Market Reports

What Drives Corporate Relocations?

by Taylor Williams July 7, 2017

During his latter years in office as Texas governor, Rick Perry made it a priority to lure businesses to the state, particularly from California. Two-and-a-half years into the term of Gov. Greg Abbott, the successor to Perry, the pace of corporate relocations to the Lone Star State shows no signs of slowing down. Much has been written about the state’s business-friendly environment. Most businesses in Texas that aren’t sole proprietorships or partnerships pay a 1 percent or lower “franchise tax,” in lieu of a traditional corporate income tax. In addition, the state’s governing bodies tend to favor minimal regulations and sponsor research and development initiatives. The state’s economy is healthy, evident by strong employment growth. The Texas Workforce Commission reports a net gain of 210,000 jobs across the state in 2016, and employers are projected to add another 225,000 jobs in 2017. Equally important to strong job growth is the quality of life that employees are promised upon relocating. According to Robert Allen, president of the Texas Economic Development Corp., the lifestyle element is perhaps the most common incentive for moving to Texas among executives and employees alike. “When we ask executives why they’re moving to Texas, what we hear …

July 7, 2017

Illinois Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports

Lifting the Veil on Chicago and Cook County Real Estate Taxes

by Kristin Harlow July 6, 2017

It seems like politics watchers and the news media like to establish a veil of mystery around Cook County tax assessments. And although it sells papers and conjures an atmosphere of the unknown, the most important thing to know about tax relief in Cook County is the role of market value in assessments and how taxes are calculated. On June 13, taxing entities announced that tax rates in the City of Chicago would be going up approximately 10 percent. The second installment 2016 tax bills were scheduled to be published around July 1 with a very short payment deadline of Aug. 1, 2017. Those bills will reflect all changes to assessments, as well as the new tax rates. Tax increases make good headlines, but the increases were not a real surprise. The large anticipated property tax increases arise from a local ordinance designed to recapture a portion of the City of Chicago’s and Chicago Public Schools’ large budget deficits and pension plan deficits. This local real estate tax increase resulted from the absence any current resolution of the continuing budgetary stalemate between the general assembly and the governor’s office in Springfield, Illinois. The table below illustrates the potential real estate …

July 6, 2017

California Industrial Market Reports Western Western Market Reports

L.A. Industrial Boasts High Demand and Creative Solutions

by Camren Skelton July 4, 2017

With limited inventory and historically high values and rental rates, it’s safe to say the Los Angeles industrial market is enjoying an all-time high. There are several factors contributing to ongoing strength in the market, including a healthy appetite for acquisitions, strong tenant activity and creative solutions to adapt to supply constraints and maximize ROI. Industrial buyers continue to be active in Los Angeles, even with tightening availability and compressing cap rates. The fact is, there is still tremendous value to be found in this gateway city. Interest rates remain low, and those looking to acquire properties know that the sooner they buy, the better. Conversely, sellers are not especially eager to dispose of properties in the current market, based primarily on the challenge in finding acquisition-worthy assets. Specifically, owners seeking 1031 exchanges are finding it increasingly difficult to identify properties to trade into. That said, values are high enough that some owners are selling and choosing to simply pay taxes on capital gains or look to other markets for product to acquire. For example, Daum recently helped a seller dispose of a property in Los Angeles and reinvest those funds into an asset in Cleveland, Ohio, at a 7 …

July 4, 2017

Georgia Market Reports Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Retailers are Seizing the Opportunity to Backfill Shuttered Stores in Atlanta

by John Nelson July 3, 2017

It’s long been known that Atlanta, along with many other markets in the United States, is over-retailed. However, not all retailers are “overstored.” With the recent number of store closings announced (Sports Authority, hhgregg, Kmart, Sears, JC Penney, to name a few), it’s understandable that some have concerns over the current state of retail. That said, for many retailers, these closures become opportunities to enter certain markets or grab better positions within an existing market. As some retailers forfeit locations, these Atlanta vacancies will be absorbed. Burlington Stores recently backfilled the former Sports Authority adjacent to the Mall of Georgia in Buford, and will do the same with the former Best Buy adjacent to The Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia. Ashley HomeStore will backfill the former Staples in Snellville. In Alpharetta, American Signature Furniture opened in the former Sports Authority box, and entertainment destination Dave & Buster’s is set to open in a former AMC Theatres. The retail industry is undergoing a shift as a result of the emergence of e-commerce and morphing consumer habits. It’s the retailers that are able to adapt and evolve along with changes in technology and consumer attitudes that will thrive, as very few are …

July 3, 2017

Healthcare Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

Healthcare Hits Speed Bumps in Houston as Demand Remains Strong

by Taylor Williams June 30, 2017

The Houston healthcare sector has gotten off to a slow start in 2017. Financial concerns are impacting several healthcare systems as they adapt to a changing marketplace. Industry challenges such as increasing technology costs, as well as changes in payer mixes and reimbursement rates, have impacted organizations’ operating models as a whole. While the majority of organizations have effectively adjusted or are adapting to the change, companies such as CHI St. Luke’s Health, Adeptus Health Inc. and Foundation Healthcare have not fared as well, resulting in a sluggish start to the year. In late March, CHI St. Luke’s announced another round of layoffs, stating that it would eliminate more than 459 jobs and an additional 161 vacant positions statewide. This is the fourth round of layoffs CHI has announced over the previous two years as the company continues to struggle with lower patient volumes, reduced reimbursement via Medicaid and Medicare, and increased technology-related operating costs. Adeptus Health, a freestanding emergency room operator with more than 29 Houston-area locations, appears to be headed for bankruptcy, having announced in March that it would be hiring a restructuring chief. Adeptus has grown rapidly over the past several years, initially opening facilities that lacked …

June 30, 2017

Iowa Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Multifamily

Population Growth Sparks Apartment Development Wave in Des Moines

by Kristin Harlow June 29, 2017

While recently visiting a local Starbucks, I noticed an employee behind the counter with a tattoo in the shape of California. I decided to ask the barista if she was from the Golden State, and indeed she was. I asked what brought her to Des Moines, thinking she would say family or a love interest, but I was wrong. She had read and heard so much positive press about the Des Moines area that she decided to give it a shot. She started applying for jobs online and landed one with Wells Fargo, the largest employer in Des Moines. Working at Starbucks was her second gig. I asked if she lived in the suburbs. She replied, “Nope, I live downtown and work in the suburbs.” Population surge This anecdotal story is pretty common these days. Young people are flocking to Des Moines like never before. I have lived in Des Moines nearly 40 years, and never have I seen the growth we are currently experiencing. Much of it has to do with the quality of life. We don’t yet have a rush hour — we call it rush minutes. The cost of living is reasonable, and young people stand a …

June 29, 2017

Colorado Industrial Market Reports Western Western Market Reports

Denver Industrial Market is Still Climbing

by Camren Skelton June 27, 2017

Denver’s industrial market has had an impressive run so far this economic cycle – so much so that the top-of-mind-question is, “Where do we go from here?” Last year was a prolific year, attracting new investors, delivering 4.5 million square feet of Class A space and posting the fifth straight year of sub-5 percent vacancy. But the outlook for 2017 is brighter given Denver’s strong economic foundation, the arrival of e-commerce users and delivery of much-needed warehouse inventory. E-commerce Arrives in a Big Way E-commerce arrived in Denver in 2016 but is only just rolling out. Construction began earlier this year on a 1.1-million-square-foot fulfillment center, which will be the market’s largest industrial building upon completion. Several other last-mile e-commerce facilities are opening in the region that are intended to provide same-day or fresh food delivery. The local e-commerce footprint is approaching 3 million square feet in total. E-commerce companies are actively securing sites in Denver largely in response to the region’s explosive population growth. Colorado was the second-fastest-growing state in 2015, and Colorado’s Front Range communities are home to more than 5 million people. Between 2010 and 2016, Denver added nearly 1,000 new residents a week and ranked 12th …

June 27, 2017

Alabama Market Reports Multifamily Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Job Growth, Limited Deliveries Elevate Birmingham Apartment Market’s Outlook

by John Nelson June 26, 2017

Urban submarkets have largely carried the Birmingham multifamily market’s recovery. However, going forward investors will look to capitalize on greater yields in suburban submarkets. Despite rising rents, absorption continues to climb and concessions are falling off. Greater absorption metrics will be a recurring theme this year as rising construction costs and tightening access to capital constrain new development. Supportive Economy Birmingham’s economy added 8,000 net jobs year-over-year as of December 2016, growing at an accelerated rate of 1.6 percent. Further, unemployment remains low at 5.4 percent. Industries such as transportation, education, healthcare, government, and finance are at the forefront of job growth in the market, accounting for 75 percent of the net jobs added. Moody’s projects that the metro will add more than 24,000 net jobs through 2020, expanding by approximately 4.7 percent. Recent expansion announcements in the market reaffirm this trend, including the Project Sunrise deal that will create 746 manufacturing jobs via a $120 million investment in the former Meadowcraft facility. Another needle-moving deal is Mercedes-Benz U.S. International’s $1.3 billion plant expansion in Vance, which has resulted in automotive suppliers growing their footprint in the market. For instance, Eissmann Group Automotive recently added 200 jobs in nearby Pell …

June 26, 2017

Market Reports Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

New Retail Concepts Abound in Expanding Dallas-Fort Worth Market

by Taylor Williams June 23, 2017

It’s no secret retail vacancies in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area are at all-time lows. Vacancy rates at the end of first quarter 2017 were 4.6 percent, down from 5.5 percent a year ago, according to CoStar. More tenants are actively looking for the right spaces for their businesses so the retail sector is not overbuilt. Junior anchor tenants have “right-sized” requirements, thus decreasing their space needs. For example, Office Depot is downsizing its typical footprint from 24,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. Grocery stores that have gone dark have been backfilled with fitness gyms, other grocers or entertainment-type tenants. In addition, market rents jumped markedly from $30 per square foot plus NNNs to $35 to $40 per square foot plus NNNs in the high demand spaces. In Class A retail environments such as the Frisco Mile, rates are $50 to $65 per square foot plus NNNs. Even in the new 99 Ranch Market space in Frisco, rents are $50 per square foot plus NNNs and the tenants are not blinking. Requests for higher finish-outs are continuing, but tenants are willing to pay these higher rents in order to use the landlords’ money for their improvements. Job and Housing …

June 23, 2017

Illinois Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports

Priming Chicago’s Industrial Corridors For 21st Century Development

by Kristin Harlow June 22, 2017

As Chicago has emerged as one of the country’s top tech capitals, large parcels of land across the city -— many set aside for manufacturers that no longer do business there — have remained stuck in the past, serving as roadblocks to billions of dollars in new real estate development. That’s about to change thanks to a yearlong effort spearheaded by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city’s Department of Planning and Development, which recently approved recommendations for modernizing the first of 26 industrial corridors across the city. The recommendations are the result of a community engagement process that solicited feedback from various stakeholders, including our firm and other real estate developers. The plan will pave the way for new residential and commercial projects throughout the North Branch Industrial Corridor, which stretches from Kinzie Street to just north of Fullerton Avenue along the Chicago River. These investments, which include much-needed infrastructure and open space initiatives, will engage the adjacent riverfront and create mixed-use environments. The early years In the 1980s, the city of Chicago designated a series of industrial corridors and Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs) — many along waterways and railways — to protect the city’s industrial base from encroachment by …

June 22, 2017

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