How to Validate Your Commercial Property Purchase

Carrying out proper Due Dilignce is vitalMANY PEOPLE make the mistake of carrying out the due diligence study BEFORE they acquire their commercial properties.

This can end up becoming a very expensive process — because you can often miss out on the property, whenever someone else snaps it up, before you complete your study.

Therefore, the secret lies in ensuring you negotiate a deal — where your due diligence occurs AFTER you have tied up the property, under a binding contract of sale. [Read more…]

Confirmation That Commercial Property is Trending Up

A-REITs are a good gauge to where Commercial Property is headingWHILE EVERYONE seems to agree that the residential market is currently moving sideways, investors often find it difficult to gauge how direct investment into Commercial property is really travelling.

However, perhaps the best gauge is to take a look at what the share market thinks about A-REITs (Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts).

Generally, these yields tend to operate at about 1.5% to 2% below direct investment into property. Nonetheless, they can be a great indicator of where the present trend is heading. [Read more…]

Australia, the Global Economy and Commercial Property

GERRY HARVEY appeared to sum it up fairly well in a recent interview:
“It was unusual to have such a poor sentiment at a time when Australia’s economy was relatively strong compared to America and some countries in Europe.”

Overseas Property Investors are currently very active Harvey feels Australia has an economy regarded as strong by outsiders. And yet there is a total lack of confidence, and businesses are therefore suffering.

Overseas investors are actively targeting Australian Commercial Property — accounting for around half of all sales of over $30 million. Whereas, local investors remain hesitant. [Read more…]

Retailing Set to Rebound in 2013

THE FIRST half of 2012 has been rather dismal for retailers. Figures coming out of the ABS tend to confirm anecdotal evidence that retailing is doing it tough.

And none more so than department stores, fashion and electronics. Whereas, food and entertainment remain the only bright spots. [Read more…]

Can Commercial Property Landlords Continue to Rely on the Government?

Office Workers within the CBDs around AustraliaAND THE ANSWER? Yes, but probably less than previously — due to both the State and the Federal austerity measures, currently being implemented.

Some of the recently-announced public service layoffs will remove the “automatic” component of government take-up, from the CBD Office demand equation. But that’s not altogether a bad thing. [Read more…]

​Being Creative Transforms Commercial Property Deals

Creativity brings massive rewards, at virtually no cost.PRICES may be rather attractive at the moment, but the days of quick-and-easy financing are over.

Furthermore, the tight credit market is making it tough for some investors to secure loans.

Nonetheless, with a little creativity and preparation, you can often bring otherwise-doubtful funding options within your reach. [Read more…]

Commercial Property Attracting Overseas Buyers

Melbourne Ofices in hot demand by overseas investorsACCORDING to a recent report by Property Watch, overseas investors appear to be strongly buying Office buildings, within Docklands and the CBD of Melbourne.

Currently, these Office purchases account for around 36% of all very major deals being transacted — and they seem to be driven by Melbourne having the 2nd lowest vacancy rate, after Perth. [Read more…]

How Will the RBA’s Decision Affect Commercial Property?

NOT EVERYONE was expecting the RBA to further ease the cash rate, when its Board met this week.

Some felt the Board would simply “keep its power dry”, and just wait to see how the outcome of the 17 June election in Greece unfolded.

Some economists like Saul Eslake (of Merrill Lynch) felt that the $2.5 billion of cash payments by way of government compensation for the carbon tax, would serve as “enough stimulus” for now.

But maybe, such thinking took too simplistic a view of things. [Read more…]

Emerging Trends in Commercial Property

Traditional Family Businesses have changed over time.SINCE THE 1800s, there has been a procession of younger family members joining long-established family businesses.

Traditionally, it has been sons following in their father’s footsteps.

But things started to change during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when you saw more daughters taking up the challenge, and also joining the family firm. [Read more…]

Time for Some Contrary Thinking with Your Commercial Property Investing

View the current Opportunity for what it is.AMIDST ALL the recent doom and gloom, major global banks are quietly alerting their clients to prepare for a sharemarket surge, if Greece exits the Euro-zone.

That’s because they believe world authorities will be flooding international markets with massive liquidity.

And given the G8 Communique from Camp David, this may well occur anyway — just to keep Greece within the fold. [Read more…]

Commercial Property: Decisions … Decisions?

With Commercial Property you have so many choicesIT’S INTERESTING how many investors seem to “graduate” to Commercial property, after first starting out with residential property.

But when you think about it … that’s probably an understandable progression.

So, why would you Purchase Commercial Property?

Once you grasp even the basics of Commercial property, you quickly discover its NET yield is 2 to 3 times that of residential property. But more importantly, your tenants seem to stay 4 to 5 times longer. [Read more…]