Featured image credit: Ponderosapine210
Earlier this year, I told you everything you wanted to know about investing in industrial buildings. Well, almost everything. Today, I’m returning to the topic with some tips on where to look for industrial property for sale, from light industrial like auto body shops and junkyards to heavy industrial like refineries. Since I serve Southern California, I’m further simplifying my list by limiting my selections to areas in the Greater Los Angeles region.
Zoning Matters
You may think I don’t need to tell you how much zoning matters when purchasing an industrial property for sale. But I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to understand your city’s zoning regulations before making your investment. If you don’t have a firm grasp on zoning, then do yourself a favor and consult a professional commercial real estate agent! This goes double when you get into the permitting process.
What Kind of Investor Are You?
Before we get into the details, I want to stress that property investment can mean purchasing an industrial property for sale and leasing it out. But it can also mean being your own tenant; a fact that sometimes gets overlooked. If you run your own business, purchasing a property that affords you the right environment and resources to do your best work could be the strongest investment you make in a business. Keep in mind that investment can be hands-on for one investor and more of a spectator sport for another. Inevitably, you draw the boundary lines. Now, let’s look at three great areas for industrial investment in LA.
Sun Valley
Best for: Medium – Heavy Industrial
When searching for residential property, proximity to an airport is often a deal-killer. Not so with industrial properties. Noise isn’t too much of a concern when scouring the listing for the right industrial property for sale. Case in point: Sun Valley.
Just northeast of Burbank, Sun Valley is often in the flight paths of the Hollywood Burbank Airport and the Van Nuys Airport. That’s not bad for logistics, but it also primes the area for industrial zoning. Don’t forget its proximity to the 5 freeway handing it a significant logistical benefit. You’ll find huge sections of real estate between San Fernando Road and Glenoaks Boulevard devoted to industrial zoning. It’s no surprise that there’s also a fair amount of industrial property around the train tracks that run just off of Sherman Way.
North Hollywood
Best for: Light – Medium Industrial
North Hollywood may be a distinct neighborhood separate from the globally recognized entertainment colossus of Hollywood proper. But entertainment still saturates North Hollywood, from its prop warehouses to its arts district. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to overlook North Hollywood as one of the best places in the Greater LA area for staking out industrial property for sale. Another reason you may have forgotten about NoHo is that, due to its zoning, it’s best suited for light to medium industrial usage. But this makes it a fantastic place to open a business like an auto body shop.
San Bernardino
Best for: Medium – Heavy Industrial
Zoning matters in property investment, a fact that becomes unmistakably clear when looking for the right industrial property for sale. The heavier the intended industrial usage, the further you’ll often need to search away from the residential patchwork of metro Los Angeles. But that’s what makes San Bernardino such an ideal area for industrial investment in the Greater LA region. Aerospace, electronics, warehousing, and manufacturing industries thrive in San Bernardino. And all of that is great for industrial investment. The space afforded by San Bernardino also makes it ideal for the heavier side of industrial usage.
The Greater Los Angeles region is enormous with countless industrial sectors sprawling across its expanse. Personally, I’ve had a lot of luck finding industrial property for sale in Sun Valley, North Hollywood, and San Bernardino. But if those areas don’t work for you, comfort yourself with the knowledge that this is just scratching the surface. Curious to see what else is out there? Reach out and let me know what you’re looking for and I’ll be happy to have a look!
