Seattle and Portland in Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010 Report

Seattle was ranked No. 8 and Portland No. 16 on a list of the top U.S. markets for commercial real estate investment in the recently released Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010.

Though being classified as one of the top 10 investment markets in the country is good news for Seattle, the city had been ranked No. 1 in the 2009 report. The challenging office market, including the closure of Washington Mutual, played a significant role in Seattle dropping seven places. The report sites multifamily, however, as a bright spot for the city; though vacancy has risen and rents are down slightly, this property type remains fairly stable. You can find an article by The Seattle Times on the report here.

Portland's ranking at No. 16 is good news for a smaller metro area, and the report says, "Portland plays second fiddle to Seattle, growth controls keep the market in reasonable supply-demand balance and help foster a 24-hour, urban environment." The Oregonian's coverage can be found here.

The extensive report, prepared by The Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, represents the survey responses of more than 900 industry experts in a variety of sectors. It predicts that 2010 will be a tough year for the commercial property market around the nation.

NBS Financial's Wood Arranges $6M for Renton Commerce Center

NBS Financial Services Executive Vice President Mike Wood has arranged $6 million in financing for Renton Commerce Center, a 114,307 sf flex/industrial building in Renton, Washington, southeast of Seattle. Woodmen of the World was the lender.

Renton Commerce Center was built in 2002 and is fully leased. Tenants include Occupational Health Service, Valley Medical Hospital and CompuVest Corp.

“The conservative loan request, strength of the borrower and Class A quality of the building all contributed to having strong interest from numerous lenders, which allowed us to provide the borrower the most competitive terms available in the market,” Wood said.

Woodmen of the World offered the most attractive overall terms, and the loan funded 46 days from signed application to funding.

NBS Financial Arranges $10.2M in Forward Rate Lock Financing for Apartments in Davis, CA

NBS Financial Services Executive Vice President Ken Griggs and Associate Finance Officer Paddy Ryan have secured $10.2 million in financing for the Saratoga West Apartments, a 98-unit complex in Davis, California. Fannie Mae was the lender.

Griggs and Ryan were able to lock in an attractive 5.83% rate in advance, which was very attractive to the borrower because it removed the risk of fluctuating interest rates in an uncertain economic environment.

“We were able to lock in the rate ten months early, which gave the borrower some peace of mind,” Griggs said.

The loan is interest-only for two years, which was another benefit for the borrower, Griggs said.

The Saratoga West Apartments are close to the University of California – Davis campus, and virtually all of the residents are students, which can make some lenders nervous, Griggs said. Even so, they were still able to achieve a 75% loan-to-value ratio.

NBS Financial has offices in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, and arranges financing for properties throughout the country.

NBS Financial President Hering Honored With Award from Portland Business Alliance

J. Clayton Hering, President of Norris, Beggs & Simpson Companies, was honored with the 2009 William S. Naito Outstanding Service Award at the Portland Business Alliance’s Leadership Evening at the Portland Art Museum on Nov. 4.

The award recognizes exceptional leadership and service to the business community, and has been awarded to a member of the PBA since 1985. In the 1990s, it was renamed to honor the late Bill Naito, whose work exemplified the values the Alliance recognizes – community service, philanthropy and leadership. Past recipients include Fred Stickel, publisher of The Oregonian, the late Bob Gerding, cofounder of Gerding/Edlen Development Company, and Peggy Fowler, CEO of Portland General Electric.

Hering is active in a number of community organizations, and is a strong proponent of the arts. He is on the Portland Business Alliance Board of Directors, and is the Vice Chair of the Oregon Symphony Board of Directors. He is on the OHSU Foundation Board of Trustees, and has been involved with Young Audiences of Oregon/SW Washington and many other organizations.

Hering, a graduate of Dartmouth College, served in the United States Marine Corps for three years, including service in Vietnam where he attained the rank of Captain. He joined Norris, Beggs & Simpson Companies in 1972, was promoted to partner and regional manager in 1976 and became president in 1989. He oversees the company’s finance division, capital asset group and office and retail brokerage operations.

Henderson Joins NBS Financial as Finance Officer

Jeff Henderson has joined NBS Financial Services as a Finance Officer. He will work in the Seattle office and originate loans for commercial properties around the Pacific Northwest.

Henderson has a wealth of experience in real estate along the West Coast. Most recently, Henderson owned his own company, which acquired and repositioned residential projects, and served as a consultant for numerous commercial real estate organizations working on commercial development and asset management projects. From 2002 to 2005 he served as Acquisitions Analyst and Assistant Due Diligence Manager at Harsch Investment Properties, where he developed cash flow projects on over $1 billion worth of commercial property, including retail, office and industrial.

Henderson was the Chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s Young Leaders Group of Oregon/SW Washington from 2007 to 2008, and was a board member and program chair in previous years. He graduated summa cum laude with a BS in business administration with an emphasis in finance from Oregon State University.

Third Quarter Reports for Portland Market Released

NBS Financial has released its Third Quarter 2009 quarterly reports for office, industrial, retail and multifamily commercial real estate, as well as its economic report.

Office vacancy in Central City rose slightly from the previous quarter to 11.12%, with -272,692 sf absorbed. Two Class B buildings in Northwest were major contributors to this rise in vacancy and negative absorption. Vacancy in the suburban office markets rose about a percentage point to 20.59%, and Vancouver office vacancy rose to 18.42%.

Industrial vacancy increased to 14.94%, with -531,805 sf absorbed. One positive sign for the industrial market this quarter was Daimler Trucks North America’s decision to keep its Swan Island plant open. The plant had previously been scheduled to close in June 2010.

Vacancy in the retail market rose to 8.0%, with 365,818 sf newly available. The closure of all Joe’s Sports & Outdoors stores helped contribute to the increased vacancy, but Dick’s Sporting Goods leased a few previous Joe’s locations in the metro area.

Multifamily vacancy decreased slightly to 4.64%, which can partly be attributed to more tenants being active during the summer months; some landlords offered rent concessions and other incentives to attract tenants. Multifamily rental rates rose slightly.

A PDF of all of the reports can be found here.