Texas Market Reports

Texas’ Best Kept Secret is Out as San Marcos Draws Local, National Investors

by Haisten Willis July 17, 2015

Despite headwinds from the oil and energy industries’ latest moves, cities throughout Texas continue to boom. Austin and San Antonio have, in recent years, led the charge. However, one city situated along Interstate 35 between those powerhouses is emerging out of its sleepy college town roots and drawing attention from local and national investors. Once the primary destination for weeklong vacation shopping excursions to the country’s fourth largest outlet mall, San Marcos is quickly moving up the ranks. Recently named the fastest growing city in the U.S. by the Census Bureau for the third year in a row, it’s clear that one of Texas’ best kept secrets is out. Spec properties dot the landscape, fueled by the increasing demand for housing, hotels and industrial space, and are often leased before construction has completed. The economic forces driving the city’s growth are many. It is located on the I-35 Regional Growth Corridor between Austin and San Antonio with nearby access to I-10, toll road SH 130, as well as two international airports.It’s home to Texas State University, with more than 36,000 students, and rapidly gaining a reputation for its engineering, materials science and biotech programs. It is home to Tanger’s outlet …

July 17, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

Healthy Demand Jumpstarts Construction Activity in Dallas Industrial Market

by Haisten Willis July 10, 2015

The Dallas/Fort Worth industrial market is one of the biggest and most strategically important in North America. With an inventory of more than 500 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space, the DFW industrial market serves a metro area of 6.8 million people and a larger region that stretches to Mexico. More than 70 percent of goods exported to Mexico roll through the metro area, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a huge driver of those exports. These days, the industrial market is buoyed by a local economy that is outpacing most of the nation’s major metros. In March, Dallas/Fort Worth registered an unemployment rate of 4 percent, compared to 5.9 percent in Atlanta, 6 percent in New York, 6.4 percent in Chicago and 6.6 percent in Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The GDP also grew by a healthy 2.2 percent in 2014. Dallas/Fort Worth’s economic momentum has heightened demand for industrial space. The first quarter of 2015 marked the 18th consecutive quarter of positive absorption, according to CBRE. The DFW industrial market has been among the top five markets in absorption over the past several years, and this impressive …

July 10, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

The Emergence of South Dallas

by Haisten Willis June 19, 2015

The South Dallas industrial submarket has emerged and is here to stay. As one of the hottest up-and-coming industrial submarkets, South Dallas has all the components to continue to thrive for the foreseeable future. For the last five years, South Dallas has been a basin for major industrial development. Located south of downtown, the well-positioned submarket provides several key logistical advantages. The convergence of several major arteries makes South Dallas an ideal distribution market, and the ability to import, store and export goods, particularly from Mexico, California and the Port of Houston, greatly benefits the area. Supply can easily move along I-20 or I-35 while avoiding some of the worst congestion of the DFW Metroplex. This infrastructure, coupled with intermodal access, allows for a faster and more efficient transport of goods. Additionally, unlike the other major industrial submarkets, South Dallas contains an abundance of land at favorable pricing. Since early 2010, South Dallas has dominated the market in terms of new construction. It has been the fastest growing submarket, accounting for over 25 percent of the total delivered construction in the entire Metroplex in the last five years. Historically, South Dallas has been considered a big box market. The latest …

June 19, 2015

Market Reports Office Texas Texas Market Reports

Las Colinas, Far North Dallas And Richardson/Plano Stand Out in Hot Market

by Haisten Willis June 5, 2015

Dallas/Fort Worth has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years, and we have all the fundamentals in place to continue this growth. Since 2005, we have added more than 600,000 jobs to the region. That’s a whopping increase of 21 percent! The current outlook is for growth to continue at these levels. In fact, by 2030 population in our region is expected to hit 9 million, an increase of 2.1 million new residents. From a real estate perspective, these fundamentals will fuel demand across all property types for the foreseeable future. More importantly, DFW has evolved into one of the most balanced economies in the U.S. and has created the “perfect storm” for our continued, steady growth. In addition to our central location, key drivers include our diverse employment base, deep roots in technology, low cost of doing business, pro-growth philosophy and affordable housing. For a comparison to the rest of the country, office absorption in Dallas has paced ahead of most U.S. markets in the last few years. In the first quarter of 2015, Dallas made up almost 30 percent of the national net absorption among the 50 largest U.S. markets JLL tracks. While a large proportion of …

June 5, 2015

Market Reports Mixed-Use Texas Texas Market Reports

Smart Code Helps El Paso Develop for the Future

by Haisten Willis May 29, 2015

In March 2012 The El Paso City Council unanimously adopted Plan El Paso, a comprehensive development plan based on the principles of green and smart growth. Smart Code, which is based on these same princples, was largely chosen to combat sprawl, large land use and carbon pollution. After numerous citywide meetings with citizens, government entities, nonprofit groups and business leaders, the plan moved forward. Smart Code emphasizes new urbanism, density, walkability, mixed-use development and open space with access to public transit. Developers have the choice in most instances to pick the traditional zoning code or opt for Smart Code. The Smart Code offers potential Chapter 380 economic incentives with city council approval. Sales, use and property tax abatements are available for qualified projects. Higher densities and higher property values through Smart Code generate greater taxes, which justify the rebates. Some developers say project costs are about 30 percent higher under Smart Code when compared to the traditional code. Smart Code typically makes the most sense for infill development in higher-income areas. Prior to the economic downturn of 2008, a large mixed-use development in northeast El Paso was slated to become the first project in the city to implement elements of …

May 29, 2015

Market Reports Office Texas Texas Market Reports

Demand for Energy, and Houston Office Product, Will Remain

by Haisten Willis May 22, 2015

The real estate capital markets are a funny thing — one minute you’re up and the next you’re down. The debt market starts making investors bring more equity to the table, reserves tied to energy-related tenancy are mandated, the four-letter word “recourse” is thrown around and more scrutiny is placed on every detail. No one wants to be laughed out of a committee meeting for trying to push through a multi-million dollar loan on an office building in the Energy Capital of the World. The same holds true in the equity market. Return requirements that fluctuate along the risk/return spectrum haven’t changed, but underwriting scrutiny has. Market rent growth has been scaled back or even gone negative, energy-related tenancy is being given a lower retention ratio or being downsized, downstream tenancy is more favorable than upstream tenancy, mark-to-market value-add strategies have been replaced with income preservation strategies, etc. Individually, these various reactions in the debt and equity market don’t have a huge impact on values. Combined, they have a material impact. You would think that this environment would bring about great opportunities for investors with a long-term, bullish view on Houston’s office market. Instead, most owners will be patient, electing …

May 22, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

World’s Third Busiest Airport Drives Growth, Economic Development in Texas

by Haisten Willis May 15, 2015

Texas has been a beacon of light during our country’s recent bout of recession. No doubt, this has to do with our business-friendly regulations and the physical space and capacity for business growth. Our economy is growing stronger every day. This past March, the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) released the latest employment numbers, and Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman pointed out that the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area ranked first in the rate of job growth and third in the number of jobs added among the country’s largest metropolitan areas. DFW’s largest growth last year was in the professional and business services sector, as 33,000 jobs were added. Other growth sectors included trade, transportation and utilities (30,500 jobs), education and health services (19,200 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (17,300 jobs). It is hard to open the business section of the morning paper anymore without seeing news of a company relocating to the DFW Metroplex, bringing along the promise of thousands of jobs. As a result, commercial real estate is booming in north Texas. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is an important force behind Texas’ growth and a contributor to one of the nation’s most prosperous and vital economies. …

May 15, 2015

Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Several Houston Submarkets Ripe for New Development

by Haisten Willis May 8, 2015

This year, Forbes listed Houston as the fastest growing city in America, which is no surprise considering its 4.5 percent year-over-year job growth rate. Having created 667,800 new jobs and counting since 2005, Forbes considers Houston an economic powerhouse. Professionals old and new are drawn to the city not only for its positive economy, but for its diverse demographic and cultural scene. Due to the growing population, there is a demand for multifamily and mixed-use properties, and although the city has current concerns about dynamics and pricing of the oil and gas industry, there are several Houston submarkets that have been more resilient than others and continue to be ripe for development: The Galleria/Uptown Park, Greenway Plaza/Upper Kirby, downtown Houston and the Museum District/Montrose. The Galleria/Uptown Park The Galleria/Uptown Park submarket is home to some of Houston’s most prominent mid- and high-rise multifamily developments, with the highest net effective rent for greater Houston nearing $2.90 per square foot. The area is characterized by its blend of distinguished businesses and residential addresses with some of the area’s finest shopping, hotels, dining and night life. It’s a charismatic, urban community with an average per capita income higher than areas such as Buckhead …

May 8, 2015

Market Reports Multifamily Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

Rapid Growth Makes Fort Worth Attractive for Business, Consumers

by Haisten Willis May 1, 2015

Fort Worth, which makes up the core of the western side of the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex, has seen expansive growth both economically and in its resident base, making it an attractive destination for businesses and consumers alike. The population of the Fort Worth- Arlington Metropolitan Division has grown by more than 35 percent since 2000, according to estimates from Moody’s Analytics. Forecast data from Moody’s indicates a continuation of this trend, with projections through 2030 anticipating a total population of over 3.1 million, which is the current size of Iowa. Personal income is another demographic that has experienced a strong growth rate in recent years. Moody’s Analytics forecasts the fourth quarter to have been the strongest quarter of year-over-year growth in 2014, with 8.7 percent growth for personal disposable income and 7.9 percent growth for total personal income. This may be a telling sign that the impact of lower oil prices has accelerated consumer spending at the onset of the oil price decline in June 2014. Furthermore, retail sales growth steadily increased throughout 2014 in the Fort Worth metropolitan division, with the most recent figure for Fort Worth (4.9 percent) outpacing the national rate (4.1 percent) at the close …

May 1, 2015

Market Reports Retail Texas Texas Market Reports

Tourism, Medical Center Drive El Paso Economy

by Haisten Willis April 24, 2015

In 2014, El Paso, along with the rest of the country, enjoyed a vibrant, active and growing economy, and we anticipate El Paso will continue its solid growth in 2015 and beyond. Similar to the rest of the country, El Paso continued to add jobs across all sectors, resulting in reduced unemployment and increased household income. In addition, a number of factors unique to the region have made El Paso a wonderful place to do business. Fort Bliss, always vital to the El Paso economy, continues its growth. A new 1 million-square-foot medical center, which will employ approximately 4,000 people, will open in 2016. El Paso has experienced substantial additions to its medical sector. Tenet Healthcare Corp. has added a new wing to its Eastside Hospital and recently announced a new hospital to be constructed on the northwest side in conjunction with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. In addition, both Tenet and Hospital Corp. of America (HCA) continue their rapid placement of urgent care, emergency care and other satellite facilities around the city. As many people know, El Paso benefits from economic growth outside its city limits as well. Union Pacific is making huge investments in Santa …

April 24, 2015

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