These are tough times in the real estate market. The Covid-19 crisis has hit asset values, particularly commercial real estate in cities such as New York. Investors holding debt with upcoming maturities are preparing for tricky negotiations with their debtors.
The negotiations will be trickier if the debtor is the president of the United States.
Virtually all of Donald Trump’s debt — there is at least $1.1bn of it, according to his government financial disclosures and other documents — is backed by real estate, mostly linked to a small number of buildings and golf courses that form the core of the Trump business empire. About $900m of that debt will come due in Mr Trump’s second term, should he win the November 3 presidential election.