Lead By Example? Morgan Stanley Walks Away from 5 Properties

[jeffrey]

To the extent that Morgan Stanley is leading by example, the securities colossus is sending an unlikely message to underwater homeowners: Walk away.

The Wall Street firm is itself walking away from five San Francisco office buildings it purchased as part of a landmark $2.43 billion deal near the height of the real estate boom. But don't call it a foreclosure or a default -- not when this kind of money is involved. A spokeswoman interviewed by Bloomberg News called it "a negotiated transfer to our lenders..."

If Morgan Stanley Walks Away, Why Shouldn't You? Firm Walks Away From 5 Properties