Western Feature Archive

Rumors of the Death of Silicon Valley’s Apartment Market are Greatly Exaggerated

by Sarah Daniels August 24, 2020

Some stories are just too good not to be true. This may explain in part the outpouring of reports regarding population outflows from the San Francisco Bay Area. Multiple mid-August articles in national newspapers took up the ongoing Silicon Valley exodus. These articles make a convincing case that the COVID-19 pandemic and increased opportunities to work remotely — particularly in the high-tech industry — are prompting many Bay Area residents to consider relocating to more affordable areas, even if remote work causes their incomes to decline. The evidence supporting the theory is by no means entirely anecdotal. The number of owners listing homes for sale has increased significantly, the pace of home price appreciation has decelerated materially (less than 5 percent in May) and apartment rents and occupancy have eroded since winter. It is hard to deny that Peak Northern California is fading in the rearview mirror. This should be no surprise. The Bay Area is not only the most expensive real estate market in the country, it also is one of the most congested. Its many virtues come with a steep price tag, not only in terms of cost of living but also in aspects lumped in the quality …

August 24, 2020

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San Francisco Multifamily Trends: The Downside of Demand Inelasticity

by Sarah Daniels August 13, 2020

In economics, the sensitivity of aggregate demand for a product or service to changes in price is defined as its “elasticity.” The elasticity of demand for nonessential goods or goods with a number of ready substitutes is high. Even a small increase in price will produce a large decrease in demand. Conversely, a relatively large price change in the cost of an essential or prized luxury good for which few substitutes exist may have little effect on demand for it. San Francisco real estate is a highly inelastic good. The Bay Area’s potent combination of natural beauty, sublime climate and unique culture make it one of the most coveted destinations in the world. By the same token, its compact size, high population density, seismic risks and antipathy to development constrain supply. For all practical purposes, housing prices are limited by the income that residents can expect to earn rather than the normal interplay of producers and consumers. The innovation and wealth creation generated by the high tech industry added a complex new variable to the equation. More wealth was created during the last 10 years in the 40 miles that lie between the Golden Gate and San Jose than in …

August 13, 2020

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IRS Notice Extends Identification, Exchange Deadlines for 1031 Deals Falling Between April 1 and July 15

by John Nelson April 16, 2020

Many real estate investors seeking tax deferral in a 1031 exchange, as well as owners contemplating a sale of an investment property in the near future and intending to perform a 1031 exchange, have been anxiously awaiting guidance from the IRS on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the time deadlines in an exchange. On April 9, 2020 the IRS issued Notice 2020-23, which extended many deadlines for real estate investors affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including Section 1031 exchange time deadlines. This notice provides that any person performing a time-sensitive action listed in either § 301.7508A-1(c)(1)(iv) of the Procedure and Administrative Regulations or Revenue Procedure 2018-58, 2018-50 IRB 990 (Dec. 10, 2018), which is due to be performed on or after April 1 and before July 15, 2020, is an “affected taxpayer.” This includes the 45-day identification and 180-day exchange period deadlines in both deferred and safe-harbor reverse 1031 exchanges. Therefore, pursuant to Notice 2020-23, if the end of an investor’s 45-day identification period or 180-day exchange period in a deferred exchange — or the parallel periods in reverse exchanges under Revenue Procedure 2000-37 — falls between April 1 and July 15, the applicable period is automatically extended …

April 16, 2020

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‘Titleman’ John Lotardo Says Buyers, Sellers Seek Solutions to Obstacles for Closings During Time of Pandemic

by John Nelson April 16, 2020

Closing deals in the current environment — or even getting them to progress — has been challenging for the past few weeks. Municipalities are struggling to keep up with volume, and online notarization is present in some states but not others. Western Real Estate Business recently spoke with John Lotardo, senior vice president and director of operations for Commonwealth National Title Insurance Co. based in Arizona. Lotardo, also known as the Titleman, spoke to WREB about how commercial real estate transactions are closing and moving forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. WREB: What is your “new normal”? How are you managing business day-to-day? Lotardo: My company has mandated that the majority of our teams work remotely. The majority of my time is remote as well. Being the operations director, I have to manage my employees, including our title and settlement employees, wherever they may be. As a national commercial office based in Arizona, we have always been forward-thinking with technology. Our transition to a mix of folks in the office together with a remote workforce, while it has been challenging at times as for many other businesses, it wasn’t as difficult as it could have been. We had the proper hardware, …

April 16, 2020

Content Partner Features Industrial Lee & Associates Northeast Feature Archive Retail Western Feature Archive

Free Returns: How Reverse Logistics Impacts Industrial Real Estate

by Sarah Daniels April 2, 2020

The industrial sector has been the preferred asset class of commercial real estate in recent years. “The rate of return for industrial real estate has been higher than that of any other class for nearly half a decade,” says Jeff Rinkov, CEO of Lee & Associates. These rates of return are the result of permanent changes in consumer behavior and preferences — and recent events are driving more rapid changes in consumers’ e-commerce shopping. Though it remains to be seen how the economic impact of the coronavirus will influence various sectors of real estate, the pandemic has meant a sudden uptick in reliance upon industrial real estate as consumers turn to online shopping in the face of in-store shortages and shelter-at-home orders or social distancing practices. As brick-and-mortar stores close temporarily, retail companies and logistics professionals grapple with the increased volume of both online orders and e-commerce returns. What do facilities for e-commerce look like as customer expectations for e-commerce grow? How do companies process returns in an efficient and cost-effective manner, a critical element of success for e-commerce companies? Consumers increasingly prefer to shop online instead of going to brick and mortar stores. E-commerce sales accounted for more than …

April 2, 2020

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JLL: Coronavirus Is Impacting Retail Supply Chains

by Sarah Daniels March 12, 2020

With the stock market dropping to lows unprecedented since the Great Recession on Monday and the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic, concerns are now rising regarding coronavirus’ long-term impact on domestic investments. But will the disease have any impact on brick-and-mortar retail? According to a research report from JLL, while retail supply chains have already been affected, the health of retail as whole depends heavily on how long the pandemic lasts. Certain sectors have already been impacted, and those in the industry can model their current economic outlook on the course SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) took in 2003. However, whether that model will hold as the pandemic evolves remains to be seen. The JLL report explains that the type of short-lived and limited outbreak created by SARS mainly affects the “first and second quarters with many retailers feeling impacts of a disrupted supply chain, but with a subsequent rebound in the following quarters.” Sectors already affected include inventory and complex supply lines. Chinese-manufactured goods may not be able to reach retailers in the coming weeks to months, as the retailers’ existing supply diminishes. Fashion stocks, especially for luxury retailers dependent on Chinese consumers …

March 12, 2020

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Industry Survey Participants Expect Rush of Transaction Activity Ahead of Presidential Election

by John Nelson February 24, 2020

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Commercial real estate investors, brokers and lenders are expecting a surge of activity in the first half of 2020, according to the 2020 RCM LightBox Investor Sentiment Report. Participants of the survey noted the intersection of strong market fundamentals, ample investor capital and the potential for increasing headwinds generated by a slowing economy, the impending presidential election and other factors. The report is sponsored by RCM Lightbox, a commercial real estate online marketplace and database facilitating commercial real estate transactions. Incorporating views from more than 275 investors, brokers, lenders and economists, the report found that nearly 70 percent of participants believe 2020 investment activity will be the same or higher than in 2019. Almost 80 percent believe 2020 sale prices also will be the same or higher as well. “In the first half of the year, capital will rush to put money to work ahead of the election and before the Fed changes its mind on interest rates,” says K.C. Conway, chief economist of the CCIM Institute and director of research and corporate engagement at the Alabama Center of Real Estate (ACRE). “The wind is at your back for the first six months.” Presidential election will create …

February 24, 2020

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Entertainment-Based Retail Requires Patience, Creativity, Say EEE Panelists

by Katie Sloan February 20, 2020

LOS ANGELES — In today’s retail environment, adding local food and beverage concepts, entertainment venues and landscaped parks seems like a surefire way to revitalize a dated shopping center. A trickier task is determining how exactly these nontraditional concepts boost the bottom line. A panel of retail owners and service providers weighed in on this topic at France Media’s sixth annual Entertainment Experience Evolution conference at the JW Marriott L.A. Live in Los Angeles last week. “This panel started because I’m a bit of a skeptic as it relates to entertainment concepts,” says moderator Joyce Storm, president of Storm Advisors. “Investors don’t like when you discuss entertainment experiences; developers and owners have trouble making sense of where they should put their dollars and cents, time, energy and resources. It’s important to understand what to expect in terms of results from entertainment concepts and placemaking in order to determine the money that should be funneled into them.” For Steven Levin, founder and CEO of Centennial Real Estate, the challenge and opportunity in reimagining dated, traditional malls to fit the needs of today’s shopper is in the underwriting. “Transforming a traditional mall into a mixed-use destination provides an opportunity and a challenge …

February 20, 2020

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Generation Z Renters Reshaping Student Housing Market

by Katie Sloan August 8, 2019

With some of the oldest members of Generation Z coming onto the rental scene seeking out their first college and post-college apartments, developers and property owners must start paying closer attention to this new audience. While Gen Z and millennials have quite a bit in common, they also differ in some fundamental aspects and demand different standards of living in residential spaces. Just when owners and property managers are finding their footing with millennials, Gen Z will reshape the rules. Who is Gen Z? Gen Z is the population born in and after 1995. With the oldest members having just graduated college in the last few years, this is the beginning of their descent on the rental market. Since they came of age during the Great Recession and watched their parents struggle to make ends meet, Gen Z has a more conservative approach to spending compared to millennials. They are also less likely to uproot and relocate for a new job, as telecommuting and the freelance career path allows them to create their dream job right where they are. Gen Z is a generation that has grown up with standard two-day delivery, on-demand TV shows, movies downloaded within a minute …

August 8, 2019

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Priced Out: Adding Affordable Units to Student Housing

by Katie Sloan August 6, 2019

Student loan figures indicate a growing affordability problem in higher education. The Federal Reserve reports that student loan debt in the United States is almost $1.6 trillion today, with 42 percent of people who attended college — which represents 30 percent of all adults — incurring at least some debt from their education. With a focus on technology-based degree programs, the cost to attend college is rising. But it’s not just tuition that’s going up. According to College Board, the cost of housing exceeds the cost of tuition at four-year, public universities. For the 2017-2018 academic year, students paid an average of $9,970 for in-state tuition while room and board ran $10,800. “There’s a real need to get to the middle of the market and to build quality housing that students can afford,” says Joe Coyle, president of Michaels Student Living. Michaels Student Living is a specialized area of expertise within The Michaels Organization, a leading affordable housing developer in the United States. “Housing is a big part of what contributes to the high cost of attending college. We have to work together to find ways to mitigate this. It’s going to become more and more important.” While the student …

August 6, 2019

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