Page 48 - Trump University Commercial Real Estate 101
P. 48

TRUMP UNIVERSITY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE 101



                         It ’ s common to drive down a main road and see houses on each
                   side. Then, at a larger intersection, you will find gas stations, dough-

                   nut shops, and strip malls. Residential and commercial spaces inter-
                   twine with each other as the need for both arises, and as local residents
                   state their preferences for commerce through their buying decisions.



                       Moratoria

                     Sometimes a city will realize that too much of one type of property
                   is adversely affecting the balance of properties. A  moratorium  may
                   not be too far behind, which limits or bans further growth in that
                   property type.
                         In the mid 2000s, an enormous number of apartment complexes
                   were converted to condominiums in San Diego. The market for resi-
                   dential housing was going through the roof. The average price for a
                   single - family home became way out - of - reach for the average wage
                   earner. For these people, the American Dream of home ownership
                   became unaffordable.
                         The best alternative was condominiums, which were generally
                   priced 20 to 30 percent below the average price of a single - family home.
                   Demand increased — quickly.
                         Developers were buying apartment complexes, making a few
                   changes, and then selling the individual units off as condos. They made
                   so much money that — of course — more developers got into the game
                   and more apartments came off the market to become condos.
                         Not only did the supply of apartments become converted to con-
                   dos, but builders did not replenish the apartment supply. They were
                   too busy building new condos. Rents shot up for the remaining apart-
                   ment units, making them unaffordable for many lower - paid workers.
                         When this happened, San Diego put a moratorium on condo
                     conversions. This eventually rebalanced the housing stock, but in the
                   meantime, prices for condos went that much higher.
                         Cities have been known to put moratoria on land use, septic hook -
                     ups, and a variety of real estate building types, depending on the


                                                  28






                                                                                 10/14/08   10:36:45 AM
          c02.indd   28                                                          10/14/08   10:36:45 AM
          c02.indd   28
   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53