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Real-estate deals found in bankruptcy court – After the worst recession since the Great Depression, many real estate companies and developers that sought bankruptcy protection are selling properties through 363 sales, so named to refer to the section of the bankruptcy code that deals with this procedure. Such sales, typically processed quickly, hand the properties free of liens to the new owners and provide a way for real-estate investors to buy distressed debt. Marketwatch

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Small Banks and Big Risks – Meanwhile, a provision added, almost unnoticed, to a help-small-business bill that passed the House last week would allow all but the 100 largest banks to pretend they haven’t made bad loans. The goal is to prompt them to lend more readily to small businesses. The provision would permit more than 7,800 banks, with nearly $3 trillion in assets among them, to spread losses on bad real estate loans over six to 10 years instead of recognizing reality immediately. WSJ

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Architecture’s Long Fade – The Architecture Billings Index, a gauge the American Institute of Architects uses to show the industry’s strength (or weakness), indicates that business has now been in decline for a record 28 months in a row. Moreover, in issuing its latest report today, the institute reports that May’s rating fell from the month before. The weakest area geographically is the West. By sector, it’s institutional. Businessweek