Sunday, March 25, 2012

$25 Million in Walgreens Sales Closed by Marcus & Millichap



 ENCINO, CA – Lior Regenstreif (middle right photo) of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has arranged the sale of four separate net-leased Walgreens drugstores throughout the United States totaling $24.93 million.

The properties are located in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Minnesota and Georgia.

Regenstreif, a vice president investments in the Encino office of Marcus & Millichap, represented the private sellers of these separate transactions.

Also providing representation were Spencer Yablon (middle left photo), vice president in Marcus & Millichap’s Philadelphia office; Adam Schlosser (middle right photo), the firm’s broker of record in Minnesota; William Hoffpauir,  a senior associate in the Lafayette, La., office; and John Leonard, (lower left photo), a first vice president in the firm’s Atlanta office.

“Two of the buyers were in a 1031 exchange, coming out of management-intensive properties, and found triple-net leases to be very attractive and stress free,” says Regenstreif. “Another utilized this investment to continue estate building for his children, and the last buyer was a foreign investor seeking to establish a foothold in the United States,” he notes.

“In step with the economic recovery, national drugstore chains stand as strong passive investment vehicle opportunities which has and continues to outpace investment alternatives in return and reliability,” says Regenstreif.

“Not surprisingly, more private buyers and exchange investors are increasing their acquisition efforts in secondary and even tertiary markets.  In fact, we’ve seen an 18 percent jump in transaction activity in the last 12 months, driven primarily by investors fleeing the stock market for the less-risky net-leased drugstores,” he adds.

In McMurray, Pa., Regenstrief arranged the largest of these sales: An $8.32 million transaction for a Walgreens at 100 East McMurray Rd.

The newly constructed, 14,640 square-foot net-leased asset is located in an affluent region where average household incomes within a mile of the site exceed $146,000 annually. The property is an out pad to Donaldson’s Crossroads, the largest power center in the region with nearly 51,000 vehicles per day passing by the area.

The second-largest transaction closed in Willmar, Minn. Regenstreif arranged the sale of a 14,900 square-foot Walgreens drugstore at 301 First Street South for $6,494,400.

In Ruston, LA., a 14,550 square-foot Walgreens (top left photo) at 108 West California Ave. traded for $5,774,500. The region has shown significant growth due to the implementation of local and state initiatives that are benefiting both retailers and developers.

In his final Walgreens sale of the quarter, Regenstreif sold a 15,120 square-foot drugstore located at 1855 Hudson Bridge Rd. in Stockbridge, Ga. for $4,342,000, an Atlanta suburb.           

Regenstreif predicts that for 2012, “We will continue to see pricing compress, and if interest rates remain low, we can anticipate that the investment market will begin to resemble that of 2006.”

 Contact: Stacey Corso, Public Relations Manager, (925) 953-1716

Mercantile Capital Corp.Reports Busiest Month Ever in February; March Shaping Up to Smash another Record





ORLANDO, FL --- Mercantile Capital Corporation, which specializes in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans to small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities, reports it closed a record volume of loans in February.

Chris Hurn (top right photo) chief executive officer of Mercantile Capital Corporation, said the firm closed 11 new loans to finance projects valued at $31.2 million in six states: Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, California and Colorado.

Hurn said the largest single loan during the month will finance the $9.5 million acquisition of a hotel in Aberdeen, N.C.

Geof Longstaff (middle left photo), chairman of Mercantile Capital Corporation, said the surge in new business can be attributed to improved economic conditions and further awareness of Mercantile’s specialty: the SBA 504 loan program.

“We are seeing a marked increase in loan inquires, as more business owners project growth in the coming year and want to purchase still-discounted real estate, before values increase from here,” Longstaff said.

Hurn said loan applications in various stages of approval point to an equally strong volume in March.

“We may very well break another record for us in March,” Hurn said.

For more information about this press release, contact:

Chris Hurn, Chief Executive Officer, Mercantile Capital Corporation, ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com, 407-786-5040

Geof Longstaff, Chairman, Mercantile Capital Corporation 407-786-5040 Glongstaff@Mercantilecc.com

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142