PHOENIX, ARIZONA (December 19, 2023) –The Arizona Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, partnered again this semester with Junior Achievement of Arizona to teach a course entitled Real Estate Development and the Built Environment to students at GateWay Early College High School.

During the six-week program, volunteers from NAIOP Arizona taught students the basics of commercial real estate development, including different building types, entitlements and zoning, financing a project, putting together a team, and finding tenants.

NAIOP volunteer instructors included Rodney Boden and Alex Boles, ViaWest Group; Eric Whitehurst, Kimley-Horn; Chad Schleicher, City of Tempe; David Kinney, Raintree Capital; Lucy Ray, Western Alliance Bank; Gonzo Gonzalez, Keeley Construction; Vicente Ruiz, Trammell Crow Company; Stirling Pascal, Stream Realty; and Jennifer Villalobos, Cushman & Wakefield.

“Each semester our partnership with Junior Achievement and GateWay Early College High School becomes stronger,” said Suzanne Kinney, President and CEO of NAIOP Arizona. “We are honored to be able to offer this curriculum to students who may become future commercial real estate professionals.”

The program culminated with a student competition on Dec. 6. Four teams presented their projects to a group of five NAIOP volunteers who evaluated the projects from the perspective of potential investors. Serving as judges were Eric Whitehurst, Kimley-Horn; Gonzo Gonzalez, Keeley Construction; Stirling Pascal, Stream Realty; Jennifer Villalobos, Cushman & Wakefield; and Danny Swancey, ViaWest Group.

“It was great to hear my students preparing for their presentations and to listen in on their amazing conversations about the buildings. Some students talked about how long it would take to build these buildings. Some talked about the location of these buildings and why they would put them in by certain businesses. They started paying attention to details about their buildings such as parking and window coverings,” said Darnetta Fair, teacher at GateWay Early College High School. “These students were owning this project! That is when I realized what an impact this learning and Junior Achievement has had on my students. They were exposed to careers and other learning objectives that they otherwise might not have been able to take part of.”

The winning group, called Skyline Offices, presented an employee-centric office project in Tempe. The six students in the winning group were presented with first-place certificates and Amazon gift cards.

By: Cody McBride of TechDeck

(December 19, 2023) – Being a rental property owner comes with all kinds of challenges. Among other things, it entails managing a property, collecting rent, and keeping your tenants happy. However, managing properties has become a lot easier with the rapid advancement of technology. Countless tools can help you streamline your processes and automate tasks to reduce stress and boost your profits. Real Estate Daily News introduces you to the seven best rental property technologies to embrace in 2024.

1. Property Management Software

Property management tools have significantly changed the way property owners manage their rentals. The right software lets you automate a wide range of tasks – from rent collection to tracking maintenance requests and lease renewals. You can also use a project management platform for insights into your rental property’s performance, allowing you to make data-driven decisions. Most importantly, you can have all your data centralized in a single place, so it’s easier to organize, access, and review.

2. Digitize Your Records

To avoid the stress and hassle of keeping all that paperwork organized, try digitizing your records and saving them on your devices. You can even convert the files to PDF format and merge them to make organization easier. You can use this if you’re looking for a free tool to get the job done! Digitizing your documents will make the tax season much easier, too!

3. Utility Tracking

Keeping up with utilities is often the most challenging aspect of managing a rental property. The good news is that there are technologies that can help you track all your bills in one place while saving time and money on essential utilities.

4. Virtual Tours

Finding tenants can be tough in today’s market, which is where virtual tours come in. These tours allow potential renters to view a property without physically visiting it. You can create a virtual tour by taking 360-degree photographs or videos of your property. This will save you time and reduce in-person visits while providing a more immersive experience for potential tenants.

5. Smart Home Devices

These are becoming more popular among homeowners and renters alike. By installing smart thermostats, lights, locks, and other smart devices, you can significantly reduce energy costs, boost security, and make it easier to manage your rental remotely. For instance, you can set the thermostat to a specific temperature to lower your energy bill. And you can control the lighting remotely via an app, no matter where you are!

6. Tenant Screening

Ultimately, tenant screening technology can help you weed out bad renters before they move in. These services can check an applicant’s credit score, criminal history, and rental history, among other things. Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make better-informed decisions about who to accept as a renter, greatly reducing the risk of problems like late payments, property damage, or evictions.

7. Smart Payment Systems

Payment systems are essential for collecting rent, but traditional methods like checks or cash can be inconvenient and time-consuming. You can simplify the process through a smart payment system. That way, tenants can pay their rent online and reduce the need for in-person transactions. You can save time and avoid late payments!

Summary

Technology has unquestionably revolutionized how we manage rental properties. Property management tools, utility tracking software, and digitizing your documents will help you streamline your processes, lower your costs, and improve your profitability. Embracing any kind of technology requires an investment, but the right tools will pay off big in the long run by making your job easier and more efficient!

TUCSON, ARIZONA, December 18, 2023 — Highlighted this week is a 6,004 square-foot ground lease to Salad and Go at Las Plazas at Old Vail. Retail Specialists with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR handled this transaction. Aaron LaPrise, Principal, represented the landlord, and Dave Hammack, Principal, represented the tenant. 

The following leases were reported to Real Estate Daily News from December 11-15, 2023.

GROUND LEASE – 10071 E OLD VAIL RD., TUCSON, 85641 – Southeast Submarket
Salad and Go leased a 6,004-square-foot ground lease (Lot 3) at Las Plazas at Old Vail, 10071 E. Old Vail Rd. in Tucson, from Rita Salad LLC. Retail Specialists with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR handled this transaction. Aaron LaPrise,  Principal, represented the landlord, and Dave Hammack,  Principal, represented the tenant. 

RETAIL – 6330 N CAMPBELL AVE, #110, TUCSON, 85718 – Northeast Submarket
Lavender Fitness Center III, LLC dba BFT or Body Fit Training leased 4,058 square feet of retail space at Paloma Village Center, 6330 N. Campbell Ave., Suite 110 in Tucson, from Paloma Village DE, LLC.  Natalie Furrier, Retail Specialist with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. Joey Castillo with Volk Company represented the tenant. 

RETAIL – 401 S ALVERNON WAY, TUCSON, 85711 – East Submarket
QN Market has leased a 2,382-square-foot convenience store (formerly Circle K) at 401 S Alvernon, next to the Double Tree Hotel and across from Randolph Municipal Golf Course. The building will be once again operated as a convenience store. Isaac Figueroa represented the Landlord, Larsen Baker, and handled the transaction.

OFFICE – 1055 N LA CANADA, #135, GREEN VALLEY, 85614 – South Submarket
Southern Arizona Podiatry, LLC leased 2,145 square feet of office space at Green Valley Medical Mall, 1055 N. La Cañada Dr., Suite 135 in Green Valley, from NWI Green Valley MOB LP. Thomas J. Nieman, Principal, Office Specialist with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. 

INDUSTRIAL – 4500 E SPEEDWAY BLVD, #9, TUCSON, 85712 – Northeast Submarket
Ramco Ventures, LLC leased 1,600 square feet of industrial space at Midway Business Park, 4500 E. Speedway Blvd., Suite 9 in Tucson, from Pegasus Tucson Owner LLC. Paul Hooker, SIOR, Principal, and Andrew Keim, Industrial Specialists with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. 

RETAIL – 130 E CONGRESS ST., TUCSON, 85701 – Central Submarket
Starbucks Corporation leased 1,350 square feet of retail space at 130 E. Congress St., in Tucson, from 130 E Congress LLC. Greg Furrier, Principal, and Natalie Furrier, Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR retail specialists represented the tenant. 

OFFICE – 6280 E PIMA ST., #110, TUCSON, 85712 Northeast Submarket
Cathexis Psychedelics leased 984 square feet of office space at 6280 E Pima, Suite 110 in Tucson, from 6280 E Pima Investors L.L.C. Molly Gilbert, Office Specialist with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the tenant. 

RETAIL – 181 S TUCSON BLVD, TUCSON, 85716 – Central Submarket
CBRE’s Ryan Hall represented Lovlee Salon in a new 958-square-foot 36-month lease at 181 South Tucson Blvd, and it is conveniently located right off the Sunshine Mile.  This relocation will improve the experience for its customers from the University of Arizona area. Molly Gilbert of Cushman Wakefield PICOR represented the landlord.

OFFICE – 2530 E BROADWAY BLVD., STE. E, TUCSON, 85716 – Central Submarket
Dilts & Geddings Accounting and Tax LLC leased 870 square feet of office space at Broadway Midtown Plaza, 2530 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite E in Tucson, from LLJ Holdings, LLLP. Molly Gilbert and Ryan McGregor, Office Specialists with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. 

RENEWALS

INDUSTRIAL – TUCSON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTER, TUCSON, 85706 – South Submarket
CBRE’s Tim Healy represented both the landlord, Sierra Valencia Properties, and the tenant, Mastek-Innerstep, in a 24-month renewal of 9,608 square feet space at the Tucson International Business Center located at the Northeast corner of East Valencia Road and East Hemisphere Loop.

RETAIL – 714 W CALLE ARROYO SUR, SAHUARITA, 85614 – South Submarket
Big 5 Corporation renewed its lease with Big V 714, LLC, for 11,000 square feet of retail space at Madera Marketplace, 714 W. Calle Arroyo Sur in Sahuarita. Greg Furrier, Principal and Retail Specialist with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR represented the landlord. 

INDUSTRIAL – 4500 E SPEEDWAY BLVD, #12, TUCSON, 85712 – Northeast Submarket
Tarence Cager and Andrea McGowen renewed their lease with Pegasus Tucson Owner LLC for 1,600 square feet of industrial space at Midway Business Park, 4500 E. Speedway Blvd., Suite 12 in Tucson. Paul Hooker, SIOR, Principal, and Andrew Keim, Industrial Specialists with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. 

OFFICE – 3295 W INA RD., #135, TUCSON, 85741 – Northwest Submarket
Ell Real Estate Group renewed their lease with Ina Executive Center, LLC for 1,467 square feet of office space at Ina Executive Center, 3295 W. Ina Rd., Suite 135 in Tucson. Thomas J. Nieman, Principal, Office Specialist with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. 

INDUSTRIAL – 3210 S DODGE BLVD., #5, TUCSON, 85713 – South Submarket
E Dry Restoration renewed its lease with Pegasus Tucson Owner LLC for 1,200 square feet of industrial space at South Dodge Business Center, 3210 S. Dodge Blvd., Suite 5 in Tucson. Paul Hooker, SIOR, Principal, and Andrew Keim, Industrial Specialists with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. 

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