Hilliker University
Hilliker Corporation education and real estate information.
What the heck is a Gigawatt?
Like the general public, our Hilliker industrial agents continue to hear about gigawatts and megawatts. Historically, we have always rated an industrial building’s power by the amount of volts and amps available. This is easier for our manufacturing clients to match...
How much does it cost to build a commercial building?
Great question! The best way to understand the numbers is to explore a real project. Here’s a recent example. Client: Classroom Library Company Location: 17970 Edison | Chesterfield, MO 63005 Contact your favorite Hilliker Agent for additional information on new...
1031 Tax-Deferred Exchanges
In 2024, Hilliker and Westwood agents successfully assisted clients with over 20 completed 1031 Exchange transactions. So far in 2025, we’ve already completed 10 more—a testament to our expertise in this area. Why Consider a 1031 Exchange? Real estate values are up,...
Some Failures Become Successes 1031 Investment Trade Search – A Hilliker Story
A Hilliker client sold a $1M retail building and needed to identify a replacement property to defer capital gains. We sourced an income-producing asset priced below market, though with a shorter remaining lease term. Worth a closer look. As diligence unfolded, the...
Where The Heck Are Interest Rates?
Where The Heck Are Interest Rates Fed Funds Rate (See chart): Currently 5.50% Interest rate which is set by Federal Reserve which banks can borrow/lend money from/to each other. After a series of increases in 2021 and 2022 this rate has remained unchanged since the...
“Buy land, they’re not making it anymore” Mark Twain
“Buy land, they're not making it anymore” Mark Twain A note from Hilliker Land sales expert Jeffrey Price I grew up in a family which has been successful in real estate development for over 70 years. Since 2007 I have worked on development projects of all sizes...
Rising Interest Rates Have Yet to Curb Record Demand and Pricing
Rising Interest Rates Have Yet to Curb Record Demand and Pricing “Writing on the Wall?" The 25 and 50 basis point increases by the Federal Reserve in March and May along with the June 16th three quarter (3/4)...
UCC: What’s that? Even an intern can understand!
UCC: What’s that? Even an intern can understand! When buying a property and reviewing the title report you could discover something called a UCC filing attached, but what is it? A UCC, or Uniform Commercial Code, covers a list of laws on commercial transactions, such...
St. Louis History & facts
St. Louis History & facts St. Louis City and St. Louis County split in 1876 creating two separate counties. St. Louis City County and St. Louis County. Population in 1876: St. Louis City 340,000 St. Louis County 27,000 Population in 2021: St. Louis City: 295,000St....
SNDA: What’s That?
SNDA: What’s That? As a requirement of most lease agreements Tenants are asked to agree to a form of SNDA= Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment Agreement. While the title sounds daunting the agreement is simply a confirmation of the relationship between the...
Office Space is Alive and Well
During the pandemic, as board meetings quickly moved from conference rooms to Zoom Rooms, all the talk in the media and around the new virtual watercooler was the future of working remotely. After all, after a year of just rolling out of bed instead of rolling into...
Opportunity in the time of COVID
Even in a pandemic, there are chances to save money and grow your business. Well, when it comes to the current state of the world of commercial real estate, I’ve got good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news…if you can call it news. It’s no newsflash that...
Edwardsville’s Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C., leases downtown St. Louis office space
A law firm with over thirty years of experience, GHA’s Chad Brigham called on Hilliker’s Will Aschinger to help them establish their presence in Missouri. A Home Base in Madison County Chad Brigham is a lawyer and partner at Goldenberg Heller & Antongoli, P.C., a...
James G. Staat Tuckpointing outgrows previous location, purchases commercial industrial warehouse in Fenton
Staat runs one of the largest tuckpointing operations in MO. Bursting at the seams, he called on Will Aschinger of Hilliker Corp for the next phase of his company’s growth. At just seventeen, Jim Staat, got into the tuckpointing business, having no idea it would...
Contract to Close: Managing the Most Demanding Part of Your Commercial Real Estate Deal
Buyers: Do you know what happens once you’ve signed your contract? Deals can happen fast in Commercial Real Estate. But speed isn’t guaranteed. It’s possible to spend months, even years, searching for the right property. Then, negotiating the deal can be intense. When...
Ready to Sell Your Commercial Real Estate? Here’s What’s Next.
If you own commercial real estate, there are plenty of smart reasons to hold onto your investment. Perhaps it houses your business, or you count on the income it provides. Perhaps it’s going up in value, and there’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon....
Divest for Success — Here’s When to Sell Your Commercial Real Estate Investment
Over my thirty-three years in the commercial real estate business, I’ve helped hundreds make smart property investments. The market is complicated, but with an average rate of return of 10.6%, real estate consistently outperforms the S&P 500 Index (roughly 8%). That’s...
How Hilliker Thrives in the Cutthroat Commercial Real Estate World
The independent, Brentwood-based firm credits a hyperlocal approach with national connections for its success in face of its heavy-hitter competitors. When Ben Hilliker started his real estate firm more than 30 years ago, he could count his competitors on one hand....
Better Deals, Less Stress: How to Choose the Right Commercial Real Estate Broker for You
I was in my early-30s when I got started in Commercial Real Estate. That was over thirty years ago! Then, as now, newer Brokers teamed up with more experienced Brokers to learn the ropes. That’s when I met Wallace McNeill. Wallace was the first person to show me how...
The Business Owner’s Guide to Preparing to Buy Commercial Property
If your current commercial lease is coming up for renewal, you’re likely asking yourself questions about your next steps, wondering what it’s like to start building equity in real estate instead of paying rent to other people. You may also like the idea of increasing...
Do You Know What You’re Signing? Here’s How to Understand Your Commercial Real Estate Lease Agreement
Here’s a familiar story. An entrepreneur is outgrowing her current space or is ready to lease new space for the first time. She goes for a drive, sees a sign on a building that looks like it might fit her company’s needs, and calls the number listed. She asks the...
How to find Commercial Property in St. Louis
Looking to Rent or Buy Commercial Property in St. Louis? Here’s How to Start your Search Over the next several months, members of our team of Commercial Real Estate Pros will be sharing their expertise with people like you — business leaders poised to move to a new...