commercial real estate

First, U.S. manufacturing collapsed under the pressure from low-wage labor overseas, leaving the landscape dotted with hollowed-out plants and gutted factories. Now, assailed factors from online shopping to the economic downturn, the retail sector is suffering too, bequeathing us an increasing number of abandoned -- some say dead -- malls.

Atlanta's Bank of America Plaza is one of the 10 tallest structures in the U.S. And thanks to troubles at its namesake bank and other one-time tenants, the skyscraper could be one of the tallest foreclosure tales of the financial crisis.

Finally, a couple of forces are joining to brighten the sector's outlook. Particularly, a lack of new building is tightening supply and improving economic conditions are creating reasons for existing properties to rise in value.

Want to see how the construction industry will do in 2011? Look at how architects did in 2010. By that gauge, last year's thin uptick in building design and engineering services foretells a similar small gain ahead for builders -- after two years of steep declines.

Although retail sales -- share prices -- have rallied back to 2007 highs, retail real estate prices remain depressed. Investors beware: A deeper look at the reasons behind that split suggest harder times ahead for major, publicly held retailing companies.

Google has bought a 15-story building that previously housed the New York Port Authority headquarters. The building, in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, has more square feet than the Empire State Building. The purchase is sign the company is expanding in the Big Apple.

The owners of Manhattan%u2019s landmark Lipstick Building, which housed convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff's opulent offices, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Could new owners make the economics work?

ING Investment Management forecasts that stock markets will rise between 8% and 12% in 2011, thanks to a low-inflation, low-interest environment supported by the Fed, despite weak GDP growth. And for those looking for to increase their investment yields, they have a few suggestions.

24/7 Wall St. analyzed large real estate transactions in the U.S. to come up with a list of the top 10 biggest deals. They're surprisingly homogeneous: All are in Manhattan, occurred in the past 10 years -- and most are office buildings.

The residential real estate market is drowning in foreclosures, and the problem is broadening and worsening. Similar bad loans have been made in commercial real estate, so why isn't there a comparable flood of commercial foreclosures? Here's why.