megan-flake

Our real estate market isn’t flipping in 6 months. It’s here to stay. Here’s why.

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 19:45:08 GMT

I hear “we’ll wait until rates come down” almost every week. I get it. I just don’t think the wait is going to be short.

In April, Jamie Dimon told a room of global investors in Oslo: “The way it’s going now, there will be some kind of bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it.”

At his last annual meeting as CEO in May 2025, Warren Buffett said: “Obviously, we wouldn’t want to be owning anything that we thought was in a currency that was really going to hell.”

Two of the most respected money people in the country are both worried about the same thing: how much our government borrows.

Here’s the simple version. Our national debt is now bigger than our entire economy, about 124% of GDP. When a country owes more than it produces in a year, investors want a bigger return to keep lending to it. That pushes up the 10-year Treasury, and mortgages and commercial loans are priced off that number.

So what does that mean for you?

Buyers: the rate you’re waiting for may not show up. Buy the right property and refinance if you get a break later.

Sellers: price for the market we have now, not the one we had in 2021.

Companies moving to Texas: your growth won’t wait on the Fed. Central Texas cities are still competing for you, so use that while it lasts.

If you’re on the fence, let’s talk it through. Link in the comments.

People first. Property second.

#RealEstate #CentralTexas #CommercialRealEstate #InterestRates #KWCommercial

What I Heard at the Austin San Antonio Growth Summit

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:28:16 GMT

What new employers and workforce training mean for industrial property along I-35.

On September 24, I attended the Austin Business Journal's Austin-San Antonio Growth Summit. Most of the conversation was about aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing and tech companies moving into our part of I-35, and how our cities are getting ready for them.

Two things I heard stuck with me.

First, Buda’s mix of employers has changed a lot. At the summit, I heard that five businesses had come in over the previous nine months. That changes the conversation about what companies need from the area.

Second, San Marcos and Texas State University are working together to train the workers these companies need. When a company is deciding where in Texas to go, workforce is one of the first things they ask about. It’s good to have an answer.

I’m seeing the demand firsthand. Recently, I spoke with one tenant looking for about 2,000 square feet and another moving into Texas who needs around 300,000.

Small spaces and big ones are both getting calls.

For industrial property owners along the corridor, that brings the conversation back to your building. How does it compare with what’s available nearby, and what would these tenants need to make it work?

What I’d Review Before Your Next Property Decision

A few questions I’d ask about lease renewals, new buildings and improvements.

If you own industrial property along the corridor, here are the questions I’d be thinking about.

When a lease is coming up for renewal

Is the rent where it should be compared with what’s leasing nearby? Is the tenant growing, and is there room for them to grow here? I’d also look at whether expansion rights or a different lease term could help keep a good tenant.

When a new building is in the works

Can the bays be split up or combined? Will there be enough power and parking for a manufacturing user? Those are questions I’d want answered while the building is being planned.

When I’m deciding what to improve

Power is usually the first question. Three-phase service and higher amperage come up often. Defense and tech tenants also ask about controlled access and secure areas.

Air-conditioned production space, fiber, finished office, and a mix of grade-level and dock doors can all help. But what makes sense to spend really depends on the building and who’s touring it.

I’d rather talk it through with you than have you guess.

Give me 30 minutes over coffee. I’ll walk you through what’s available right now and what these tenants are asking for. Then we can look at how your property compares.

Your Building Has a New Tenant Pool

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:01:14 GMT

What Central Texas’ growing defense and aerospace sector means for industrial and flex owners.

The demand has already changed.

Since 2020, the Austin area has seen 54 new space and defense relocations and expansions, creating 6,338 jobs through May 2026, according to July reporting from the Austin American-Statesman.

What interests me most is what happens when those companies start looking for buildings.

Defense and aerospace users often need more than available square footage. Power, clear height, floor loading, controlled-access areas and specialized production requirements can quickly narrow the buildings that actually work.

If your property can support those needs, your real competitive set may be smaller than you think.

I’m also seeing companies grow on a different clock. A program award or production requirement can turn a future expansion into an immediate real estate need. And once a company installs equipment, qualifies its processes and invests heavily in a facility, relocating again isn’t necessarily simple.

That doesn’t mean every defense startup is automatically a strong tenant. I still look closely at funding, credit, guarantees, TI exposure and whether the business can support the lease.

A full building is not the goal. A tenant who is still there in year seven is.

Why Texas Is Getting More Attention From Defense & Advanced Manufacturing

What Megan heard firsthand at FED Supernova.

At FED Supernova in Austin, I had the opportunity to spend time with defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and technology companies from across the U.S. and internationally.

One theme kept coming up: Texas is on their radar.

Several companies I spoke with are evaluating relocations or expansions here. But choosing Texas is only the first decision.

The harder questions come next.

Where can they find the right facility? How quickly can they occupy it? Does the property have the infrastructure their operation requires? Can their workforce get there? Are suppliers nearby? And will the location still work when the company reaches its next stage of growth?

Those are the questions I care about in site selection because the right real estate is not simply available space. It has to fit the business.

Before real estate, I worked in operations and procurement at GE. That experience still shapes how I evaluate a property today. I want to understand what actually happens inside the building, what could create friction and what the business needs the real estate decision to make possible.

That is also why FED Supernova was valuable for me. I could hear directly from the founders, operators and investors building these companies before the real estate requirement even reaches the market.

I spend my days on the other end of that journey, helping aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing companies find the buildings they grow into.