Sweet Spot

to Steve Duckworth of Integra Realty Resources.

Retail Rates in Anchored Centers

Lee: Range from $10 to $23 per square foot.

Collier: Range from $18 to $26 per square foot.

Industrial Rates

Lee: Range from $4.89 to $11.33 per square foot.

Collier: Range from $4.11 to $7.64 per square foot.

Unless otherwise noted, the lease rates are ranges of

figures provided by CB Richard Ellis-Fort Myers/Naples, Grubb & Ellis/IPC,

Grubb & Ellis/VIP-D'Alessandro, Integra Realty Resources and Bob White Commercial

Real Estate.

How to Succeed in Buying Your Business Property

Low interest rates may make this a good time for business

owners to buy a building or land, but a number of factors should be considered.

First, a business plan that outlines where the business is

going helps determine how much space you will need. It's easy for a burgeoning

business to quickly outgrow its facility. If that happens, you're stuck with

having to move into a larger space, and with either having to sell the existing

property or finding and keeping tenants. Both can be tough if the space has

been customized, says Brian K. Tunnell, regional director and managing broker

of Coldwell Banker NRT for Lee and Charlotte.

Owning commercial property can be a great asset, Tunnell

says, but you should consider whether it's the best investment for your

business. For example, he notes that Walgreens owns very few of its locations.

It makes sense for the pharmacy to put its capital into its products and to pay

rent to someone who built the facility.

Andrew DeSalvo of Premier Commercial Properties of Southwest

Florida advocates buying, even if it means picking up the land at an affordable

price and having to wait until you can afford to build the facility. Those who

do decide to buy should make sure the location is appropriate for the business.

"Not all businesses have to be on a major thoroughfare," he says.

Other factors to consider: The property's value should be

appreciating; it should have plenty of parking and access to roadways and utilities;

and there should be some controls in place to ensure that, for instance, a

metal warehouse doesn't go in next to your upscale office space, says Bob

White, a certified commercial investment manager in Fort Myers.