Know the property.
Understand
the capital.
The practical field guide to buying, financing, leasing and operating commercial real estate in Chicago.
Have a property in mind? Share your commercial deal with Jaken ↗
OF COMMERCIAL
real estate.
Every asset has a different story.
PROPERTY FIELD GUIDEIndustrial
Utility. Access. Adaptability.
PROPERTY FIELD GUIDERetail
Tenant mix. Lease economics.
PROPERTY FIELD GUIDEOffice & medical
Rollover. Capital. Relevance.
PROPERTY FIELD GUIDEMixed-use
Different uses. Shared risks.
PROPERTY FIELD GUIDEMultifamily
Income. Operations. Reserves.
PROPERTY FIELD GUIDESpecialty assets
Beyond a standard rent roll.
Look past the listing.
CAM recoveries: caps, exclusions and audit rights
CAM income depends on each lease’s eligible expenses, share, caps, and collection rules. Reconcile the contract to invoices before treating reimbursements as dependable NOI.
Read the guideNOI versus net cash flow versus investor distributions
NOI measures property operations; net cash flow reflects specified reserves and capital needs; distributions depend on debt, restrictions, and the ownership agreement.
Read the guideIndustrial electrical capacity and utility upgrade diligence
Verify usable electrical capacity, utility delivery, installation cost, and energization timing before underwriting a power-dependent industrial tenant.
Read the guideUnderwriting commercial property-tax reassessment risk
Underwrite tax reassessment with a documented expense range, lease-recovery analysis, and debt sensitivity. Do not assume an appeal or temporary incentive will preserve the seller’s expense.
Read the guideWhere are you
in the investment?
You don’t need to read everything at once. Follow a path built around the decision in front of you.
See all learning pathsBuy your first commercial property
From an investable thesis to a clean closing.
Understand the tenant and the lease
Find the obligations behind the rent roll.
Underwrite a commercial acquisition
Build a cash-flow model that survives scrutiny.
Take over property operations
Translate underwriting into an accountable plan.
Put the assumptions
to the test.
Explore loan sizing, effective rent, capital needs and exit scenarios. Your inputs stay in your browser.
Open the investor toolkitNOI is only the beginning.
Hypothetical annual figures. Reserves and entity-level costs can further affect distributions.
A local lens. A commercial mindset.
Taxes, tenant obligations, building systems and capital needs shape the investment. Our research connects those details to the decisions owners actually make.