The real estate markets have traditionally had peaks and valleys and the last ten years have been marked with tremendous volatility.
Commercial real estate is a nuanced field. The prime properties in high market value cities are still fetching high prices. So investors and developers are looking to other sectors of the commercial real estate market, specifically so-called class-A assets in secondary and tertiary markets and class-B and class-C assets.
Real estate development and sales are still predicted to be stronger in the Southeast, but the Midwest is making gains, too.
Some other trends to watch for:
Multifamily housing: Just as the millennials aren’t buying cars the way their parents did, they are not buying houses the same way either. They are renting for longer and they are delaying or even putting off homeownership completely, particularly in certain geographic areas. So multifamily housing is in demand, and in a variety of locations. Adding to the demand are all of those previous homeowners who have left home ownership because of foreclosures and job loss.
Commercial Real Estate Distress Sales: While Detroit’s distress sales and trades of commercial real estate are leading the nation, along with Chicago and Atlanta, overall distress sales have declined nationwide from a rate of 17% in May of 2013 to 10.5% in May of 2014.
Predicted Job Growth: Certain American manufacturers are betting on future jobs in ship building and railways, as well as renewable energy sources, sectors that lessen American dependence on foreign oil. If this comes to fruition, then these could be future development projects.
Flexible Workplace Arrangements: As American workers are able to telecommute, the traditional office has changed. Several workers may now share a single space, trading off who is in the office and who is in the field or working from home. This could signal a drop in future demand for office space in many fields.
Access to Health Care: Economists are watching the ramifications of the Affordable Care Act, which could put pressure on internists and general practitioners as well as certain underpopulated physician specialists. This could lead to a demand in more health care facilities, whether that means physician office space, urgent care facilities, surgery centers, and diagnostic centers. This, coupled with some large scale reorganization and mergers in hospital systems could make for a lot of guesswork in future health care facility investment and construction.
