Northridge Commercial Real Estate In Review 2014

Reflecting on 2014, Northridge commercial real estate was interesting as movement of property was healthy as compared to previous years.  To note, in October, the well known Black Angus Steak House on Corbin Avenue traded hands. The property was sold as an investment property to an individual for $3.9 million. The passive investment with leases through 2018 is situated on 1.66 acres with 106 parking spaces allowing for a variety of uses down the line. Corbin Avenue from Nordhoff north to Plummer Street has some real intrinsic value as real development possibilities within the vicinity will dramatically change the atmosphere.

Retail and Fast Food center such as on Corbin Avenue and Nordhoff across from Lowe’s have been getting a lot of attention and achieving high sales prices for the Sellers. Local passive single tenant NNN leased properties are in demand. Also to note the redevelopment of the Nordhoff and Reseda eating establishment corridor with the newly opened Starbucks.

With entertainment, the Northridge bowling alley on Balboa, Matador Bowl comes to mind. It only makes sense for a business operator to own the property. Financing for SBA and special Owner-User lending programs are supporting the higher values in real estate that typical passive investors are finding it hard to financially pencil out. Interest rates such as the 10yr treasury will continue to remain low with a possibility of slight increases over the next 2 years.

Health Care properties in Northridge, more particular assisted and senior living facilities has been active with REITS and equity partnerships in 2014.  Northridge Senior Living on Lindley Ave is one of two properties to note. However the newly built property located at 9222 Corbin – The Village at Northridge will be one to watch. I speculate, interesting additions to the property are to come in the next couple years.

The Northridge Post Office was traded under the radar.  Eyes on this property for future planning has not been overlooked. This property should be interesting to follow in the next 5 years as plans will be in the works to transform the property.

In mid October of 2014, the Northridge Businesses Center sold for almost $46.5 million. This property although located in an area that is transforming will be the catalysts for other similar outdated office and R&D parks to repurposing and reinvest. This property known as The Campus will be interesting to follow as revitalization takes place in this area of Northridge.

Q 1 2014 Office and Industrial Market Report San Fernando Valley

Q1 2014

Market Moves a Tad Slower in Quarter, But Longer Term Trends Remain Positive

The Los Angeles North office market quieted down somewhat in the first quarter, although leasing activity continued to exceed 1 million SF.

Vacancy levels remained unchanged at 16.2 percent compared to the fourth quarter, and have fallen nearly 100 basis points (bps) compared to vacancies of 17.1 percent in the same period last year.

Just over 1 million SF of office space was leased in the quarter, about 38 percent less than the 1,624,000 SF leased in Q4 and down from the year ago period as well. The slowdown in velocity seems to have impacted absorption during the quarter, but it’s equally important to note that leasing has been strong now for the past nine quarters, an indication that the recovery in the office market is proceeding at a pace consistent with the economic growth we are seeing.

Only 31,200 SF of space was leased on a net basis during the quarter, down significantly from Q4 when net absorption totaled 298,035 SF. However, over the past 12 months, 504,000 SF of space has been leased on a net basis, amounting to a solid 1.1 percent growth in occupied space over that period.

With that level of progress, developers are reentering the market. Although the 200,000 SF of office space currently under construction is probably insufficient to make any real impact on available inventory, it is indicative of a return of confidence. Not to be overlooked, Laurel Canyon Plaza, a 90,000 square foot office building in North Hollywood and a neighboring retail building, was acquired by Goldstein Planting Investments for redevelopment.

Indeed, the Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast Commercial Real Estate Survey released late in January showed that sentiment in the office market is highest in Southern California. About 70 percent of the survey respondents in the region said they planned to commence one or more projects within the next 12 months.

Sales activity too slowed in the quarter with just 10 sales taking place, compared with 19 in the year-ago period. With fewer transactions, the median price of office buildings sold declined to $205 PSF in Q1 from $257 PSF in Q4 and $212 PSF in Q1, 2013. Still, several trophy properties changed hands including Tower Burbank and Westlake Park Place.

Industrial Absorption Rises to Pre-Recession Levels and Vacancies Fall Below 4 Percent

Following four quarters of robust leasing activity, absorption has risen to pre-recession levels and vacancy has fallen to the lowest levels the market has seen since 2009.

With little new construction and a resurgence of demand for industrial space, the upward trajectory of the Los Angeles North industrial market seems here to stay, at least for the time being.

Some 1,100,404 SF of industrial space was leased in the quarter, bringing vacancy levels down to 3.8 percent, the first time vacancies have fallen below 4 percent since the fourth quarter of 2009. Current vacancy levels have fallen 40 basis points (bps) compared with the prior quarter and year ago period, which both registered vacancies of 4.2 percent.

Not surprisingly, leasing velocity has slowed somewhat from the prior quarter when 1,475,538 SF of space was leased, as well as the year ago period when 1,824,794 SF was leased as options for businesses become extremely constrained. Eight of the 13 Los Angeles North submarkets now are operating with vacancy levels below 3 percent. In the North Hollywood/Universal City submarket, vacancy is 0.9 percent. In Northridge it is 1.2 percent and in Reseda/Tarzana it is 1.5 percent. Only the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys show vacancy rates above 5 percent.

On a net basis, some 625,600 SF of industrial space was leased, more than in any quarter since the first quarter of 2006 when 645,688 SF of space was absorbed. Admittedly, we are still seeing some fluctuation in absorption rates, and negative 135,923 SF was registered in Q4, but given the solid leasing activity, the volatility is more likely due to the lapsed time between space leased and occupied.

Similarly the sales sector was more active than it has been in any first quarter since 2009 with 23 industrial buildings changing hands in the quarter. The median sale price rose 19 percent to $130 per square foot, compared with $109 per square foot in Q4.

Although there are still some distressed assets being cleared in the region, their numbers are minimal. In the current quarter, just two distressed properties changed hands, compared to six in the first quarter of 2013.

What is a 1031 Exchange?

1031 tax deferred exchange is a way to postpone capital gains or loss from a sale of property through purchasing another like-kind property within a certain time frame. Although there are several kinds of 1031 exchanges, the Delayed Exchange is the most common.  

“Under Section 1031 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 1031), the exchange of certain types of property may defer the recognition of capital gains or losses due upon sale, and hence defer any capital gains taxes otherwise due.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Code_section_1031

1031 tax deferred exchange is a way to postpone capital gains or loss from a sale of property through purchasing another like-kind property within a certain time frame. Although there are several kinds of 1031 exchanges, the Delayed Exchange is the most common.  

“Under Section 1031 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 1031), the exchange of certain types of property may defer the recognition of capital gains or losses due upon sale, and hence defer any capital gains taxes otherwise due.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Code_section_1031

Through the 1031 tax deferred exchange program, property investors are able to reinvest the sale proceeds into another property of equal or larger value.  This has been a common platform property investors have been using over time to create great wealth.

Before the property is sold, escrow will make the necessary arrangements for the 1031 exchange.  At the close of escrow, the proceeds from the sale will be transferred to an Accommodator also known as a Qualified Intermediary.  (A Qualified Intermediary is an independent party who facilitates tax-deferred exchanges pursuant to Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code. The QI cannot be the taxpayer or a disqualified person.) http://www.1031.org/about1031/faq.htm

The investor will have 45 days from the date the downleg(relinquished property) is transferred to identify potential exchange properties. There are several different rules on property identification but the 3-property rule seems to be most popular. Within 180 days from the close of escrow of the downleg, one of the three identified properties must be purchased.

Most investors selling their investment property will begin looking for an exchange property from the moment they put their own property up for sale. So in general, if the sale property takes approximately 90 days to close escrow(30 days of marketing & 60 day escrow), they would have additional time to identify several replacement properties and close escrow on the upleg(replacement property).   

Here is a great place and resource to learn more http://www.ipx1031.com/reexchanges.aspx