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Manufacturing Update
(value of manufacturers’ new orders; not seasonally adjusted; $ in millions)
Office Leasing
Continued Recovery By Walter Page Fueled by an expected three-year tripling in net absorption and minimal construction activity, office vacancy rates are expected to exhibit a continued solid recovery in the first quarter of 2013. Specifically, office vacancy rates have declined from 12.8 percent in first quarter 2010 to 12.2 percent as of first quarter 2012 and are expected to decline by a robust 60 basis points to 11.6 percent by first quarter 2013. This decline in vacancy is significant because we are now nearing the critical point at which office rents typically show significant growth, compared to declines in…
Power Index Podcast – Top Brokerage Firms
Mike Ratliff and Jack Kern dissect trends in the commercial brokerage sector. Transaction volumes are increasing and the second half of 2012 should see continued growth in occupancy and price per square foot.
Podcast – Leading Investors
Jack Kern and Mike Ratliff dissect the results to our 2012 look at the Leading Commercial Investors. We are expecting to see more acquisition activity, with a bit of development, in most major markets and all property sectors.
Private Correctional Companies Well-Positioned for Industry Shifts
By Jane Cotroneo, Analyst, Moody’s Investors Service
Stretched budgets have prompted governments to enact changes aimed at reducing overcrowded prisons and incarceration costs. Two private correctional companies are providing a steady stream of earnings without the restrictions typical of REITs.
The Effects of Big-Box Downsizing on the Retail Side
By James Slusher, Associate Director, Stan Johnson Co.
Many CRE owners have been challenged by the recent trend of big-box anchor tenants downsizing their retail footprints. Investors and developers should be mindful of retailers’ new store concepts, and be critical of building size and rent projections.
Finding Something to Cheer About in a Temporary Soft Patch
By Bob Bach, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist, Grubb & Ellis Co.
The economy and the financial markets have lost some momentum over the past few weeks, but there are still some bright spots to lead us through the gloom such as the absence of new construction, the surge in dollar volume of property sales in the first quarter of 2012 and loosening standards for CRE loans.