Last year was a turning point for the commercial real estate market in Mesa County, and that strong growth has continued into this year. For the first quarter of 2019, commercial sales increased 20 percent over the first quarter of 2018.

I’m frequently asked where buyers come from. The Denver area? California? The answer might surprise you. More than 85 percent of the commercial property sales in which I’ve participated since 2016 have involved local buyers and investors. Out of 50 sales, only seven involved out-of-area buyers.

So let’s break down those out-of-area transactions:

• A 13-acre parcel of industrially zoned land at 2169 River Road was sold to Solar Group from Denver for $320,000.
• A 9,300-square-foot building on 3 acres at 821 21 1/2 Road was sold to a Nebraska steel fabricator for $625,000.
• A small automotive shop at 810 Grand in Fruita was sold to a Denver buyer for $245,000.
• An 8,600-square-foot shop at 742 Scarlet was sold for $1.32 million to a Wyoming investor to use as an oil and gas equipment service company location.
• A 30,000-square-foot office building at 790 Wellington was sold to a Utah developer for $944,500 and was renovated into new space for a nonprofit organization.
• A 4,000-square-foot condo at 2494 Patterson Road was sold for $485,000 to a couple from Estes Park for a retail store.
• A 12,000-square-foot industrial office warehouse located at 563 W. Crete was sold for $950,000 to a New York buyer.
• I’d like to highlight several other remarkable commercial sales that recently occurred:
• A 15,000-square-foot high tech office warehouse located at  2415 Blue Heron Road was sold for $2 million to a local investor, allowing a new local tenant to lease the property.

The former Grand Junction Athletic Club, a 33,000-square-foot building at 2525 Foresight, was sold for $1.75 million to a local investors group. The building will be remodeled into offices scheduled to open this fall.

A 12,000-square-foot building that formerly housed the Fruita Athletic Club was sold for $835,000 to a local investor.

A 10,000-square-foot building on 6 acres at 3210 E Road was sold for $1 million to a local group.

A 6,250-square-foot office warehouse at 2789 Riverside was sold for $700,000 to a local engineering company that will expand its operations.

Given current market conditions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see strong commercial sales continue for at least the next six to 12 months. While the Mesa County market has attracted more attention from out-of-area businesses, I believe local businesses and investors will continue to drive growth.

Mesa County has a limited inventory of commercial and industrial properties. It’s beneficial for buyers and investors to work with qualified commercial brokers who’re familiar with the inventory and can properly negotiate sales.