Dont forget to take a look at the redesigned website! Stay tuned for more money making information for buyers and tenants of commercial real estate.

Best regards

Rob Cassam

Consider these important questions:

1.  Is the tenant accepting the premises AS IS and without any build-out obligation from landlord? Even so, the landlord should still represent and warrant that the condition of the premises, building and project comply with applicable laws as of the commencement date, including those relating to disability access and hazardous
materials (including asbestos), and that the building systems serving the premises are in good working order.
2. Is the landlord delivering a cold shell, warm shell or turn-key tenant improvements?
3. Can you describe the line between the work the landlord is to perform (and pay for) and the work the tenant is to perform (and pay for)? Misunderstandings about the parties’ build out responsibilities are a major source of conflict, so be sure to discuss these responsibilities in great detail.
4. What is the tenant improvement allowance and how is it calculated? Per rentable or usable square foot? Is the landlord open to providing an additional allowance which would be amortized and repaid over the term of the lease as additional rent?
5. If the entire allowance is not applied, who gets the remainder? Preferably it would be credited to rent. Alternatively, the funds remain available to the tenant for alterations later in the lease term.
6. Are there any unusual build-out requirements, such as internal staircases, high density file cabinets, showers, training or childcare facilities, satellite dishes or extra HVAC? Have those been approved by the landlord at least in concept?
7. Has the landlord approved the tenant’s finishes?
8. Does the lease provide a mechanism for delivering a punchlist and when is the punchlist due?

Please note our offices have moved to:

1001 East Blvd. Suite B

Charlotte NC 28203

Best regards

Rob Cassam

Now if the perfect time to start making those plans as the market is still soft. Property owners are thinking creatively like never before. Consider the possibilities for the future!

This months issue is has some great tips and ideas to consider  as you start to make those plans. 

Click Here for the entire issue!

Best regards

Rob Cassam

In this issue, there are some tips to consider in saving a few dollars here and there. These few dollars have a tendency to add up over time.  If nothing else, it helps you with your business mindset in avoiding making wasteful decisions on the bigger decisions where more money is as stake.

I challenge you to watch your pennies for a whole month and see the difference it makes with your thinking on the big decisions!  And as always, if you are facing a leasing or purchasing decision, please call me.  I may be able to help you avoid costly mistakes!

I hope you enjoy this issue of the Tenant-Buyers Bottom Line Secret!

Best regards

Rob Cassam

Some are afraid to open their phone bill each month and discover how much they went over budget. If you’re spending more than you should, then it’s time to take a good close look at your bill and determine if you really need all those extra bells and whistles.

For instance, ring tones are fun, but do you really need them. Can you do without call forwarding and call waiting? How often do you text message? If you don’t regularly use these extras that you pay for cancel them and save.

It may be time to go totally cellular. More than 15% of households have done just that. Before you take the total cell plunge, analyze your phone bill to see how much you use your landline and then add about 20%. Most people tend to talk more on their cell than the landline. It just seems to be cool and convenient.

Comparison shop. Some providers are not opposed to negotiating for free minutes, lower rates and even free services. There is lots of competition out there but be sure you have the plan that’s right for you even if you pay more. Ask about combining services and a family plan if several phones are needed.

Read the contract carefully including the fine print. Ask questions, but ultimately making the right decisions will be up to you. Make sure the provider rounds to the nearest second, not minute.

If you’ll be talking more in the evening hours make sure you get their definition of night hours. Roaming charges can take a big bite out of your pocketbook and vary with the provider.

Take advantage of the trial period. This can vary from 2 days to 30 days and may be negotiable. This will give you a chance to use the cell phone in your home and see if there are any areas of poor reception. Find out if you can access 911 with your cell.

VOIP (voice over internet Protocol) comes from your Internet provider and transmits calls over the internet. If you make many long distance calls this can be a good choice because it usually provides unlimited local and long distance calls. But, if you have a power failure, most broadband cell phones won’t work.

Another option is the pre-paid phone cards where you pay for minutes in advance. The price range is about $15 to $25. This is good for chatty children with a limited amount of minutes teaching them discipline and budgeting. If you lose the card you lose the minutes and many have an expiration date.

Going totally cellular is an important decision. Be honest with yourself on how much you use the phone. Over estimate rather than under estimate. Avoid long term contracts. Keep an eye out for special limited offers. Good phone service can keep you in touch. But, don’t lose touch with your budget.

Of course most business operators know this but, often times they d not have the necessary time to brush up on all the issues.  As I have said before, it does make sense to hire help when dealing in these matters.  In most cases, that help can be an invaluable resource when moving forward with a lease or purchase.

In this newsletter, I remind you to check the market and to find out what is happening in the world of lending. I hope you enjoy this issue, Click Here!

Although there are still products like construction/development loans that have not returned to the market,  investors are eager to lend on commercial properties. Most of the underwriting guidelines are different depending upon the property and loan type, which makes commercial financing more complicated.

So where is a good place to find such information? Contact Alan Mayhew at Capital Mortgage Group, 704-664-3611

When I first heart this, I thought it was something from a fishing show. As I read further, I realized just how important this concept is to real estate buyers.  This describes the predicted shape of the recovery from this recession.  Predicting what may happen can be a huge benefit for investors deciding when and how to get into this market if buying real estate is part of your business plan.

See the different types of potential recovery shapes at this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recession_shapes

The following business week article discusses the W shaped recovery prospects that we face. I invite you to search the Internet for descriptions of the different recoveries. 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-25/ecb-s-wellink-says-global-economic-recovery-could-be-w-shaped.html

The bottom line with respect to recovery shapes is to try and time the market. The good thing regarding the W shaped recovery, it that the bottom may exist at least a couple times and even it you do not time it just right, if you wait long enough, the property will go up in value (as long as your original fundamentals are right)! 

If you do not know the fundamentals of investing in real estate, STOP and do not move forward until you do.