Understanding Recourse and Guarantees in Commercial Real Estate: What Every Borrower Needs to Know
When securing commercial real estate financing, few topics create more confusion—or carry greater personal risk—than the structure of recourse and guarantees. While many borrowers focus primarily on interest rates and loan amounts, the guarantee structure often determines the true risk exposure of a transaction. A misunderstood guarantee can transform what appears to be a low-risk […]
Understanding ALTA Endorsements in Commercial Real Estate: Essential Protection Beyond Standard Title Insurance
ALTA endorsements can be a confusing piece of the closing process in commercial real estate, yet they are incredibly important and often requested by lenders to ensure protection for the asset, lender, and borrower alike. While standard title insurance policies provide foundational coverage, they rarely address the specific risks and complexities inherent in commercial real […]
Why Institutional Capital Is Betting on Office Real Estate’s Next Chapter
While headlines proclaim the death of downtown offices, institutional investors are quietly taking a different view. The office sector faces significant challenges, with $51.6 billion in outstanding distress and another $74.7 billion at risk, according to MSCI Real Assets. The distress rate reached 17.2% in December 2024, higher than other commercial property types. Yet institutional […]
San Diego Caps ADU Bonus Program: What Developers Need to Know
Shown Above: A 10-unit accessory dwelling unit complex under construction in April in Clairemont In a narrow 5-4 decision on June 16, 2025, the San Diego City Council adopted significant reforms to its previously aggressive Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bonus program, placing new limits on the number of ADUs per parcel and tightening development standards […]
Niche Property Spotlight: Why Build-to-Rent Communities Are Gaining Ground in California
The Emergence of a New Housing Category In neighborhoods across California, a quiet revolution in residential real estate is taking shape. Build-to-rent (BTR) communities—neighborhoods of new single-family homes and townhomes designed specifically for renters, not buyers—are capturing the attention of investors, developers, and housing-constrained residents alike. As traditional pathways to homeownership become increasingly difficult for […]
San Diego Multifamily: The Resilient Investment Opportunity in a Shifting National Landscape
How Supply Constraints, Economic Growth, and Demographics Create a Compelling Case for Multifamily Investment San Diego’s multifamily real estate market has emerged as one of the nation’s most resilient and attractive investment opportunities, characterized by a remarkable 52% increase in average asking rents over the past decade—significantly outpacing the national average of 38%. While many […]
Jimmy Silverwood: Don’t take no for an answer. All things affordable housing.
Welcome, everyone, to episode 26 of Offshoot. My guest today is Jimmy Silverwood, president of Affirmed Housing Group a San Diego-based affordable housing company that develops in San Diego, LA, and the Bay Area. Since their 1992 start, they have completed $2.8 billion in projects and created more than 5,500 apartments across 70 communities. The […]
Part 1: Josh Volen: Replace Yourself a Little Bit More Every Day
Welcome everyone to episode 25 of Offshoot. Today, my guest is Josh Volen the Principal and Co-founder of CIRE Equity, an $890MM NAVREIT. Josh graduated from Cal Berkeley then spent 6 years at Marcus and Millichap where he became one of their top brokers. In 2010 he started CIRE. From 2010 to 2019 their acquisition were […]
Hillcrest and University City Embrace Density and Zoning Reforms
San Diego City Council Approves Landmark Growth Plans San Diego’s City Council has approved ambitious growth plans for Hillcrest and University City, aimed at doubling the populations of these neighborhoods and transforming their urban landscape with high-rise buildings and enhanced transit access. These plans are critical in addressing the local housing crisis by encouraging higher-density […]
How Remote Work is Impacting San Diego’s Commercial Real Estate Landscape
The workplace has undergone a transformation with the widespread adoption of remote work, particularly in San Diego. Recent data from Pew Research Center says that 41% of the national workforce whose jobs allow for remote work now work remotely at least part of the time. Furthermore, a study by SANDAG found that the percentage of […]
