NAI Wisinski of West Michigan’s Post

We're a month out from wrapping up Q4, let's look back at Q3: While rental rates are flat compared to second quarter 2024, they’ve declined by almost 3.5% in the past twelves months. One potential driver of declining rents is that in certain suburban submarkets, we continue to see an ongoing trend of general office properties attempting to court medical tenants. It’s likely that this has caused downward pressure on medical outpatient building rents. Nonetheless, landlord concessions over the past year have remained constant.

Opening an indoor playground like a "naughty castle" involves several strategic considerations, especially when choosing a location. Here are some factors to consider to ensure the success of your venture: Target Market Proximity: Ensure the location is near your target demographic, typically families with children. Areas near schools, residential neighborhoods, or where families frequently visit are ideal. Visibility and Accessibility: Choose a location that is easily visible and accessible. Locations near main roads, within shopping malls, or close to other family-centric businesses can be advantageous. Ensure there is ample parking and that the site is easily accessible by public transportation if possible. Competition Analysis: Research the competition in the area. A location with few similar facilities might offer a competitive advantage, but an area with proven demand for child-related businesses could also be beneficial. Avoid areas saturated with similar offerings unless you have a unique value proposition. Safety and Compliance: The safety of the location is paramount. Check for any local regulations specific to children's play areas and ensure the property complies with all safety and health regulations. Size and Scalability: The physical space must not only accommodate your initial setup but also allow for potential expansion as your business grows. Consider future scalability when choosing your location. Cost Efficiency: Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the location. Areas with high foot traffic tend to have higher rent, so balance the potential higher costs with the expected increase in customer volume. Community and Market Trends: Understanding local market trends and community engagement can be crucial. A community that supports children's education and activities can be a more promising location for a children’s play area. Want to know more, please contact: Klarie Whatsapp: +86 19906535102 Email: klarie@toymakerinchina.com

Apartment hunting can be both an adventure and a headache, how was your rental experience for a new place like? Frustrated with the unnecessary agent fees which is usually almost double the rental cost. After countless brainstorming sessions, i envisioned a product design that would not only showcase apartments within your budget range but also foster your dealings directly with the landlord/house owner therefore avoiding agent fees added to your total rental cost which is a major problem for many house seekers. But I discovered an issue and it varies from the serviceable market. Are landlords/house owners tech savvy enough to effectively find this product useful? Conceptualizing more ideas around this 💡

Along with residents desire for a sense of community and flex spaces, they also want to feel a sense of safety when using those spaces. Some of the most common are the community fitness center, pool and community kitchen. If residents don’t see regular maintenance in the way the fitness center is cleaned, upgraded for their safety, upgraded for their wellness needs, they are not going to use it. If they don’t see growth in the services provided within the fitness center or communal kitchen, they will not continue to use it. A fitness center or communal kitchen is not just a one and done. It must always be evolving to keep residential engagement high. High engagement means higher resident retention!

Quality should always take precedence over quantity when it comes to sport and recreational facilities! Some factors to take into consideration: 1) Purposeful Design: Rather than simply building as many facilities as possible, officials should focus on designing facilities that serve specific purposes and cater to the needs of the community. This includes considering accessibility for individuals with disabilities. 2) Maintenance and Upkeep: It's not enough to just build facilities; they must be properly maintained to ensure they remain safe and functional for all users. Regular maintenance schedules and funding allocations should be prioritized to keep facilities in top condition. 3) Inclusivity: Sport and recreational facilities should be designed to accommodate people of all abilities. This means incorporating features such as wheelchair ramps, accessible parking, and adaptive equipment to ensure everyone can participate. 4) Community Engagement: Before constructing new facilities, officials should engage with the community to understand their needs and preferences. This ensures that resources are allocated effectively and facilities are built where they will have the greatest impact. 5) Long-Term Planning: Instead of focusing solely on short-term popularity or political gain, officials should adopt a long-term approach to facility planning. This includes considering factors such as population growth, changing demographics, and evolving recreational trends. Prioritizing quality over quantity and ensuring that sport and recreational facilities are accessible and well-maintained, officials can create spaces that enhance the health, well-being, and quality of life for all members of the community.

Interesting panel discussion on co-living at NLA yesterday evening on this emerging way of living. A good range of case studies which reflect societal attitudes towards sharing, community, flexibility, mobility, and working from home, whilst responding to problems such as the lack of affordability. A key takeaway is that there are still common misconceptions around co-living amongst planning officers and more work to be done in ensuring the concept is better understood. ..Always a big fan of the London models. An impressive example of model makers craft! #planning #coliving

18 Easy to Start Service Business ideas: (If you have questions or want my free Big 6 Startup Guide, let me know in the comments.) 1. Handyman Services: Offer general repair and maintenance work for homes and small businesses. 2. Junk Removal Services: Help clients dispose of unwanted items, debris, or old furniture. 3. Pressure Washing Services: Clean driveways, sidewalks, decks, and building exteriors using a pressure washer. 4. Carpentry and Woodworking: Build, install, or repair wooden structures like cabinets, decks, and furniture. 5. Mobile Auto Detailing: Provide on-site car cleaning and detailing services at customers' locations. 6. Painting and Decorating: Offer interior and exterior painting services, wallpaper installation, and minor renovations. 7. Landscaping and Lawn Care: Provide services such as mowing, planting, pruning, and garden maintenance. 8. Gutter Cleaning Services: Offer cleaning and minor repairs for residential gutters. 9. Technical Support for Small Businesses or Senior Citizens: Assist with device setup, software troubleshooting, and basic IT support. 10. Graphic Design for Small Businesses: Create logos, marketing materials, and branding assets for local businesses. 11. Website Design and Management: Build and maintain websites to help small businesses establish an online presence. 12. Hot Dog Stand or Food Cart: Start a mobile food business selling hot dogs or other quick-serve items at events or busy locations. 13. Window Cleaning Services: Provide professional window cleaning for homes and businesses. 14. Moving and Hauling Services: Assist people with moving furniture and belongings locally, or offer delivery services. 15. Apartment Complex Dog Sitting Services: Offer pet sitting and dog walking services specifically targeting residents in apartment complexes. 16. Home Cleaning Services: Provide cleaning services for homes or apartments, requiring minimal equipment to start. 17. Furniture Assembly Services: Help clients assemble new furniture from stores like IKEA. 18. Personal Shopping and Errand Services: Assist busy individuals with tasks like grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, and other errands. These business ideas are accessible for a ANYONE looking to start a service business that aligns with their skills and interests. Many are very low skill required ideas. They all require minimal startup costs and can be scaled as your client base grows. Starting with just ONE service can help you gain experience and gradually broaden your offerings over time.

Townhouses don’t have to be transactional They can be transformational too To transform communities and the lives of those most deserving can be an outcome that is achieved through property development. It just takes a little extra work. Way more money. High levels of passion. Niched missional driving forces and balls to do it. We can’t disclose the nature or parties involved in this project but we are pretty dang proud of the renders we are creating to communicate and illustrate the impact of thoughtful community based developments. If you didn’t know, I am half Tongan. But I feel like a full Tongan. It’s kind of the nature of the islands, there is no half this or half that. Sure we joke around and I might be called ‘plastic’ from time to time but underneath the humour is pride in rich culture. It comes into our work too and the clients we partner with. There is no half this or half that. It’s all in working collaboratively towards meaningful outcomes. We have had the pleasure of working on some really special and significant Pasifika and Māori projects at Render Studio. One potential project coming up is actually in Tonga. Property development doesn’t have to be cultural, but it does need to fit the needs of the customer who will one day own the homes you are building. Renders play a big role in this process. Helping you communicate and sell an outcome to prospective buyers. That’s where it becomes less transactional and more transformational. Especially when the homes are completed and we get to see those buyers take residence in their new community. That’s what we’re here for. Transformation. (And selfishly, I want to see more Pasifika people owning property in New Zealand. Gets me fired up!)

What’s going on in Mason City, IOWA? A whole lot, that’s what.   Our client is seeking $8.75 million in equity for a 131 key Hyatt Place Hotel and Conference Center located in downtown Mason City, Iowa.   •      Reduced cost basis offering due to favorable financing: $15 million of USDA guaranteed debt financing and $8.7 million in city and state grants (with additional operating incentives valued at a minimum of $1.1 million)    •      Mason City (population 28,000) is the largest urban center in North Central, Iowa, located 120 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa and 135 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota   •      Located in a federally recognized Opportunity Zone, eligible for preferential tax treatment   •      Current gap in market: Downtown Mason City has no hotel room supply other than the 27 room Historic Park Inn. This lack of rooms has significantly limited attractiveness of Mason City for conventions, weddings, and other events, which need both meeting space and connected/nearby room supply   •      Unmet demand: Recent area enhancements include a 2,400 seat multi-purpose arena (adjacent to the hotel project), two successful minor league hockey teams; a new $25 million, 126,000 sq/ft swimming pool and fieldhouse complex capable of hosting regional AAU athletic competitions (2 miles from the hotel); nearly $50 million in health and wellness and recreational development projects in nearby Clear Lake   •      Strong commercial growth: Over $500 million of commercial/industrial expansion and new development with another $1.5 billion of projects actively in development     Click for additional detail: https://lnkd.in/eQZSdMdp

New Ulm EDA Highlights Local Businesses' Commitment to Community The New Ulm EDA is thrilled to announce a special feature celebrating local businesses that are dedicated to investing in our community. It is vital to acknowledge and support companies that continue to thrive as we navigate through a dynamic landscape. Over the past few years, Weelborg Chevrolet of New Ulm has been planning a nearly $3 million improvement project. This investment includes a nearly 10,000 sq/ft expansion of their facility, which includes a state-of-the-art reconditioning center with 6 bays, doubles the store’s showroom interior and display, add additional hoist space in the shop, the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and the complete resurfacing of their parking lot. The new design will feature interactive customer lounges, a private room for nursing moms, and additional spaces for employees including offices, a training room, a conference room, and break rooms. The parts department will be redesigned, the service drive customer experience expanded, and air conditioning installed in the shop, enhancing the work environment for technicians. Phase 1 of the project broke ground in August and should be completed by late November. Phase 2 will then get underway and should be completed in the spring of 2025. The expansion will allow space for up to five vehicles on the showroom floor, and add additional office space for parts, sales, service, and administrative support, allowing the Dealership the necessary space to hire additional staff, creating new job opportunities in the region. Collaboration with several local businesses like ARR Construction, Carroll Distributing & Construction Supply, Cemstone Concrete, Everstrong Construction, Klassen Plumbing & Heating, Nosbush Glass Company, MR Paving & Excavating, Schultz Plumbing & Heating, and Valley View Electric further strengthens community ties. Furthermore, the installation of EV charging stations reflects a commitment to sustainability, aligning with broader trends in the automotive industry and potentially attracting environmentally conscious consumers. This move also positions New Ulm as a forward-thinking community prepared for the future of transportation. The New Ulm EDA is dedicated to fostering community engagement and supporting local businesses. Our goal is to create a thriving local economy by highlighting and celebrating the efforts of businesses that invest in our community.