Wait, were they not available at $x, or not available for < $x? Because if it’s the former, then this article doesn’t really explain your experience, right?
Might not be available unless your name ends in 'tarbucks'.
In others they would just have too high a price, and it is still empty six years later so they are clearly not unaware that they have it priced too high. Simple math showed they would be better off renting at a lower price than going years without anything, but it was quite common so it didn't seem like it could be simple stupidity.
The test, I guess, of this explanation is whether or not the flow of money out of private credit causes the end of "extend and pretend", and the market finally clears.