Market Reports

The Case for West Houston — A Long-Term View

by Haisten Willis November 4, 2016

In spite of the “noise” created by headlines about low oil prices and energy industry layoffs, west Houston, home to several of the world’s largest energy companies, continues to have strong fundamentals based on decades of phenomenal growth and high-quality development. At Wolff Companies, we have been investing in West Houston for over 45 years. From this long-term perspective, we remain bullish on Houston and, in particular, West Houston, where continuing favorable demographic and economic trends tell a different story than the current headlines. West Houston is a city unto itself. With a population of 1.7 million, it would rank as the fifth largest city in the United States — ahead of Philadelphia, Phoenix or Dallas. It has its own downtown, or central business district (CBD), comprised of four major activity centers: CityCentre/Memorial City, Westchase, The Energy Corridor and Westway Park. All of these are within a few minutes of the intersection of Interstate 10 and the Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8. This intersection is also the current statistical center of Houston’s population distribution, a focal point which is expected to continue to move westward to the intersection of I-10 and Barker Cypress Road by 2025. High-Quality Growth Despite the cyclical …

November 4, 2016

Market Reports Retail Washington Western Western Market Reports

Seattle’s Retail Market Continues to Grow

by Camren Skelton November 1, 2016

The Puget Sound region may be home to the growing online retail giant of Amazon, but bricks and mortar retail development is in the best shape it’s been in since the beginning of the Great Recession. After five consecutive years of strong employment growth and resultant in-migration of highly paid tech workers, the Seattle market is continuing to enjoy gains in retail sales volumes, which are projected to grow 4.5 percent in 2016. Demand for retail space has pushed overall vacancy rates to 3.7 percent throughout the metro area. For the 12 months ending on June 30, 2016, there were only 500,000 square feet of new space built. This is in contrast to the recent annual absorption that has exceeded 1 million square feet. Overall vacancy rates reflect the demand for new space and asking rents have climbed correspondingly. The majority of new retail construction is occurring in mixed-use projects, such as ground-floor spaces at new residential developments. The largest chunk of retail space currently under construction, however, is within the $1.2 billion expansion of Kemper Freeman’s Bellevue Collection in Downtown Bellevue. In all, the project will add 375,000 square feet of new retail, which is 85 percent pre-leased. The …

November 1, 2016

Florida Market Reports Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Broward County’s Office Sector is Operating at Peak Performance

by John Nelson October 31, 2016

Broward County’s office market continues to heat up like the South Florida summer. Vacancy is decreasing while office rental rates in the market increase. Broward County added 32,100 jobs in the past year, the 4 percent nonagricultural employment growth leading to a second quarter unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, outpacing the state (4.5 percent) and national (5.0) averages. “Many factors drive Broward County’s strong economy, including a talented and diverse workforce, our proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean, and access to three international airports and three seaports,” says Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the county’s public/private partnership for economic development. Broward County’s office sector performance is a big story in an area of very positive commercial real estate headlines. It can be argued that South Florida trails only the two Bay Area bellwethers, San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, in property performance nationwide. Office rental rates in the county — CoStar reported that the market’s average rate increased 1.4 percent during first quarter to $25.14 per square foot — are most likely reaching the top of the arc in the present economic cycle. “Some of our strongest job growth has been in high-wage …

October 31, 2016

Illinois Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Retail

Transit-Oriented Developments Are Transforming Chicago’s Urban Core

by Jeff Shaw October 27, 2016

Mixed-use projects are booming, and for good reason: the city as we know it is fundamentally changing. Millennials are flocking away from the suburbs and into the city center, driving development in walkable urban cores that incorporate everything consumers need to live, work and play. In Chicago, a dramatic increase in mixed-use development since the last recession has completely recast the way we think about how retail concepts fit into our unique urban landscape. Mixed-use buildings anchored by residential projects are well supported by the city’s political class because they increase density in a city that’s already bursting at the seams. Changes in the way the City of Chicago approaches zoning has led to an uptick in transit-oriented development, which allows for lower parking requirements in projects centered around mass transit hubs. The city’s transit-oriented development (TOD) ordinance, which was approved in 2013 and revised in 2015, has been the driver behind the massive influx of new mixed-use projects over the last four years. Mixed-use advantages From a purely economic standpoint, mixed-use projects boast a diverse tenant roster, which typically means less risk for investors. Land prices in Chicago have reached a point where in some cases standalone retail is …

October 27, 2016

Arizona Market Reports Office Western Western Market Reports

Tech Takes Hold in Phoenix

by Camren Skelton October 25, 2016

One of the newest trends in Phoenix office leasing is the spur in technology and creative space requirements, especially for tenants moving in from Northern and Southern California. These companies are searching for a more favorable market — one with lower labor costs and rental rates, more affordable housing, an educated workforce from which to draw, less traffic and an overall higher quality of life — and the Phoenix area fares well comparatively. I expect this trend to continue, especially in the downtown markets of Phoenix, Tempe and Scottsdale. Strong leasing activity throughout the Phoenix market this year resulted in robust absorption, with Class B product leading the way. There are numerous large tenants currently in the market seeking to lock up space, which will keep demand elevated throughout the remainder of the year. Healthcare and financial services industries are committing to the market, especially with larger-scale operations centers. Parking needs for these users are 6:1000 and greater. Tempe remains a hot spot for development, with two new high-profile speculative projects underway — the Grand at Papago Park Center (213,055 square feet) and 2100 Rio Salado (102,819 square feet). Two new buildings were completed this quarter at Tempe’s Marina Heights …

October 25, 2016

Market Reports Maryland Multifamily Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Job Growth, Proximity to D.C. Help Boost Baltimore Multifamily Rents, Supply

by John Nelson October 24, 2016

Historically overlooked along the East Coast, Millennial migration has symbolized the dawn of a new day in Charm City. The recent influx of a budding dynamic workforce to Baltimore’s urban core neighborhoods has driven the fourth largest increase in college-educated young professionals amongst metro areas nationwide. These young professionals followed substantial job migration resulting in a paradigm shift from Washington, D.C., and other major Mid-Atlantic employment centers. Baltimore’s labor market has demonstrated year-over-year gains since 2010. As of March 2016, Baltimore metro-area non-farm employment totaled 1.4 million, up 2.6 percent over the past year, as compared to 2 percent growth nationally over the same period, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The professional and business services sector contributed the largest gains since March 2015, adding 13,500 jobs to Baltimore’s work force, representing a growth rate of 6 percent over the prior year. The recent surge in employment has driven sustained demand for rental housing, pushing vacancy rates to historic lows and placing upward pressure on rents. Despite its rapid ascension, Baltimore continues to benefit from its proximity to other East Coast cities, which have experienced economic expansion as well, with Baltimore remaining the most affordable of …

October 24, 2016

Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Dallas Multifamily Market Has Staying Power

by Haisten Willis October 21, 2016

Success breeds success. That adage, more than any other, defines the Dallas-Fort Worth economy and its strong multifamily market. In the last five years, a number of companies, such as Toyota North America and Nationstar Mortgage, impressed by the advantages of doing business in Dallas-Fort Worth, have relocated their headquarters here. These companies were attracted by the area’s central location, equidistant from both coasts, as well as an educated workforce, a diverse economy and a favorable business climate. This year Jamba Juice, among other companies, took notice and announced that they are joining the migration to north Texas. Even companies not choosing to uproot their headquarters are expanding their presence in Dallas-Fort Worth. Early this year, JPMorgan Chase picked Plano’s Legacy West development for a new 6,000-employee campus, next door to Toyota as well as Liberty Mutual, which itself will add 5,000 workers to a huge new service center it is building there. Also this year, Fannie Mae announced it would move more than 1,000 workers to Plano, the medical giant McKesson revealed plans to add 1,000 office jobs in Irving and Pegasus Foods chose Rockwall for a new plant that will employ 300. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ …

October 21, 2016

Illinois Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Multifamily

Renter Demand Keeps Pace with Apartment Developers’ Building Bonanza

by Jeff Shaw October 20, 2016

Chicago’s diverse economy and ample employment opportunities are driving growth metrowide, which bodes well for apartment owners and managers. Encouraged by the positive economic outlook, developers are expected to deliver nearly 7,500 new units this year, the largest supply increase since 2000. That said, high levels of construction will not be at the expense of other performance metrics such as occupancy, rent and price growth. Job growth is accelerant In the first half of the year, Chicago-area employers added 34,500 workers to their payrolls. Hiring was led by the leisure and hospitality sector and the construction industry, which expanded 4.2 percent and 5.3 percent respectively over the 12-month period that ended in June. Consistent employment expansion has also boosted household incomes, with the median household income reaching $65,300 at the end of the second quarter. With the median income above the nationwide average, demand for luxury rental units is rising tremendously. These factors, in addition to the Millennials and Empty Nesters flocking to the area, will support rental affordability and demand even as rents continue to increase. This is a positive indicator of the overall health of Chicago’s economy. Employers in metro Chicago remain on track to hire a total …

October 20, 2016

Arizona Market Reports Retail Western Western Market Reports

Retail Occupancy Rises in Phoenix

by Camren Skelton October 18, 2016

As we approach the fourth quarter of 2016, the Phoenix retail market is experiencing its lowest vacancy rates since 2008. Vacancy has dropped to just under 9 percent, a slight improvement from the start of 2015, while rental rates have climbed 0.8 percent to $14.53 per square foot. Positive economic indicators such as population growth, a favorable job market, and new-home construction are all contributing toward a healthy retail market in Phoenix. Consumer confidence continues to rise and demand for retail space has become stronger than previous years. Vacant spaces in core locations are being absorbed by national, regional and local retailers as well. Anchor space activity continues to be geared around value-oriented retailers, fitness users, family entertainment concepts and alternative uses. Quick-serve restaurants are the most active tenants in the market. These concepts include Panera Bread, Starbucks, Café Rio, Pieology, MOD Pizza and Jimmy John’s. In addition, new health-conscious restaurants are starting to look at Phoenix for store openings in 2017, such as Ahi Poki, Eat Fit Go, Grabba Green and Nekter. Supermarkets are driving new development in core trade areas of Phoenix, as well as in high-growth markets. Fry’s Food & Drug has started construction on seven new …

October 18, 2016

Industrial Market Reports Maryland Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Baltimore Industrial Revolution Fueled by Consumer Products Sector

by John Nelson October 17, 2016

Bigger — and strategically located — continues to be better in the Baltimore metropolitan region when it comes to the industrial real estate product sector. Blink your eye these days in Charm City, and you might miss the latest 100,000- to 500,000-square-foot transaction that transpired, fueled by the seemingly insatiable appetite among retailers to warehouse consumer products near large population areas and maintain same-day or next-day delivery models. Companies involved with the production and distribution of food products and home goods are the next most prolific users of warehouse and industrial space. The avalanche of large-scale logistics-related leases first started in 2014 when Amazon.com leased a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center with Duke Realty in Baltimore City. Recent notable activity includes RPM Warehouse (435,000 square feet at Baltimore Crossroads in White Marsh); Pier 1 Imports (644,000 square feet in Harford County); Ikea (300,000 square feet with Federal Capital Partners in Halethorpe); Canusa Corp. Fiber Group (320,000 square feet in Dundalk); Sephora Americas (320,000 square feet of renewal space in Harford County, plus an additional 620,000 feet of new space); FedEx Ground (300,000 square feet at TradePoint Atlantic); US Lumber (260,000 square feet with MCB Real Estate and One Liberty Properties); Capital …

October 17, 2016

Newer Posts

Older Posts