Each Wednesday, The Wrap presents a compilation of recent noteworthy commercial real estate stories from a variety of publications. Below are links to five stories that caught our eyes in recent days.
• Big Picture—What Could We See in 2016? by Natalie Dolce of Globe St.
Key excerpt:
“Despite the year-end Fed announcement, the current spirit of the real estate market seems generally positive, or as put by one senior capital markets executive: ‘We’ve learned some lessons [about gauging risks] in the not-too-distant past.’ Industry experts add that the short-term effects of the upcoming interest rates hikes on the real estate market should be negligible. John Williams, San Francisco Fed President, reassured at the Economic Forecast Conference hosted in January that interest rates will rise ‘gradually’ throughout 2016, and that inflation should rise “gently” in line with the Fed’s 2 percent target over the next several years.”
• Fourth-Quarter Surge Lifts Multifamily Investment Sales to New Record In 2015 by Randyl Drummer of CoStar.
Key excerpt:
“‘While institutional investors made up the majority of buyers in 2015, we expect foreign dollars to be the wild card in the year ahead,’ said David Williams, international director and leader of JLL’s Multifamily Capital Markets team. Williams expects previously lagging cross-border investment into the apartment sector will increase in 2016, providing a boost to multifamily sales volume and pricing.”
• Mid-Market Investment Funds Focus on Tertiary Markets to Remain Competitive by Donna Mitchell of National Real Estate Investor.
Key excerpt:
“Still too cold? Austin, Texas remains a favorite, with its thriving technology and education sectors, and lifestyle appeal. Investment opportunities also abound in the research triangle of North Carolina, which competes handily with the established economic might of Charlotte. Atlanta, San Diego and Seattle are also attractive, as is Florida’s southwest triangle, which has the highest population migration of any other region in the U.S., [Jim] Costello notes.”
• Commercial Property Demand in U.S. Remains Strong in Q4 by Michael Gerrity of World Property Journal.
Key excerpt:
“San Jose recorded one of the largest quarterly declines (170 bps), while Chicago, Raleigh and Phoenix declined by 80 bps or more. Overall, markets in California and the South saw the greatest improvement in 2015. Besides San Jose and Raleigh, these include Oakland, Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta, Sacramento, Orlando and Tampa. The nation’s lowest vacancy rates in Q4 2015 were recorded in San Francisco (6.3 percent), Nashville (7.5 percent), Austin (7.6 percent), Albany (8.1 percent) and San Jose (8.2 percent).”
• 4 Emerging Retail Trends to Look Out for in 2016 by Evan Santos of RealMassive.
Key excerpt:
“Retail properties are evolving into shopping, dining, and entertainment hubs that are central to, and fully integrated with, the communities that surround them. Centers are taking on mixed-use elements with residential, hotel, and office space, and entertainment options including cinemas, health clubs, restaurants, and recreational areas. A recent article by Beth Mattson-Teig in ULI’s Urban Land Magazine highlights how mixed-use projects have started to emerge in secondary and even tertiary markets.”