A national fast-food chain used to run an ad in which men in three-piece suits and women in expensive gowns would walk briskly up to the counter wearing paper bags over their heads. The point was that people loved the burgers but didn't want to admit to frequenting such a low-brow establishment.

In Sacramento last year, a developer revealed an ambitious plan to convert an old factory, a former ice plant and storage facility, into apartments, restaurants, offices, and stores. The developer liked the gritty industrial feel of nine connected buildings that formed the oldest part of the historic plant, where he planned to build the office and

Since the recession, new office construction has slowed down considerably. Despite adding jobs, many American cities have seen few new office projects. Speculative office building — when developers begin construction without locking down the leases – has been even rarer. The times are changing, however, and the cranes are starting to be seen atop rising

Playa Vista, a Westside neighborhood, is home to the new Los Angeles tech boom. Image from Wikimedia Commons Silicon Valley is more of a culture and way of life then it is an actual physical location. The growth of the tech industry has had an incalculable influence over the Bay Area and, by extension, over

Credit may be tight for some borrowers of home loans, but money is readily available for solid commercial projects. Credit: Flickr CC user fsecart If you’re thinking about getting a commercial loan for your real estate needs, you might be a little wary. Chances are good that you’ve heard credit is “tight” right now and

Commercial real estate deals, no matter how promising, sometimes fall apart. Some deal breakers can be spotted from a mile away, but curiously, the developer fails to see them. In the midst of the recession in Santa Rosa, CA, a developer dreamed up a massive project that would have delivered not only a great magnet

The drought is going to have a major impact on California, including its real estate market. Image from Wikimedia Commons Dried-up river beds. Parched, cracking fields. Once-full reservoirs now reduced to puddles, with the rings of previous highs looming like a distant memory on the mountains around them. Maps show huge portions of the state

A booming housing market can help bring up the commercial market as well. Image from Wikimedia Commons Trying to give a simple explanation for the 2008 recession is a fool’s errand, at best. It was incredibly complicated with multiple causes and many people to blame. For the general public, however, it seemed to start with

Many green building practices are fairly routine now across the country, but some companies and nonprofits have gone far beyond the standards to reduce the environmental impact. Could this become the new normal? Image source: Flickr CC user bobarcpics A few years ago, companies would issue news releases when they installed energy-saving lights and appliances,

The street-level space is great for retail, but developers often struggle to find uses for the upper stories of older Main Street buildings. Credit: Flickr CC user Madeleine Deaton The main attraction of Main Street buildings is often their ground floor. In these street-level retail spaces, a shop owner can envision the city’s best new