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Why Commercial Real Estate is Strong in 2008

Article by Anthony Seruga and Yolly Bishop

Unless you’ve been living on Mars, you’ve heard horror stories about the subprime mortgage melt down, and the hazards of a debt-fueled bubble and unrestrained mortgage lending. If you’re a commercial real estate investor, one of the operative questions is “Will this impact me?”

The short answer is “Yes, but not as badly as you might think.” First of all, there’s some compartmentalization in the real estate debt industry, and more importantly, the odious concept of “third party mortgage broker” was laughed out of the commercial real estate market post haste. (Most commercial real estate lenders are insurance companies, who are looking for long term returns and asset preservation, rather than trying to make a quick turn. What this means for you is that while credit lines for home loans (and shady, shaky, bizarre home loan products and derivatives based on home loan products) are getting mulched, loans remain strong for commercial real estate investors.

Indeed, because most banks are taking a bath on bad debt, they’re actively looking for nice, stable business to business loans. From the financial services sector, commercial real estate loans are a good deal; the people who take them out have established credit ratings, and they have an income stream (from leasing and resale) that keeps the cash flow positive, which helps the banks avoid liquidity issues, such as the one that sunk Bear Stearns. Because you’re working directly with the bank, you have a much greater level of surety in getting your commercial real estate loan.

On top of that, there are some hopeful signs for commercial real estate as a segment. The house construction boom burst in late 2006; the mortgage melt down was written clearly on the wall in the spring of 2007…yet new office space starts went up around 15% as of the third quarter of last year. (That growth wasn’t repeated in the fourth quarter, as more investors took a wait and see attitude.)

The people who invest in US commercial real estate are people looking for long-term holdings and revenue streams rather than “flippers”. Commercial real estate is a good longer term, low risk core investment, and the sort of investment that companies trying to preserve assets move into. Likewise, because of the weak US dollar, commercial real estate investing in the US is appealing to foreign interests and sovereign funds. Furthermore, beyond the shambles the dollar is in, the United States is still an appealing investment target for commercial real estate. It’s still the largest economy in the world, and it’s still the engine of innovation and entrepreneurship. It’s easier to start a business in the US than nearly anywhere else in the world, which means that it’s easier for a commercial real estate investor to find tenants to cover the cost of the mortgage. The US’s comparatively light regulatory burden (compared to Europe), and near total transparency in banking laws (compared to Asia) make it appealing for a number of solid reasons.

Most of those investors are looking to get some return on their capital, which furthers the appeal of business related real estate investing. This growth potential is already being actualized – in dollar amounts, commercial real estate demand grew by 40 billion dollars last year…. however, in order to capitalize on it, you’re going to need to work harder structuring the mortgage and payment agreements. You’ll have to ask more questions, and provide a greater proof of assets to get competitive rates, just because investors are (justifiably) skittish after seeing the credit markets implode.

On the flip side, that kind of conservative investment strategy will help you in the long term, as market corrections won’t sink your commercial real estate ventures.

About the Author

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of Maverick Real Estate Investments, Inc. work with builders, developers and other players in the commercial real estate industry to acquire and develop properties. They use progressive investment strategies that have proved extremely profitable. In addition to their own deals, they teach both seasoned and inexperienced investors how to be big players in the game. Visit the website for more info.s

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Investing in Commercial Real Estate in Canada

Article by Author is associated with jimcointernational.com

Foreigners interested in buying property abroad in a market that appears to be well positioned to withstand the current downturn and to stage a solid bounce back once the economy improves may find a good potential in Canadian commercial real estate. Investments in commercial real estate in Canada have proven especially resilient to the current downturn, which is a stark contrast to commercial real estate around the world, especially in the United States, where vacancy rates on various types of commercial properties, such as office, industrial and retail space, have climbed to multi-year highs. At the same time, rents on commercial properties have declined substantially, prompting owners of certain types or commercial real estate investments to offer various rent discounts and incentives. Therefore, in most economies, commercial real estate is in for an extended downturn that will slash income flows and returns for many investors. However, investments in Canadian commercial real estate are likely to are much better than most comparable markets.

Unlike in the United States, rents in the Canadian commercial real estate market have remained stable because vacancy rates have been relatively low. In Canada, office vacancy rates, for instance, have increased to about 6 per cent, which is well below vacancy rates reached in previous cycles. In fact, there are even some localities, such as Ottawa, which are bucking the trend. While vacancies have clearly increased over the past several quarters, they still remain exceptionally low compared to other countries in the world, especially the United States. What is working to the benefit of the Canadian commercial real estate investments, however, is that vacancies are increasing from a low base because, in general, there has been a limited supply of new commercial properties in most local markets. This should keep rent declines low and therefore should offer to foreign investors buying property abroad a rent yield that will be better than that provided by comparable commercial real estate investments in the United States and similar markets. Stable rental income flows should thus appeal to foreign commercial property investors interested in buying property abroad.

Another benefit of investing in Canadian commercial real estate market is that the current downturn in Canada should be both shorter and milder than in most developed economies. The economic recession in Canada will likely end in the second half of this year. Canada’s recovering economy will start adding employees to the nation’s payrolls much sooner than will other economies in the world, especially that in the United States. As a result, utilization rates for vacant commercial properties in Canada should improve sooner, helping the market stabilize. The only exception may be Toronto and Calgary markets, which will continue to see rising vacancies and falling rents due to oversupply issues. However, this will mean that commercial real estate prices in those markets will decline, creating opportunities for foreign property investors to capitalize on lower property values.

Investments in commercial real estate in Canada in the current cycle should also turn around much quicker than in previous cycles because this time the Canadian commercial real estate market does not suffer from the excessive supply of commercial properties. Therefore, the market rebound is expected to happen within two years, which is only a half of the time it usually takes for commercial real estate markets to stage a comeback from recession.

Even though the number of commercial property purchase transactions has dropped precipitously over the past several quarters, many investors interested in buying commercial real estate abroad, will likely flock to Canada’s commercial property market seeking good investment opportunities for the economic expansion that lingers ahead. Investments in Canada’s commercial real estate traditionally earn strong income for foreign investors that seek investments in markets characterized by long-term stability.

About the Author

Jimco International is International Real Estate agent deals in tremblant real estate and International real estate for buying and selling of properties. You can get more information on Jimco if you’re looking for buying property abroad & Ski property for sale.

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Rick Otton – The Man Who Revolutionized The Real Estate Industry

Article by John

Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1957, Rick Otton is certainly a well known property pro who have years and years of experience with home buy and sell and other revolutionary ways to obtain a property or home minus the bank getting engaged and with you owning little cash in the bank.

He was in the United States in 1978 where he worked with insurance. He worked well together with Allan Pease, an professional in body gestures and author. He learned a great deal from Mr. Pease and he has this to say of exactly what important lesson he realized about property investments.

“Be prepared to do what others won’t – For many years I worked with Allan Pease who told me to be ready to do what the other guy won’t. He also said that it was rude to put your foot in the door when someone was trying to shut you out, better to put your head in instead so that you can keep on talking!”

He was in the United States when the “Savings and Loan” crisis occurred. He recounts exactly how he was competent to buy his best buy: a 0 condo unit throughout the very famous crisis.

“Later, on 21 November 1991, the American Government decided (in all its wisdom) to have one big liquidation auction in Dallas, Texas, to eliminate all of the unsold home units (condos) which it had foreclosed upon – the only catch was you had to pay cash. It was an ‘absolute auction’ that meant no reserve costs had been set. Texans had never encountered this kind of an public auction and everybody was too shy to bid – except for ‘windmill arm Rick’ with his pile of money delivered over from a little band of Aussie traders. Our best buy was USD0 (yes, you read it correct) for a two-storey, two-bedroom condominium with central heating and air-conditioning.”

Rick Otton travels the world having seminars and talks to ensure that people can learn from how he made it happen and how he did it right. When asked about when is the optimum time to put money to properties, he has these words to state.

‘Yesterday! And after that, today. But seriously, the best time to buy is in a falling market when you’re the only one buying and the terms you can get from sellers are much better than any discount you might get in a hot market. The prices might be higher, but it is the terms that often make the deal really profitable.”

About the Author

John Olsen is a journalist who delves into the Real Estate scene. His topics revolves around property businesses and secrets of different real estate entrepreneurs to give people more information and knowledge about getting their dream house. We hope that this article contributes to your success.

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