Each Wednesday, The Wrap presents a compilation of recent noteworthy commercial real estate stories from a variety of publications. Below are links to five stories that caught our eyes in recent days.
• Hotels Lacking Amenities Lure Buyers Seeking High Returns by Nadja Brandt of Bloomberg.
Key excerpt:
“Investors are drawn by the lower operating costs and higher returns at select-service hotels compared with more upscale properties. The segment — which lacks restaurants and [has] limited beverage and other service offerings — includes brands such as La Quinta, Super 8 and Days Inn. Purchasing such properties and boosting their profitability is often easier than acquiring and remaking higher-end hotels.”
• Axiometrics Says National Occupancy Rate Hits 95 Percent by Les Shaver of Multifamily Executive.
Key excerpt:
“National apartment occupancy reached 95% for the first time in at least six years in May 2014, according to research from Axiometrics, the leader in apartment data and research.
Additionally, effective rent growth for the year to date ending in May was 3.7%, the highest growth since the trough of the recession. With both improving occupancy and rent growth despite increasing unit deliveries, the apartment market is performing at a very high level.”
• 3 Other Ways Entrepreneurs Can Use Crowdfunding by Adam Toren of Entrepreneur.
Key excerpt:
“Under the JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) that was put into effect by President Barack Obama, the playing field of investing has opened up to smaller accredited investors. Think you might be interested in participating in a crowdfunded startup or maybe a commercial real estate investment through crowdfunding? Here are three ways entrepreneurs can get in on crowdfunding for investment or as a means for raising capital, not just rewards.”
• 6 Surprising Real Estate Trends, from Bikes to Barks by Ralph Bivins of CultureMap.
Key excerpt:
“Companies are engaged in fierce recruiting wars to get the best employees, and that means having the best workplaces with great amenities, says Chip Clarke of the Transwestern commercial realty firm. Therefore more and more office-building owners are installing bicycle racks to appeal to Millennials. Houston-based Avera Cos. is even putting in employee bicycle racks in the warehouses it develops, says company rep Trey Odom.”
• The Risk and Reward of Investing in Secondary Markets by Matthew Cypher of Urban Land.
Key excerpt:
“To best understand the motivation behind investing in secondary markets, it is necessary to discuss the fundamental concepts of yield, growth, and return. A property’s yield refers to annual income (net operating income divided by investment basis) and cash yields (net cash flow divided by investment basis), which represent the amount of cash flow produced by the property. Growth relates to the increase in an investment’s net operating income (NOI) over time, which is driven by rental growth. Return relates to the IRR on an investment, which is also known as the total return. The IRR compares a property’s purchase price with the projected cash flows over the anticipated holding period and represents a true annual rate of return on the investment that is driven by a combination of cash flow and NOI growth.”