WEBSTER, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 23,820-square-foot shopping center located in the southeastern Houston suburb of Webster. Built in 2004, Webster Shopping Center was 94 percent leased at the time of sale to tenants such as Freebirds and Buffalo Wild Wings. Justin Miller of Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, an out-of-state investor that acquired the center 20 years ago, in the transaction. Marcus & Millichap also secured the buyer, a local investor.
HOUSTON — Metro Denver-based Spartan Investment Group has agreed to purchase a portfolio of seven self-storage facilities totaling 3,497 units in the Houston area. The portfolio totals 463,185 net rentable square feet and includes four properties in Houston proper, as well as facilities in Katy, Rosenberg and Sugar Land. The seller and sales price, as well as the names of the operating entities of the facilities, were not disclosed. Spartan says that the formal closing date is imminent.
LEWISVILLE, TEXAS — A partnership between Texas-based investment firm SPI Advisory and Maryland-based FCP has acquired Crest Manor Apartments, a 600-unit multifamily community in Lewisville, located about 25 miles north of Dallas. Crest Manor was developed in two phases between 2010 and 2016. Units come in one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include two pools, a clubhouse, fitness center, tennis courts and walking trails. The joint venture plans to upgrade amenities and some unit interiors. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
DALLAS — An affiliate of Bradford Cos. has acquired Uptown Tower, a 254,000-square-foot office building in Dallas. According to LoopNet Inc. the 12-story building at 4144 N. Central Expressway was originally constructed in 1982 and last renovated in 1994. The new ownership plans to implement a value-add program that will feature a redesigned lobby and a new fitness center and coworking lounge. The building was roughly 54 percent leased at the time of sale. Creighton Stark of Weitzman represented the seller, a private REIT, in the transaction. Richmond Collinsworth and Kevin Santaularia represented Bradford internally. HALL Structured Finance provided a $30.8 million acquisition loan for the deal.
MELISSA, TEXAS — A partnership between two California-based firms, developer Legacy Partners and investment manager The Resmark Cos., has begun leasing Harlow, a 133-unit build-to-rent residential project in Melissa, located in Collin County. Designed by UD Architects and built by Blackland Partners, the development offers one-, two- and three-bedroom homes that range in size from 780 to 1,500 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, coworking space, an outdoor kitchen and a dog park. Rents start in the mid-$1,600s for a one-bedroom home.
HOUSTON — Representative Materials Co. has signed a 119,355-square-foot industrial lease in northeast Houston. The manufacturer and distributor of conduit raceway systems is taking space within the building at 1055 W. Lake Houston Parkway, which is located within Generation Park Distribution Center. Jarret Venghaus, Jeff Venghaus and David Holland of JLL represented the owner, Outrigger Industrial, which recently bought the property, in the lease negotiations. Ryan Fuselier and David Buescher, also with JLL, represented the tenant. The deal brings the building to 46 percent occupancy.
By Taylor Williams Raising equity to get new projects to pencil out is, at the moment, immensely challenging in the Houston multifamily market. Although debt providers are showing a willingness to lend at favorable leverage ratios despite the fact that Houston has had healthy levels of new apartment deliveries in recent months, meeting the required returns that equity providers demand is challenging due to ever-increasing construction and operating costs. As a result, some projects are fizzling, even if they feature good locations or present compelling stories to capital providers. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. This finding was the consensus among a panel of five Houston multifamily owners who were asked to identify the single-biggest challenge to new development in the current environment. The panelists gave their remarks at the inaugural InterFace Houston Multifamily conference, which took place on June 17 at The Briar Club and was attended by some 200 industry professionals. Crystal Kingsbury, director of marketing and business development at Anchor Construction, served as the panel moderator. “The equity guys are really tough right now,” …
Content PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesLeasing ActivityLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastSoutheastTexasWestern
Institutional Investors Resume Activity Amid Stabilizing Conditions
Since the Federal Reserve began raising rates in March 2022 to combat inflation, the real estate market has faced challenges such as rising interest rates, capital market volatility and economic uncertainty. These factors caused many institutional investors to pause their real estate investment activities compared to historical levels. Despite ongoing volatility, investors are gradually re-entering the market, driven by several factors. Key reasons for the pause included a challenging fundraising and capital markets environment, the unpredictable cost of capital, a scarcity of transactions leading to a lack of pricing discovery and widening bid/ask spreads. Some institutional investors were impacted by the “denominator effect,” resulting in an overweighting to real estate and the need for portfolio rebalancing. Additionally, to create bolster funds for other portfolio issues, some institutional investors entered redemption queues seeking liquidity. Broader capital market constraints reduced the availability of equity, while simultaneously driving a growing preference for structuring investments as debt rather than equity among those who remained active. During this period of muted transaction activity, private investors capitalized on the market’s dislocation. These investors increasingly prioritized their acquisition efforts toward newer vintage core and core-plus assets over value-add or development opportunities, reflecting a shift toward higher quality …
FRISCO, TEXAS — A partnership between Dallas-based developer Rosewood Property Co. and MetLife Investment Management has broken ground on Penrose, a 382-unit multifamily project located within the Frisco Southstone Yards mixed-use development. Information on floor plans was not announced. Penrose will feature amenities such as a pool, clubhouse, fitness center, coworking space, wellness space, golf simulator and a covered outdoor lounge. The Penrose team includes Hensley Lamkin Rachel Inc. (architect), LandDesign (landscape design), B2 Design Co. (interior designer), KFM (civil engineer) and OHT Partners (general contractor). Veritex Community Bank and Associated Bank are providing construction financing for the project, which is scheduled for an early 2027 completion.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Cushman & Wakefield has brokered the sale of Midway Business Park, a 258,846-square-foot industrial park in East Fort Worth. Midway Business Park comprises 12 shallow-bay buildings that were constructed between 1973 and 1990 and that range in size from 2,000 to 40,000 square feet and feature a mix of front-load, cross-dock and rear-load configurations. The property was 91 percent leased to 29 tenants at the time of sale. Jim Carpenter, Jud Clements, Robby Rieke, Trevor Berry and Emily Brandt of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Cohen Asset Management, in the transaction. The buyer, a partnership between Atlanta-based developer Ackerman & Co., was self-represented. The new ownership has tapped PI Real Estate Services & Investments as the leasing agent.