Less than two months ago, I received a call from a San Jose based apartment investor who had become disenfranchised with the continued rise in commercial real estate prices throughout the Bay Area. A simple comparison of apartments for sale in both Sacramento and San Jose (within specific parameters) resulted in an average difference in cap rate (annual yield) of 3%. The San Jose apartments we considered offered an average cap rate of 5.7%, while the Sacramento apartments offered 8.7%. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that a higher yield on a commercial real estate investment means more cash in the investor pocket. Naturally, the investor decided it made more sense to invest in commercial real estate (apartments) here in Sacramento, which is once again becoming quite a predictable phenomenon, as discussed in this 1st Quarter 2012 Multifamily Investor Newsletter.

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