The Loan Committee™

English: Skyline of Downtown Orlando (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Orlando is one of 87 major metropolitan areas that have more private-sector jobs now than a year ago, according to an On Numbers analysis of the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for all 102 markets with more than 500,000 residents.  read entire article….  Author:  Megan Anderson, Source:  Orlando Business Journal

The U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) recovery, although slow, has been visible in improved fundamentals, capital availability, asset pricing and transactions. REITs continue to outperform others, primarily due to higher liquidity and relatively easy access to capital markets. However, the CRE recovery appears to be unsteady, with increased “caution” given the nation’s stalled economic recovery, which is due, in part, to sovereign debt problems and economic stagnation in Europe as well as slowing growth in emerging markets such as China and India.  This report, the 14th in Deloitte’s series on critical issues affecting real estate, examines CRE market trends and developments, with a focus on potential solutions to help CRE players favorably position themselves in the medium-to-long term future.  read entire article…  Author:  Deloitte, Source:  Corporate Real Estate Group

Many franchisors grant exclusive territories to franchisees but reserve the right to open franchised or company outlets in “non-traditional venues” like airports, arenas, hospitals, hotels, malls, military installations, national parks, schools, stadiums and theme parks.  In FAQ 37, the FTC staff states that sales in non-traditional venues can no longer be characterized as exceptions to the a grant of territorial exclusivity.  Instead, the reservation of rights in non-traditional venues means that the entire territorial grant is non-exclusive.  Read entire article… Author:  Tom Pitegoff,  Source:  International Association of Franchisees and Dealers

After sales plummeted earlier this year, investors are once more slowly warming up to grocery-anchored shopping centers. Two major portfolio of properties changed hands this past week.

Sales totals of neighborhood / community shopping centers topped $1.2 billion in every quarter of 2011, and surpassed $2 billion in each the third and fourth quarter of that year. Then sales of this type retail center plummeted to $600 million in the first quarter.  read entire article…  Author:  Mark Heschmeyer,  Source:  CoStar Group

A multimillion-dollar conversion into a retail center is restoring the Lincoln Theatre’s dramatic Art Deco design and commercial shine.  Author:  Andres Viglucci, Source:  The Miami Herald. read entire article…

September proved to be a busy month for the single tenant net lease sector.  Within a 24-hour period on September 6, Realty Income Corp., an Escondido, CA based REIT specializing in net lease properties, bought American Realty Capital Trust, which owns 501 mostly net lease buildings, for approximately $2.95B, then Lexington Realty Trust, a New York City based REIT, announced it was acquiring a portfolio of net lease office and industrial properties from its joint venture with Inland American for $480M.  Author:  Elaine Misonzhnik, Source:  National Real Estate Investor

photo credit: GoboNdc via photopin cc