Commercial Property & Real Estate News

The year just past was another good one for the multifamily housing market, according to all reports. But what lies ahead?

According to most market analysts, three perils will exert influence over what occurs in 2019:

• Interest Rates and Available Lending
• Supply
• Development Concerns

With continued volatility both on the political scene and in financial areas, even the experts tend to disagree somewhat on the forecast. Recent speculation about additional interest rate hikes may—or may not—have been put to rest. It seems too early to tell yet whether there is a continued balanced suppy of new apartment units or construction already underway will lead to an oversupply in specific markets. And, finally, the "known unknowns" in the

Even though designated Oppportunity Zones throughout the nation are viewed as vehicles for investment in local communities and a market-driven source of renewed opportunity for workers and residents of low-wealth communities, state and local officials see challenges in implementing programs that will have the hoped-for positive results in Minnesota. But that has not deterred forward progress with the program.

Federally-sponsored bipartisan efforts created the Opportunity Zone funding in 2017 as part of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017. Congress subsequently approved a list of 128 Minnesota census tracts eligible to receive the funding. Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Opportunity (DEED) is tasked with administration of the

It's a problem that's been brewing for a decade or more. There aren't enough skilled workers to keep up with the demand—across the country and across the wide spectrum of real estate and construction, from new homes to new high rises.

A Nationwide Crisis

Nationally, approximately 70 percent of contractors who responded to a survey conducted by the Associated General Contractors, noted that they had problems filling and retaining hourly workers. In the west, the percentage is often 75 percent or higher. It goes beyond the ability to pay higher wages; unemployment among construction trades is near an all-time low, at just 4.4 per cent in May, indicating a severe lack of available workers.

The shortage is critical for many reasons, and the

Real estate investors are "on track to spend more than $11 billion to buy student housing properties in 2018," according to a December 17 article in Minnesota Real Estate Journal. That's almost $3 billion more in valuation than the total deals closed the previous year.

Because of what has been termed "recession resiliency," the student housing market is termed stable, despite rising prices and worries about overbuilding. J. Ryan Lang, executive managing director of the ARA Newmark Student Housing office in Austin, Texas, notes that this asset class was characterized by record transaction volume in the second half of the year.

Student Housing Market Evolves, Remains Strong

Foreign investment and large portfolio transactions in previous

"Surban growth" may be the next phase of a changing development picture that will play an increasing role in real estate during the coming years.

Development demographics are shifting—but rather than there being a distinct separation between urban and suburban, the newest trend involves a melding of the best of both. This "surban" appeal redefines some of the traditional labels of generational context, employment status and even family makeup.

Emerging Trends of Future Growth

A fascinating look at the emerging future of a population—and an economy—in transition points to a reorganization not only of the "where" but also of the "who." It promises to affect the housing market as well as commercial development and city planning efforts, and

Even though Minneapolis was never considered a top contender in Amazon's city search for its HQ2, some analysts early in the year viewed the city's early elimination from the competition as a snub, and commented wryly on the city's status as "a clear loser." Former Shakapee Mayor Brad Tabke spoke out about the need for a new focus on housing and transit issues, adding that the local labor force (or lack of one) may also have been a factor in the city's early dismissal from Amazon consideration.

The face of development in Minneapolis may be unique, with a heavy focus on renovation, and on mixed-use redevelopment. Here's a quick overview:

Minneapolis: Moving Beyond Amazon Dreams

Now that Amazon's choice has been announced, it is fair to say

Foreign lending has always had an impact on commercial real estate, whether its effects are obvious or not. If a foreign bank can give a US corporations their dream rates, they're more likely to buy more property. If foreign banks make it easy to do business with US companies regardless of where they set up their branches, US corporations may choose to start moving more of their business overseas.

But there are a few ways in which this is beginning to change. As the world stage continues to shift at a rapid pace, the market has been busy responding to the turmoil. See how multinational corporations and small businesses alike can prepare for the trickle-down effects of changes in foreign lending.

The BEAT Tax

There has been a lot of

In real estate, staging is the act of dressing up a property so that it looks its best. Staging is usually a term that people hear in the residential real estate market. Wright County homeowners are told that staging a property can increase profits by about $2,000, but little is said about commercial real estate. Property owners are left with the question, should they stage their commercial property just like homeowners? Is there value in staging? The short answer is yes.

The Value of Staging

Buyers who purchase commercial real estate shop with their eyes, just like home buyers. When they note the condition of a building, commercial property buyers make some of the same assumptions that home buyers make.

This is to say, buildings that

Timber has been making a rather big splash across the commercial real estate industry due to a number of changes in both industry and public demand. New lamination methods make it possible to use wood in large commercial projects (even skyscrapers), edging out more traditional options like concrete or steel.

In addition to the technology advancements, timber has environmental benefits that many are hoping can serve as an answer to our current crisis. It can cut down on building's carbon footprint by up to 60%. And while it's not quite taking the world by storm just yet, it's certainly a trend to watch in the next few years.

A Look Back in History

Timber is usually associated with the quaint cottages of yore, mostly because it didn't take

An upcoming renovation of the Suburban World Theater in Minneapolis is right in sync with what's happening across the country. Savvy investors and developers are capitalizing on a growing trend to capture the bygone elegance and traditional appeal of the silver screen era in a high-tech age.

There's a twist, however. Rather than trying to resurrect the glory days of film, the new owners hope to recapture the grandeur of the architecture to wow audiences at a new event venue. The new theater will also allow live performances at the period movie house which debuted in the 1920s as The Granada, and operated as a theater until 1999, when the last film was shown.

Since then it has seen a variety of incarnations, including a stint as The Cinema