Through the Looking Glass (Part 3) – Commercial Real Estate in 2015

As we dove into 2015’s waters, investment capital stats were already at in influx. The US has traditionally been a favorite depository for said capital. With US Treasury Rates on a decline due to demand and  the US Stock Exchange experiencing new elevations, commercial real estate is an attractive invitation for both foreign and domestic investors. The evidence of this is the growth of overall commercial property transactions in the US by foreign investors has now arrived at a level that we haven’t seen since 2006/2007. Firms aim a close eye at interest rates and market stability as they compare these current statistics with historical data. The timing for interest increases is concerning for most, and whether long term and short term rates will increase in a united or disjointed manner. A majority of soothsayers, (correction: forecasters), hold the belief that the Federal Reserve will raise  rates Summer of 2015. Out of the estimated $5 trillion plus capital invested in the United States, over $3 trillion is debt-driven. Commercial real estate loans are steadily gaining as per the Feds, with private equities and REIT’s in the lead. There is speculation that we will see a “re-do” of 2006 where large sums will be reinvested into #cre in 2015 if all goes according to pattern. Is your brokerage positioned for these potential opportunities? Are you as an investor positioned to take advantage of this stimulative climate and seize the day?

Welcome ARK Pain Management to the Beiler-Campbell Business Center

ARK Spine Care & Pain Management offers the most comprehensive non-operative pain management care available. Dr. Jha is a triple board certified (Pain management, Neurology, Psychiatry) physician who is dedicated to upholding the highest professional standards and providing the highest quality of healthcare while striving to deliver pain relief for her patients.

Chronic pain is a complex condition with multiple layers of challenges, many which unfortunately are invisible to others except for the person suffering. It often has multiple facets to its presentation ranging from physical and emotional to social factors. Unfortunately, very commonly, chronic pain goes untreated or under-treated in our society.
Given the complexity, the essence of comprehensive pain management at ARK Spine Care & Pain Management includes a multimodal approach, which includes different modalities spanning from physical therapy, medications, psychological treatments if indicated, and injections. Reliance on only one modality may result in minimal or partial improvements. Our ultimate goal is to improve our patient’s level of functioning and pain scores in the most compassionate and safe way.

Providing the most advanced medical approaches and highest quality of pain management, Dr. Jha strives to work with patients to develop a plan of care that best meets the needs of each individual. She evaluates patients with a variety of pain problems and devises a carefully thought out treatment plan according to each unique pain problem. Implementing interventional and non-interventional therapies of pain management to deliver effective comprehensive care, ARK Spine Care & Pain Management provides the highest quality of non-operative pain management available.

 

Rental Construction Activity Increases in Greater Delaware Valley Region

As the housing market slowly attempts to turn the corner, the rental demand remains high for our particular region. Some areas report up to 20% increases in rental inventory. New construction is playing a large part in those numbers. Does this mean that the financial institutions are loosening up the purse strings for development loans? Possibly. In 2011, there was a 60% increase in Multi-Family Development Lending as compared to the previous year on a national level. The Census Bureau reported one outstanding statistic that 53% of the total number of renter households faced a housing cost burden last year. Unemployment remains high. Affordable housing is a treasure anxiously sought after. Rental rates remain high even paired alongside of the housing market slight improvements. Right now as it stands, renters make up approximately 22.64% of the Chester County, PA, population. 4.97% of houses and apartments in Chester County, PA, are unoccupied (vacancy rate).

Care to Dance?

When analyzing the current economy and market conditions, often times Commercial Real Estate and Residential Real Estate are assimilated in the reports. Although similar, they are often found dancing to different “tunes” on the same dance floor. What I mean by this is that although they are operating simultaneously in a wavering economy, they are distinct, which has allowed for the Commercial Real Estate industry to “creatively” overcome and seek sustenance in other ways that the housing market does not provide. Some examples of those new dance steps are:
REIT Running Man:
REIT’s are pushing for rent increases on multi-units, due to apartment and housing turnover trends at record lows due to inability to acquire mortgages. Public REIT’s are said to be paying yields in the 3.5% range. If you shift to the private sector, you can expect somewhere in the 8’s. Commercial Real Estate can also be considered an inflation hedge.

Buy or Build Butterfly:
Large Developers are focusing on new construction retail projects while some remain conservative favoring property acquisitions. When considering an acquisition, take a careful look beyond the cash flow. What will the rent income be when the current leases terminate? Novice investors miss this all of the time. Commercial Real Estate as a whole is driven by jobs, particularly the office and industrial sector. Consumer spending drives retail. Although the multi-unit industry has made remarkable improvement, we see a need to shrink the chasm between new construction costs and trending rental rates.

Land Limbo:
Buying land in the current market can be sketchy at best. Land with approvals, availability of utilities and located within the “right market”…it’s like trying to find a customized car with all of your wish list features off the lot of the used car dealer. Before jumping in with both feet, most investors are considering several items of interest when performing their due diligence:
Demand – What is the demand for the project?
Dinero – What will my ROI be and how far out can I expect my rate of return?
Domination – What bureaucratic hullabaloo will I have to endure to gain the “blessing” to execute this project and how long will it take to come to fruition? Also, will you be able to sell the property when you are ready to? What will it take?

The Lean,..oh I mean GREEN wit it, Rock wit it:
As an owner/investor, green solutions can potentially provide tenant attraction and maximize your property value. Applying Green initiatives to your current property can influence negotiations, improve operations and sustainability, boost tenancy and rent rates, improve the property to optimize sales price and attract “green” buyers.