August 4th, 2010 | Category Articles, News

Creative Solutions in a Frozen Market

Originally by Miguel de Arcos

I am asked almost daily the same question, “How’s business?” Whether it’s a peer, client, friend or someone I just met, once they know I am in commercial real estate I instantly become their barometer for the economy. Some genuinely want to know, but most are looking for a glimmer of hope that they can take home to help sleep more soundly.

My standard answer is “Our activity has picked up immensely in the past 4 months. In fact, I have not been this busy since the 06/07 boom years.” I then start my next sentence with “unfortunately” and you can almost hear their bubble of hope bursting. “Unfortunately, I cannot say we’re so busy for positive economic reasons, but because banks are starting to work through their balance sheets, agree to short sales, take back non-performing assets and selling their REOs.” 80% of our workload is from the sale of distressed assets like short sales and bank owned properties(foreclosures.) The other 20% is leasing.
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August 3rd, 2010 | Category News

Crazy Commercial Real Estate Market Endures

By Mark Alexander, CCIM
Originally at svnfloridablog.com

Many years from now our kids may read stories about the “Great Recession” of 2009 to 2010 (and counting).  With luck, they will only recall the ice cream being good and the beach being hot.  But the rest of us here in SW Florida won’t soon forget the things we see happening every day now…especially in the crazy commercial real estate market.  It is an amazing time to witness history being written. Many of us wish it just wasn’t so painful while others are happily securing their “Best Deals of a Lifetime”.

For example, a local SW Florida Bank just foreclosed on their $6.2 million mortgage for a brand new, never occupied Class A Industrial building (60,000 sf) on Alico Road in Ft. Myers that cost $7 million to build just two years ago…and it is now being offered for Sale at $2.7 million…and that is an Asking Price! I’m just getting started here.
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July 14th, 2010 | Category Articles, News

Midsummer Proof That Private Jobs Beats Government Jobs

Economist Dr. Sam Chandon

Originally by: Miguel de Arcos

Borrowing from Chief Economist Dr. Sam Chandon’s Midsummer Employment Outlook we are finally generating the proof to the notion we have been shouting from the rooftops for close to a year now; The stimulus money spent on job creation was spent incorrectly! ” [...]