Looking at US Industrial with the US Cluster Mapping Project

Looking at US Industrial with the US Cluster Mapping Project

Posted on by Jim Klein

The Cluster Mapping Project (CMP) was pioneered by Michael E Porter of Harvard University. He is just as well known for his works on Competitive Advantage. His work is a necessary foundation for US Industry and business organizations. I reprint his Value Chain diagram below for company diagnostics, which has been repurposed to examine the competitiveness of regions. To understand the implications of location and clustering, you can read an article Professor Porter published in 1995 about the strategic location of inner cities which is just as relevant today.


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Tenant Power

Tenant Power

Posted on by Jim Klein

Tenants have underappreciated power especially in cases of new development and investment projects. Most tenants don’t realize their own worth because they are rarely in the market, don’t experience the development cycle and are oriented towards functionality. Conversely, lease terms and tenant credit are essential to the developer. The capital impact of the lease is well understood by the developer but is often neglected by the tenant.
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Concentration Continues at the Top Tier of Industrial Buildings

Concentration Continues at the Top Tier of Industrial Buildings

Posted on by Jim Klein

The world of big industrial has evolved with fewer and better capitalized buyers. It’s a core group of 15 or 20 nationwide owners that know the markets, have talented principals and to the delight of most sellers, they close for all cash. In contrast, the entrepreneurial developer who played such an important development role in past buying cycles has almost completely vanished from the scene. High Net Worth Funds, REITS, Pension Plans, and the Insurance Companies dominate the ranks of primary industrial investors. Occasionally, developer partners, seek out capital from the large institutions, but control still reverts to the same dominant group of investors.

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On The Way Up

On The Way Up

Posted on by Jim Klein


(click through to enlarge diagram)

This diagram from RREEF shows we are in a classic upswing on the real estate cycle. Lots of money in play, rising property values, and local business is improving. It looks like we have a long way to go excepting some huge policy mistake and that’s unlikely.

Real Estate Deals in the GIS and Data Universe

Real Estate Deals in the GIS and Data Universe

Posted on by Jim Klein

Good technology can improve real estate deal making. This article describes my experience with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and how it has become a fundamental tool for my business. At its simplest, GIS programs are a visual adjunct to database and contact management programs. However, if used to its fullest, GIS can crystalize multiple property relationships to monetize real estate information by traditional forms of deal making, solve complicated problems and create new business models.

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Commercial Mortgages Are On The Way Up

Commercial Mortgages Are On The Way Up

Posted on by Jim Klein

Many have already seen charts like this one showing a big drop at the end of 2007. It explains the past four years of weak sales. The small uptick demonstrates the recent increase of deals. Since this is 2011 Q3 data, (but released earlier this month), I expect to see more improvements. The same indicators are alive in the market. A long way from peak conditions but in the right direction.

Questions About The End of California Redevelopment

Questions About The End of California Redevelopment

Posted on by Jim Klein

We are starting an extremely interesting and confusing period as redevelopment agencies (RDAs) come to an end. Firstly, RDAs were a powerful force in every city’s arsenal. They employed large staffs and had enormous budgets. A lot of the built commercial world is attributable to redevelopment through direct land contribution, infrastructure, subsidies, guarantees, loans or other physical or financial contributions. RDAs created a lot of very good development that would not have otherwise been built. High quality, low income housing units were developed. Many private and capable developers profited.

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BUYING SIGNALS ARE ON

BUYING SIGNALS ARE ON

Posted on by Jim Klein

Date

1 Mo

3 Mo

6 Mo

1 Yr

2 Yr

3 Yr

5 Yr

7 Yr

10 Yr

20 Yr

30 Yr

09/01/11

0.02

0.02

0.05

0.10

0.19

0.31

0.90

1.49

2.15

3.10

3.51

09/02/11

0.02

0.02

0.05

0.10

0.20

0.33

0.88

1.41

2.02

2.92

3.32

09/06/11

0.02

0.02

0.07

0.13

0.21

0.33

0.88

1.40

1.98

2.86

3.26

09/07/11

0.00

0.02

0.06

0.11

0.21

0.34

0.92

1.45

2.05

2.96

3.36

09/08/11

0.01

0.02

0.07

0.12

0.19

0.33

0.88

1.41

2.00

2.92

3.32

09/09/11

0.00

0.01

0.05

0.11

0.17

0.31

0.81

1.34

1.93

2.86

3.26

09/12/11

0.01

0.01

0.05

0.11

0.21

0.35

0.87

1.38

1.94

2.84

3.24

09/13/11

0.00

0.01

0.05

0.10

0.21

0.35

0.89

1.42

2.00

2.92

3.32

(Daily Treasury Yield Curve Rates)

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HOW ARE THINGS LOOKING?

HOW ARE THINGS LOOKING?

Posted on by Jim Klein

Customers always ask me, “How do things look?” Here’s one way to answer. In this roughly one square mile grid of Broadway/Rosecrans, there are about 120 buildings of decent size. I count 25 that have availability. Perhaps not the entire buildings are on the market, but enough to depict this picture. That’s about 20% of the buildings with significant availability. I’m working on a lease in Chatsworth and there is even more yellow. This is a pretty consistent picture throughout Los Angeles. In contrast, there have been times when there is no yellow.

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