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By AZ Advisory Team, February 15, 2010 12:11 pm

Reducing Costs

All players involved in tenant improvements, from the contractor to the tenant, are looking at ways to save or get the best value for their money. Tenants are trying to be efficient with their space planning and that they are looking at any way they can keep down the costs.

This value engineering analysis oftentimes involves tenants determining what TIs they must have and what TIs they want. Some ways tenants and landlords are cutting TI costs are by reducing or eliminating built-in cabinets, 4- to 6-foot-high divider walls, and any unnecessary frills, such as sidelights on doors and windows next to doors.

The trend is away from multiple coffee stations and back to one central break room, to avoid the costs of multiple sinks.

Tenants are spending more money on the highly visible, public places, typically lobbies and conference rooms, while keeping the remainder basic. As far as interiors and finishes, color schemes that will last 10 or more years are popular. Tenants are moving away from a lot of color – such as pink – and toward the use of neutral shades that won’t go out of style.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, February 12, 2010 1:49 pm

Construction costs and therefore tenant improvement costs are high, and are continuing to rise. Due to this, tenant improvement allowances are also increasing.

The high costs of TIs are driving some companies to forego new and opt for second, third- or fourth-generation space. Consequently, a surge in retrofitting of older buildings is taking place. The increased demand in these older buildings is driving up their lease rates, too.

The high costs of carrying out TIs are affecting lease lengths. Most often, landlords require a five-year minimum lease because they need that time to amortize the cost of the tenant improvements. Because tenants typically want only a three-year lease on second- or greater-generation space, landlords typically spend less money on those TIs.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, February 11, 2010 7:10 pm

Tenants or buyers are ultimately responsible for the cost of tenant improvements. However, with leased property, the landlord may provide an allowance that pays for some, or all of them. In those cases, the tenant funds the remainder. The financial arrangement can get worked out in a number of ways, which often depends upon the tenant’s credit worthiness.

The landlord may pay for all TIs but insist upon a 10-year lease. When the landlord and tenant share the TI expense, the landlord may request the tenant pay the tenant’s portion up front. The landlord may allow the tenant to pay half at the outset and the rest over the lease term, with interest added for the amortized share. Or, if the tenant has strong financials, the landlord may amortize the entire amount over the lease term, along with an 8 percent to 12 percent interest rate.

You might get a $30 per square foot allowance, but have to move into a gray shell and buy everything, or you might get a $15 per square foot allowance and get painted walls, a ceiling, slab and a bathroom.

When a landlord contributes to the TI costs, the landlord usually wants to control how the money is spent and ensure the improvements are done to code.  In the case of a purchase, however, the developer only oversees a few issues, such as whether and how anything will be attached to the shell. Otherwise, buyers may do whatever they wish inside.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, February 9, 2010 4:39 pm

Alex Zylberglait of Marcus & Millichap is proud to present 6285 Sunset Drive. This ready for occupancy 5,200-square foot medical office building is ideally suited for a small medical practice.

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6285 Sunset Drive lies within an established medical hub just steps from South Miami Hospital (which recently completed its medical office complex), a few blocks from South Dixie Highway, and the Metrorail & bus stations.

This medical office building commands a high visibility location in a heavily traveled section of Sunset Drive. It is in the vibrant city of South Miami which borders the University of Miami main campus and the affluent communities of Coral Gables and Pinecrest.

Because of the unparalleled quality of its location, 6285 Sunset Drive would be a solid investment with significant appreciation potential.

Contact Alex Zylberglait, CCIM, SIOR
Vice President Investments
Director – National Office and Industrial Properties Group

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, February 8, 2010 12:03 pm

Alex Zylberglait of Marcus & Millichap is proud to present 11981 Southwest 144th Court, a two-story Class B office building that was built in 2002 of concrete and stucco. The property has approximately 14,700 rentable square feet and will be delivered vacant. The building features upscale finishes. There is ample on-site parking with 50 parking spaces.

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The property is directly across from the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport which is one of the busiest airports in Florida, serving corporate, recreational, flight training, and governmental agency activities.

The Kendall area is one of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in Miami-Dade County, creating one of the most diverse cultural mixes that Miami has to offer. It is anticipated that the population of the Kendall area will continue to grow at a healthy pace over the next number of years. The property is minutes from the business centers of South Miami-Dade County and close to Southwest 137th Ave, Krome Ave, the Florida Turnpike and the Don Shula Expressway. The property’s location also provides fast and easy access to the Florida Keys as well as recreational and business activities in Miami and Miami Beach.

Contact Alex Zylberglait, CCIM, SIOR
Vice President Investments
Director – National Office and Industrial Properties Group

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, January 29, 2010 6:58 pm

Operating Expenses (OE)

Operating Expenses are those things that the property owner must pay for while owning the property. Such expenses might include property taxes, insurance, maintenance fees, management fees, and utilities.

Net Operating Income (NOI)

The Net Operating Income is the amount of money that would go to any investor after receiving all income and paying all expenses, with the exception of payments on loans and income taxes. The NOI is important because it makes all real estate investments that are purchased for cash flow equivalent.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, January 28, 2010 10:56 am

Vacancy and Collection Losses (V/C)

Vacancy is the measurement of time, expressed in percentage of the GPI, that you would expect the property to not have a tenant. Every property will have periods of vacancy due to change-over in tenants plus market cycles that make it harder to find tenants.

Collection losses, much like vacancy in that no income is being collected, is when non-paying tenants are in the property and either need to be motivated or evicted. This too is expressed as a percentage figure of GPI.

The key to Vacancy and Collection Losses is that you can compare different types of properties in different market cycles. Perhaps an office in the higher price range will have longer occupying tenants, thus a lower vacancy, whereas a property in a student area can be expected to turn nearly every year, resulting in a higher vacancy. Using the correct figures for vacancy allows us to compare these two properties and determine which one is the better buy.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, January 27, 2010 10:22 am

As a commercial real estate investment advisor, I evaluate every property’s potential return on investment for my clients.  I have found out that some people do not know where to start. Location, accessibility, demographics are some important factors but these are not enough.  Qualitative characteristics of a property seem to play a major role but let us remember to look at the numbers to have a good picture of what we are going to invest in.

There is an equation I call the Commerial Real Estate Stack.  This is a basic of measurement model which allows an investor to look at an investment property and convert it to a mathematical model so that it can be compared with other investment options.

This mathematical equation will allow the investor to determine the Net Operating Income (NOI) of a property. Here are key terms:

Gross Potential Income (GPI)

The Gross Potential Income of a commercial property is the best case scenario of what it can generate in rent. If a property can charge $2,000 per month, then the GPI would be $2,000 x 12 = $24,000 per year.

Please stand by for the continuation.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, January 25, 2010 2:07 pm

One of the biggest risks to the economic recovery and commercial real estate is rising interest rates ahead of a recovery in end demand. In the last few weeks of 2009, the 10-year Treasury yield moved up 60 basis points to 3.8 percent. This move largely reflected a capital shift toward equity markets as risk tolerance rose but also illustrates inflation concerns and volatility in the U.S. dollar. This recent rise in long-term rates may not last, as geopolitical concerns and a choppy economic recovery pattern may create a fl ight to safety, but the prospects of a jump in interest rates above and beyond the sustainable 3.5 percent to 4.0 percent range poses a risk to the housing recovery and places additional pressure on commercial real estate values.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.

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By AZ Advisory Team, January 22, 2010 3:40 pm

Lenders Remain Cautious, but Encouraging Signs Emerge. Banks will remain the primary source of financing for commercial real estate, with the exception of apartments, which will continue to benefit from agency lending. Life insurance companies are showing renewed interest in lending, but a 2010 surge is unlikely due to capacity limitations. While traditional CMBS is not expected to become a major source of financing in the near term, the first TALF-eligible CMBS issuance was met with strong demand and paved the way for a few non-TALF deals in the weeks that followed.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.