Your company culture might encourage people to flex their schedules and stay late in the evening or come in on weekends during crunch periods. Can your building accommodate you? Does it accommodate the hard workers down the hall at your expense?The big question is: Who controls the thermostat?If a building ... Read More
Tag: office lease
21
Mar2016
Just before and during the 2007-2009 recession, month-to-month leases were very common. During that period, so many businesses experienced financial hardships that the tenants didn't want to sign long term leases. At the same time, tenants whose leases were expiring often asked the landlord to let them rent on a ... Read More
March 21, 2016Lynn Drake
29
Feb2016
In the spring of 2015, I got a 22% increase in my common area maintenance (CAM) pass-through expense. CAM charges are billed pro rata to me and other tenants, based on our percentage of total property square footage and to cover the cost of common area upkeep.When I sent an ... Read More
February 29, 2016Lynn Drake
05
Mar2014
Some of us speak Greek, Spanish, French or Mandarin, in addition to English. We think that if we can speak these other languages, surely we can speak real estate. But that’s where we’re wrong. See, not everyone can speak real estate. That’s why it’s important to work with a tenant ... Read More
March 5, 2014Lynn Drake
20
Feb2014
In late 2013, we moved into a really nice new office space. You probably think it was a slam-dunk, since office space is what we do for a living. We might know our stuff, but that doesn’t mean our search was a piece of cake. For one reason or another ... Read More
February 20, 2014Lynn Drake
26
Jul2012
While sitting at Boston Market in Troy enjoying a chicken pot pie and a newspaper I had this uncomfortable feeling I was one of the only people in the place. How could this be? The food is good and healthy. The service is better than most family diners. Yet crowds ... Read More
July 26, 2012Lynn Drake
12
Jul2012
Over the next few weeks, let’s exchange some lease clauses that drive us crazy. During my 25 years in corporate real estate I had to live with some mighty repugnant clauses, prohibiting such things as sub-leasing a portion of space, occupying the building on weekends or hiring a satisfactory janitorial ... Read More
July 12, 2012Lynn Drake
23
May2012
“Promises, Promises,” is a long-running Broadway production. The title song speaks of alibis and dashed promises and yet other promises that bring joy and hope and love. Promises in commercial real estate mean nothing unless they are in writing in official “request for proposal” and “contract” format.Don’t trust anything written ... Read More
May 23, 2012Lynn Drake
10
May2012
Talk to any child and you find they have a perfect dream for the basement train set or the equipment needed to have their Wii system rock out. Talk to a grown-up whose business is on the edge of expansion and you see the bright, shining eyes of a child. ... Read More
May 10, 2012Lynn Drake
25
Apr2012
When you think about renting property, how much space do you REALLY need? Will the need to gain space? What if it looses space? How can I forecast in this turbulent world? Who tells the truth?All too often clients come up with a round number that feels right in the ... Read More
April 25, 2012Lynn Drake