Hi Nathan,
Couple of things to consider besides the obvious that are many.
1. Make sure you give a high level of consideration to the exit strategy and what the end goal is. Having the end in mind is very key otherwise it’s difficult to gage where you are to allow for course correction. Once you really have a clear picture in mind of exactly…[Read more]

The Daytona Beach area is one of those areas getting ready to explode in values as well due to the Casino & Hotel activity coming. With the train/rail system being designed that will connect Daytona Beach to Orlando; this will have an extremely positive impact in these communities

Regarding this 52-unit property and the upside with the…[Read more]

You are correct Nigel.  Actually the State of Florida and the Building Code Counsel have constructed a zone map that reflects each area of Florida and the rated sustainable winds.  This zone map is what the insurance industry uses to price insurance.  That being said several companies are out there now that write this type insurance all day long. …[Read more]

Equity Residential is the largest publicly-traded multi-family real estate investment trust REIT in the U.S. The REIT was founded by billionaire Sam Zell (check out other billionaire managed REITs), with a portfolio consisting of 152,821 units spread out over 529 properties in 24 states and the District of Columbia.

Equity Residential is well…[Read more]

U.S. Banking for Mortgages
Banks are slightly loosening standards for many kinds of loans, and cutting into their own profit margins to try to make more loans, especially to businesses and real estate developers, the Federal Reserve says.

The central bank's quarterly survey of bank lending officers said most banks haven't made it materially…[Read more]

Florida Housing
The state housing market gained strength in first quarter 2013 with increased closed sales, more pending sales, higher median prices and a tighter inventory of homes for sale compared with the same quarter in 2012, according to housing data released Thursday by Florida Realtors.

"The first three months of 2013 demonstrate that…[Read more]

Exxon Mobil expansion. Over 12,000 jobs and there will be over 40,000 jobs in North Houston. Also, in today’s Houston Chronicle there is a front page  article in the Business section about the new Exxon Mobil campus. There are currently 20 structures under construction !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have attached the link to Chronicle article with…[Read more]

Texas takes a jump ahead today.  Over 12,000 jobs and there will be over 40,000 jobs in North Houston. Also, in today’s Houston Chronicle there is a front page  article in the Business section about the new Exxon Mobil campus. 

Commercial lending for all in coming back.

I would not necessarily say Florida leads the nation on the best financing of CRE but I do know that Florida is among the top and increasingly growing stronger.  Here are three examples of aggressive lending in CRE.  By the way EVERY BORROWER was a FOREIGN NATIONAL

1. 30,000+sf Retail Shopping Center…[Read more]

All very factual information Nigel; great post.

Being in the Central Florida marketplace daily I can certainly attest to the information you have shared.  The Orlando market specifically has a resilient nature about it even through the down turn of this Country's economy 6-years ago.  From the center of it all I am happy to report that housing is…[Read more]

China seems to like the USA Real Estate as well.

Chinese Politicians Are Buying Billions In U.S. Real Estate
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/22/2013 21:12 -0400

ChinaCorruptionGross Domestic ProductHousing BubbleHousing MarketMonetizationMortgage Backed SecuritiesNoneReal estateSwitzerland

Back in September, we explained that when it comes to…[Read more]

Investors around the world seeking American real estate.  Interesting article:

http://afire.org/sites/default/files/pdf/press/2013-foreign-investment-survey-pr.pdf

One of the markers in economics for the U.S. and how people are spending their dollars is the occupancy of the hotel sector.  Below is some data to understand this.

All Hotel Performance Measures to Advance in 2013

The year 2013 started positively for the hotel sector. Room demand rose 4.3 percent in January, pushing up occupancy 180 basis…[Read more]

Growth in Jacksonville, FL.  A near-dock rail facility at Jacksonville’s port will likely be open for business by April 2015, a port official said.

Joe Miller, the Jacksonville Port Authority's senior director of facilities development, shared the project's schedule at a luncheon meeting of logistics professionals Wednesday.

Jaxport will issue a…[Read more]

Lake Nona’s commercial center near Medical City is getting closer to putting some shovels in the dirt.

Orlando City Council on April 8 approved Lake Nona Land Co. LLC’s master plan for a corporate campus, which includes 570,000 square feet of general office space in three buildings, a 150-room hotel, and two 10,000-square-foot restaurants, along…[Read more]

Colony House Apartments, a 20-unit apartment property in Tampa, has sold for $1,265,000, or $63,250 per unit.

Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services marketed the property for Colony House of Tampa LLC, a Brandon-based company run by Brian J. Clavering, state business records show.

The buyer was a California-based 1031-exchange listed…[Read more]

Freckle, I'm impressed that you personally are so intrigued by absolutely everything I post.  I truly feel you add a nice balance to any positive data that is posted related to the United States.  As any wise person would know, there is two sides to almost everything to include real estate and the economy. 

I picture you as a person who sits at…[Read more]

Just some data from other professionals in the CRE industry. 
Real estate economists Hans Nordby, Shaw Lupton and Suzanne Mulvee of CoStar's Property and Portfolio Research (PPR) analytic and forecasting company were among the notable market analysts sharing their views in the latest semi-annual forecast from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and…[Read more]

Just an update on the US commercial market:
Retail Distress Still a Hot Commodity
Among all property types, only retail property saw an increase in distressed sales volume last year, up 4% in 2012 over 2011, CoStar data shows. Sales of distressed property for all other types declined. Distressed hospitality sales were down 52% year-to-year;…[Read more]