Leverage for Lending: Texas’ market creates new opportunities

BY BRANDI SMITH

When oil prices started to drop a few years ago, they pulled Houston’s economy down with them. It took a big toll on the city built on black gold. Late in 2017, a barrel of crude started to
become more valuable, helping Texas’ largest city bounce back.

That rebound is being noticed in just about every sector of the economy, including commercial real estate lending.

“We’re starting to see an uptick in transactions, in buyers and investors looking and more actively approaching properties,” says Bill Dampier, vice president of commercial lending for City Bank. “I think the increase in the price of oil has re-energized the market. It has given investors more optimism in regard to kicking the tires and looking for good buying opportunities.”

Beyond the city limits of Houston and even the borders of Texas, Dampier says there is a lot of capital out there, which means competition among investors. Additionally, it’s likely interest rates will only continue to climb and real estate isn’t getting any cheaper. That means finding a deal might take a bit more effort than it has in the past.

Click here to read the rest of this Article. 

The sky’s the limit:

BY BRANDI SMITH

Taking flight with Pro Aire Aerial Photography

If a picture is worth a thousand words, the images captured by Pearland, Texas-based Pro Aire Aerial Photography are virtually priceless. However, they don’t comewith the price tag you’re
probably expecting.

“A lot of people don’t realize how inexpensive it is,” says owner Deana Waddell.

A couple times a week, she’s up in a plane, photographing properties all over the greater Houston area from an average height of 1,500 feet, though flying even higher
is an option for larger properties.

“It’s really as simple as opening up the window,” Waddell explains. “We use our high-resolution cameras and telephoto lens to capture all angles to enhance a property.”

Click here to read the rest of this Article. 

More than just a warehouse

The diverse industrial market in Texas

BY BRANDI SMITH

Stretching across 4,000 acres in Northeast Houston, McCord Development’s Generation Park is a kind of mini-reflection of the largest city in Texas. It is a mixed-use development loaded with every kind of commercial real estate opportunity – from residential to office, retail to industrial.

One of the first tenants to plant a flag in Generation Park was FMC Technologies, now TechnipFMC, which opted to locate its 173-acre, state-of-the-art corporate campus there. Already 2,000 employees strong, the company currently has a footprint of 1 million-squarefoot and room to grow in its next phases.

“I think it took landing TechnipFMC to get people thinking, ‘Wow. This is actually a great location,” McCord says. “Now we’re just seeing people piling on at this stage. It’s very exciting.”

Click here to read the rest of this Article.