The commercial real estate sector faces a number of challenges, but perhaps the most significant is the abrupt slowdown in financing, which is particularly troublesome for U.S. real estate markets as a growing number of loans approach maturity. The risk of default of near-term maturities has risen in recent months, creating a debt dilemma in the commercial real estate industry that presents real estate investors with tough decisions. With roughly $4.7 trillion in outstanding commercial real estate…