Author: Tom Silva

The 2nd quarter of 2008 ended with a slight economic rebound – an extremely lethargic one – that raises new fears of a recession.  The Commerce Department reported that the GDP increased at an annual rate of just 1.9 percent from April through June.  Although an improvement over the feeble 0.9 percent reported during the […]

Have you noticed that some of your favorite stores are disappearing?  Tough economic times have made people rethink their discretionary spending, and that is impacting specialty retailers.  According to a study by Commercial Property News and Claritas, a CPN-sister company specializing in retail-related demographic and marketing research, retailers are rethinking their 2008 growth plans. The Standard […]

You know what they say about polls.  Still, a recent one is an interesting temperature reading for the new economy.   Overseas investors in United States real estate prefer retail versus office or industrial space right now, according to an issue of Commercial Property News. This is just one conclusion in a survey that examined […]

According to market research from Colliers Dickinson, Jacksonville’s industrial market is thriving, thanks to its first-rate transportation infrastructure — consisting of the JAXPORT deep-water port, an international airport, three railways, three interstates and several major highways.  Industrial vacancy rates are the lowest they’ve been in five years, rents and property values are soaring.  With the […]

According to the April 1, 2008, issue of Commercial Property News, there are five prime reasons why developers should continue building condominiums and apartments.  Why is this happening in the multi-family market considering the fast pace of single-family home foreclosures? Strong echo and baby boomer demand – 7 million echo boomers are starting their careers and […]

On NAIOP member Jack Schultz’s list of Top 10 Development Trends for 2008, one really stands out. Following Kalamazoo, MI; Newton, IA; and El Dorado, AZ, have promised to pay for the college education of anyone who completes grade and high schools.  In light of of the economic flux that we are currently in, this seems like a […]

The Spring 2008 issue of Development Magazine quotes Mark Gibson, Leader, Strategy and Operating Real Estate Advisory Services for Ernst & Young, on the seven skills that corporate real estate executives should bring to the table, listing them in order of importance: Project Management Strategic Planning Process Implementation Understand the Business Fortitude Real Estate Real […]

When you embark upon a construction project today, the process is one of tight controls, vigilant attention to detail, and a careful balance of cost, schedule, safety, and quality.  Industry professionals are highly skilled and often highly specialized.  It takes an integrated team effort including the owner, design professionals, construction professionals, and many other stakeholders […]

I recently hosted a panel at DePaul University in Chicago on the history of corporate real estate, which highlighted the sector’s emergence from an embedded functionary to a stand-alone department with direct reporting to the CFO.  Unlike today’s more integrated version, the blueprint for corporations throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s was the holding company corporate model, featuring […]

The February, 2008 issue of Healthcare Real Estate Insights reported on the Titanic of MOB transactions – the acquisition of 28 medical office buildings (MOBs) by Nationwide Health Properties, a healthcare REIT based in Newport, CA. The deal, worth $915 million, included a portfolio of existing and future MOBs totaling 2 million SF. There is […]