COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE MARKET TREND FOR TRUCKEE AND NORTH LAKE TAHOE:

Since 2008, Truckee andLake Tahoe’s economies have brought challenges to all businesses and property owners alike.  Revenue generation, employee retention and cost reduction are being stretched and stressed in the local Truckee/North Tahoe marketplace.  The positive side of the 2008 through 2011 economic environment is that there were some of the best commercial leasing opportunities for tenants within our local market.  As a result, we have seen more leasing occurring recently than in the past decade. This brings us to today’s commercial real estate marketplace in Truckee and North Lake Tahoe.

While we are seeing a positive trend overall there are segments still stagnant, such as available office space and land.   In relation to available office space within Truckee/North Tahoe’s marketplace, there is more available office space than users to lease or buy.  As for the value of land, we have seen little action over the past three (3) years, the reason being there is a non-existent development atmosphere in the Truckee andNorth Lake Tahoe.  Part of this slow increase in land value is due to very little zoned land available with services.  It is believed, once a few land sales or uses are finalized, in turn the value of land shall increase.  Although an additional challenge related to land in Truckee/North Tahoe’s commercial real estate market is once land is sold and developed, the land is not replaced with new land opportunities, unlike our neighbors in Northern Nevada and theSacramentoarea who are able to continue to expand their market areas due to raw land availability.

Another area of focus of interest in the Truckee/North Tahoe area is financing.  Financing is dependent upon income generated from an existing improved property or projected income associated with a development.  The income, regardless if it is actual or projected, is also judged on the quality of the tenant base committed to any property.  In order to qualify for financing on existing property or a development project rent must be equal to 125% of debt before being considered for a loan. Taking into consideration the slow rise of today’s office and land segments of commercial real estate in our market over the past sixty (60) days, we have seen an upward trend in leasing but not pricing per square foot.  The inability to add lease area to the Truckee/North Lake Tahoe marketplace can be attributed also to financial constraints for larger users, and the price per square foot will increase within the next six (6) months in a more pragmatic fashion.

In summary, commercial property is trending up, but we have a long road ahead before rents move upward to qualify our area for new building improvements within any real estate segment, such as office, retail, industrial or service uses.  It will be at least three (3) to five (5) years before rents reach a positive level to qualify for real estate financing.  We at Truckee River Associates are optimistic in the Truckee/North Lake Tahoe commercial real estate market, and foresee forward, positive motion, above and beyond the past three (3) years.