A blistering cold winter lingered into the late spring and left the commercial real estate market in the Grand Traverse region frozen. Businesses waited for the market and the temperatures to thaw, and a third-quarter surge has activity back on track. From Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, property sales totaled $10.3 million and 221,136 square feet, including 118,515 square feet of industrial/warehouse buildings, 79,463 square feet of professional/medical office space, and 23,158 square feet of retail/restaurant space. That‘s slightly ahead of last year’s pace. During the first three quarters of 2013, property sales totaled $9.9 million and 207,845 square feet, including 121,469 square feet of industrial/warehouse buildings, 44,160 square feet of professional/medical office space, and 42,216 square feet of retail/restaurant space. The office sector posted about a 9 percent increase in the average sales per square foot during the first three quarters of 2014, while the industrial warehouse market recorded an increase of approximately 5 percent. The retail/ restaurant sector saw a 9 percent drop in the average sales per square foot The reduction in the average sales price in the retail/restaurant market sector is mostly due to the lack of quality inventory. This lack of inventory in our market …
