Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations nationwide for the first quarter were 89 percent higher than during the same period last year, according to a recent survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

The rise was driven by increases in originations for all property types, according to a statement. This included a 465 percent increase in loans for hotel properties, a 194 percent increase in loans for industrial properties, a 104 percent increase in loans for multifamily properties, a 92 percent increase in loans for office properties, a 91 percent increase in loans for health care properties, and a 13 percent increase in loans for retail properties.

Among investor types, first quarter originations for conduits for commercial mortgage backed securities increased 391 percent compared to last year’s first quarter. There was also a 126 percent increase in loans for life insurance companies, a 73 percent increase in loans for commercial bank portfolios, and a 59 percent increase for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"The pace of commercial and multifamily mortgage lending continued to increase in the first quarter of this year," said Jamie Woodwell, MBA vice president of commercial real estate research. "Commercial/multifamily mortgage origination volumes for the first three months of 2011 were the highest of any first quarter since 2002, and were nearly double the volume seen during the first quarter of 2010."