Los Angeles

The current headquarters of PennySaver USA Publishing LLC recently traded hands in a deal arranged by real estate company HFF. The property is located in the North Orange County Brea/La Habra submarket, southeast of Los Angeles. The selling entity, a joint venture between Cohen Asset Management Inc. and American National Insurance Company, was represented by HFF.

A San Bernardino office portfolio was recently acquired in a deal completed by international real estate firm Hines. Part of a joint venture that it has created with a fund managed by Oaktree Capital Management LP, the company acquired the Inland Empire property from two investment funds managed by Rancon Real Estate. The Tri-City Corporate Center is now under the ownership of the JV, with the financial terms of the property not being disclosed. Industry analysts placed the estimated value of the deal at around $100 million. After the completion of the transaction, the property management duties at Tri-City Corporate Center will be handled by Hines.

A West Hollywood apartment property located in the vicinity of the Pacific Design Center recently traded hands at a per-unit rate that more than doubles the average residential unit price in L.A. According to Marcus & Millichap, whose representatives arranged the transaction for both parties involved, the seller received a total of $8.25 million for the asset. First Vice President Investments in Marcus & Millichap’s West L.A. office marketed the property on behalf of the seller while Los Angeles office senior associates Michael Hanassab and Elliot Hassan advised the buyer.

The Cahuenga Media Tower, one of the most representative properties in the Hollywood submarket of Los Angeles, recently traded hands. An undisclosed buyer paid $16.4 million to a joint venture consisting of GPI Companies and KBS Strategic Opportunity REIT. The deal was brokered by CBRE representatives Kevin Shannon, Scott Schumacher, Michael Longo and Ken White, who worked on behalf of the seller.

Caruso Affiliated recently announced that it has filed all paperwork necessary for a new L.A. development project. The company is planning to build a new multifamily asset in the immediate vicinity of one of its most successful projects in the Los Angeles area. The developer is confident that it will be able to apply its vision of opening the new residential community by late 2017.

A Los Angeles area Kohl’s recently traded hands in a deal worth a reported $22 million. The transaction was arranged by Ed Hanley, Kevin Fryman and Eric Wohl of the Hanley Investment Group. The team arranged the deal for the triple-net leased property at a cap rate of 4.8 percent, one that Hanley Investment Group calls “the all-time lowest ever for a single-tenant Kohl’s in the U.S.”

The South Park Business Improvement has been very effective in its efforts to address the issues city sidewalks present the booming area of downtown. BID has received a great deal of assistance from Councilman José Huizar, as well as the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, and the Bureau of Engineering and Bureau of Street Services. Through this support system, the BID had the conditions to fund a pilot program with 800 sidewalk locations being improved in terms of safety and being brought to the specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A large office asset in Newport Beach was recently acquired by Hines for an undisclosed amount. The buyer worked along with a subsidiary of a fund managed by Oaktree Capital Management L.P. in the acquisition of 4000 MacArthur, a large office asset located in the Airport Area submarket. As a result of the transaction, Hines will take over management duties on behalf of the joint venture.

A private investor recently completed the acquisition of a residential asset in Encino, CA for a reported amount of $44 million. According to real estate firm Lee & Associates, the property was acquired from IMT Capital, a Sherman Oaks, CA-based company. The off-market transaction was completed with the assistance of Lee & Associates – LA North/Ventura Managing Director and Principal Jim Fisher, Lee Principal Mike Smith and Associate, Cory Stehr. The buyer was in a 1031 Exchange, and acquired the property as a long-term investment.

A Pasadena office asset was recently picked up by private real estate investment and development firm Laurus Coporation. The company announced the acquisition of 199 South Los Robles this week, which marks an expansion of Laurus into the country’s second largest office market. Pasadena is one of the best performing submarkets in Los Angeles, with the area being able to maintain a consistently low average vacancy rate over the past decade. Pasadena, along with Glendale and Burbank, is part of Tri-Cities market, one of the top three real estate markets in Los Angeles County.