Whitepaper: Getting Your Property Financed
August 12, 2010 at 9:30 am | Posted in Whitepapers | 2 CommentsTags: acquisitions, asset, banks, capital, commercial, CRE, demand, economy, equity, financing, investment, investments, investors, liquidity, listings, market, opportunities, property, property values, real estate, recession, walt arnold, white paper
I rarely have a conversation these days where the topic of financing doesn’t arise as a serious concern for my clients. When the economy is robust, and the capital markets are frothy, financing a commercial real estate transaction is a relatively simple matter. However during today’s recessionary times, the commercial capital markets are severely constrained. Not only is the supply of capital tight, but the demand may be near all time highs as well. Depending on which industry source you quote there is between $150 and $200 billion dollars of CMBS debt maturing in 2009 alone. This figure doesn’t include maturing loans from insurance companies, banks and other lenders, which means that many borrowers will be forced to secure financing in a market that presently offers little liquidity.
Given the current lack of liquidity and financing options described above, only the savviest of sponsors with solid projects will be receiving attention from lenders and investors. In the text that follows I’ll provide you with an overview of the information you need to possess in order to speak fluent finance and to increase the odds of getting your project financed.
The first thing to keep in mind is that financing serves multiple purposes beyond rate and term considerations. The proper financing strategy can allow you to increase project velocity, improve operating efficiency, conserve internal capital, increase leverage, and lower the overall cost of capital. Good sponsors focus on developing an integrated capital formation strategy
Continue Reading Whitepaper: Getting Your Property Financed…
Whitepaper: The Benefits of Professional Property Management
July 19, 2010 at 6:16 am | Posted in Whitepapers | 3 CommentsTags: albuquerque, asset, asset management, commercial, CRE, for lease, investment, investors, leased space, net operating income, office, operations, portfolio, property, property management, property values, real estate, retail, tenant, valuation, walt arnold, white paper
*see below for printable version.
The reality is that commercial real estate properties and portfolios that are actively managed not only perform better on an operating basis, but in most cases, they yield more on disposition as well. That said, my question is this: Why is it that so many commercial real estate principals still attempt to manage their own portfolio? While the answers clearly vary on a case-by-case basis, the most common reason usually boils down to the perception that money can be saved by not paying third party management fees. Indeed, the age old dispute between “do it yourself” and “do it for you” business models is alive and well in the commercial real estate industry. In the text that follows I’ll make the case for professional management as a value added service that is accretive to overall property returns.
Let’s begin our discussion with discussing the difference between property management and asset management. It was not too long ago that there were very distinct differences between these two disciplines. Property managers were deemed to be tactical in nature, focusing on day-to-day operating issues such as routine maintenance, minimizing vacancy, collection of rent/lease payments, and first tier communication with tenants. Asset Managers on the other hand were strategic in nature focusing on adding value to the property by making positioning decisions that would increase net operating income (NOI) and valuation. While these distinctions still exist among some firms, the increased sophistication of professional management firms over the past few years have caused the lines to be blurred to the extent that many firms now provide both disciplines in an integrated service offering.
As an owner of commercial real estate, unless you’re a very large and sophisticated commercial enterprise, attempting to do it yourself or hiring internal staff, it is not only inefficient and very expensive, but in this author’s humble opinion it’s very short sighted. You see, the right question to ask is not can you manage your own portfolio, but should you? Let me provide an analogy for illustrative purposes…I could do my own taxes, I have the financial acumen to do so, and who knows my financial position better than I do? Why should I pay a CPA to do something that I could clearly do myself? Following is how I viewed the decision to outsource Continue Reading Whitepaper: The Benefits of Professional Property Management…
Albuquerque Commercial Real Estate Report 4.19.10: Finding The Bottom
April 26, 2010 at 6:36 am | Posted in Radio Show Reports | Leave a commentTags: acquisitions, albuquerque, asset, banks, capital, commercial, CRE, distressed assets, economy, industrial, investment, investments, investors, market, market bottom, New Mexico, office, opportunities, property, real estate, recession, retail, sperry van ness, strategy, walt arnold, white paper
>>> Click here to listen to the Commercial Real Estate Report for 4-19-10 <<<
Bob Clark, News Radio 770 KKOB: Walt, there have been some indicators that the economy is starting to turn. Have we seen the bottom of this commercial real estate market and more importantly are there opportunities in this market for investors?
The key for investors today is not some much finding the bottom of the market but its finding value. By the time most people figure out where the bottom is, they will probably miss it. There are opportunities, and for the astute investors it will require the ability to add value to the property. Adding value can be accomplished through operational improvements, repositioning, restructuring, recapitalization, re-tenanting or other proactive strategies or tactical value enhancements.
Bob: So Walt, what are some strategies people can use to help them find value in commercial real estate assets?
There are a few things someone can do to help insure success. First, to try to time the market is extremely difficult and waiting for the exact bottom to get in is a million to one shot. The second strategy is to realize that a declining market is where lasting wealth is created. The next opportunity in this market is to seek opportunities, don’t get too caught up on the product type — for example, office or retail — of the investment, and if you like return of the investment the rest of the details can be worked out.
Understand it is critical to seize the opportunity and that it is better to be the one who catches the fish rather than the one who tells about the big one that got away. Lastly, seek sound counsel. The brokers at Sperry Van Ness can provide sound, professional analytical advice to help our clients make the right decision. Continue Reading Albuquerque Commercial Real Estate Report 4.19.10: Finding The Bottom…
Understanding the Acquisitions Process
February 26, 2010 at 4:38 pm | Posted in Whitepapers | Leave a commentTags: acquisitions, albuquerque, asset, capital, commercial, CRE, investments, liquidity, market, property, real estate, white paper
Here’s my latest white paper that aims to dispel some common myths and explain some of the ingredients needed for a successful aquisition…
One of the most important parts of the commercial real estate lifecycle is the acquisition phase. I believe most reasonable people would admit that the best way to have a successful outcome to any real estate venture is to get off on the right foot to begin with. While it’s certainly possible to “rescue” a troubled project, the best way to safeguard against a troubled scenario is to minimize future risk through the implementation of a sound acquisition plan. In the text that follows, I’ll offer some thoughts about some of the most common acquisition mistakes and how to avoid them.
Put simply, bad acquisitions are not healthy for financial sustainability. I’ve had the displeasure of watching lenders, investors, tenants and owners all suffer through the devastation and turmoil created by a bad acquisition. Whether it was due to lack of planning, leasing the wrong space, lending or investing in the wrong asset class or in the wrong market, getting whipsawed by buying into changing market conditions, paying too much for a property, or missing a critical window of opportunity, a bad acquisition usually spells trouble down the road. The sad part about what I’ve just described is that in most cases, these bad acquisitions could have been easily avoided by filtering them through a well conceived acquisition model. click below to continue reading>>>
Increasing NOI In A Down Market
February 5, 2010 at 5:12 am | Posted in Whitepapers | Leave a commentTags: asset, commercial, CRE, NOI, office, property, real estate, walt arnold, white paper
Here’s another white paper that will hopefully offer some unique ideas to help your books weather the economic climate…
Declining commercial real estate markets created by turbulent economic times and worries of an uncertain future can vex even the most experienced property owners. While it’s very easy to get caught up in the herd mentality of the pundits and other industry naysayers who portray a doomsday mentality, it’s considerably more profitable to… click below to continue reading>>>
Walt Arnold, SIOR, CCIM
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