Southeast Feature Archive

Speed to Market is ‘Almost the Only Priority’ for Multifamily Developers Looking to Avoid Cost Risks, Say InterFace Panelists

by John Nelson May 9, 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Multifamily developers are pushing their chips in and aggressively looking for new development deals, especially for sites in and around high-growth markets in the Southeast. Michael Tubridy, senior managing director of Crescent Communities, said his firm isn’t leaving anything to chance and is looking to move quickly on development opportunities. “We’re trying to get as many units on the ground today as possible, because tomorrow will be more expensive,” said Tubridy. “I like the chances of today’s cost environment a lot better than I like the unknown of where we’ll be a year from now or two years from now. Putting a premium on speed to market is something that we are much more focused on; it’s almost the only priority right now.” Tubridy’s comments came during the development panel at InterFace Carolinas Multifamily 2022. The half-day event was held on April 14 at the Hilton Uptown Charlotte hotel and attracted more than 260 attendees from all facets of the multifamily industry in North Carolina and South Carolina. Michael Saclarides, director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Multifamily Advisory Group, moderated the discussion. Crescent Communities is far from the only multifamily developer pursuing ground-up construction opportunities in earnest. In …

May 9, 2022

Conference Coverage Features Multifamily North Carolina South Carolina Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Multifamily Operators Battle Fraud, Labor Shortages on the Front Lines, Say InterFace Panelists

by John Nelson April 28, 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Property managers are navigating a minefield of issues in today’s apartment market. Analyzing renter applications for fraud, collecting overdue rent and turning over units from freeloading tenants are all in a day’s work for savvy apartment operators. Amanda Kitts, senior vice president of property management at Northwood Ravin, a multifamily owner and operator based in North Carolina, said that part of the role of an operations professional today entails poring over documents like check stubs, IDs and employment records to make sure the prospective resident is creditworthy. She said that fraud is more prevalent in some markets than others, so it’s imperative that property managers are adequately trained. “Charlotte still is a very big market for fraud, but Durham not so much. Chapel Hill is squeaky clean; nobody does anything wrong in Chapel Hill,” joked Kitts. “We have these applications and check stubs, and maybe one could be off, and you have to investigate and Google. We’re almost mini-FBI investigators.” Kitts’ comments came during the leasing and operations panel at France Media’s InterFace Carolinas Multifamily, which took place April 14 at the Hilton Uptown Charlotte. The networking and information conference drew more than 260 attendees from all facets …

April 28, 2022

Conference Coverage Features Industrial North Carolina Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Powers Real Estate Activity Along I-85 Industrial Corridor, Say InterFace Panelists

by John Nelson April 20, 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Southeast has long been home to automotive giants such as Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz, as well as their large network of suppliers. In 2021, BMW led the nation in automotive exports by value, the eighth consecutive year the German automaker held that distinction. BMW produced and exported $10.1 billion worth of cars and SUVs from its mega campus in Spartanburg, S.C., last year, and the company recently announced two new facilities — one on its campus and the other across Interstate 85 — that will total $300 million in investment. Similarly, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, the regional headquarters and only U.S. plant for the South Korean auto giant, announced last week that it planned to invest $300 million to expand and improve its Montgomery plant. The initiative will create 200 jobs and accommodate the manufacturing of the hybrid Santa Fe vehicle line and launch of the first Electrified Genesis GV70 SUV. Hyundai Motor Group said it aims to sell 1.87 million battery electric vehicles (BEVs) annually by 2030 in order to secure a 7 percent global market share of BEVs sold. The automaker announced on April 12 that it plans to invest $7.4 billion in …

April 20, 2022

Alabama Conference Coverage Features Georgia Industrial North Carolina South Carolina Southeast Southeast Feature Archive Virginia

I-85 Corridor Markets See Explosion of Industrial Development, But InterFace Panelists Wonder if Housing Will Follow

by John Nelson April 15, 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — During the closing panel at France Media’s InterFace I-85 Industrial Corridor conference, brokers from the major markets along the 666-mile interstate gave updates about developments and opportunities in their territories. Brockton Hall, vice president of Colliers’ Upstate South Carolina office, said that the Greenville-Spartanburg industrial market in South Carolina had 16 million square feet of industrial space under construction, which represents an inventory growth of approximately 7.4 percent. Graham Stoneburner, senior vice president of Cushman & Wakefield, said that the Richmond, Va., market currently had 11 million square feet underway, which represents an inventory growth of 11 percent. Similarly Robbie Perkins, shareholder and market president at NAI Piedmont Triad, said North Carolina’s Triad region had 8.7 million square feet in the development pipeline, a nearly 11 percent growth rate compared to the market’s 80 million-square-foot inventory. During nearly every panel throughout the conference, which was held on Wednesday, April 13 at the Hilton Uptown Charlotte, brokers, investors and developers described the industrial growth along the I-85 Industrial Corridor as “unprecedented.” “There’s a real lack of supply at the moment, but we have a lot coming,” said John Montgomery, managing director of Colliers’ Upstate South Carolina office, during …

April 15, 2022

Features Georgia Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Architects Draw the Short Straw with Heavier Workloads, Fluctuating Availability of Construction Materials

by John Nelson March 22, 2022

If you know any architects, you may want to check in with them because chances are they’re exhausted from having more work now than ever before, with no end in sight. That’s because despite all the headwinds facing real estate design — namely supply chain disruptions and staffing woes — developers are in growth mode, and architects are needed as they are uniquely equipped to game plan for what users want and need. The volume of work has not only accelerated for architects but they’re also tasked with mapping out new requirements while maximizing flexibility, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The workload is getting so substantial that demand is exceeding the supply of architects in some instances. “The backlog is so significant that we are having to contemplate turning away work, which drives us crazy,” says Steve Goggans, principal and architect at SGA | NW, a GF design company. “We are trying to be most responsive to repeat clients, but we may find ourselves unable to produce and perform if we continue to take on work, so we are having to be a little more judicious than we ever have before.” Goggans says that SGA | NW’s logjam is also …

March 22, 2022

District of Columbia Features Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

The Tax Appeal Life Cycle in D.C. Goes Through Three Levels of Review

by John Nelson February 17, 2022

In the District of Columbia, a prudent taxpayer must observe important steps and deadlines to appeal a real property tax assessment. Strict code provisions, government policies and procedures govern the appeal process, so understanding the typical life cycle of an appeal provides a head start in making sure a property is fairly assessed. Here is a look at what to expect as a case advances: Assessment and Notification Assessors reassess all real property in the District each year using a Jan. 1 valuation date that precedes the start of that tax year. For example, Tax Year 2023 runs from Oct. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2023. Thus, corresponding assessed values are as of Jan. 1, 2022. The District typically will mail assessment values and update the MyTaxDC.gov website on or around March 1 each year, sending its estimate of market value to the owners of more than 205,500 parcels. This will be the taxpayer’s first glimpse of the valuation and potential tax liability for the following tax year. These assessed values are released without supporting documentation, however. To determine how an assessor derived the value, the taxpayer or a duly authorized agent must contact the Office of Tax and Revenue …

February 17, 2022

Features Georgia Multifamily Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

No Barriers Blocking Atlanta Apartment Market Growth, Say InterFace Panelists

by Jeff Shaw December 17, 2021

ATLANTA — Multifamily investors increasingly view Atlanta as a tier-one market. Speakers on a panel at France Media’s InterFace Multifamily Southeast conference, held in Atlanta on Dec. 2, point to several reasons why the region is the right place, right now, to build, buy and sell all manner of apartment assets. “In Atlanta, you’ve got an incredible diversity and strength of employers,” said Chad DeFoor, senior director of multifamily sales for Franklin Street. Total nonfarm payroll employment in metro Atlanta rose by 134,800 from October 2020 to October 2021, a 5 percent increase, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. DeFoor was joined by Bianca Tabourn, managing director with Stockbridge; Steve Baile, chief development and operating officer with Selig Enterprises; Patrick Chesser, managing director of Mill Creek Residential Trust; Seth Greenberg, CEO of ECI Group; and panel moderator Jason Nettles, managing director with Northmarq. The speakers in the session titled, “Atlanta Market Update: An In-Depth Look at Leasing, Investment and Development,” all remarked that job growth and high-profile employers moving into the area are, in part, helping to curry favor among investors. In the public and private realms, interest is growing in the apartment market in Atlanta and in …

December 17, 2021

Conference Coverage Features Georgia Multifamily Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Apartment Leasing, Management and Operations Continue to Adapt to Market Needs, Says InterFace Panel

by Julia Sanders December 14, 2021

ATLANTA — For the past few months, the apartment sector has been in an upswing from an owner and operator perspective. Rents are rising and occupancy rates are high. However, some fear that these positives in the real estate market are going to be short-lived and eventually come to an end. Kevin Owens, division president of RPM Living, said that when the hottest geographic markets start to slow down, then other markets are going to follow suit. “Boise, Idaho is the hottest market from a rent growth standpoint in the country for the last few months, and it took a hit in November. So, if the hottest markets are going to start slowing down, then other markets are going to start slowing down. It’s just a natural progression,” said Owens. Owens’ comment came from a panel titled: “A Report from the Frontlines: What is the Outlook for Leasing, Management & Operations in 2022?” The discussion was one of the many that occurred at France Media’s InterFace Multifamily Southeast conference at the Westin Buckhead hotel in Atlanta on Dec. 2. The panel experts included moderator Craig Thompson, partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC; Kevin Owens, division president of RPM Living; …

December 14, 2021

Conference Coverage Features Georgia Multifamily Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Capital Chases Southeast Multifamily Sector, Says InterFace Panel

by Kristin Harlow December 9, 2021

ATLANTA — This year marked a golden age in terms of operating or selling multifamily properties, according to Alan Dean, region president of Terwilliger Pappas, a development firm with four offices in the Southeast. But given the rising costs associated with land acquisition, materials and labor, the challenge has been putting together new deals. “Anyone that got deals done shortly after COVID hit, those deals are going to be very valuable because they’re going to be opening up with less competition on lease-up,” said Dean. Dean’s comments came during a panel entitled “What’s the Outlook for Development in 2022?” at the 12th annual InterFace Multifamily Southeast conference. The event, which took place Thursday, Dec. 2 at the Westin Buckhead hotel in Atlanta, drew more than 300 industry professionals. Joining Dean on the panel were Jay Curran, president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Crescent Communities; Woody Rupp, chief investment officer of Atlanta-based Brand Properties; Harvey Wadsworth, managing director of Atlanta-based Portman Residential; and Justin Weintraub, principal and chief development officer of Birmingham, Ala.-based Daniel Corp. Robert Stickel, executive vice chair with Cushman & Wakefield in Atlanta, moderated the panel. High prices for dirt, long entitlement processes and increased competition in the marketplace have …

December 9, 2021

Conference Coverage Features Georgia Multifamily Southeast Southeast Feature Archive

Rapid Rent Growth Spurs Wave of Multifamily Investment Sales, Says InterFace Panel

by John Nelson December 3, 2021

ATLANTA — The third quarter of 2021 was the most prolific quarter on record for U.S. multifamily investment sales, according to Real Capital Analytics (RCA). Apartment sales volume totaled $78.7 billion for the quarter, a 192 percent increase from third-quarter 2020 and a 59 percent jump from third-quarter 2019. RCA data shows that the dollar amount of assets traded this past quarter exceeded the average annual sales from the period 2008 through 2011. James Mehalso, managing director of transactions for PGIM Real Estate, expects his firm to keep its foot on the gas for next year on both the acquisitions and sales side for multifamily assets. “The rental market is hot,” said Mehalso. “We don’t see it really changing much in 2022, at least in the first six months.” Mehalso’s comments came Thursday, Dec. 2, during a panel discussion as part of the 12th annual InterFace Multifamily Southeast conference hosted by France Media and the InterFace Conference Group at the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta. Moderated by Paul Berry, vice chairman of CBRE, the panel was titled, “After a Wild 2021, What’s the Investment Market Outlook for 2022?” The event, which attracted more than 300 industry professionals, marked the return of …

December 3, 2021

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