Commercial Office Condo Deal Analysis help

Commercial Office Condo Deal Analysis help

Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 180 posts · 48 votes

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out how much to offer, or even if I should offer, on a couple of different commercial office condos and would like some help analyzing the potential deals.

Both office condos are in a large office condo complex in a medium sized town in a suburb of Northern IL. They are both short sales.

The numbers below are without financing, for comparison sake. All expenses are accounted for in NOI's (gas/electric, property tax, property insurance, maintenance and condo fee).

#1 $199,900 asking price, $13,500 NOI/yr, 2,080 sq.ft. (5 individual condos within the main one, four are rented on one-year leases.) Sold for $425,000 in 2004.

#2 $399,900 asking price, $45,500 NOI/yr, 4,170 sq.ft. (One tenant with 5 yrs left on lease.) Sold for $459,698 in 2002.

What should I base my price on? Cap rate, price per sq. ft., IRR, recent comps.?

I would need to partner with someone on deal #2.

Then, how would I determine what to charge tenants on a per sq.ft. basis? And does that have any relation to the price you pay for the property?

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!

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Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y

I also am not a fan of office condos. I might look at one as an owner occupant. I do have a friend in OC, CA who bought one three years ago and has has great appreciation, but that was about timing, not the condo.

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  • Joel OwensBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    12y

    Personally I stay away from office condos. I do not like investments like that unless you own the whole building. Too many external owners can influence your investment space in a negative way and you have no way to control them.

  • Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 180 posts · 48 votes
    12y

    Thanks for your input, Joel. The space complex is only 10 years old and is in growing area so I'm not too concerned about this being a poor property in the next few years. How about your analysis of the numbers?

  • Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 180 posts · 48 votes
    12y

    @Jon Klaus

    @Bill Gulley

    @Eric K

    Any thoughts on the deals I have listed above, gentlement?

  • Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    I also am not a fan of office condos. I might look at one as an owner occupant. I do have a friend in OC, CA who bought one three years ago and has has great appreciation, but that was about timing, not the condo.

  • Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 180 posts · 48 votes
    12y

    What about the math on it? How best to value it and do these values look attractive?

  • Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    12y

    I would start with cap rate and want a premium since it is a condo. In my area I'd want a 12 cap.

  • Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 180 posts · 48 votes
    12y

    That's good information and a higher cap rate than I would have thought, so thank you, Jon.

  • Joel OwensBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    12y

    The cash flow stream on office is more about the strength of the tenant you will be leasing too.

    If you are really set on office you might look for an SIOR broker who specializes only in office properties.

    The key is knowing what office leasing rates are TODAY and not what they were. On these properties with vintage leases the rate might be artificially high to what it is today. The tenant then says they are leaving unless you give them a big price break.

    So lot's of moving parts that can bite you with office. There is upside in many markets but also a ton of risk. Office is tied heavily into new business starts with people needing space. With talks of the economy taking off a little but sputtering again office could take another hit from it's small recovery versus other more vital trades.

    People would like an office outside their house but they do not need it versus a restaurant for example where you need a space to sell to patrons in many cases. I just like clean investments with not much hair (things that can go wrong) on them. If the investment is more risky the cap has to climb a bunch.

  • Buy and Hold Investor · Alexandria, VA · Member since 2013 · 180 posts · 48 votes
    12y

    Joel, good point about the lease rates and what they are today versus what they were. Taking less in rent could cause hardship for me. The spaces are rented to a chiropractor, two yogo instructors, a psychiatrist and lawyer. The only one that seems the least likely to move would be the chiropractor, unless he needed more space.

    Your comments do make me think about the risk associated with these and needing a lot of spread between rents and costs, if I decide to proceed forward. Thank you.

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