The latest JREI investor sentiment survey findings were just reported, opinions gathered in April so a fairly fresh view to the market.   Summary: Expected cap rates have gone up 50-100bp over the last survey 6 months ago and still 20-30bp higher than current market cap rates…  although I don`t believe there are enough transactions happening to underwrite that well.

The core of core Marunouchi/Otemachi Class A Office has moved moved upward to 4.5% or 300bp over the risk free and to match core Ginza Retail at the same 4.5% which are now the theoretical bases to which we add risk premium points for other classes, namely:

Omotesando Retail at 4.7%, Suburban Tokyo retail 6.5%, Regional Retail Downtown areas 6-7% / Suburban 7-8%

Tokyo Warehouse Single Tenant / Multiple Tenant 6%, other metropolitan hubs 6.3% to 7%

Residential at 6.0% to 6.3% and in the regions 6.6-6.7% for Yokohama to a high of 7.7% for Sapporo

Economy Lodging Tokyo 6.1%, Osaka 6.8%, Nagoya 6.9%, Fukuoka/Sapporo 7%

from Seeking Alpha, click link for entire article: Japan’s J-REIT Market to Get a $10.5 Billion Bailout

`While talking about it since March, the Japanese government (specifically, the Financial Services Agency and the Land Ministry) appears to be in the final stages of pumping over $10 billion into the J-REIT market and removing impediments to consolidation in the industry. The market-weighted average yield has recently been as high as 7%, but investors remained leery because of balance sheet and liquidity risk.`   Here`s their JREIT performance graph demonstrating the recent stabilization.

Banks can not very well avoid refinancing JREIT debt now with all of the government back up and regulator pressure.  This and the Lonestar pricing of New City has put a floor on the market – and likely an indicator of a bottom for the J-REIT sector.

It is `officially` time to get into the J-REIT market.