manhattan and J.P. Morgan have been put on the starting blocks.

Marcus & Millichap predicts that rents will continue to climb in Orange County. That should push property prices up to $75,000/unit by year-end, up from $70,000 in June.

September 11, 2000 NEW YORK – Standard & Poor's has raised its ranking on Midland Loan Services Inc. as a commercial loan master servicer to "strong" from "above average."The upgrade reflects Midland's track record in the master-servicing business and technological ...

September 8, 2000 CHICAGO – Fitch has downgraded one class of American Southwest Financial Securities Corp.'s 1993-2 and affirmed all the other classes that it rates in the transaction.The deal's $6.4 million Class B-3 has been lowered to triple-C from ...

September 7, 2000 NEW YORK – Fitch has revised its rating outlook for Meditrust Corp. (NYSE: MT) to stable from negative, following the company's additional asset sales and corresponding reduction in bank debt. Meditrust's $1.1 billion senior notes are rated ...

July and August were two of the best summer months ever for CMBS loan origination, investment bankers have been saying this week. First Union increased its levels for those months by almost 40 percent over a year ago.

It's a great time to own apartments in the San Francisco bay area. Rents are skyrocketing due to demand for space and opposition to development.

The Labor Department has approved new guidelines that allow pension funds to buy lower-rated mortgage and asset-backed securities that are currently off-limits. Experts differ slightly on how and when the changes will affect CMBS.

August 18, 2000 NEW YORK – Standard & Poor's has raised its ranking on CapMark Services L.P. as a commercial loan master servicer and affirmed its commercial loan servicer ranking."The rankings are based on CapMark Services' excellent procedures, management depth, ...

August 18, 2000 NEW YORK – Fitch has downgraded its ratings for the senior and subordinated debt of HRPT Properties Trust (NYSE:HRP).The rating agency lowered HRPT's $738 million senior unsecured notes due 2002-2013 to triple-B from triple-B-plus. Fitch has also ...