The commercial real estate industry has been traveling a windy, dusty road since 2007.

There has been a lot of talk about pent-up demand, cash on the side lines and investors in the wings. So far we have not seen the long awaited collision of reduced prices and pent-up demand.

We travel down the road, wearied and parched, as months go by without our seeing a passing vehicle.

Small and intermediate investors, those most strapped for cash reserves, are running low on fuel waiting for the collision of buying power with what they fear is their last price adjustment they dare make before the notes are called and new refinancing is required. The NOI isn’t there, neither are the tenants or the buyers.

The good news is that we are seeing the dust of approaching vehicles just over the hill. There is the noise of oncoming traffic.

Those of us in the Northern Arizona commercial market are seeing a measurable increase in traffic. We are seeing more tenants, slight increases in rental rates and in general more activity on the retail and industrial fronts.

Although we are not yet ready to pop the corks on the Champaign bottles, we are least sipping some cheap wine in anticipation that perhaps 2011 will bring the collision between lower rates and pent up demand.

Barring any overreaching government intervention and further reluctance of lenders, I am now finally ready to at least acknowledge the prohibited collision is predictably logical.