Texas Market Reports

Retail Development, Design Trends are Reshaping the Industry

by Haisten Willis December 11, 2015

Convenience, quality and experience are the key deliverables for today’s retail customer. Make it easy, of high value and enjoyable. Today’s shopper has less time, less money and less patience for retailers and developers to “get it right.” They want shopping to be an event and a social experience. They want a reason to get off the couch and go shopping instead of simply buying online. Although e-commerce still accounts for less than 15 percent of retail sales in the United States, it dramatically impacts consumers’ expectations and will increasingly influence retail trends. Shoppers are better informed, often having thoroughly researched the options and narrowed their choices before ever setting foot in the store. Salespersons must be better informed and prepared to successfully engage sophisticated consumers. Sales of consumer goods perceived to be commodities, some of which include books, electronics and office supplies, are continuing to migrate online. Retailers who are able to seamlessly integrate their brick and mortar stores with their online presence have been able to take advantage of shifting trends successfully, while those who haven’t struggle to compete. Omni-channel retailing is becoming more mainstream. Retailers that haven’t adopted omni-channel retailing are racing to catch up to businesses …

December 11, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Multifamily Office Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

Tremendous Growth Underway in the ‘Twin Cities’ of Texarkana

by Haisten Willis December 4, 2015

It has been a tremendous year for the Twin Cities of Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Ark. with the education sector topping $70 million and a $180 million major medical campus projected to commence in early 2016. Educational Opportunity Texas A&M University-Texarkana has been awarded $35.5 million in state funding for the construction of a new building to house and expand its nursing program, including the expansion of a Master’s Degree program, and to promote student success initiatives. The Texas A&M University system expanded its four year-university program to Texarkana in 2010, with the first freshman class admitted that year including Phase I dorms on the 300-plus acre Bringle Lake Campus. University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH) expanded a satellite campus on Texarkana’s Arkansas side in 2012, with over $5.4 million going toward the construction of two buildings that service over 300 local students. Working hand in hand with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, UACCH has expanded their four-year university program, and will continue to grow as the new health professions building completes construction. Further education initiatives include a $29.2 million commitment from Texarkana Independent School District for the construction of a new sixth grade center and …

December 4, 2015

Market Reports Multifamily Office Texas Texas Market Reports

San Antonio Wins the Race with Consistency, Diversified Economy

by Haisten Willis November 20, 2015

The story of the tortoise and the hare can be used to describe the major metros throughout Texas. In recent years, Austin has sprung to life while San Antonio has developed slow and steady. Most recently, however, it appears San Antonio’s office market has received a jolt — the second quarter of 2015 saw three to four times more activity than historic averages indicate — and San Antonio now boasts its lowest vacancy rate since 2008. With a 3.4 percent unemployment rate, San Antonio ranks third on the list of major metropolitan cities across the country with the lowest unemployment rates, trailing only Austin at 3 percent and Salt Lake City at 3.1 percent. These numbers are indicative of a much larger picture of San Antonio. Uniquely positioned to capture the spillover of tech companies and supporting businesses from Austin, its neighbor, San Antonio’s low rental rates for both Class A and B office space along with stable infrastructure make it a viable, attractive alternative for many major businesses looking to expand. But where in San Antonio is all this activity erupting? San Antonio’s newest residents are interested in one area, and you need look no further than the central …

November 20, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Multifamily Office Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

Growing Pains — The History, Revitalization and Relocation to Austin’s CBD

by Haisten Willis November 13, 2015

Operating as our state’s political core and as the “live music capital of the world”, Austin’s real estate market is as distinctive as the people that make this city great. Austin is a one-of-a-kind place that’s unique to Texas and the entire country. It defies stereotypes with its progressive and fiercely entrepreneurial spirit, and continually gets top marks for its quality of life, pro-business culture and pro-environment views. WalletHub recently ranked Austin as the 2015 best large city to live in and the data matches up — the city ranks second among 2015’s fastest-growing cities in the U.S., according to Forbes, behind Houston and ahead of Dallas-Fort Worth. In the era of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger,’ Emmitt Smith and ‘the Dream Team,’ and the release of ‘Dazed and Confused,’ the tech boom of the 1990s drove the Austin office market. During that same time, Austin’s total population increased 35 percent and close to 1,750 companies employed over 110,000 people in technology-related jobs in Austin. By the end of the 90s, Texas’ capital city was widely known as Silicon Hills, home to a critical mass of institutional technology knowledge and major tenants like Dell, IBM, Motorola and other software and gaming companies. …

November 13, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Multifamily Office Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

Port, Diverse Economy Drive Growth in Corpus Christi Real Estate Market

by Haisten Willis October 9, 2015

When people come to Corpus Christi, many of them expect to find a community that has been devastated by the downturn caused by the oversupply of cheap oil and gas. They expect a community with rising unemployment and vacant buildings. Based on the past, they would be correct. However, Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend have been experiencing a major transformation of their economy, which is now much more diverse. This is partly because of the leadership, hard work and vision of its people, and partly because of good luck caused by the infrastructure that had been put in place by the Port of Corpus Christi. This infrastructure was at the right place at the right time. The Port of Corpus Christi has always been a driving force and major contributor to the economy of Corpus Christi. The port’s leaders knew that if they didn’t make some major changes, they would not remain competitive. The Port of Corpus Christi is the fifth largest port in the U.S. in total tonnage. However, because of the depth of the port channel and the height of the harbor bridge which crosses over the port, the newer, larger ships could not enter the port. …

October 9, 2015

Healthcare Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

Healthcare Options Abound in Fast-Growing El Paso Area

by Haisten Willis September 18, 2015

El Paso is a thriving community with active investments across the area ranging from redevelopment of its downtown to new infrastructure across the city. Notable for being the safest city in the Unites States, El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas and a vital part of one of the largest borderplex metropolitan economies in the world. The city is the focal point of more than $88 billion of the $530 billion annual trade between the United States and its third largest trading partner, Mexico. But trade isn’t the only industry thriving in El Paso, other sectors such as education and healthcare continue on a strong path forward given stable population growth and a significant military base. The City of El Paso has a population just over 679,000. Its metropolitan statistical area, composed of El Paso County and the more recently added Hudspeth County, is home to over 837,000 individuals. The area is projected to grow to nearly 863,000 residents by 2016. Historically, El Paso is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the nation with an average growth per decade of 21 percent from 1960 to 2010. According to a recent report by the UTEP Border Region Modeling Project, …

September 18, 2015

Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Austin Population Growth Supporting Continued Multifamily Market Strength

by Haisten Willis September 4, 2015

Since 2011, Austin’s multifamily market has become one of the strongest in the state and nation. With stable job growth, demand is projected to remain strong. Marketwide occupancy hovered around 94 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2015, with rents increasing at a 6 percent year-over-year clip. Austin and Travis County continue to rack up the rankings, with Thumbtack naming the area a top environment for small businesses and WalletHub naming it the best large U.S. city to live in. Headlight Data ranked Travis County the second fastest-growing financial services sector in 2014 and Austin came in as the number one city for startup activity on the 2015 Kaufmann Index. Generally, the first question on everyone’s minds is how long this bullish cycle will last. With the development pipeline running at historically high levels, what is the impact on today’s market and how does the future look? Apartment construction dropped off dramatically in 2010 and remained compressed until 2014. However, population grew incredibly fast during the construction trough, resulting in heightened demand. Today, there are 16,000 units in some stage of development with just over 10,000 expected to deliver in 2015. The difference between today and the …

September 4, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Multifamily Office Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

United States’ 16th Largest City Continues Fast Growth Post-Recession

by Haisten Willis August 21, 2015

As the 16th largest city in the United States and one of the fastest growing metro markets, Fort Worth is consistently a hot market in Texas and hasn’t slowed down post-recession. The current retail market is showing a low vacancy rate of 6.5 percent along with increasing rental rates. Surprisingly, these rates have not slowed leasing activity. Instead, the combination of increasing rates and dwindling vacancies have spurred new development. In years past, Fort Worth has been seen as a secondary market to Dallas, but with its strong economy and high returns, the city is now able to stand on its own. Fort Worth is seeing a lot of capital being tossed around the market. With a strong economy and low operations costs, money is pouring in from all angles, including from out-of-state and international investors. California, New York and overseas investors are beginning to recognize the stability of the city and the potential for stronger returns, and are aggressively starting to pursue opportunities here. For example, Iowa-based Lockard Development is in the process of expanding its Walmart anchored Renaissance Square power center at Berry Street and Hwy 287 in East Fort Worth to include more national credit tenants. Lockard …

August 21, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Office Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

Dynamic, Fast Growth Comes to the Four-County Area of ‘Rio South Texas’

by Haisten Willis August 7, 2015

It’s safe to say that the Rio Grande Valley, now also referred to as Rio South Texas, is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing regions in the state. The four-county region at the southernmost tip of Texas bordering Mexico and hugging the Gulf of Mexico consists of Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr and Willacy counties. With nine ports of entry, five international airports, a first-class deep water port, a population of over 1.2 million and three interstates, it is easy to see why the Rio Grande Valley is one of the largest trade corridors in the world. Growth in all aspects, including retail, office, medical, education, industrial and housing, brought nearly $700 million in construction permits for all of 2014. Retail Sales tax revenue being sent back to the cities continues to increase at a healthy pace. Walmart’s opening of 12 new stores in the region affirms the positive growth and the confidence in the valley. The impact a Super Walmart has is evident with a city’s sales tax revenue. Two new stores in Donna and Elsa increased local sales tax revenue 14 percent and 57 percent, respectively. Retail sales in the region continue to rise, showing the strength of …

August 7, 2015

Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Why San Antonio’s Multifamily, Corporate Housing Markets are Hot, Stable

by Haisten Willis July 24, 2015

San Antonio, despite being the second largest city in Texas by population, sometimes takes a back seat to the Lone Star State’s other booming metro areas. The city might not have the energy of Houston, the weirdness of Austin or the Cowboys of Dallas, but more than 1.4 million people call the Alamo City home, and businesses are starting to take notice. San Antonio has added more than 300,000 residents since 2000, and a reasonable cost of living makes it an attractive city for workers young and old. The city continues to experience strong corporate growth and increased tourism activity, which is bringing more jobs to the city. San Antonio’s unemployment rate of 3.8 percent sits well below the national rate of 5.5 percent, and is also below Texas’ unemployment rate of 4.2 percent. Texas is the home of oil, and recent price uncertainty has made some investors worry about the state’s big cities. But there’s no worry in San Antonio: While new oil and gas production from the Eagle Ford Shale south of the city is expanding and having a positive impact on the region, the presence of energy-related businesses in San Antonio represents only one sector of the …

July 24, 2015

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