Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate Services

UPDATED 08-JULY-2011

Insurance is a critical piece of any real estate investment. Not just for the normal liability and fire reasons, but to deal with the travails of the tenants as well.

In the last year, we have had the opportunity to deal with significant issues that caused us to review insurance coverages at properties we manage:…[...]

UPDATED: 23-Dec-2010

A Commercial Scenario

We decided to paint the interior walls of the Roadwalk Plaza, a 30,000 sq foot office building. It had been years since the walls and the ceilings had been touched up and the building was looking shabby. The painter used a plastic covering in order to preserve the carpeting. This is where our story begins…[...]

UPDATED: 13-Apr-2010

TIC Investors

In this very dynamic real estate market TIC (Tenant in Common) investors have suffered as the market has weakened. In particular, those real estate investors that joined TIC investments in the last four years, (at the top of the market) are finding that in some locations, high vacancy rates and plunging rental rates are squeezing their cash flow and their ability to pay their mortgages…[...]

UPDATED: 01-DEC-2007

Baja Mexico – an area surrounded by water- with flat lands and mountains, covered by sand and cactus is home to Mexicans and vacationers alike. Those that love sun, come here. A recent visit unravels fascinating details.[...]

UPDATED: 01-SEP-2007

• By 2010 over 40% of all households will be comprised of an age group over 55 years.
• The number of citizens over the age of 65 years will jump from 34.7 million in 2000 to nearly 70 million by 2030 (a mere 30 years).
• The Spanish speaking population will increase from 31.4 million in 2000 to nearly 65.6 million in 2030.
• 50% of children under the age of 18 (42,853,649) will be a minority in 2030. Total US population is estimated at 400 million in 2030.
• The traditional household (married couple with children) which comprised 90% of the households in 1950 will comprise only 65% of the households in 2030.

UPDATED: 01-SEP-2006

As baby boomers get older and closer to retirement, and the stock market continues to underperform, many investors have been driven to real estate investing. This demand has created a “boomlet” that has significantly increased the pricing, and thereby the purchase cost, of real estate in many parts of the United States. [...]

UPDATED: 01-JUL-2006

For years we have been hearing about the real estate mantra, “location, location, location,” but is that really what drives the success of an investment? I agree with the pundits that you can charge more rent at a better location and potentially have more return. Perhaps your vacancies will turn faster because you have a better location. [...]

UPDATED: 01-JUL-2009

With over 1,000,000 attorneys and over 150 law schools graduating attorneys each year, the average American is well represented (ABA web site data). According to the “Power of Attorneys” website, a survey conducted by the American Bar Association in the 1970s revealed that 70% of Americans not only did not have an attorney, but they also did not know how to find one. That is not the case today. [...]

UPDATED: 01-MAR-2003

It was just this fall when the rain storms hit that I was again reminded how important it is to keep your roofing maintained. As a matter of course we inspect all roofs at least twice a year, but recently we ran into a major leaking problem with a new commercial tenant. [...]

UPDATED: 01-OCT-2002

Morris was 55 years old and had carefully invested for his retirement. He kept record of all of his investments. After 20 years he decided to review his progress. He had invested in the stock market, but always envied those that had real estate investments and kept thinking, “does it make sense for me to be investing in real estate?”[...]