Howard Schwimmer
Analyst · Wells Fargo. Please state your question
Thanks, Michael. And thank you everyone for joining us today. As on past calls, I'll update you on our markets and review our recent transaction activity, which has been substantial. The Southern California industrial region started the 2016 year with occupancy at historic highs of 97.8% and if we excluded the Eastern Inland Empire, which is not our focus, occupancy was 98.2%. I will provide additional perspective on each of our markets primarily utilizing market data provided by CBRE. Los Angeles County of 1 billion square foot of industrial markets, saw gross leasing activity down 12% in the fourth quarter as limited availability is restricting leasing opportunities. Overall vacancy in the region dropped 10 basis points since Q4 and finished the quarter at 1.2%, while asking lease rates increased by 1.4% quarter-over-quarter. CBRE expect asking rents to increased 6% overall by year-end 2015. Orange County showed additional rate improvement in the first quarter with 715,000 square feet of positive net absorption, a 170% increase as compared to the fourth quarter. Overall vacancy was virtually unchanged at 1.8%, while asking rents continue their upward trends, increasing 4% over the prior quarter. CBRE forecast that lease rates will continue their upward trajectory increasing over 5.5% by Q1 2017. San Diego market fundamentals continue to be strong during Q1, reporting 466,000 square feet of positive net absorption and asking rates declined 5.4% after having been flat for almost a year. Vacancy stayed near the recent historic low, ending the quarter at 4.4%, low finished product which is Rexford's focus continues to substantially outperform the market. Industrial market in Ventura County posted a nominal amount of negatives absorption and vacancy rate increase of 30 basis points in the quarter at 3.4% with 1.5% decrease in the average asking lease rate quarter-over-quarter. However the submarkets for Rexford's product is focused at positive absorption for the quarter. Inland Empire Q1 gross leasing activity was 9.6 million square feet, with mid and small sized product responsible for majority of activity. Vacancy across the market increased 80 basis points with the Inland Empire West ending the quarter at 2.5% and Inland Empire East, which is not Rexford's focus ending the quarter at 6% vacancy. Average lease rates were flat in Inland Empire West submarket and down 4.5% in Inland Empire East attributed a slow demand product in 600,000 to 800,000 square foot range. Now moving on to our transaction activity, year-to-date, including transactions completed subsequent quarter-end, we've acquired 11 industrial properties for an aggregate cost of about $250 million. All of these transactions were off market or lightly marketed sales and we continue to achieve stabilized returns that are above prevailing Southern California industrial market cap rates of 4% to 5%. In March, we purchased Livingston, 134,000 square foot, high-quality building located in the Greater San Fernando Valley for $16 million or $190 per foot. The building has 100% leases on a long-term basis to a single tenant which invested considerable capital in the building. The initial returns approximately 6.2%. Additionally, in March, we purchased Camino Santa Fe, 59,000 square foot industrial building in the Central San Diego submarket for $8.5 million or approximately $142 per square foot. The property is 100% leased for tenants at below market rents with over a third of the square footage expiring within six months. The initial return is approximately 4.8%, what we expect to achieve a stabilized return on costs of almost 6%. Subsequent to quarter-end, we acquired nine building 1.53 million square foot industrial portfolio for $191 million. The properties are 100% occupied leased only for tenants and located within existing Rexford infill submarkets. Rexford was enable capitalize on this opportunity as the selling entity with the private reed facing Safe Harbor constraints that dissipating the acquisition of REIT shares versus selling the assets separately. The initial return on this portfolio investment is projected to be 5.3% and there are several value-add opportunities that we expect to capture over time, bringing the aggregate stabilized yield on cost just under 6%. Let me provide a short summary of each of the buildings. A lot of the properties are located in the Orange County increasing our square footage in this key market by almost 50% and allowing us to capture significant efficiencies from our in-place leasing and management team. Western Avenue was a 208,000 square foot facility, with 28 to 32 foot clear height cross-dock loading. The in-place lease expires in the near term, allowing for a value of our repositioning program to modernize the building and capture premium rent. [indiscernible] is 127,000 square foot, 24 foot clear building, that was modernized and renovated in 2015 with a single tenant in-place in 2025. Fairview Avenue is a 117,000 square foot building leased long-term to 2021 with two tenants and has excess land providing oversized backyards. [indiscernible] 181,000 square foot, 24 foot clear industrial property leads to 2022 two tenants. Both tenants have invested significant capital in their respective spaces and are the paying below market rent. And Lake Forest is a 102,000 square foot, 28 foot clear building leased to a single credit tenant who uses the building as their regional warehouse and operation center. The property also has two acres of excess land which can be developed, leased or sold. Two newly constructed 32 foot clear buildings are located in Fontana in Inland Empire West submarket [indiscernible] Avenue is a 146,000 square feet and it is 100% leased to a single tenant. Jurupa Avenue is 213,000 square feet and it is leased to a single tenant as well. Gale Avenue is located in the San Gabriel Valley submarket of Los Angeles. The building is 326,000 square feet with 22 to 26 foot clear height and it is leased a few tenants at below market rents with future value-add opportunities upon lease expirations to upgrade and modernize the building. And finally, Stow Drive is a 112,000 square foot, 24 foot clear building in the Central San Diego submarket. The building is fully leased to a credit tenant and the little site coverage offers expensive dock loading and an oversize yard for excess parking and storage. As we look forward, we continue to have a significant pipeline of opportunities, while we continue to work on potential transactions that fit our return objectives. At this time, we have more than $46 million of primarily value-add opportunities under contract or letter of intent. Also, as I mentioned on our last call we're looking to recycle capital in 2016, and we have approximately $90 million of identified sales in various stages of dispositions. We will update you if and when these transactions close. I'll now turn the call over to Adeel.