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The government’s pumping up of the economy via various programs created by the nearly $800 billion economic stimulus package and interceding in the financial market will indirectly incite the revival of the commercial real estate market, according to a new report by Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services. But the major impact is unlikely to be felt this year. The present state of the commercial real estate market leaves a great deal of room for improvement. Marcus & Millichap notes in its report that sales volume, restricted by the gap between buyers’ and sellers’ pricing, has barely made a…

Even as difficult economic times continue, KKE Architects Inc. sees opportunities for growth. Although development has slowed down, the firm is busy with more than 15 million square feet of projects, including a proposed 2 million-square-foot mixed-use development, The Marketplace at El Paseo, which is set to break ground in El Paseo, Calif., in 2010. The firm is also working on a 3 million-square-foot expansion of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.Additionally, the firm has recently opened nearly 3 million square feet of projects, including the final phase of Jess Ranch Marketplace in Apple Valley, Calif., as well as…

For commercial real state concerns around the world, it appears that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, at least as far as equities are concerned. Buoyed by successes in raising capital and improving balance sheets, property companies saw their stocks rally significantly, experiencing a total return of more than 20 percent in April, according to a new report by ING Clarion Real Estate Securities L.P. Looking at the major regions across the globe, North American real estate firms topped the list with returns totaling 30.7 percent. “Stocks, in our opinion, were oversold in the first…

The retail sector’s current distress will eventually provide ample opportunities for investors and retailers. But the slight spring thaw in consumer attitudes about retail will not be enough to prevent harsh conditions for the rest of the year, according to multiple national assessments of the retail sector published during the past week. “Though contraction will be the harsh reality for most, the strongest concepts will benefit, not only from the elimination of their competition, but from the best tenant’s market in decades,” Colliers International’s spring survey concludes. On the other hand, recent indicators of improving consumer confidence are still a…

After two years that have trimmed the retail field and chastened the remaining players, the most compelling questions concern what retail real estate will look like when it inevitably mounts a comeback. A preview suggests that by early in the next decade, retail real estate will look much different from the pre-recession model.The full implications of the retail industry shakeout will take several years to unfold, but the shrinking field of retailers will continue to pose challenges for several years. It should take several years for the industry to absorb the demise of dozens of leading brands like Circuit City,…

The alphabet soup of government programs, from PPIP to TALF, introduced by the federal government to thaw the frozen credits may very well succeed in that mission–but the medicine will take time to take effect, a panel convened by Ernst & Young in New York concluded. The panelists expressed hope that the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF, which was recently extended to CMBS, and extended to five-year terms to better match CMBS loan lengths, will have a positive effect. TALF, originally conceived as a vehicle to re-start investment in securities backed by credit card and auto loans, got…

Consider the next few months a window of opportunity. That was the message delivered by Joel Naroff, chief economist for TD Bank N.A. and president of Naroff Economic Advisors, speaking on the opening panel of CPN’s Hidden Opportunities conference in Phialdephia on Wednesday.While Naroff does not see the economy really recovering for five to as much as 10 years, he expects the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department to take some steps very soon to “soak up all of that liquidity (they have taken on) as quickly as possible.” Specifically, he warned, interest rates are likely to move up rapidly…

A: What are the pros and cons of going with VOIP as my company’s main telecommunications set-up?B: Here’s why you might want to switch to VOIP:• The cost of VOIP calls is significantly lower than use of traditional telecommunications. Many providers offer a flat rate and unlimited calls within the continental United States. Some include flat-rate charges to selected countries as well.• If you have staff that travel extensively overseas or are opening a branch office, many providers will let you ship a pre-configured handset to other countries. All they have to do is plug it into a network with…

Having a data recovery and business continuity plan ready for activation following a disruptive event—localized building fires and floods as well as widespread disasters—can minimize down time and allow companies to collect rent, execute leases and perform other essential functions virtually uninterrupted.Real estate companies wishing to shield their databases from the most crippling effects of a disaster have a couple of options: They can host their critical operating data themselves, which means acquiring and maintaining the necessary IT, network security, and disaster recovery infrastructure. Or they can spare themselves this burden and concentrate on their core real estate business by…

On April 30, the AIA released an updated version of AIA Contract Documents® software, making it better and easier to use. Guided by extensive input from hundreds of contractor, owner, architect and attorney users of AIA Contract Documents, the updated software saves time and money by offering easier project and document management and document completion. Users can now view, edit, share and manage documents using one tool and easily populate and edit contract documents using a pop-up dialog box. In addition, new Microsoft Excel® capabilities allow for quick editing and calculations, and one-click custom template creation helps users save edits…