Received by Todd Picconi....Thanks Karen Vogel

Real Estate Industry Optimistic about Future

Nearly two-thirds of real estate professionals believe the U.S. real estate market will either strengthen (16%) or stay the same (47%) within the next 12 months, according to the recent third-annual Bryan Cave Real Estate Executives' Forecast Survey. About 35% of respondents said the industry will weaken.

"The survey reveals that most real estate professionals have faith in the real estate market, contradicting recent news coverage and suggestions that the real estate market is likely to falter," said William B. Tate II, a partner in Bryan Cave's Real Estate Group. "The market may not be continuing to grow as rapidly as it has in recent years, but investors feel real estate is still a solid investment. We believe the survey suggests that real estate professionals have another reason to be optimistic; they can diversify their investments and minimize risk by expanding their investments abroad."

Other findings include:
Sixty-one percent of real estate executives plan to invest in land outside the United States within the next 12 months. Countries named for land investment by the respondents include Mexico (15%), China (15%), United Kingdom (12%), Canada (8%) and Japan (8%).
When asked to identify factors or events that will have a significant impact on real estate investments in the coming 12 months, respondents cited interest rates (45%), job creation and employment (10%) and the U.S. economy (8%).

You can access the survey results at www.bryancave.com.AHMLR-060302222