Mid-America Blog

Several months ago, Susie Dressler suggested that with budget season coming up, the property managers, accountants and administrative assistants needed to do some team bonding activities. A group of us brainstormed and after tossing out a few ideas, came up with the idea of a trivia team.

The Metro Milwaukee area continues, as it has in recent years, to experience a great deal of ground-up development along with innovative redevelopment of Class A shopping centers. Here are some of the project highlights transpiring in our booming city...

As the world turns its sporting attention to the spectacle that is the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, I can’t help but think back 8 years ago when our city, Chicago, was elbow-deep in trying to secure this monster. For many of these non-traditional sports, the Games represent their “World Cup” opportunity to showcase their talents, and with heavy weight sponsors (Visa, McDonald’s, etc.) the media build-up is unmatched.

Growing up in New Jersey I never expected to live in a city other than New York. I have always followed the Yankees, Rangers and Jets and I couldn’t imagine a better fan base than the Jets after countless years of let downs. As a Yankees fan, I have high expectations year in and year out after experiencing five World Series in my lifetime. I had always thought of myself as a dedicated fan. That was until I moved to Chicago and was introduced to the Chicago Cubs fan base.

So, this is the second blog I've been asked to write for our Mid-America website. I'm a little shocked (and chagrined) that I was asked to blog again as I shirked my responsibilities the first time and paid off my 16 year old daughter, Carly, to write it for me. The cost was a tank of gas.

Service, leadership and integrity are three principles of importance at Mid-America. These principles also characterize One Village Partners (“OVP”) – a community development non-profit, which has single handedly transformed the lives of thousands of villagers in Sierra Leone, West Africa. I am a Mid-America employee and work closely with One Village Partners.

While the truism that “Real Estate is Local” remains such, the impact of national and global financial markets on both valuation and execution in the investment sales world cannot be overstated. The sale price a broker is able to generate on a multi-tenant retail property is generally determined by the return an investor can reasonably expect to generate on their purchase. The largest individual factor that determines the rate of return is the degree to which and the terms of the leverage they undertake. As the world of financing in commercial real estate continues to shift, it is prudent to evaluate where the market sits and what we should expect in the near to medium term future.

Ever since I was younger, I’ve always had a passion for traveling. I love experiencing different cultures, trying new foods and admiring the architecture of cities unlike ours. However, since entering the real estate industry a year and a half ago, I have a completely new perspective when it comes to travel. Whether to a new country or even a new city in the United States, real estate is all around us.

With the 2016 draft coming back to Chicago this week, the traffic south of the river on Michigan Avenue has already started to stack up. Last year, the NFL draft was a huge success for Chicago, as well as the surrounding hotels and retailers.

Have you ever been at a business lunch and had no idea what to order or which fork to use? What about sending that quick email to your boss and how to format it? Or how about those unmentionable, embarrassing moments when you just don’t know what to do? If you’ve ever experienced a situation similar to one of these and not sure what the correct action is, then I hope this post will provide you with some insight into what is most commonly considered as proper.

Scheduled for Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18, Doors Open Milwaukee will be going on its 5th year of allowing the general public an opportunity to tour over 150 buildings in and around the City of Milwaukee. This event offers the chance to tour and learn a bit about the history, architecture and preservation of the buildings we drive and walk past on a day to day basis, some of which we have seen most of our lives but really never knew about.

Entering the commercial real estate industry directly out of college can be a daunting experience. Even the best degree from a top tier university does not guarantee someone success as a real estate broker, developer or landlord. Learning the business takes time, endless hours of time. And in addition to the regular work week, driving trade areas every Saturday and Sunday becomes an essential weekly habit in order to effectively understand the nuances of each real estate market.

March 8th marked the day Minnesota’s lawmakers once again began session. A number of topics relevant to Minnesota’s commercial real estate industry are up for debate this year. These discussions will, however, be overshadowed by a unique set of circumstances.

Technology advancements since the 1970s have allowed information to be tracked, stored, analyzed and shared digitally. As early as the 1960s people believed the computer would push American business to use less paper (“Paperless Offices”). In reality though, the actual consumption of paper significantly increased year after year. However, the tide may be finally turning.

As a representative of landlords and property owners, it’s important to understand how the 2016 presidential race will impact the commercial real estate industry. A few weeks ago, President Obama submitted his 2017 budget proposal to Congress. According to the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association, “no matter where one might fall on the political spectrum, from an objective viewpoint, the impact upon commercial real estate industry of some of the administration’s proposals would be severe if they were to become law.”

Entering a completely new field was very exciting for me. My first year included meeting all new people, learning a completely new business and challenging myself to step outside of the box to see everything from a new perspective. You could say that I had entered a whole new world. So outside of the obvious things such as driving the market, what new retailers and developments are going on in my area and attending networking events, from my own experience and from mentorship here are a few good points to remember.

In my opinion, yes, here’s why… Fast casual refers to a type of restaurant that does not offer full table service, but promises a higher quality of food with fewer frozen or processed ingredients than a fast food restaurant. Additionally it is an intermediate concept between fast food and casual dining, thanks Wikipedia…

The importance of nutrition and maintaining an overall healthy self has been embedded in our day-to-day life. As consumers, we continue to find new ways to care for our well-being. This has given room for health and wellness related retailers to enter the marketplace or continue to expand. Whether it’s your doctor, exercise routine or diet, health and wellness oriented tenants have continued to make progress both nationally and locally.

It was 1992, and pre-obituaries were being written about the new Mall of America (MOA) opening late summer that year. The Ghermezian family's project was too ambitious they said – a mega mall of almost 4 million square feet in Bloomington, Minnesota?

This is from a post from the Chief of Police in a small town in Kenyon, Minnesota. Good thoughts to live by.