San Fernando Valley Buildings Getting New Firerry Look

I recently got a call from a client of mine who reported that there was a fire in his shopping center in North Hills.  Aside from the bizarre entrance into the burnt space through a hole in the wall from the tenant next door (that's how they got in) we also noticed the new skylight remodeling where the fire department battled the blaze and salvaged the rest of the building.

Driving on Corbin in Northridge, I noticed a shopping center with distinct firerry charcoal look on the second floor. 

Over the past weekend, yet another fire in Van Nuys almost decided to take out another building a client of mine had interest in. 

Are the  summer days already here? Did we forget that all this rain gave way to new growth in the mountains and valleys. They will dry up you know.

I think something smells burnt! Is my firerry theory up in smoke or really a scheme businesses underwater can make out good from a bad situation. 

 A close friend of mine in the insurance biz had mentioned to me that there has recently been a string of  large insurance payouts for business owners in similar businesses that went up in smoke. It just so happens they lost all their non-selling inventory and business to a fire.

Vacancy has been on the rise. Recent insurance $/SF has jumped 10 fold due to vacancy. Why, the probability of vandalism is always greater in shopping centers with vacancy. Not to mention all the properties with debt service too great to carry for owners. O ya, I forgot that there are taxes and insurance to pay as well.  Can a landlord afford this kind of price hike on insurance. I suppose on the other hand, if you were a landlord also underwater with a vacant building, a firerry makeover might have crossed your mind at one point. But we all know that's against the law.