Real Estate Investments—Acquisition and Disposition
What we look for. We focus primarily on properties that are situated in the San Francisco market place, and specifically look for CBD or South of Market (SOMA) office buildings. We also concentrate on assets such as urban residential condominium developments, as well as retail/office or retail/residential with are mixed use composition that can be redeveloped to add value. We favor transactions ranging from $10 million to $50 million for single property assets. Portfolio repositioning is also a strong area of expertise.
Who are our partners? Our typical investment structure involves UREE investing 5-10% of the total equity, with our partners contributing the balance, often in a combination of debt and equity.
Acquisition criteria.. We seek properties and real estate opportunities that offer the following characteristics:
- An asset likely to out perform the market over a 7-10 year holding period
- Potential to change the use of an asset and successfully reposition the property for a higher and better use suited to the current market dynamics
- Added value by restructuring leases
- Identifying capital or refinancing opportunities
- Joint Venture with the existing ownership as hands-on operating partner with strategic focus to increase cash flow and enhance the property value.
- Opportunity to redevelop and reposition a property – especially historic buildings.
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Investment Advisory
High Net Worth Clients. As a local market expert, we advise clients who own or would like to expand their commercial real estate portfolio in San Francisco or the Bay Area. These particular investor/clients typically have limited service or management capabilities in-house – and will engage us to execute their investment strategy – a strategy that we often help develop. These clients might be the first or second generation managing a family portfolio – but find that the next generation desires to hold or expand the portfolio, but prefers not to manage or direct day-to-day operations. UREE is a perfect operating partner for such a family situation – as our expertise in such a wide variety of product type as well as highest and best use strategy execution has, in past efforts, significantly enhanced some of our client’s portfolios.
Local Operating Partner Relationships.
Investors from outside the Bay Area who seek to acquire San Francisco properties can take advantage of our local market expertise and hands on management for their investments. We offer insights to local market politics affecting real estate, the dynamics of the market that will effect operating decisions for short or long term hold. We perform as your “eyes and ears” in managing your assets in San Francisco.
Portfolio Management.
We provide strategic planning for single or multiple asset portfolios. Using sophisticated modeling programs, we project capital outlays, trends in rents and financing options to determine optimal holding periods for sale or trades.
Fee Development
From time to time we meet a property owner who would like to develop or add to an existing property, but who lacks the development expertise or the staff to accomplish such an undertaking. On a fee basis we provide our development expertise to expand or revitalize the property and recognize the gains to the existing investment portfolio. We provide an array of fee development services, such as:
- Pre-development feasibility.
- Development cost analysis and long term financial analysis
- Entitlement and city approval process coupled with project oversight
- Construction Management for the project renovation or repositioning
- Experienced oversight on project costs and successful contractor and sub-contractor relationships
- On-time/on-budget delivery of the finished project
Construction and Project Management
We provide full service construction project management from the conceptual and design analysis to the full completion of the project. Our services include:
- Project concept and feasibility
- Land entitlements
- Architect and engineer Selections
- Design and construction documentation oversight
- Contractor selection
- Construction project management and oversight
- Budget and change order management
- Lender cost evaluation and interface
Asset and Property Management
Our long term involvement in the real estate industry has provided us with extensive background in asset and property management. We know how to manage a portfolio, or a single asset to maximize its profitability in the market place. Our skills and services are not limited to, but can include such hands-on value add services as:
- Financing or refinancing advisory services designed to obtain the best mix of equity and debt, consistent with risk and strategic goals.
- Extensive due diligence and evaluation of all capital expenditures
- On going property management including property staffing, annual evaluations and budgeting, vendor service agreements and price bidding.
- Operating Expense recapture and control with emphasis on efficiency as a tool to maximize property cash flow
Real Estate Strategy, Consulting and Advisory
Two heads are better than one. Our extensive background in the industry can be utilized to your projects advantage. If a portfolio is languishing and failing to capture market rate activity, our expertise can assist in revitalizing the operating strategy. We consult with partners on the best practices strategy going forward that will maximize the potential for your holdings. That might mean selling, re-investing in the property for a higher and better use, restructuring the financing on the property or any other key initiatives to enhance value and cash flow.
Sales and Leasing Transaction Management
We have over 60 years of combined experience in commercial real estate sales and leasing, transaction management, negotiations and property marketing. Bringing a lease or a sale to a successful conclusion is not a “cookie cutter” process – it is truly an art form. Finding common ground and building consensus towards a win-win conclusion is the successful outcome we bring to each transaction management assignment.