Southeast Market Reports

Baltimore’s Resurgence as a City Supports Burgeoning Apartment Market

by John Nelson September 28, 2015

The transformation of downtown Baltimore into a contemporary world-class city began nearly two decades ago, but over the past few years it has irrefutably evolved into a true 24/7 city and a top-tier housing market that is nationally recognized by the investment community. An influx of commercial investment drove job growth, which inevitably boosted downtown Baltimore’s daytime population. But what is remarkable is how many of these individuals also decided to become city residents. The number of degree-holding young people living in downtown Baltimore increased by 92 percent between 2000 and 2010, exceeding the pace of 20-something magnet cities like New York and Boston. Whether it was the chicken or the egg, this new group of residents favored a rental urban lifestyle, and downtown Baltimore delivered nearly 4,700 new apartments between 2000 and 2010. Ambitious developers John Paterakis and Michael S. Beatty paved the way in the late 1990s with the development of Harbor East, which congregates upscale retailers, Class A office space and luxury rental apartments. Its immediate success filled a niche in the market and spurred growth in other communities around the Inner Harbor, including the Ritz-Carlton. As this wave of development continued throughout the 2000s, slowly but …

September 28, 2015

Market Reports Mixed-Use Southeast Southeast Market Reports Tennessee

Chattanooga is Enjoying a Boom of Office, Retail and Hotel Activity Amid its Urban Renewal.

by John Nelson September 21, 2015

Chattanooga is situated at a U-turn of the Tennessee River amidst forests and mountains, hence the community’s nickname, Scenic City. Two of Chattanooga’s largest employers are Volkswagen, which has a plant here, and Amazon, which runs a distribution center in the city. Insurance firm Unum Group, a Fortune 500 Company founded in 1848, is headquartered here and is one of the larger occupiers of downtown office space. Long-known for its natural resources and as a tourism destination, Chattanooga is experiencing a real estate boom fueled by urbanization trends and its proximity to Atlanta (2 hours south) and Nashville (1.5 hours northwest), as well as its growing recognition as one of the South’s top tourism and entertainment venues. Key to the urban renewal is the conversion of dozens of properties — mostly from office uses to residential, retail or hotel uses. The combination of the Great Recession and a 2009 move by BlueCross BlueShield into a new $229 million downtown facility has led to the relatively high vacancy rate of 17.5 percent that persisted up until early 2014. Most of the 600,000 square feet of facilities vacated by BlueCross BlueShield were not suitable for multi-tenanted office use and the spaces would …

September 21, 2015

Market Reports North Carolina Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Food Fight Among New, Established Grocers Highlights Charlotte’s Retail Activity

by John Nelson September 14, 2015

As Charlotte’s job growth has returned, so has traffic into Uptown during rush hour, a new apartment project on every corner, healthy single-family demand and a food fight. Currently there is an all-out war for grocery market share between behemoths Harris Teeter, Publix and Walmart Neighborhood Market, all adding stores at a record rate, while Whole Foods Market continues to expand within the market on a measured basis. Newcomers Sprouts Farmers Market and Lidl, a German-based supermarket grocer offering discount items, are set to make market entries between 2016 to 2018, with Food Lion planning to refurbish a number of their stores in the market. Pappas Properties has begun construction on a Harris Teeter at Berewick and Raley Miller in a joint venture with Levine Properties, and has filed a rezoning petition to add another Harris Teeter at the corner of Fairview and Providence. Harris Teeter has recently added a store in Cornelius, as has Publix. Publix has recently opened a new store in the booming South End submarket located along the transit line on South Boulevard and has won zoning approval for a store to be constructed at Cotswold. A grocer is also rumored to be scouting a redevelopment …

September 14, 2015

Market Reports Multifamily North Carolina Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Charlotte’s Uptown, South End Set Pace for City’s Apartment Development Activity

by John Nelson September 7, 2015

Lately, Charlotte seems to have more of everything: jobs, residents, young people — all of which has driven more demand for quality multifamily properties in urban neighborhoods with multiple lifestyle amenities. Renters’ desire for parks, transit options and walkable access to work, culture, and entertainment has led Charlotte’s Uptown/South End region to become the fastest-growing apartment submarket in the nation, according to a study by MPF Research. Since the recession, Uptown/South End has experienced a period of remarkable growth in the multifamily market, and has seen an 82 percent increase in units since 2012, the study says. Overall, renter-occupied units make up just over two-fifths, or 40 percent, of the city’s housing market, a percentage that is already higher than the national average and anticipated to increase. As more properties are built, Charlotte’s 5.1 percent vacancy rate is likely to increase over the long term, but demand is expected to remain strong as the city’s dynamic economy and population continue to grow. The area’s population is set to increase about 2 percent annually over the next five years, far outpacing the country’s overall rate of 0.75 percent. Much of that is due to an influx of well-educated, younger people moving …

September 7, 2015

Market Reports North Carolina Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Charlotte’s Industrial Market Rides Wave of Absorption, Development

by John Nelson August 31, 2015

The Charlotte industrial market is extremely well-regarded by most national investors, with consistent rent growth, strong occupancy and increasing values. The fourth quarter of 2014 revealed the third-highest annual net absorption ever recorded in the Charlotte industrial market, continuing a pattern of growth that began in the fourth quarter of 2010. This continued recovery can be directly attributed to a combination of restrained development, expansions by existing space users, an influx of new companies and increased economic stability. Due primarily to geographic constraints and a high demand for land by all types of developers, there is a limited supply of large tracts suitable for industrial developments, which protects the value of existing properties. Air Support Industrial tenants are drawn to Charlotte for its strategic location along I-85 between Atlanta and the Mid-Atlantic states, as well as proximity to the Carolinas, southern Virginia and eastern Tennessee. Quality buildings are available at competitive prices in the region. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) continues to be a significant economic development driver, and Charlotte’s distribution network will be further enhanced by Norfolk Southern’s intermodal terminal recently completed on 230 acres adjacent to CLT. The terminal will include two loading tracks totaling 9,056 feet, eight …

August 31, 2015

Market Reports North Carolina Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Population Growth, Affordability Push Charlotte Office Market to New Heights

by John Nelson August 24, 2015

It’s no secret that the Sunbelt states have been, and continue to be, the front-runners for corporations looking to relocate to cities with a much lower cost of doing business. With each state taking different approaches, North Carolina does not often offer the relocation incentives that can be found in states such as South Carolina and Texas. Instead, North Carolina favors a system that offers less up-front cash incentives, but tries to offset that with a tax structure and business-friendly climate in an effort to compete for the large, attractive relocations. Because of this, the catalyst for growth in Charlotte has only been moderately associated with the recruitment of out-of-market users looking to relocate headquarters to more affordable and attractive markets. In large part, Charlotte’s growth has been driven by organic growth of existing businesses. In fact, more than 70 percent of the positive absorption in the central business district (CBD) since 2010 has occurred through organic growth. This expansion of existing business has provided for employment growth conditions that work hand-in-hand with the rapidly swelling population. In between new-to-market relocations that provide headline-grabbing bursts of employment, the diverse and impressive growth of Charlotte’s existing companies has attracted talent and …

August 24, 2015

Florida Market Reports Multifamily Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Strong Demand Proves the Best is Yet to Come for Miami’s Multifamily Market

by John Nelson August 17, 2015

Miami’s multifamily market now ranks among the country’s strongest overall performers (if not the strongest). The city attracts, and benefits from, numerous tourists, investors, financial institutions, real estate funds, retailers and tourists from countries around the globe. The demand for condominiums and apartment buildings in Miami seems insatiable with the investors competing for increasingly scant deals. In practical terms, that means hotel and office developers often lose out across asset classes to the “ever-on-fire” multifamily sector. There is every indication in the first quarter of 2015 that Miami’s multifamily market’s upward trend will continue. Debt and equity continue to stream into the Miami-Dade County apartment and condominium sector from both local sources and out-of-area buyers attracted to solid asset performance and robust housing demand generators. Continued employment and population growth have bolstered housing demand as the overall Miami economy strengthened in 2014. The Miami metropolitan area added more than 30,000 jobs last year, and based on figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Miami-Dade County’s unemployment rate continued its downward trend to 5.4 percent in February 2015. According to the Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, South Florida’s population is expected to increase by approximately 29 percent between 2013 …

August 17, 2015

Florida Industrial Market Reports Southeast Southeast Market Reports

International Trade, Population Growth Allow Miami’s Industrial Market to Thrive

by John Nelson August 10, 2015

Miami, the “Gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean,” boasts one of the strongest industrial markets in the nation, with over 200 million square feet of industrial space serving one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. Stronger-than-average population and employment growth count among the region’s chief demand drivers, along with robust international trade, a booming housing market and a globally acclaimed tourism industry. South Florida’s population is expected to grow by 100,000 people annually over the next five years, while the region also has the fourth-highest job growth rate in the nation. As a result, demand for housing and consumer goods is rising, creating a very dynamic industrial development, leasing and sales environment. Significant and ongoing investment in South Florida’s seaports, airports and intermodal transportation infrastructure is giving investors and businesses confidence in the long-term growth of the region. On the infrastructure front, there is the highly publicized, $2 billion expansion of PortMiami, one of the busiest ports in the U.S. for container traffic. The project includes a deep dredge, the addition of several post-Panamax gantry cranes, an intermodal/freight rail linkage, and a new truck/freight tunnel. Once completed this year, PortMiami will be the only port south …

August 10, 2015

Florida Market Reports Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

New Developments Coming to Miami’s Top Submarkets Will Satisfy Retail Demand

by John Nelson August 3, 2015

Miami is known for its spicy nightlife and beautiful beaches; but those are not the only things the international city has to offer. As the economy continues to surge, many now consider Miami the third major market within the United States following New York City and Los Angeles. Within the city, the retail market has always been attractive to owners and tenants alike, but over the past three years retail has rocketed to the forefront. One of the major factors of this evolution is Miami’s growth, both in population and in tourism. Between being an international vacation destination, a major cruise port, and the gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, Miami is constantly growing. The weather and city also attracts growth. The population in Miami now is at 2.66 million and Miami Beach’s hotels reported having occupancy levels at or above 94 percent during President’s Day weekend. With this type of growth, Miami is experiencing strong consumer spending and an increase in demand for retail space. Retail vacancies are at an all-time low while rental rates are breaking records. Currently, Miami is considered to be under-supplied per capita in retail. Over the past few years, Miami has been increasing …

August 3, 2015

Industrial Market Reports South Carolina Southeast Southeast Market Reports

South Carolina’s Midland Region is in the Middle of ‘Manufacturing Renaissance’

by John Nelson July 27, 2015

South Carolina continues to see a manufacturing renaissance, after back-to-back record years of manufacturing investment totaling $10 billion in 2013 and 2014. All signs suggest that 2015 will be just as promising. The Midlands region has benefitted from this investment and is poised to take off in 2015. As the market has heated up, the Midlands region of South Carolina has the most to offer in the way of product for new and expanding companies. Yes, in 2015 vacancy is a good thing! As the upstate and low country markets have become alarmingly tight on viable manufacturing space, the Midlands region offers up an array of high-quality industrial product that is move-in ready. Data for the first quarter of 2015 shows significant improvements in the Midlands market with investments, job creation and construction activity. Major companies, including Brazil-based Inbra Industrias Quimicas, Red Bone Alley Foods, Avantrech and Wire Mesh Cos., have all made multi-million dollar investments in new or expanded facilities, and there is also increased build-to-suit and speculative construction across the region. There has also been a growth in leasing, as manufacturers pursue existing facilities that can meet the demands for advanced manufacturing but with significant cost savings over …

July 27, 2015

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