Talk to us about land use, zoning, developers, and cost to build/develop.  We have a long history in the land development arena and we look at land for industrial and residential development.

Often, the yard around the warehouse is included in a lease, sometimes at the same amount per square foot. What type of access is needed? 

Research and Development often needs specific infrastructure for exhaust and procedures as well as cleaning. 

Industrial spaces are often in centers with many different companies sharing space for dock loading.

Specific infrastructures are needed for exhaust. Dental buildouts and specialty, such as kidney dialysis, are exhaustive.  ABA Therapy requires large motor movement, so high ceilings and open space. Some mental health physiotherapy requires special equipment and higher electrical voltage.  

First and foremost, finding funding for church purchases is challenging. There is also the question of whether or not a building is zoned for a church or is the current use is as a church. Churches require ample parking. If the lot is small, are neighbors going to have issues with street parking? Is there a lot nearby that can be borrowed or leased? 

Starting with working with the local municipal council, getting approval for use zoned and preliminary approval for the specific project is of great value.  Then there is infrastructure:  Are vehicles to be stored or sold there? Is it going to be required that there is a drainage system to capture any runoff? Is there going to be a SEPA report required for any contamination?  How long will it take the Washington State Patrol to approve the site?  For auto repair: If there is there going to be a paint booth, what kind of exhaust system will need approval?

Typically, the lease is a triple net lease with the tenant paying for the utilities.  Sometimes, there is a lease in place that is a base rent plus utilities and a percentage of earnings.  Anytime a property is leased, the goal is to have a strong performance for the property and for the tenant. If the building comes up for sale while the tenant is under lease, the tenant needs the security of keeping the place and managing how much tenant improvement has been invested into the place.  

Multi-family comes in different forms.  What we think of as residential can be townhomes or garden style, sometimes with an office or retail first floor and garages underneath.  Those homes could be for sale or lease, townhomes or suites.

Land use is going to be the defining factor per municipality. Consider density and footprint, minimum requirements.

Valuing businesses, open marketing, and making sure they close without repercussions takes a lot of planning and interaction. We look at what the overall income, upcoming expenditures, stable book of business, inventory and cost of fixtures and equipment. 

Determining whether the current owner stays on to guide the new buyer for a determined time, and what intellectual properties, such as recipes or formulas are included to add to the market value.  Marketing involves a special niche of business brokers. Some are industry specific. The escrow process is crucial to make sure the taxes and equipment liens are not passed onto the buyer, so there is a clean start to the new ownership.

We are a full-service brokerage for childcare centers with years of experience in the childcare field.  Understanding space usage and design is important to providing a balanced environment for children to learn.