Every now and then, the inventory will shrink by half.

As a result the debt party began to unwind as the value of the assets declined while the debt (liabilities) remained, thereby shrinking the balance sheet.

Germany between the wars and Brazil or Chile about that same time are cited in the textbooks.Consider what owning rental real estate would be like under the onset of hyperinflation.If your tenant had just signed one year leases, and your debt is adjustable rate, you would notice that your margins would shrink as the items that you purchase frequently (supplies, maintenance work, property management services, etc.) would increase in price.

New development: If the commercial office & retail space will shrink, how can builders refocus their business if it doesn't make sense to build brand new offices & retail centers?

A shrinking inventory seems to be the majority trend.

Is the pop growing or shrinking?

Issues for a purchase aredemographics of the city (economic factors)growing or shrinking {jobs, population}vacancy factor (imo, above 10 is deadly but what's the right single digit?)

I still believe there is a good chance of enjoying one, maybe two, positive quarters later this year or early next; however, a crisis of this magnitude doesn't suddenly fade into obscurity, just because the economy no longer shrinks at an annual rate of 6-8%.Going forward, not only will economic growth disappoint, but the economic cycles will become more volatile again (see chart 1) with several boom/bust cycles packed into the next couple of decades.

Make sure if an entrance door that you have a proper threshold installed and that you have the proper exterior caulking that will not crack or shrink sealing the outside to keep water out.Doors are a first line of defense into a unit and are often neglected for maintenance.  

I prefer engineered since it doesn't shrink over time.