Using Historic Tax Credits to Increase Profit

6 years ago

6 years ago 0 0 1945

In every community across the country, enterprising developers are scooping up historic structures as investment properties. These old mills, factories and turn-of-the-century buildings exude character – and have a lot of potential for modern day uses. Whether it’s a new retail center, residential property, office space, hospitality property or government complex, existing, historic structures are popular options for development projects. Historic restoration projects repurpose aging and unusable buildings and structures for today’s uses, often creating new urban centers out of dilapidated and unsafe eyesores. They capitalize on a community’s nostalgia for the original structure, which typically boasts inimitable personality features and context within the neighborhood. These intangible assets increase community buy-in for a historic renovation project, which promises to preserve the integrity of a structure while making it usably modern or functional for the current population. An excellent example of this is Ponce City Market (PCM). Originally the Sears Building

The Importance of Timing on Real Estate Investment

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Investing

6 years ago

6 years ago 0 0 1850

A dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. So, the farther into the future one expects income or a sale to occur, the less it is worth in today’s dollars. In my opinion, investors don’t contemplate this factor enough when considering a real estate investment. Factors that are commonly considered for real estate investments include location, market, available financing and current cash flow. But when you invest and how long you plan to hold can strongly impact how well you do. The Effect of Timing + Buying Let’s look at some examples: Those who bought properties at the market peak in 2006-2008 with 3- and 5-year loans know the pain of debt maturing in a down market. While it is always prudent to buy in a down market, it is possible to buy too early. This could result in debt maturing before the market recovers or in anticipated

Old Malls, New Opportunities?

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Development

6 years ago

6 years ago 0 0 2414

Lately, it seems that one retailer after another is announcing massive store closings or potential bankruptcy. It’s no secret that Macy’s is closing stores, Sears is contemplating bankruptcy and JCPenney’s is struggling. But what happens when a mall anchor closes or the mall itself dies? It affects everyone. Dying malls, especially in small towns where they are the central economic hub, impact the community that live and shop at the mall; the employees that work at the mall; the small tenants that rely on the larger anchors’ foot traffic; the properties surrounding the mall; the investors and developers that own the mall; and the lenders that hold loans on the mall. A dying mall can absolutely create an economic hole in the center of a small town or suburb that once relied on its vibrancy for tax income and as a social gathering place. Last year, in my blog “How

The Atlanta Beltline: Will the Westside Trail Match the Eastside Trail’s Success?

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Development

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 1 2687

In a recent blog, I introduced the current sensation that is the Atlanta Beltline. The official website defines the beltline as “a sustainable redevelopment project that is transforming the city… [and will] ultimately connect 45 intown neighborhoods via a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcar, and parks – all based on railroad corridors that formerly encircled Atlanta.” The completed Eastside Trail has already enjoyed tremendous success as most visionaries and developers expected it would. Now, the Westside Trail is being developed, which is indeed exciting, but has led some developers and investors to question whether it will garner the same success and reception as its Eastside counterpart. Let’s take a look at both projects. Eastside Trail Since its inception, $860 million has been invested within a half-mile of the Eastside Trail, which is a two-mile segment that connects Midtown and Old Fourth Ward neighborhoods. The Eastside Trail has gained

Top Takeaways from GSU’s Views From the Top 2017

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Development, Real Estate Investing

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 0 3505

Each year, I start the new year with an economic conference hosted by Georgia State University’s Department of Real Estate, and it rarely disappoints. This year was no different. Views From the Top 2017: “Connectivity & Atlanta’s Urban Transformation” delivered insightful viewpoints on a variety of economic topics. First up was Sun Trust Economist KC Conway. Here were his top comments: Real estate sector predictions: Housing and Industrial are real estate’s strongest sectors, with commercial storage and manufactured housing yielding the best returns. Retail is regressing, and Hotel is overbuilt with declining values. Cost for new or renovated Office space is extremely high. Atlanta + Southeast predictions: The Southeast region, including Atlanta, will outperform the nation in 2017. Atlanta will continue to be plagued by traffic This is a “Must Solve” problem. Millennials will move elsewhere if not resolved, resulting in stymied growth. General insights: Capital for commercial real estate

Why You Need a Real Estate Advisor on Your Wealth Management Team

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Investing

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 0 2688

As the end of 2016 quickly approaches and you ponder year-end donations and 2017 financial objectives, you should consider if you need someone to help you reach your goals—or to advise you on what those goals should be. Let’s take a look at your team. The Coach The Coach develops a game plan based on circumstances. Do you become your own coach, or do you consult with a wealth manager or financial planner to mold your circumstances and financial objectives into an effective financial plan? This is the first big call. The Roster Then, you must ask yourself: Who should be my team players? A typical team consists of a financial advisor, an investment manager, a CPA, an insurance advisor and an estate attorney. Now, the water becomes somewhat murky here because some of these players wear multiple hats. In certain cases, they work for a fee on your behalf.

How Can We Solve the Absence of Affordable Housing in Atlanta?

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Development

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 1 2679

Equity and affordability. The lack of these two imperatives is what initiated the departure of Atlanta Beltline Partnership board members Ryan Gravel and Nathaniel Smith in late September. Ryan, the urban planner who proposed the Atlanta BeltLine in his Georgia Tech Master’s Thesis, and Nathaniel, founder of the Partnership for Southern Equity, left the board with concern that too little was being done to promote affordable housing off the popular beltline, a 22-mile corridor circling central Atlanta. An Atlanta Business Journal article states, “Gravel said the vision for the BeltLine has been one of inclusivity – making sure its success does not prevent people of all income levels from being able to live on all parts of the 22-mile corridor.” Even the corridor’s tagline, “Where Atlanta Comes Together,” suggests this underlying vision. But affordable housing is an issue across Atlanta, not just on the BeltLine. To anyone has driven around

The Different Faces of New Urbanism

By Stan Sonenshine in Real Estate Development

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 0 2297

The Different Faces of New Urbanism If you read the newspaper or business journals, you would assume everyone wants to live in the heart of a big city, in a small apartment in a mixed-use development, located near a transit station and high-rise office building—you get the picture. While the desire for interaction and less car time are the driving forces behind this trend, it fails to address the desire of many for space, affordability and convenience to good dining, entertainment and employment—all attributes of the suburbs. Can these seemingly contradictory trends be satisfied? As discussed in my post “Atlanta’s Edge Cities Develop City Centers,” the answer is yes. Let’s explore some more. City = Cluster of Small Cities? When referring to a city like Atlanta, we can no longer look at it as one homogeneous political entity. Instead, Atlanta is a cluster of smaller cities and unincorporated neighborhoods with distinct

Mentoring Benefits? It Keeps You Relevant

By Stan Sonenshine in Mentoring

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 1 2356

We all know the older you get, the harder it is to adapt to the market. It’s not easy to change what you have learned for your whole career. But to continue to thrive, you absolutely must adapt and see your business as it has changed. As discussed in previous blogs, new technology plus the impact of Millennials has accelerated real estate industry changes. This creates new opportunities, but causes some existing properties to become obsolete and some previous practices to become unprofitable. Of course, there will always be industry constants. Deal fundamentals, you have to know. And you still need money; tenants still need to pay rent; and stable tenants are still desirable. What shifts is this: you have to apply these fundamentals to a different set of parameters. Enter the new recruit, The Bridge between past and present. How Does This Benefit You? Let’s be frank: some of

Mentoring 102: On-the-Job Mentoring

By Stan Sonenshine in Mentoring, Real Estate Investing

7 years ago

7 years ago 0 1 2609

Mentoring 102: On-the-Job Mentoring So, your mentee has landed her first commercial real estate position. She’s excited, engaged and ready to learn the ropes and land some deals. Despite her enthusiasm and drive, she feels overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to start. This is where you come in. In my last blog, “Why Mentoring Is Key to Future Success,” we discussed how a mentor assists with the initial career decision. As promised, this blog addresses how mentors can help young professionals start with necessary fundamentals. This is important because like golf, if your set-up is poor, a bad swing will follow. Fortunately, most real estate companies now use the team approach. Teams can consist of junior and senior members or of professionals with complimentary skill sets. This approach by its nature gives the novice both a focus and a mentor. For small companies, less team opportunities exist, so individual mentoring

Using Historic Tax Credits to Increase Profit

The Importance of Timing on Real Estate Investment

Old Malls, New Opportunities?

The Atlanta Beltline: Will the Westside Trail Match the Eastside Trail’s Success?

Top Takeaways from GSU’s Views From the Top 2017

Why You Need a Real Estate Advisor on Your Wealth Management Team

How Can We Solve the Absence of Affordable Housing in Atlanta?

The Different Faces of New Urbanism

Mentoring Benefits? It Keeps You Relevant

Mentoring 102: On-the-Job Mentoring

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