Larkin

Regain Your Balance with a Sale Leaseback

2006-02-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

Due to a sluggish economy many companies are experiencing a shortage of cash. For companies that own the property on which they do business though there may be no better way for them to generate an infusion of cash than a Sale Leaseback Transaction.The Sale Leaseback is a financing technique that has been around since the

Triple NetFlix?

2005-11-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

Back in 1999, the company NetFlix, Inc. established a consumer model in which subscribers pay a fee each month to rent DVDs. The movies are sent to them in the mail along with pre-paid return envelopes for when they are finished. Recently, eBay not only began sending emails to subscribers with suggested resale listing prices for items they just acquired, but within the past year instituted the

A Tip of the Cap? Mortgage Interest Deduction in Jeopardy.

2005-11-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

The President's Panel on Tax Reform is considering a new cap on the mortgage interest tax deduction. The committee, whose recommendations are due on November 1, has been searching for ways to cut federal expenditures, which is how tax authorities look at deductions. Even just cutting the current $1m cap in half would raise $2.7 billion from 700,000 homeowners, says the Joint Committee on

Tips to Steer Clear of the Perils of Subleasing

2005-10-05T17:14:00.000-04:00

As with any business agreement, it is imperative that you protect yourself. Before entering into a sublease agreement you need to be sure you are well versed on the nature of subleasing because there is tremendous potential for problems to arise.First, make sure your rent payments will be sent directly to the landlord. This helps build a relationship with the landlord for future negotiations

Lifestyle Centers – The New Investment Trend?

2005-09-10T17:12:00.000-04:00

By definition, Lifestyle Centers (LCs) are designed with open-air, upscale architecture containing at least 50,000 sq. ft. of space to house a critical mass of specialty retailers and restaurants. Some specialty tenants might include such high-profile names as Ann Taylor, Williams-Sonoma, P.F. Chang, or the Cheesecake Factory. What sets LCs apart from traditional shopping malls is the lack of “

Net Lease Properties Attracting Investors

2005-08-15T17:11:00.000-04:00

There is a significant demand for single-tenant net-lease properties. These properties include office buildings, warehouses or retail properties occupied by one tenant that is responsible for operating expenses, including taxes, insurance and maintenance, any major repair to the building, pretty much everything.Net-lease properties are desirable because they require little to no work for the

A Whole New Meaning for Overhead

2005-07-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

Probably one of the most underrated features of a building is the roof. Rarely seen and often overlooked, it provides protection and security for people, products, and equipment. Unfortunately the roof adds nothing to your bottom line, but if a leak interferes with the people and equipment below, it will have a definite impact on productivity and profits. Ignoring the roof often leads to

Feng Shui Philosophies Make Impact on Commercial Real Estate

2005-06-05T17:06:00.000-04:00

The 3000 year old Chinese philosophy of feng shui, pronounced, “fung shway”, is making an impression in the world of commercial real estate. Though many people have often associated feng shui with residential living, businesses are starting to catch on. They’re designing work spaces with the goal of creating aesthetically pleasing and emotionally stimulating work environments. Many people have

The Ebb and Flow of US Markets

2005-05-05T17:05:00.000-04:00

During the last few quarters we witnessed a pattern with commercial real estate in the United States. It appeared that commercial real estate has been driven by the consumer side of the economy. Multifamily and shopping center markets are booming while the corporate side, office and industrial markets lag.According to Moody’s Investor Service report for 2004, markets are scored on a scale of 0 (

EPA Calls for Greener Buildings

2005-04-05T17:02:00.000-04:00

Recently, commercial and institutional building owners were faced with an environmental challenge. The U.S. EPA is calling for businesses to improve energy efficiency by 10% or more to conserve energy, save money, and protect the environment. A formal program has been introduced called the Energy Star Challenge. The program calls on building owners to assess energy usage, set efficiency

National Retail Vacancy Rates Drop

2005-03-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

As the economy continues to pick up steam, we see commercial real estate resuscitated from a once critical condition. Retail real estate specifically, has experienced a considerable recovery as national retail vacancy rates drop. In 2004, the vacancy rate in shopping malls hit the most encouraging low we’ve seen in over three years. Vacancy fell to 5.3 percent in the fourth quarter from 5.5

Commercial Real Estate Makes its Mark with Investors

2005-02-14T16:57:00.000-05:00

More and more institutional and retail investors are adding commercial real estate to their portfolios. Commercial real estate has made great strides since it plummeted in the early 1990’s. The aging demographics of our country are one contributing factor to commercial real estate’s rising popularity. We have become an income world, a world where commercial real estate is making a promising

The Revolution in HVAC

2005-01-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

Internet technologies teeter on edge of a revolution in the world of HVAC. Soon HVAC components will be able to communicate not only with each other, but with other building systems controls as well. The catalyst for this revolution is the Open Building Information eXchange (oBIX), an industry-wide initiative among building systems vendors to define standard Web services for monitoring and

Trends in Student Housing

2004-12-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

Student housing is fast becoming an alluring investment for property owners. On- campus and off-campus facilities have changed considerably in the past decade. Therefore, it’s important to keep abreast of what is happening in the market. More and more, the quality, type and style of student housing is influencing a student’s college selection over ambience and assistance programs. In addition