If you are a commercial investor odds are you are a bit shell shocked coming into the end of 2009. The marketplace is tough, the property values are a glimmer of what they once were, and let’s not even talk about rents.

But there is good news for some of the markets out there. The need for office space has never been higher in Washington DC as government expansion has sucked up every square foot in the city and surrounding areas. Austin is benefiting for the exodus out of high tax and nearly bankrupt California, while Boston, New York, and San Francisco maintain their places near the top due mainly to past glory.

Top 10 Commercial Real Estate Markets For 2010

Washington D.C. scores the highest marks during a recession.  While hard-pressed lenders pull back in most cities, major insurers and big banks have taken a long term view and are actually providing financing for new deals.  Bethesda, home to the National Institutes of Health, should benefit from increased bio-medical spending and Virginia markets, inside the Beltway, are expected to suffer only modest eros