Market Reports

Houston’s Office Market Rides Out Oil Downturn, Poised For Stability

by Taylor Williams August 11, 2017

Over the past few years, Houston’s diverse economy has proven resilient. This diversity helped the city weather a major drop in oil and gas prices that, during previous downturns, severely affected the office market. While Houston has taken its share of recent hits, it appears poised to move forward into a period of stability and steady growth. While most of Houston seems to be in recovery mode, the local office market historically trails the oil and gas industry and usually takes additional time to reflect the current economic recovery. Houston’s office market was hit hard by the downturn when oil prices plummeted at the end of 2014. Submarkets like the Central Business District and the Energy Corridor — where roughly half of the workforce belongs to the energy sector — were hardest hit. Firms in these submarkets suffered big layoffs and created large swaths of available sublease and direct office space. However, according to CoStar, tenants still spent more than $7 billion (larger than the GDP of 55 sovereign nations) on office space during the past year. What does this all mean for the office market? At the end of the first quarter of 2017, Houston’s direct vacancy rate was …

August 11, 2017

Iowa Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports

Increased Development Activity in Cedar Rapids Flows Across Property Types

by Kristin Harlow August 10, 2017

These are momentous times for the Cedar Rapids economy. On the jobs front, the unemployment rate for the Cedar Rapids area stood at 3.2 percent in May, even tighter than the national unemployment rate of 4.3 percent for the same period. Meanwhile, the housing market recorded its lowest inventory of housing on the market in two years with 1,482 active listings in June 2017, 540 less than June 2015. On average, the number of days that houses were on the market dropped from 87 to 62 in the last year-and-a-half, while the median house price increased to $166,646. The city has seen dramatic housing, commercial and industrial growth in the last several years. Municipal and business leaders are addressing several issues, including: • affordable housing for entry-level workers and those earning 30 to 50 percent of the area median income; • recruitment of workers to fill an abundance of job openings; • more recreational, retail and cultural opportunities to attract Millennials to the city to fill the job openings; • completion of the flood protection system to reinforce the confidence of developers in creating projects along the Cedar River. What follows is an update on the performance of the major …

August 10, 2017

Connecticut Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Despite Challenges, Connecticut’s Fairfield County Office Market Shows Improvement Potential

by Taylor Williams August 9, 2017

With employment representing one of the most critical factors in the health of the office sector, people naturally look to the unemployment rate as a key metric to quickly assess a given market. By this standard, Fairfield County should be thriving, with the unemployment rate at 4.4 percent in April 2017 — just under the 4.8 percent rate reached just prior to the recession. And yet, the availability rate in Connecticut’s largest office market stood at 24.5 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2017 — a far cry from the 15.2 percent rate seen at year-end 2007. There are two reasons for the discrepancy. First, it is far more accurate to look at office-using employment (information, financial, professional services and other industries) versus overall employment as a barometer. While office-using employment has rebounded approximately 4.0 percent since the depths of the latest recession, today’s count is still 8.4 percent lower than the latest peak. Second, a marked shift in the desired style of office and an upswing in remote working opportunities have led to reduced utilization rates in terms of square feet per employee. Today’s employers want to be in buildings that make their employees happy and …

August 9, 2017

California Market Reports Office Western Western Market Reports

OC Spec Office Development Signals Post Recession Recovery

by Camren Skelton August 8, 2017

Orange County’s innovative office economy continues to be supported by healthy underlying demand drivers. Tech, financial and business services companies continue to provide a strong employment base that was not readily present during the last cycle. Major colleges and universities such as Chapman and UC Irvine provide a steady pool of job-seeking professionals. The climate, lifestyle and general quality of life also continues to attract top employment talent from across the country. Office vacancy is trending downward with rental rates increasing beyond pre-recession levels. As the health of the office market solidifies, notable developers like the Irvine Company, Trammell Crow Co. and Lincoln Property have recently commenced or completed construction on formidable office projects. These new office projects are noteworthy in that they were started on a speculative basis. This is a new trend in the market that would have been unheard of less than three years ago. This is a strong indication of the increased confidence by lenders, equity sources and developers in the Orange County office market’s recovery. Irvine Company has become the dominant source of speculative development due to considerable new development. This company was ahead of the spec curve when it built the first sizeable inventory …

August 8, 2017

Florida Market Reports Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Miami Office Market Thrives Due to Young Workers Seeking South Florida Lifestyle

by John Nelson August 7, 2017

Looking ahead to the rest of 2017, we can expect to see continued improvement of Miami’s office market based on strong market fundamentals and employment growth. Key trends to watch in 2017 that will help drive and shape the market, include: • Steady, modest growth in office rents • Declining available office supply • New transit-oriented mixed-use developments that include office space in both Miami’s downtown urban core and other connected walkable neighborhoods such as Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Wynwood • Tenants adopting new office design standards • Increased moves between submarkets and new-to-market companies positively impacting net absorption Office demand will continue to be fueled by vibrant population growth of young professionals and Miami’s appeal as a growing, global and entrepreneurial city. Miami-Dade County’s population has grown 8 percent in the past five years, making it the seventh-largest county in the United States. In 2016, more than 20,000 jobs were added in the county, predominately in the construction, real estate, professional services and financial services industries. This economic growth has fueled expansion activity in the office market and should hold steady in 2017. Miami’s focus on cultivating innovation and entrepreneurship has also positively impacted the office market. In …

August 7, 2017

Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Ample Capital Drives Growth in Manufactured Housing Throughout Texas

by Taylor Williams August 4, 2017

As we turn the page on another successful Manufactured Housing Institute National Congress and Expo, several themes are emerging. From the amount of capital in the market to the changes in the government agencies to continued reforms in financing for chattel, or homes, the industry of manufactured housing heads into the second half of 2017 with substantial momentum, thanks in part to a number of new entrants in the market. A few statistics shared at the conference reveal the interest in the manufactured housing industry as a whole. First, this conference saw the most attendees for a National Congress and Expo since 2007. Second, the first quarter of this year has already seen a 23 percent increase in housing shipments over last year, with year-over-year increases of around 17 percent. There are likely a few reasons for this increase. But above all else, capital is plentiful, fueled by heightened interest in the industry in the private equity and REIT space, as well as low interest rates. With so much capital comes more interest. This interest has led to less ownership by traditional “mom-and-pop” entities and more competition, thus lower cap rates. In some regions, parks trading with sub-5 percent cap …

August 4, 2017

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

High-End, Specialty Retailers See More Promise in Western New York

by Taylor Williams August 2, 2017

A trend in retail activity in Western New York and the Finger Lakes Region over the past six to 12 months has been the announcement or arrival of a number of high-end or specialty retailers and restaurants. Although traditionally these retailers are more selective about the markets they enter, as they continue to grow nationally they have to expand the list of potential markets they will consider. Some of them find that the Buffalo and Rochester metropolitan areas are markets in which high-end or specialty retailers or restaurants can thrive, particularly when Upstate New York’s lower occupancy costs and lighter competition are sufficient to offset potentially lower unit volumes. Whole Foods’ much-anticipated Western New York debut will be this summer in the Northtown redevelopment project by W.S. Development in Amherst. Whole Foods has also signed a lease in Brighton, a suburb of Rochester, for a 50,000-square-foot store at Palazzo Plaza, a proposed 90,000-square-foot shopping center on Monroe Avenue at Interstate 590. The project, being developed by the Daniele Family Companies, is currently making its way through the entitlement process. In a sign of the renaissance in progress in both Downtown Buffalo and Downtown Rochester, the first-ever national brand polished steakhouse …

August 2, 2017

Hawaii Market Reports Retail Western Western Market Reports

Hawaii: Ground-Up Shopping Centers on Rise Despite High Construction Costs

by Camren Skelton August 1, 2017

Construction costs in Hawaii are beginning to plateau after seeing year-over-year increases for the past several years. The market has seen gray shell retail building costs of about $275 per square foot; and to vanilla shell, another $80 per square foot to $100. Restaurants range from $300 per square foot to $350 to take them from gray to finished shell without fixtures. Remarkably, even with escalating construction costs, retail leasing and development are both extremely active. This, combined with retail vacancy of about 3 percent and record rents, has spurred a wave of new projects. Some of the new retail projects currently under construction are: Kilauea Lighthouse Village, Kilauea Town, Kauai — The center is a 47,000-square-foot development anchored by a 10,000-square-foot Market at Kilauea. Construction on Kilauea Lighthouse Village has begun and is expected to be complete in late 2017. It is owned by Hunt Development and leased by Colliers International. Kahala Bowl Shopping Center, Honolulu – Anchored by McDonald’s, the 10,000-square-foot center is owned by Kamehameha Schools and leased by JLL. Kealanani Shopping Center, Kapolei — This 20,000-square-foot center, anchored by Panda Express, is an outparcel of the Walmart in Kapolei. It is owned by Panda RG Inc. …

August 1, 2017

Connecticut Industrial Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Connecticut’s Tight Industrial Market may Limit Opportunity for Growth

by Jaime Lackey July 31, 2017

One might expect that the industrial real estate market is in rough shape in a state with a projected $1.7 billion state budget deficit, where the capital city (Hartford) has discussed bankruptcy, and where one of the most famous employers (General Electric) has moved out — not to mention the state’s high taxes and high wages. However, the industrial real estate market is one of the tightest I’ve seen in Connecticut in more than 31 years. Each region in the state is experiencing varied levels of success, but overall the industrial market is healthy, with dropping vacancy rates, increasing rental rates, and decreasing cap rates. The game changer is big box distribution and third-party logistics activity throughout the region. In a market where a 75,000-square-foot deal used to be major news, we have seen numerous leases and new construction deals over 200,000 square feet in the past two years. E-commerce activity includes Amazon (1.5 million square feet in Windsor), FedEx (550,000 square feet in Middletown), and UPS (239,000 square feet in Windsor). Other significant transactions include Trader Joe’s (750,000 square feet in Bloomfield), Mobis Parts America (291,000 square feet in South Windsor), Vistar NE (296,000 square feet in South Windsor), …

July 31, 2017

Florida Market Reports Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Miami Retail Market Faces Obstacles from E-Commerce, Declining Foreign Tourism

by John Nelson July 31, 2017

There are two major trends affecting retailers across South Florida: the reduction of affluent foreign tourists in the market and the internet, which is forcing retailers to shift their concepts at an accelerating pace. Both factors have led to a slight decline in market conditions, specifically a deceleration of growth rates, but not significantly enough to cause great concern or to feel South Florida has become a “falling market.” Instead, much like origami, one must shape retail concepts to adapt to the new online reality. The American dollar is still very strong against Latin American and most foreign currency. This has created a downward spiral for hotel occupancy and retail sales in South Florida’s tourist driven areas such as South Beach and Lincoln Road. Miami-Dade County hotel occupancy was down 0.6 percent year-over-year to 83.5 percent in February/March 2017. This tourism decline has also created a shift in foreign investing. While large foreign investors are still active in the market, there has been a noticeable exit of smaller foreign investors. This has created an unusual twist in the South Florida market as now domestic (primarily from the Northeast) and Canadian investors are actively looking and purchasing retail opportunities given they …

July 31, 2017

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