Property Performance Analysis

Post Sponsored by Mary Jo Kirk

What is the current state of commercial property ownership, user potential, performance and values in the Prescott, Arizona area?

Where is the commercial real estate market headed in 2009 and beyond and what should property owners be doing to focus on property performance going forward?

At Arizona Commercial, we believe it is critically important for owners of commercial property within the tri-cites of Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley to consider executing a thorough “Property Performance Analysis” or PPA, based upon changes taking place in the general market but especially with respect to changes taking place in commercial mortgage lending.

The Myth of Immunity

The tri-cities commercial real estate market is not immune from the impact of the economy on property performance in larger metro markets such as Los Angeles and Phoenix.

The local commercial market is directly impacted by the strength of the general ecomomy, unemployment, housing and most importantly, lending.

The decline in residential property values, a slowdown in new construction, the reversal of commercial appreciation rates and unemployment are all contributing to changes in the performance of all segments of the commercial real estate market.

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Property Performance Analysis

Arizona Commercial is currently engaged in conducting “Property Performance Analysis” (PPA) with commercial property owners as a FREE service designed to guage an owner’s financial objectives, the current financial performance of a property and the short and long term financing needs associated with the property.

Because we anticipate new challenges to commercial property performance as a direct result of the general conditions of the economy we think it imperative that owners assess their property performance situation sooner rather than later, and that they develop a sound financial plan going forward.”

Jim Pullaro – Broker, Arizona Commercial

Arizona Commercial’s PPA includes an assessment of and owners’s financial objectives measured against the quality of tenant mix, correct property use, lease performance, operating cost analysis, mortgage situation and estimations of user demand through 2010, with specific recommendations in each category.

Arizona Commercial’s PPA is like a property physical, in a sense. It measures and evaluates the critical components related to the health of a commercial property and sets forth prognosis and treatment before problems begin.

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Refinancing and Replacing

Commercial property owners and investors are keenly aware of the need for quality “R and R” or, refinancing and replacing. These are the two keys to perpetuating long term performance.

Lenders are currently tightening requirement for new commercial loans and refinancing. Qualification requirements are more stringent and under-performing properties or, select segments (property types) within the commercial real estate market are finding it more difficult to secure financing.

A PPA can signal issues an owner may face before they become critical and assist with pre-planning for mortgage refinancing, property replacement or, both.

Commercial real estate investments require monitoring, adjustments and sometime immediate changes in order to keep them performing. A PPA can flag areas where an owner can and should make adjustments in order to keep performance healthy.

Until recently, many properties were performing as a result of a strong demand and easy financing. Therefore, many owners ignored or postponed the need for regular property analysis. In today’s economy there is no guarantee that a property will appreciate or perform without careful “hands-on” attention and management of the components of performance.

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Your may contact any of our Commercial Associates for a confidential Property Performance Analysis or, if you prefer, call Arizona Commercial at 928.776.8460 or use our contact form.

7.71 Ac., Cordes Junction – Frontage

The property is located in Cordes Junction, Yavapai County, Arizona with frontage on the Prescott bound side of Highway 69 just west of Interstate 17.

The Cordes Junction interchange is 67 miles north of downtown Phoenix, 81 miles south of Flagstaff and 35 miles east of Prescott.

Cordes Junction is the central Arizona traffic interchange serving Prescott and Prescott Valley traffic and north-south interstate travel between Phoenix, Sedona, and Flagstaff.

Offering Price: $671,000
Total Site Area: 7.71 Acres
Price/sf: $2
Parcel: 500-06-015B
Zoning: RCU 2
ADOT Access

Description: Approximately 7.71 acres of undeveloped land gently sloping from the midpoint towards the highway with elevated 360 degree views, stunning to the north. Vegetation is light brush overgrowth.

Access: The Property is accessed by the frontage road on the westbound (Prescott) side of Highway 69, with a dedicated eastbound left-turn lane giving full ingress and egress to the highway. The current frontage road access to the property is Kennedy Drive on the eastern front parcel boundary.

Zoning: Currently RCU-2A, Residential with two (2) acres minimum. Due to the proximity to the interchange, Yavapai County is very interested in the commercial development of bordering and nearby properties and welcomes re-zoning with a formal site development plan. Quail Ridge, a 5-Acre parcel directly across Highway 69 from the subject property, evidences this by being recently rezoned to C1 commercial with a 27-unit “KOA style” RV Park currently under development. C1 zoning is a broad category encompassing gas station, hotel/motel, retail, restaurants, fast food, travel related services as well as neighborhood sales and services for the nearby communities.

Utilities: Utilities are existing on adjacent property. Water wells are in the area.

Traffic: From Cordes Junction to Spring Valley, the nearest community 2.75 miles to the west, 2008 traffic counts are 13,000 daily with predictions to double by 2020. The Interstate 17 traffic to the south counts 26,000 and to the north 17,500. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is in the process of a $53 million Interchange Improvement Project scheduled for 2010-2011 to upgrade and improve the interchange and provide secondary access to the Cordes Lakes community.

Population Centers: The westbound Highway 69/Interstate 17 Interchange is the major artery to the Prescott MSA (82,500) which is the largest Arizona MSA north of Phoenix with growth that exceeds the regional and national averages. It serves the communities of Prescott (47,400), Prescott Valley (41,900), Chino Valley (17,000), and Dewey-Humboldt (4,500). Communities in the property’s immediate vicinity include Mayer, Spring Valley, Cordes Lakes and Arcosanti with a combined population of 6,700. Other major population centers of Phoenix Metro (4.3 million), Flagstaff (65,000) and Sedona (11,400), are within 25 to 75 miles of this location.

Yavapai County: Yavapai County encompasses 8,125 square miles. The current population is approximately 241,000 making it the 4th largest county in the state. It is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S. and the second fastest in the state, experienced a population growth of 205% from 1990 to 2003.
AZ Dept. of Economic Security and U.S Census Bureau

Village at the Boulders – Prescott’s Premiere Center

Posted by Bebe Wright, CPM, CCIM

The Village at the Boulders is Prescott’s finest and premiere retail center offering tenants a high traffic position in the heart of Prescott, Arizona. Anchored by Walmart Super Center, the Village at the Boulders is the choice for businesses seeking an edge.

Ultimate Anchor. The Village at the Boulders in Prescott, Arizona is anchored by the ultimate anchor, Walmart Super Center. Walmart is the King of Retail and those retail shops that surround it enjoy a favored position in a highly competitive market.

What do business need more than anything else? Traffic. The retail market is a crowded playing field and the cost per person for foot traffic can be a killer to any retail budget. Going it alone just doesn’t make good business sense. Enter…ANCHOR…enter…Walmart, the world’s leader in retail traffic.

Hook yourself to a leader and you become a leader. When you bring your business to the Village at the Boulders, you receive the benefits of operating in the shadow of the best.

Being anchored by Walmart means foot traffic all year long. Being attached to the best retailer in the world can only mean that more people have the opportunity to see your business. After all, if they don’t see it, they won’t enter it and if they don’t enter your business, they will not spend money buying your products or services. Download leasing and purchase information.

Top Retail Brands. The Village at the Boulders attracts high-powered retial brands that understand the power and privilege of location, location, location.

This center places tenants in the company of top national brands, thus insuring a market recognition and draw exceeding typical retail centers.

Being in the company of power-brands such as Starbucks, Fedex Kinko’s, Hi-Health, Big Lots, JoAnn Fabrics, Dollar Store and Denny’s, just to name a few, can increase your company’s foot traffic and contribute to the bottom line. Download leasing and purchase information.

Market Position. Not only is the Village at the Boulders Prescott, Arizona’s premiere retail center, it is the largest retail center in the city of Prescott, Arizona and, therefore maintains its position as the recognized leader in retail location.

Let’s face it, the commercial real estate market is a competitive arena and allows little room for failure. Location is the central key to positioning any business that is dependent upon eyeballs and feet in order to sustain its market position.

If your company is seeking a competitive edge that will separate you from the pack, the Village at the Boulders is your best bet in retail.

Break from the pack of average, ho-hum centers and consider taking your place at the Village at the Boulders. Download leasing and purchase information.

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For additional information about the Village at the Boulders, contact Bebe Wright, CPM, CCIM.

Challenging Property Tax Values

Posted by Donald Teel – Arizona Commercial.

In today’s commercial investment environment, property taxes can be lethal. Many investors are still paying property taxes that are reflective of the market run-up of 2000-2006 and not necessarily on the current valuations of their investments.

The questions are what can you do about inflated tax valuations, where do you turn and more importantly, how can investors challenge property tax values successfully?

Property Tax Analysis. Create an analysis of the assessed value of your property for the previous five years to determine the trend line. The analysis should show the assessed values and compare those with a legitimate Broker Price Opinion (BPO) to show market value trend compared to assess valuation trend. It might look something like the following (Download the FREE sample spreadsheet here).

Commercial BPO. Secure a commercial property broker price opinion (BPO) for your property to help determine the market value trend line. Arizona Commercial can do this for you for a nominal fee. The report includes photos, recorded sales values, spreadsheet analysis and conclusion.

The BPO must include such detail as location within the market, property style, age, square footage, lot size, parking, vacancy/occupancy rates, number of leasable office/areas, and other issues that demonstrate the empirical value of the property.

Appraisal Approach. If the first two suggestions demonstrate that you have a potential tax overcharge, the final requirement may be to secure a full appraisal with detailed analysis of comparable properties. Appraisals are expensive and should only be used if the economics of the situation warrant such a measure. However, when push comes to shove, a certified appraisal will carry more weight than a commercial BPO.

Challenge Process and Procedure. States have specific procedures for challenging property taxes and the process must be respected in order to be successful.

The process will include forms, time frames and details that must be completed prior to consideration of a claim. Following these procedures and time limitations will be a critical factor. Most likely you will be required to pay the taxes while challenging their validity and if taxes are not paid in a timely manner, other negative consequences can occur in the form of interest and penalties and in severe cases, assessors may sell the delinquent taxes with a lien or even sell the property after a specified time.

Appealing a tax bill is not easy and may include several layers of review including a hearing for the property owner and even judicial recourse. Ask your County Assessor’s office for a copy of their appeal process.

Failure, Refusal or Inability to Pay Taxes. It is unlikely that a refusal to pay property taxes pending the outcome of a challenge will carry any weight and may further exacerbate the problem by creating a hostile situation.

Philosophical, political or principles of conscience are irrelevant to the process. However, in some cases, hardship may be considered as a factor in when and how the taxes are to be paid. Hardship exemptions are difficult when it comes to commercial property and typically are more successful when the property is a primary residence.

Generally speaking if an owner cannot pay the commercial real estate property taxes that owner should immediately communicate with the County Assessor’s office where the property is located and seek advice.

If a challenge is in order, owners may want to contact a competent lawyer with experience in real estate property tax law.

Declining Commercial Values. Most property types have declined in value and this naturally leads to an examination of all expenses related to market value and the cost of the property, including property taxes.

Declining values are now creating a backlog of challenges and yes, it can get very nasty, as some governments are deliberately protracting the challenges and the court cases to their advantage.

There is no doubt about it, however, that some owners are still paying taxes based on unsupportable valuations from previous years. Despite the declines, property taxes have continued to climb in far too many markets. As an example of the lagging, for the first time in 12 years, property taxes in some areas of Los Angeles County declined up to 15% while others increased.

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Donald Teel is Senior Associate with Arizona Commercial a central and northern Arizona commercial brokerage firm. Need more information call 1-877-777-9100 or, if you prefer, you may email Donald Teel