
Real Estate Investment provides a hedge for raising interest rates
Real estate mortgage interest rates have bottomed out several times since 2008 as a Federal Reserve tool to prop up a shaky economy. Lowering interest rates can be controlled to a degree by the Fed and provide for higher cash flow for real estate investments as less of the income is used to service loan debt. The Federal Reserve Discount Rate has been zero …

U.S. News & World Report: Iowa is #1 state in the country
Iowa is the #1 state in the country, according to a new study from U.S. News & World Report. Gov. Kim Reynolds appeared on CBS This Morning on Tuesday to make the announcement about the 2018 Best States ranking. “Our Best States ranking is a humbling tribute to our people who have proven time and again that in Iowa, if you’re willing to work …

The Greatest Bubble Ever: Why You Better Believe It, Part 1
I have been hearing predictions of the “bubble” popping for 9-months. This is a long and detailed read, but see what you think. If markets tank, investment real estate will be solid depending on overall liquidity in markets and the ability to finance. Real estate is always cyclic and always comes back. Happy New Year! Read full article here

What Is Building Information Modeling? 7 Stories That Illustrate the Best of BIM
BIM – Building Information Modeling seems to be the next big thing. It hasn’t hit Iowa City yet, but is all over news streams on the internet. Variations have existed for years on CAD systems, but it is reaching a critical mass and is about to go main stream. I’ll be watching this trend. Interesting! by Lara Caldwell Construction – May 3 2017 …

Trump tax plan is not right for middle class home owners
5 reasons Trump’s tax plan is bad news for real estate This is not a good bill for housing or the industry BYJOSEPH RAND NOV 7 Key Takeaways The reduction of the mortgage interest for new buyers only, a lengthened time frame on capital gains, a $10,000 cap on deductibility of property taxes and the elimination of moving expenses deduction — this bill is …

Types of Commercial leases
There are three basic types of commercial real estate leases. These leases are organized around two rent calculation methods: “net” and “gross.”

Corridor Business Journal Names LKR as One of the Best Places to Work!
The Corridor Business Journal has announced the ‘2017 Coolest Places to Work’. According to the site, this list “honors local companies that have created the most engaging and rewarding work environments.” Companies in Kirkwood’s region can nominate themselves, but are selected for the list based on a Worker Satisfaction Survey. The winner of the 2017 Coolest Place to Work will be announced at the ‘One …

Big changes predicted for commercial real estate
This prediction for 2018 commercial real estate may effect the Iowa City / coralville / North Liberty and other Johnson County Areas reports Jeff Edberg, CCIM, SIOR at Lepic Kroeger, Realtors in Iowa City. A consultant who predicts a 2018 end to the current commercial real estate cycle says the industry will see fewer office and retail property sales, but more multifamily sales as …

Online -vs- Brick and Mortar Retail Shopping: The Statistics
The web is chock full of awesome research, survey results, and insights about retail. You could spend hours digging around looking for quotable bits of information. To make it easy for you, I compiled 100 different statistics about retail, eCommerce, customer experience, and a whole bunch of related topics. Use this post as a singular place to find lots of data points to use …