business

New York investors buy the Whole Foods building on Magazine

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A New York investment group has purchased Arabella Station, the home of Whole Foods Market on Magazine Street, for $31.4 million, property records show. Whole Foods has a long-term lease on the former bus barn and is expected to remain. The property that takes up the entire block at 5600 Magazine St. was purchased by DK WFNO, a limited liability company operated by Debra Kalimian. Kalimian runs D&R Holding and A&R Kalimian Realty out of offices in Manhattan, records show.

real estate

NOLA real estate by the numbers: A time to invest?

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Whether you’re selling, buying, or staying put, here are the current real estate trends you need to know. The New Orleans real estate market continued its upward trend in February, setting new highs for volume and prices, and seeing further reductions in availability. With interest rates and housing supply still hovering near or at historic lows, there’s a lot to unpack this month. We’ll take a look at the market statistics as a whole, but first let’s speculate a bit on the commercial side of things. It should come as no surprise that commercial property has been hit by the pandemic.

real estate

NOLA real estate by the numbers: The market is on fire

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Whether you’re selling, buying, or staying put, here are the current real estate trends you need to know. 2020 was a challenging year, to say the least. With so much uncertainty, you might be wondering what the real estate market will look like in 2021. One way to predict what lies ahead is to look back on 2020 and analyze the numbers, trends and lessons learned. With so much that went wrong, 2020 was a good year for New Orleans real estate when considering the impact of COVID not only on tourism, but oil and gas as well.

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Yo Joe! Real Estate Advice for June 2020

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Property Management and COVID-19: New Orleans Real Estate Expert Breaks It Down
Landlords and tenants across the nation are facing unprecedented circumstances as COVID-19 continues to pose some uncertainty across the rental housing market. As U.S. households feel the financial strain brought on by the pandemic, residential and commercial landlords are working hard to accommodate these challenges. For many, sudden financial losses and the difficulties of relocating safely have become an all too real and challenging prospect. For property managers, a shift in strategy is necessary to balance compassion for those with newfound financial issues, while also supporting their clients and delivering ROI on their investments. Through the first two weeks of June, we’ve seen 26 multi-family homes in Orleans Parish get to closing, projecting to 52 closings for the month.

land use & development

Danae Columbus: Zoning proposal latest twist in New Orleans’ complex real estate market

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Domain Companies officials will meet with neighbors Friday, May 31, to explain a zoning map amendment for their South Market District properties including The Standard, The Beacon, The Paramount, and a 36,000-square-foot surface parking lot. They are asking to change the zoning from CBD -5 to CBD-1, which would allow for increased commercial use, including timeshares. Domain liaison Christian Brierre says the company is seeking the amendment “solely for the purpose of our retail spaces” and that The Paramount and The Beacon will “continue to be market-leading multifamily apartment products.”

Some neighbors wonder if Domain or a future owner could embrace timeshare as the highest and best use for those properties. Already, The Saratoga, the Maritime and 144 Elks Place are being redeveloped as timeshare or extended-stay properties. While there is general unevenness in real estate sales citywide, business-friendly zoning downtown — which has encouraged the proliferation of timeshares, hotels and short-term rentals — is keeping overall real estate sales strong.