Population growth is a direct result of the lifestyle advantages we enjoy in the Triangle region, which include our mild climate as well as educational opportunities and future employment options. People continue to move to the area, with approximately 225,000 new citizens expected by 2015. These new citizens expect jobs and recent estimates indicated an increase of approximately 12,500 jobs in 2012. It’s not the high job growth of the late ’90s through mid-2000, but it was an improvement over the last three years. With so many new people coming to the Triangle, and many unable to sell their homes in depressed markets, the need for apartments has grown considerably. The Triangle apartment market has been on fire with the latest report indicating a vacancy rate of 5.5 percent. In addition almost 6,000 apartment units are currently under construction. The combination of population growth, housing demands and disposable income are key ingredients to our vibrant retail market. In 2011, there was an increase in retail construction of approximately 900,000 square feet, resulting in minimal absorption and continued vacancy at 6 percent. In 2012, construction dropped to just over 300,000 square feet and despite vacancies in strip centers, overall vacancy dropped …
Market Reports
The investment climate for the Phoenix office market is poised to provide compelling acquisition opportunities in 2013. Favorable job growth, improving market fundamentals and assets available at discounts to replacement costs are expected to enhance asset appreciation over the next several years. Phoenix has historically generated strong job growth after recessionary periods. Recent data supports this trend, as Metro Phoenix added 50,700 jobs over the past 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary November 2012 figures. This job growth has lowered the unemployment rate to 6.9 percent as of October 2012, well below the national rate of 7.9 percent. The area is expected to continue adding 50,000 new jobs annually through 2015, driving vacancy rates downward and creating upward pressure on rental rates and property values. Employment growth in professional and business services, and in the financial sector, is of chief importance as a demand generator for office space. Phoenix has also benefited from strong population growth. Metro Phoenix is expected to grow at an average rate of 2.6 percent per year over the next 10 years, a pace that is more than twice that of the national average. Affordable housing, a business-friendly environment and a well-educated …
After a seemingly relentless economic recession, the retail atmosphere is changing in southeastern Michigan as more local and national tenants look to grow here. The positive momentum that began in 2011 in the retail industry has continued. Retail sales rose modestly in 2012, and retailers expect sales to continue to rise in 2013. The source of the optimism stems from the resurgent auto industry, which drives metro Detroit’s economy. Job growth is accelerating, leading to a drop in the unemployment rate. Absorption is positive in the Class A industrial and office markets. All of these factors are having a positive effect on Detroit’s retail market. Retailers eye downtown Downtown Detroit is bursting with an energy not seen since the 1950s. Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, is responsible for much of the change. His recent real estate acquisitions, 15 buildings to be exact, and relocation of 7,000 employees to the central business district, have created a buzz that retailers are noticing. Olga’s, Bagger Dave’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Moosejaw have all planted roots downtown. Whole Foods Market is scheduled to open this year in midtown near the Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University. National retailers are lining up to …
San Antonio has been hard to ignore by national and international commercial and multifamily real estate investors on both the equity and debt side of capitalization. It has many of the positive ingredients that combine to score compelling marks in the various economic and investment models that are used to evaluate investment strategy. NorthMarq Capital works with national and international debt and equity real estate investors raising capital for commercial and multifamily properties every day in our role as an intermediary. Factors consistently standing out that make San Antonio attractive are its economic foundation based on financial services, healthcare, government and tourism and includes industries as diverse as medical, energy, biosciences, cyber security and aerospace. San Antonio is a top travel destination and has experienced very healthy population growth. It has an affordable and business friendly environment along with a unique geographic location and high quality of life. These factors translate into positive sustained demand for real estate. Several sources have given accolades validating the success the San Antonio economy in recent history. The Milken Institute named San Antonio as the No. 1 performing city in the country and emphasized the productivity and energy the city has had in recent …
The Nashville metropolitan statistical area (MSA) comprises 13 counties and a population of approximately 1.45 million, which represents a 47.2 percent increase since 1990, nearly 2.5 times the national average of 19.2 percent for the same period. With a host of world-class companies like Dell, Nissan, HCA and Sprint PCS, Nashville has become a destination for a young, progressive generation of families. Over the past decade, the Nashville area saw tremendous increases in several areas: population growth in the region has gone from 53rd in the United States to 38th and income growth in the region rose from 138th in the United States to 49th. That takes the region from five percent below the U.S. median household income average to seven percent above it. Diverse and Growing Economy The Nashville region’s economy is diverse and thriving. Low unemployment, consistent job growth, substantial outside investment, and a well-trained labor force combine to make Nashville an attractive city for business. Nashville enjoys an unemployment rate that is historically below the national average, ending the year at 6.95 percent (compared to 8.3 percent for the nation). Nashville’s diverse economic mix is led by the manufacturing and healthcare industries, followed by publishing and printing, …
We We ended 2012 with a “wait-and-see” New York City office market, a predicament common to other cities and commercial real estate sectors across the U.S. With elections, the fiscal cliff and 2012 behind us, we expect 2013 to be a bit of a transition year with moderate growth, but it will still be interesting to observe and be a part of one of the world’s most dynamic markets as Midtown, Midtown South and Downtown evolve and historic developments such as the World Trade Center continue to take shape. In terms of tenant activity, Midtown South is still the biggest story. Midtown South vacancy closed the year at 7.9 percent, with average asking rents of $49.69 per square foot, while the submarket’s Class A space was 5.2 percent vacant with average asking rates of $62.57 per square foot. With Google and its $2 billion New York City headquarters at 111 Eighth Ave., Midtown South’s Silicon Alley has emerged as the East Coast hot spot for tech and social media tenants that are drawn to the city’s media and financial agglomerations and talent pool. Though Midtown and Midtown South offer a different vibe and, generally, different types of office inventory, owners …
The San Diego retail market has always been one of the strongest markets in the nation with respect to commercial real estate indicators. Many regions greatly affected by the housing downturn like Las Vegas and Phoenix are still experiencing double-digit retail vacancy rates, while San Diego ended 2012 with an overall vacancy rate of 7.1 percent. Even the overall availability rate dropped to 9.5 percent, down from 9.7 percent last quarter and 10.6 percent at the end of fourth quarter 2011. Since the beginning of 2012, both power centers and community centers have outperformed the rest of the market. Vacancy rates came in at 2.4 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively, with both rates representing decreases compared to last quarter and last year. Net absorption for these two products accounted for about 82 percent of the total activity in 2012. Other center types, such as specialty centers and strip centers, have experienced mixed results throughout the year. The drop in vacancy rates can primarily be attributed to basic supply and demand. Many sectors of the retail market are becoming more creative and took advantage of market conditions during the downturn. Discount retailers are expanding in Southern California as Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree …
The Charlotte, N.C., apartment market is well into its recovery; 2012 proved to be a strong year with improving fundamentals, healthy transaction volume and the formation of a robust new development pipeline. The exceptional year that Charlotte experienced in 2012 was not fully anticipated at year’s end 2011. However, MPF Research’s second quarter report (July 2012) showed Charlotte’s year-over-year rent growth at 6.8 percent, placing it third in the top 10 markets for rent growth nationally (of the top 50 national markets). This trend was reinforced by MPF’s third quarter publication which reported year-over-year rent growth of 6.3 percent. This marked the fourth straight quarter of year-over-year rent growth in excess of 6 percent. In addition, the report showed overall market occupancy levels of 95.9 percent, the second highest achieved in 14 years. Such favorable news serves as confirmation that the Charlotte economy has remained strong through the financial crisis, as banking sector jobs have remained largely intact and the overall economy of Charlotte is more diverse than many once thought. As a result of the favorable market dynamics, Charlotte’s visibility amidst the national investment landscape has increased, causing investors, developers and lenders alike to take note. Charlotte has quickly …
Blessed by location and good quality of life standards, the Danbury, Conn., retail market has grown in the recent 18 months and should continue to expand in 2013. Key among growth indicators are: • Whole Foods is opening its first store in the Danbury market in 2013. • Panera Bread and Petco recently opened second stores in this market. • Toll Brothers is under way with a new 1,200-home community in anticipation of regional population growth and changing demographics. • Danbury has the lowest unemployment rate in the state (around 6.5 percent). Location and Demographics Danbury is located in northern Fairfield County on the border of New York State and is approximately 50 miles north of New York City. (The Metro train to NYC takes just over an hour.) The population is approximately 80,000. Danbury serves Fairfield and Litchfield County in Connecticut as well as Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York. Stamford, Conn.; White Plains, N.Y.; and Hartford, Conn., are each about an hour away. The relatively short commutes to these larger urban hubs entice real estate occupiers for office space and retail tenants with lower rental costs — on average, 20 to 25 percent less for comparable …
The Metro Phoenix industrial market has been climbing its way to recovery for the past few years, but the activity of 2012 showed the strongest signs of diversified activity of a healthy marketplace. While overall net leasing was down slightly from 2011, the city benefitted from an abundance of medium and large transactions reflecting many types of industrial users leasing and buying throughout the city. This diversity indicates overall health — and not just in our traditional big box arena. In several strong submarkets, we saw owners pushing back on users’ terms due to improved portfolio and individual property activity. The city’s big box hub of Southwest Phoenix experienced continued strong activity with a variety of notable leases and property sales. We saw a shift to speculative construction and actual groundbreakings taking place on multiple projects. Phoenix has more than 2.6 million square feet of industrial space under construction, with more than 2.2 million of that being situated in the Southwest area. Overall net absorption in that area totaled more than 1.3 million square feet in 2012, leading to a shortage of available large facilities following three years of top eight national leasing and sales activity. The overall net absorption …