One of the primary considerations of any lease is the length of the Lease Term.  Sometimes flexibility requires a very short lease, and sometimes a lease needs to be longer to amortize a significant tenant improvement investment.  So, how long of a lease term should you sign up for?  There are quite a few factors to...Read More

Sale-Leasebacks, in real estate, are financial transactions whereby an owner of real estate sells its property and then leases it back for a long term.  These transactions have been popular for decades and are a consistent form of financing for businesses.  The question is: Is a Sale-Leaseback right for you? Sale-Leasebacks are not the right solution...Read More

A good friend of mine, Ed Harris at CTS, recently wrote an article about occurrences that signal the need to review, or audit, your lease.  I have edited his writing to shrink his well thought out arguments down to a blog format focused on this huge area of cost containment for tenants.   The Red Flags are: 1. Significant...Read More

While my inner punk rocker smiles at the term, the Damage and Destruction clause in any office lease is no laughing matter.  Although seldom used, it can be the most serious provision in a lease if a major destructive event (Fire, Flood, Earthquake, etc.) affects the occupancy of a building. While many tenants have never had...Read More

  What makes some real estate so valuable? Many things, but the iconic nature of buildings and other assets in any community add to the allure, and the value of property. So, early on Sunday morning I set about in a vintage 1973 Porsche 911 to make my case. Along the way I took some...Read More

If you had a brain tumor, would you see a general practitioner or an orthopedic surgeon?  Of course you would not!  You would see a neuro-oncologist. The same goes for brokerage, you need a specialist.  Many people are unaware of the value in hiring a Tenant Representative specialist when leasing space, and, in particular, when...Read More

What happens at the end of a commercial lease when the tenant cannot move out in time?  Clearly there are huge differences compared with a residential lease where the tenant can have very beneficial rights by statute.  On the flip side, most commercial leases contain a provision entitled “Holding Over” to address a tenant overstaying its lease term....Read More

“You don’t get what you want, you get what you negotiate”   We have all heard the phrase, but do we always heed its advice?  Many leasing transactions are done with the thought that the initial tenant improvements will be adequate for the lease term, and they usually are.  But what happens when your business requirements change and...Read More

Sometimes I sit down to write a blog thinking that I will just wax poetic about real estate and inspire myself or somebody else to come up with a great idea on how to better transact real estate.  Then the hard part comes.  Ideas, time to write, finding some interesting pictures (got to have them…)...Read More

CBRE Project Management recently gave a presentation on changes to California Building Standards Code aka “Title 24” that will take effect on January 1st, 2014. The new requirements are aimed to “reduce energy bills, increase energy delivery and reliability, and improve economic conditions for the State of California” (Hah!). Any projects that apply for permit on...Read More