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What to Look Out for When Signing Commercial Real Estate Loans Texas

Signing commercial real estate loans Texas documents is an important step for your business. You need to be well prepared and be certain that you understand the document completely.

Borrowers are always told to read a document completely prior to signing it. But when signing documents for commercial real estate loans Texas, you might not have the time to read the entire document at the signing. And even if you had the time, you might not understand all of the technical and legal jargon. So you will want to be sure to request a copy of the document to review with your lawyer prior to the closing appointment to check out a few key pieces of information.

The first important information on the agreement is the loan payment agreement. This defines what is expected of you and includes provisions that protect both the lender and the borrower. This is where you will find the clauses about your payment schedule and if there is going to be a balloon payment due at the end of the loan term. These are basically all of the repayment terms that you are agreeing to for the money that you are borrowing.

Some commercial real estate loans Texas will also specify that you need to continue to provide the lender with financial information about the property and your business. This is to monitor the financial health of the borrower and ensure that payments will continue. There are also some commercial real estate loans Texas which will specify that you must maintain a certain debt to cash-flow ratio throughout the term of the loan. Additional covenants can stipulate asset sales, cash payouts and changes in the ownership of the business. These are all ways that the lender can ensure that the company remains solvent and that the business does not get too far in debt prior to paying off the loan.

Negotiate for Non- Recourse

One of the key stipulations in protecting your personal finances is negotiating a non-recourse covenant. This clause protects you in the event that your business fails and cannot repay the loan. If you have a non-recourse loan then the lender cannot force you to personally repay the loan. But if it is a recourse loan then you have personally guaranteed the loan and will need to find a way to repay it even if you close your business.

Check for Penalties

In the perfect world, your business will thrive and you will be able to accelerate your loan payments. This will allow you to pay the loan off early and save some of the interest that you would have paid the lender. But if your loan has an early pay off penalty, then you might be faced with paying extra fees. Some lenders will have a flat prepayment fee and others will charge a percentage of the interest that you would have paid. In most cases, you will still be saving some money, but you will want to be sure that you understand this potential penalty as well as all of the terms of the loan prior to attending the loan closing.

About the Author: Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.

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What You Need to Know about Repayment Terms of Commercial Loans Texas

October 1, 2017Uncategorizedcommercial loans texas, texas commercial lender, texas commercial loan, texas commercial loans, texas commercial mortgage brokers, texas commercial real estatebigdaddydennis

There are many details and “fine print” to understand how to pay back your commercial loans in Texas. Here we break down what you need to make sure you can repay your lender.

First, it’s important to have realistic expectations about obtaining and repaying a loan. Terms are much different than they are with say a home mortgage, so it’s important not to compare the two — they are totally unique to one another. Residential loans can often have a repayment schedule of up to 30 years, while commercial loans Texas are broken down into tow major categories depending on the length of the repayment terms and schedule.

An intermediate term loan is a shorter-term loan that is three years or less. These loans can be more difficult to repay a large loan amount because the repayment requirements and interest may be quite high. Longer-term loans vary from between five and 20 years. Repayment loans are also amortized loans, meaning the loan will need to be repaid in fixed installments until the entire loan has been repaid. This is similar to what homeowners pay for their home mortgage – making a payment monthly at a “fixed” amount, including principle and interest.

However, amortization of commercial loans Texas are rare, and typically you are required to pay a balloon payment at the end of the terms. This means you will be required to pay the remaining portion of the loan in one large lump sum. This can prove difficult for many small or start up businesses. During the loan repayment, interest is paid, but not principle, so at the end the business owner is responsible for nearly the entire principle amount. The alternative to paying all at once is refinancing the amount of the balloon payment into a new loan

It’s important to know that you are responsible for prepayment terms, too, and can actually be penalized for early payment.

While you may be tempted to “prepay” your loan amount and save on interest, you may be in for a surprise. Unlike a home mortgage, commercial loans Texas often include clauses to the contract that outline a prepayment penalty fee, calculated by multiplying the present outstanding balance by a prepayment penalty amount stated in the contract. This protects the lender or bank from any loss that might be associated with early payoff. An interest guarantee also protects the lender – stating that they are entitled to receive a specific amount of interest when the loan is paid off prior to the terms of the agreement. This is sometimes refereed to as a “lock out,” meaning the business owner has to wait until this time has passed (five year, for example) to them pay off the full loan amount without penalty.

Before signing your loan agreement, make sure you understand what is required of you

Once you sign the documents, you are responsible for the repayment terms stated in the commercial loans Texas agreement, so it’s important that you go through all the paperwork with a fine-tooth comb and seek legal counsel to review it as well. Understanding exactly what is required of you will make it easier to budget and plan for your repayment schedule.

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Texas Commercial Real Estate: Plans to update JC Penny’s Plano headquarters

October 1, 2017Uncategorizedtexas commercial lender, texas commercial lending, texas commercial real estate, texas commercial real estate loansbigdaddydennis

Texas commercial real-estate developer Sam Ware recently implemented plans to modernize a portion of JC Pennies Plano headquarters.

JC Penny recently decreased its foot print on its sprawling Plano, Texas headquarters. While the company will continue to remain on the site, it leased out part of the campus to developer Sam Ware. Ware is known for his value-added approach to commercial development. Ware will modernize his portion of the campus, naming the new development, “The Campus at Legacy West.”

Wares purchase was one of the largest commercial real estate transactions in North Texas in 2016. JC Penny made steps to downsize and after consulting with CBRE realtors and decided to lease out unused space on their campus. JC Penny will continue to occupy 1.1 million sq. ft. on the site, leasing the rest to Ware. Ware will make use of 600,000 sq. ft. of newly vacated office space as well as 300,000 sq. ft. of underused mezzanine space. The total sale price amounted to 353 million not including the improvements Ware intends to make. Ware intends to directly invest 60 million into new improvements on the site, with the help of a 377 million dollar mortgage from Beal Bank.

Job growth in the area made the site particularly attractive to Ware and other developers. The Plano area has boasted job growth of 3.8 percent year over year, 1 percent higher than the rest of the state. Office absorption has been positive in the area for 81 months. The site is already adjacent to the sprawling Legacy West Development, which already has offices for Toyota, Liberty Mutual and JP Morgan Chase. It is also nearby the sizable “Legacy West” urban village. Ware claimed “There is not another competing Class A corporate campus with this much contiguous space available in North Texas.” He sees a unique opportunity in the purchase “To buy this building today would run around $400 per square foot. If we had to create this building today, the land alone would cost $100 million and it would cost $800 million to build it,”he said.

“The Campus at Legacy West,” will stand out among Texas commercial real estate developments.

The site already boasts many amenities. The property is the only office building in the area with a Starbucks, a Subway and a pharmacy already on site. 50,000 square feet is already dedicated to amenities. Ware intends to expand on these amenities. He and his partners will spend 100 million dollars to add updated child care facilities, medical offices and expanded food service options. These updates will no doubt attract tenants to “The Campus at Legacy West.”

The area around the campus is one of the most desirable in Texas commercial real estate. Will Wares improvements to the site pay off?

A lot is at stake for Ware with such a huge investment. The site has many advantages already and clearly the immediate area is in high demand with a number of multi-billion dollar developments already established. Will Wares improvements to the site be enough to distinguish “The Campus at Legacy West” from adjacent office parks? Time will tell.

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Texas commercial real estate: Parkland Memorial Hospital to see redevelopment

October 1, 2017Uncategorizedtexas commercial lender, texas commercial lending, texas commercial real estate, texas commercial real estate loansbigdaddydennis

Texas commercial real-estate developer Sam Ware has big plans to revitalize Dallas aging Parkland Hospital Campus

Ware recently completed a lease buy back arrangement for the 38 acre property with the Parkland Health and Hospital Systems Board of Supervisors. Ware is entitled to 500,000 sq. ft. of the site for the next three years. Ware intends to redevelop the location into an amenity rich, mixed use development known as “the District.” Ware has made it his business to add value to aging properties like Parkland Memorial Hospital. With so much new office space going up in the area, will the remodeled Hospital site be able to compete? Ware obviously thinks so.

Sam Ware is not unfamiliar with redevelopment projects. He has been redeveloping a range of sites since the 1980’s. His most recent acquisition, a portion of the JC Penny Headquarters, he intends to develop into, “The Campus, at Legacy West.” Ware has called the Parkland project “a once in a life time opportunity.” Claiming “you couldn’t get a similar deal in Dallas’ competitive market for under 500 million.” True to his form, Ware will focus on keeping costs low by redeveloping the existing buildings on the site. In his appeals to purchase the property from the Parkland Hospital Systems’ board of directors he claimed the form of the site is, “dysfunctional, but your bones are worth $200 million. Just let the architects figure it out.”

Ware will invest 250 million dollars in the project to redevelop it into a mixed use destination called “The District.” Current proposals to renovate and repurpose the existing buildings include, converting the emergency room tower into a hotel for visiting doctors and developing micro-apartments by combining old patient rooms. New amenities will be added to the site as well. Ideas include a valet service, a high end gym, restaurants and a grocery store. To plan the redevelopment, Ware intends to use the team that helped him implement his vision at the former JC Penny Headquarters

Wares redevelopment project has significant potential when compared to other Texas commercial real estate developments.

Prior to the sale CBRE described the Parkland Memorial Hospital campus as a “significant redevelopment opportunity in Dallas-Fort Worth,” an apt description. The site sits on 38 acres in the heart of Dallas’ medical district. The campus has about a dozen existing buildings, of varying sizes along with parking garages and open land. It is adjacent to Lovefield and Dallas’ uptown district. In addition the site boasts access to two nearby commuter rails. Redevelopment of the site is an undeniable opportunity. The immediate area has the highest density zoning in Dallas, outside of the cities central business district. High density zoning allows up to twenty stories to be added on to the sites existing buildings, giving the opportunity to expand the available square footage on the site to to 4.5 million.

It is uncertain whether “the District” will stand out among other Texas commercial real estate developments.

Ware intends to capitalize on the sites pre-existing advantages. The Parkland Campus is centrally located and indicated for high density development. Clearly it is cheaper to remodel the existing buildings on the site. Other developers may have simply started from scratch. Ware has succeeded with similar efforts in the past and the proposed amenities will no doubt add value to the location. Time will tell whether “the District” will be able to compete with new construction in the area.

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Texas commercial real estate: A look at the Dallas Midtown development

October 1, 2017Uncategorizedcommercial hard money lenders, commercial hard money loans, texas commercial real estate, texas commercial real estate loansbigdaddydennis

Texas commercial real-estate developer Scott Beck has big plans for the site of the former Valley View Mall.

The aging Valley View Mall was recently demolished to make way for a new development, “Dallas Midtown.” Spearheading the effort is developer Scott Beck. Beck claims “Dallas Midtown,” is the most important construction project to take place in Dallas during this century. The amenity rich, mixed use development is a massive project, which Beck claims will encourage companies to relocate their offices into the heart of the city. “Today will mark the day when our city stops the flight of corporate America from our city’s urban core to the far-out reaches of our northern and western suburbs,” he said during a press conference after the demolition.

Beck claims “Dallas Midtown” will be a “city within a city.” The project will amount to an “urban, mixed-use village in the center of the population density in Dallas.” According to plans, the development will be fully operational by 2020 at a total cost of 4 billion dollars. In the end the project will amount to 1 million sq. ft. of additional retail and office space. Other amenities will include a 10 screen luxury cinema, a 183,000 sq. ft. gym, 1,000 new apartments all which will be anchored by the 20 acre Midtown Commons Park.

The Dallas Midtown project is a big opportunity for Dallas to expand the city’s tax base. Once completed the development will add about 20 billion dollars in taxable value to the city, which according to Beck, represents the sum total of the taxable value located in Dallas’ central business district. Local politicians agree, Council Representative, Tennell Atkins claimed the project was a “mega big tax growth for the city of Dallas.” Revenue brought in by the development will help the city repair aging infrastructure and help bring improvements to the cities struggling Northern Sector.

Dallas Midtown, will no doubt become one of Texas’ most significant commercial real estate developments.

Whatever the outcome of the project, it will no doubt result in major changes to the surrounding area. The anchoring park, Midtown Commons will be one of the city’s largest and will dwarf the 5 acre Klyde Warren park, one of the city’s largest. Amy Monier, parks and recreation representative for the district claims Midtown Commons will be a Dallas equivalent to Central Park and will define the area for generations. The project will be the most robust mixed use development in the city, and according to some, one of the most transformational projects ever undertaken in Dallas.

Community leaders agree with Beck’s claims. Believing Dallas Midtown will define the Texas commercial real estate market for generations.

The sheer amount of office-space added by “Dallas Midtown,” will certainly make an impact on the commercial real-estate market. If Beck’s claims for the potential of the development hold true, an aging neighborhood will no doubt see new life and the city will be encouraged to invest in the immediate area. Whether the scale of the development exceeds the demand for commercial space remains uncertain. But local authorities are clearly behind Beck’s vision, former councilwoman turned state representative, Linda Koop expressed her faith in Beck’s ability to transform the site, “ I know with Beck in charge, it will be that kind of project that will be a project that will last and last and last and be a centerpiece of not only North Dallas but of Dallas as well,” she said.

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Texas Commercial Real Estate: Need for temporary offices offset by telecommuting and co-working after Harvey

October 1, 2017Uncategorizedcommercial hard money, commercial hard money lenders, commercial hard money loans, texas commercial real estate, texas commercial real estate loansbigdaddydennis

Commercial real estate in Texas saw an impact due to Hurricane Harvey. Offices are being transformed as businesses relocate temporarily.

The commercial real-estate firm CBRE reports 40 centrally located Houston office buildings were damaged by the storm. Short term displacement is forcing many businesses to capitalize on technology and to take up new trends. Office buildings in Houston’s Energy Corridor felt the brunt of Harvey’s impact. The release of water from the nearby Addicks Reservoir caused extensive flooding in the area. According to NAI Partners representative Dan Boyles Jr, the main problem appears to be water in the mechanical and electrical systems of office buildings. Even with minor structural damage, the demand for temporary office space has been high in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Energy Corridor President David Hightower claims he is “getting flooded with emails about folks needing space.” With the need for temporary space, the dynamics of how businesses operate is being changed by Hurricane Harvey.

Telecommuting has offset the demand for temporary space on the part of businesses impacted by Hurricane Harvey. This is no great surprise, Global Work Place Analytics estimates 50 percent of jobs in the US are telecommuting compatible and 25 percent of Americans telecommute to work on a regular basis. Technologies like Skype are allowing businesses to continue their operations without the need for temporary space. Businesses weren’t able to rely so heavily on such technology in the past, but this appears to be the case after Hurricane Harvey.

More businesses are making use of shared office space and the Texas commercial real-estate market could change as a result.

Other businesses are making use of shared office spaces. Many businesses in the area were unfamiliar with the co-working concept, leading to many co-working spaces to suffer from high vacancies prior to the storm. Now co-working occupancies are sky rocking. Tech-space, a co-working office in the West Chase area has 60 percent of its seats currently occupied. Its owner expects that by the end of the week all of Techspaces seats will be leased out. Co-working offices can be operational in less than 24 hours. Many local businesses are realizing the benefits of the co-working concept. Spoden the owner of Techspace, claims some new tenants are considering leaving some staff-members behind, even after their offices are repaired. A temporary boost in co-working spaces and telecommuting may have a long lasting impact on the dynamics of Houston’s office market.

It is still unclear whether telecommuting and co-working will have a long term impact on Texas commercial real estate.

Short term demand for offices is likely be propped up by businesses whose operations are directly related to rebuilding efforts. But after damaged offices are repaired, will Houston businesses continue to take advantage of technology or more modern cooperative office spaces? If so this could reduce the demand for traditional office space and vacancies in the Houston area could continue to remain high even after Harvey’s damage is repaired.

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Texas commercial real state: Will oil prices bring more uncertainty than Hurricane Harvey?

September 30, 2017Uncategorizedcommercial hard money lenders, texas commercial lending, texas commercial loans, texas commercial real estatebigdaddydennis

Texas commercial real estate and the Houston market in particular have suffered as a glut in production drags down oil prices.

Crude prices remain 15 percent lower than their 2014 peak. Prices continue to linger below their historic averages. The Houston office market has since seen negative office absorption rates since oil prices crashed in 2015. Low oil prices eat away at the profit margins of the areas energy firms. New employment by these firms remains tepid and the need for new offices has contracted considerably. Hurricane Harvey’s impact on Houston’s office market will have a short term effect. In the long run however, low oil prices will have a much larger impact on demand in the area for new offices.

Turbulent oil prices had taken a toll on Houston’s office market long before Hurricane Harvey arrived. Negative absorption rates in the market, left more office space empty than could be sold off. Twenty percent of the cities office space sits vacant according to Colliers, the highest rate in two decades. Uncertainty in the oil markets drove many companies to shrink their foot print in the region, or to consolidate their existing space. Tenants extracted lower rents from their landlords or demanded new renovations in return for holding onto their existing leases.

Office construction was booming prior to the oil slump. Energy companies experienced record profits, as a result of fracking and other new found efficiencies, which increased oil production. Prior to the slump in 2015, Moodys claimed the region would experience record job growth because of these new developments in the oil industry. Such forecasts fueled speculative office construction. 10 Empire State Buildings, or 26 million sq. ft. of new offices were constructed during the oil boom. But the advances led to a surplus in oil, which dragged down prices worldwide and demand for offices fell as oil prices declined. Energy companies decreased their near-term hiring, which lowered their need for new office space. This dynamic reveals why so much of Houston’s office-space now sits vacant. If oil prices continue to languish, these offices will likely remain vacant in spite of Houston’s relatively robust economy.

Economic diversity has helped sustain the Texas commercial real estate market in the midst of the oil slump. But if oil prices decline in the future, job growth and the demand for offices will decline as well.

Houston benefits from increased economic diversity, which helped offset the painful effects the decline in oil prices. Jobs in the area have increased by 15,200 since prices collapsed in 2015. Jobs may be growing steadily, but if oil prices remain at historic lows this growth could contract, putting the regions office market greater at risk. Houston remains heavily dependent on the energy sector. 10 of the cities top 20 employers are in the oil business. CBRE analysis indicates that lay-offs haven’t spread far beyond drilling and exploration at many of these companies. Even so, 80,000 jobs remain at risk if oil prices continue to languish according to Federal Reserve spokesman, Keith Phillips.

Oil prices continue to define Texas’ commercial real-estate market.

Oil prices will continue to define Houston’s office market. Until oil prices return to historic averages, employment is likely to remain below the expectations of many analysts, or could even shrink should prices fall any lower. Uncertainty in the oil markets is perhaps a greater threat than Hurricane Harvey to Houston commercial real estate market.

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Texas Commercial Lending: Report sheds light on how local banks may respond to Hurricane Harvey.

September 30, 2017Uncategorizedtexas commercial lending, texas commercial loans, texas commercial mortgage, texas commercial mortgage brokers, texas commercial real estatebigdaddydennis

How will Texas commercial lenders re-tool their lending efforts in the after math of Hurricane Harvey? A report by the Cleveland Federal Reserve may shed light.

The study demonstrates that the need for financing by disaster victims won’t be immediate. Lending activity subsides in the after math of major disasters. But within a six month period, as impacted economies recover, lending activity picks up considerably. The study indicates that small local banks increase lending by 25 percent in the year following a major disaster. How do these small banks manage to lend more money, when no doubt such disasters result in immediate loses?

The report outlines three specific strategies Texas commercial lenders may implement to raise capital and meet the increased demand for loans.

New loans will increase in areas of Texas directly impacted by Harvey and lending will decline in areas that saw little to no impact from the storm. The report claims banks shift their activity in order to meet the increased demand for new loans in impacted areas. This shift is demonstrated in Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HDMA) data citied in the report. Every dollar lent in a disaster area is a 42-50 cent decrease in lending in areas that remain unaffected. While banks concentrate on impacted areas, capital becomes harder to access in other markets. This spreads the economic influence of major disasters throughout the economy.

New mortgages will be securitized and sold off at a higher rate. Selling new mortgages onto secondary markets helps local banks meet increased demand for loans in disaster areas. The new mortgages will be for smaller amounts, under the conforming loan limit in order to qualify for government backing. The government guarantee helps prop up lending activity in disaster areas. HDMA data in the report confirms this trend. Banks avoid the risk of doling out long term loans on the basis of short-term deposits. Local banks can therefore replenish capital each time they issue a new loan by securitizing and selling off new loans. Having this money on hand helps banks meet increased demand for loans in impacted areas. However the conforming loan limit may impact the size of mortgages issued by local banks in the long run. Local banks are therefore less likely to issue large mortgages in the immediate future.

Banks will increase interest rates on deposits in the short term, in order to attract additional capital. Local banks will compete with one another in order to secure new deposits and meet the demand for new loans. This competition requires banks to raise interest rates paid on savings accounts. Such competition is likely to occur in markets connected, but otherwise not impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Ratewatch data cited in the report finds local banks increase the interest paid on short term CD’s by 20 percent when compared to average rates.

Texas commercial lenders may or may not implement the strategies outlined above to meet the increased demand for loans.

The study indicates that lending will increase in areas that felt the brunt of Harvey’s impact, that new mortgages will be for smaller amounts and savings accounts will pay out higher interest rates. Whether this will hold true in the case of Hurricane Harvey remains to be seen.

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Texas Commercial Lending: Could local banks benefit as a result of Hurricane Harvey?

September 30, 2017Uncategorizedtexas commercial lending, texas commercial loans, texas commercial mortgage brokers, texas commercial real estate, texas commercial real estate loansbigdaddydennis

Texas commercial lending will feel the impact of Hurricane Harvey. But commercial lenders in the Houston area expect certain sectors of the local economy to see an uptick. Could a short term boost in economic activity help the regions banks?

Houston based banks will see an increase in both lending and deposits, this could prove beneficial in spite of the short term losses incurred as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Recovery efforts after disasters can inject new life into the economies of impacted areas. During Hurricane Ike, Houston reported an increase in sales tax revenue. The case could be similar with Hurricane Harvey. A burst of economic activity in specific sectors could benefit the regions banks. In particular lending related to those areas of the economy that could benefit as a result of the storm.

Commercial lenders anticipate certain sectors of the region’s economy to experience an uptick in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. No doubt hotels will see a short-term spike in business and the multi-family market will experience increased demand as well. Commerce CEO, Ralph Babb Jr, noted in at a recent conference that “As a result of Hurricane Harvey, leasing activity has picked up substantially.” Displaced residents are looking for temporary housing, increasing the demand for apartments. Consumer loans, construction loans and auto loans will rise as well, as residents seek funding to replace damaged property. Short term increases in these areas of the local economy will help prop-up lending activity for local banks and this may even translate into a long term benefit.

Major disasters can be a net positive for local banks. Outreach efforts by local banks to disaster victims could strengthen customer relationships and help attract new business. Hovde Group analyst Joel Fenech cites Hurricane Katrina as an example of how disasters can benefit banks both in the short term and the long term, stating “the timing of Katrina, in my view, actually helped to shield the affected banks from the more devastating impacts of the Great Recession.” Fenech claims that banks that lent after Katrina emerged from the recession stronger and some even became acquirers of struggling banks.

Higher insurance prices will impact Texas commercial lending in the long run, but short term job growth for reconstruction may bolster construction loans.

The storm might deter new construction in Houston, but it could also prop up job growth in the short term. Major disasters increase risk for insurers, inflating the cost of policies. Higher insurance rates might deter new construction, unrelated to rebuilding efforts in the long term. The demand for new construction in Houston however has been tepid for some time. Efforts to rebuild could prop up jobs related to construction and bring about short-term employment opportunities in this struggling sector of the local economy.

Texas commercial lenders will benefit from Harvey in the short term, it is unclear whether this short term boost will translate into long term growth.

The hospitality industry will benefit and apartment sales will increase as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Consumer loans and loans related to reconstruction will also rise as residents seek to repair and replace damaged property. Reconstruction efforts could prop up employment in the short term. Whether these short term benefits due to the storm will translate into long term benefits for regions banks remains uncertain.

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Texas Commercial Real Estate: Texas cities compete for Amazons new headquarters.

September 30, 2017Uncategorizedcommercial real estate lenders, texas commercial loans, texas commercial real estate, texas commercial real estate loansbigdaddydennis

Amazon recently announced plans to build a second headquarters. The Texas commercial real estate market has shown robust growth for many years, will the states growing economy is enough to attract Amazons new headquarters?

Amazon has a long list of benchmarks before any city can be considered for its new headquarters. The metro area must have a population that exceeds 1 million. Any prospective location must have on site mass transit, be within 45 minutes of an international airport and have immediate access to a major highway or arterial road. Amazon also wants prospective cities to have a vibrant student population and excellent educational institutions. A number of metros in Texas meet Amazons guidelines, but Dallas and Austin stand out among the crowd as the most likely locations for Amazons new headquarters in the state.

Dallas has a number of distinct advantages among Texas cities in the competition for the new Amazon headquarters. The Dallas Regional Chamber and the Mayor have already taken concrete steps and are already scouting locations for the proposed headquarters. Only San Francisco exceeds Dallas in terms of high tech talent. The University of North Texas at Denton is already a major recruitment base for Amazon, offering the nation’s only digital retail degree. Dallas talent base, low-cost of living and excellent infrastructure are sure to be positive factors Amazon will consider before it makes its decision.

Austin is also on the short list of candidates for the new headquarters. The city offers a burgeoning student population, with more than 425,000 college students residing in the immediate area. Other tech-giants have found the region favorable. Apple, Google, Facebook and Samsung already have established their offices in the city. Amazon may consider the proximity to Whole-Foods Headquarters as the biggest attraction for building its new headquarters in Austin. Amazon just bought the grocery chain and the opportunity to have two headquarters in one city makes Austin very likely to win the bidding war for the new headquarters.

Other Texas cities are also competing for the Amazon headquarters. Demonstrating just how robust Texas’ commercial real estate market actually is.

Apart from Dallas and Austin, other Texas cities are throwing their hats in the ring. 10 Amazon fulfillment centers, with 10,000 employees are located in the Fort-Worth Area. The cities recent airport expansion enables cargo transport to Asia, a real benefit Amazon may consider. Houston has also expressed interest in the new headquarters. Houston has plenty of centrally located and vacant office space available. But the city, even with a significant student population, doesn’t have a strong tech-scene when compared to Dallas. San Antonio is also making a bid, but the city may not have sufficient space downtown and the airport lacks some of the capacity Amazon has requested.

Texas’ commercial real estate market is one of the strongest in the nation. But how will Texas fare against other states?

Cities in Texas of course want the prestige of being chosen for the new Amazon Headquarters, as well as the potential economic benefits Amazon promises. But Texas isn’t the only state or area being considered. Cities in Texas are still in competition with potentially more prestigious cities like San Francisco, Boston or New York. Amazon executives have already put Boston at the top of the list, according to Bloomberg. However Boston and other densely populated cities may be too expensive for many low level Amazon employees. Texas and cities like Austin and Dallas stand out due to their low cost of living and their business friendly environments.

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