- Uncle Sam Wants You
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Editor's note Government demand for safe, modern office space continues to grow, and no single tenant exists in the United States with better credit. Commercial real estate brokers increasingly will have opportunities to promote clients' properties to government entities. What
- The Rising Tide of Seniors Housing
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To visualize the demographics of the seniors housing market, imagine a shoreline as the tide comes in, each wave slowly yet inexorably creeping higher up the beach. But out on the horizon is a tsunami, a tidal wave of unbelievable
- Sizing Up Self-Storage
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The self storage property sector currently provides great opportunities for investors and developers across the nation. F.W. Dodge reports decreases in the number of self storage property starts during the last five quarters, which bodes well for the supply demand
- Student Housing 101
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In 10 years, U.S. campuses will host a million more college students than they do today. To meet the steadily growing demand for student housing, college and university markets are seeing a proliferation of multifamily development projects driven by the
- Smooth Sailing
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Long ago considered the domain of sunburned sailors with red and white striped shirts, eye patches, and spyglasses, boating has blossomed into a trendy recreational activity, especially among families. In the past decade, the number of recreational boats owned has
- Score!
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In a country where most kids learn the names of sports stars before the name of the president, it is no wonder that cities across the United States place so much emphasis on building stadiums to house their local teams
- What's Cooking With Restaurants?
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As day to day life becomes more hectic, Americans increasingly rely on services that save them time and energy. Nowhere is this more evident than in the restaurant industry. With projected sales of $354 billion, 1999 should mark the eighth
- Healthy Investments
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When southeastern grocery store chain Ingles Markets needed help subletting its 32,000 square foot box in an ailing strip center, the prognosis for leasing to another retail tenant didn't look good. But John D. Spake, CCIM, president of Spake Real
- Polish Your Portfolio
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Specialized retail businesses pose risks for commercial real estate investors, but they also can provide rewards in the form of strong return on equity. Carwash investments are on the fast track to becoming a top performing retail niche in many
- Manufactured Success
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When Warren Buffet&rsquo s Berkshire Hathaway acquired Clayton Homes Inc. for $1.7 billion in 2003, investors took notice. In commercial real estate circles, the acquisition drew attention to a sometimes overlooked specialty property manufactured housing communitites, also known as land
- Investing in the Arts
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"John says he found us a needle in a haystack," says Diane Litsey, executive director of the Children's Dance Foundation in Homewood, Ala. "And he did." The needle was at least 10,000 square feet of dance studio space with 50
- Niche Nosh
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What’s the No. 1 down market strategy from The Donald’s blog, Inside Trump Tower? Explore overlooked niches. And what could be more overlooked than boutique hotels catering to the gay and lesbian community? That’s where Jaime M. Rook, CCIM, broker
- Opportunities in Urban Student Housing
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The past several years have seen a renewed and growing interest in urban living. As a notable part of this trend, many college students now seek out higher education in some of America 's largest cities. In the past students
- New Wave Investments
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In 1994, resort pioneer Stan Anderson expanded his Wisconsin Dells, Wis.–based Polynesian Resort to include an indoor waterpark. Wisconsin lenders were willing to fund the development because they had been financing outdoor waterparks for years. Despite the steep construction costs,
- Feasting on Fast-Casual
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Amid high fuel and energy costs, rising interest rates, and wages that aren't keeping pace, consumers' disposable incomes are waning and the restaurant industry is suffering because of it. "Dining out frequency has long been considered a leading economic indicator,
- Lots of Opportunity
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Many commercial real estate developers today realize the importance of functional parking structures. If a parking structure is inefficient due to poor design or inadequate site dimensions, the development's cost may be too high to make it feasible. And if
- Ready-Made Investments
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Ten years ago, mobile home parks suffered from an image problem and languished in the back of the proverbial real estate investment closet. Savvy investors were aware of their generally low acquisition price tags, attractive operating expense history, and stable
- Old School, New Analysis
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While real estate activity has picked up so far in 2011, investors are still very cautious about their property investments. The areas that have remained relatively strong are those niche market sectors that allow easy identification of a market’s demand
- Finding Value in Vacant Properties
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Despite its run down exterior, the 125 year old brick property located at Kingston, N.Y.'s busiest intersection evokes many fond memories. “Depending upon who you ask in town, it's the old Chevy dealership, a pool hall, an Army Navy recruiting
- Degrees of Success
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Church Street Plaza, a mixed use development near Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., includes a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, which caters to students’ increasingly expensive tastes. In the past decade, commercial real estate activity in U.S. college and
- Indoor Waterparks
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In 1994, indoor waterpark pioneer Stan Anderson expanded his Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Polynesian Resort to include an indoor waterpark. Since then, other investors have followed suit by getting involved in this lucrative niche. Madison, Wis., based Great Lakes Cos. issued
- Hitting Out of the Rough
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Like most commercial real estate property types, golf course development is cyclical. From 1986 to 1990, demand (measured in rounds) for new courses outpaced development, according to the National Golf Foundation. But by 1991, golf course developers had caught onto
- Catering to Consumers
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Disenchanted with hamburgers and french fries that have dominated quick service and casual restaurant menus for decades, consumers now demand more flavor and variety when they go out to eat. But there's a catch They want it fast. What drives
- Call Now
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Despite the annoyance of having dinner interrupted by overeager telemarketers selling insurance or phone service, Americans have responded to phone sales in a big way. Nearly 100 million people purchase goods or services over the telephone each year, according to
- Cleaning Up After Dry Cleaners
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While environmental contamination often is associated with industrial sites, dry cleaners—a staple of retail centers—sometimes have their own dirty laundry to air. Cleaning up dry cleaning solvent that has contaminated groundwater aquifers can cost millions of dollars. When the dry