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Commercial real estate, explained

Articles on buying, selling, investing, financing, due diligence, property types, and the Omaha and Lincoln markets. Written by Bryan Robinson, a Professional Sales Agent with NHS Commercial.

Metal warehouse with a brick office wing and an empty truck court.

Finance2 min

Cash-on-Cash Return Explained

Cash-on-cash return measures annual pre-tax cash flow against the cash you put into the property. It changes when the loan changes. Cap rate does not.

Two-story limestone office with a lit entry and a lawn at dusk.

Finance3 min

What Is DSCR in Commercial Real Estate?

Debt service coverage ratio compares a property’s NOI with the annual loan payment. It is a coverage test, not a promise that a lender will say yes.

Three-story dark brick commercial building with a glass lobby, seen from the sidewalk.

Investing3 min

How Commercial Property Is Valued

Buyers, sellers, and appraisers usually look at income, comparable sales, and replacement cost. The three answers rarely match, and none of them is a promise.

Close view of a brick building corner, a metal downspout, and the concrete foundation.

Due Diligence2 min

Commercial Property Due Diligence Checklist

Due diligence is the period when a buyer checks the claims. Split the work into money, the building, and the legal rights, and do not ask a sales agent to certify the technical pieces.

Two-story white masonry building photographed along a sidewalk in late light.

Investing5 min

Understanding Commercial Real Estate Appraisals

A commercial appraisal is a licensed appraiser’s opinion of value for a stated use and date. A pricing conversation is a different task: how to explain the property to a buyer.

Older tan-brick commercial building with a metal door and a cracked asphalt apron.

Due Diligence5 min

What Is a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment?

A Phase I environmental site assessment looks for signs that a property may have a contamination concern. It is a records-and-observation study by an environmental professional.

Small charcoal metal building with a wood entry a business could occupy.

Buying5 min

Buying an Owner-Occupied Commercial Building

An owner-user is buying a place to operate, and also buying a property that will have to be sold or leased later. The business fit comes first. The investment math comes right after it.

Freestanding beige retail building with a blank storefront and a wide parking court.

Investing5 min

What Is a Triple-Net Lease?

A triple-net lease generally means the tenant pays base rent plus property taxes, insurance, and maintenance. The lease in your hand defines the words. Two listings that both say NNN can still describe different deals.

Long cream commercial building receding into morning fog beside an empty parking aisle.

Selling5 min

How Long Does It Take to Sell Commercial Property?

There is no average number of days that describes an Omaha sale and a Lincoln sale, or even two buildings on the same street. The calendar is the sum of the steps your property actually requires.

Four-story brick and dark-glass commercial building on a wide city street.

Omaha5 min

Buying Commercial Property in Omaha

Buying in Omaha starts with a part of the metro and a use, not with a metro-wide average. Douglas County and Sarpy County do not hand you the same building, the same customers, or the same city hall.

Two-story red-brick commercial buildings along a wide city street.

Omaha5 min

Selling Commercial Property in Omaha

An Omaha sale goes to the buyers who can use that part of the metro. Downtown, west Omaha, and the Sarpy cities do not share a buyer pool just because they share a region.

Small one-story tan-brick office with a glass door and a short parking row.

Lincoln5 min

Buying Commercial Property in Lincoln

Lincoln is its own commercial market. Downtown Lincoln and the north, south, east, and west parts of the city draw different users. An Omaha comparison is not evidence until you can explain the difference.

Small light-brick commercial building with a metal roof on a tree-lined street.

Lincoln5 min

Selling Commercial Property in Lincoln

A Lincoln sale is won with a file and a price a Lincoln buyer can check. Downtown, north, south, east, and west Lincoln attract different users. None of them is priced by an Omaha average.