Thank goodness for dumb doctor deals

Actually, that's a misnomer here. "Dumb doctor deals" are real estate transactions that make no sense but for the fact that there are doctors with plenty of money backing them.

Reading this NREI story was a welcome relief from all the gloom and doom in the news lately. The sector, while perhaps not recession-proof, is still alive:

According to the latest data from Real Capital Analytics, sales of medical office properties totaled $3.3 billion in the first nine months of 2008, a 13% drop compared with the same period a year earlier. But that dip pales in comparison to the 62% dive in property sales for the entire office market in the third quarter.

Whew! Someone's doing something! And banks are dying to lend money to doctors right now, as they think that is a good exposure for their money. Let's face it -- we all get sick. We are, however, noticing anecdotally that the ER is in more use lately. Why? People are waiting until they are really sick to see a doctor because of a lack of money or health insurance.

And on the personal front, I should add that the newest medical office building in Bourbonnais, Illinois is opening soon, probably in early to mid-January. Yes, I was the lawyer on the deal; if I hadn't been, I probably would have been kicked out of the house. Wait until they get the final bill!