One in ten U.S. households now rent a self-storage unit. The growing demand for self-storage in the U.S. is created by people moving (some 40 million people move each year according to U.S. Census data), and by various lifestyle transitions, such as marriage, divorce, retirement, a death in the family, etc. Self-storage companies indicate a […]

Real estate investments can be set up to generate one or more types of returns: • Cash flow to owners (yield or return on investment). • Appreciation of owner’s capital (capital appreciation). • Shelter of cash flow and/or other income from taxation (tax benefits). • Preservation of capital (safety). Once the owner specifies the type(s) […]

When you have searched for new real estate investment opportunities, with values that have been changing, you know that finding and evaluating them is becoming more sophisticated and complex. More investors are turning to real estate consultants as a means of providing a sounding board for their ideas as well as expertise in the planning […]

In major cities, looking for vacant land is difficult. A builder can look for vacant land but also must look for buildings that are in a condition that looks like they are no longer productive. A neighborhood that is in decline might be rejuvenated by tearing down a building and replacing it with a new […]

When an investor purchases land to build on, the next step is land development and financing. “Land development” cannot be precisely defined; generally, it refers to the physical, legal, and engineering processes needed to convert raw land to land (or lots) on which buildings can be placed. Land development can be classified into the following […]

Whether a rental market is weak or strong, lease negotiations can be difficult when the landlord wants concessions that are different from the norm. One situation that happens is when the owner of an office building or other commercial property intends to sell when market conditions improve, whether that occurs next year or five years […]