SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA—Locally based residential real estate firm Port Street Realty Corp., an Orange County subsidiary of Pintar Investment Group, has opened its fourth US office, a flagship office in Murrieta, CA. The opening marks the brand's continued commitment in the Inland Empire region, an area the firm says has been extremely popular for investors looking to capitalize on single-family residences.

Husband-wife team Bryan and Lori-Anne Auer, formerly of Allison James, were brought on to run the new office under the Port Street Realty Corp. brand. With more than 16 years of combined experience, the two have consistently outperformed the competition. Ranking in the top 10 for homes sold in 2013 with close to $30 million in gross sales, they are experts in REO; investor flips; short sales; investor acquisitions; investor dispositions; FHA, VA and conventional loan purchases; and property management.

According to Bryan Auer, “We are honored to be part of a group that boasts such an intelligent deployment of capital and diverse market entities, combined with expertise in property acquisition, property management and property disposition.”

Jeff Pintar, founder and president of Port Street, adds, “We are delighted to have Bryan and Lori-Anne join the team and head up our new Murrieta office. Not only do they bring years of knowledge and experience, but their sincerity and work ethic breed sustained relationships and lifetime clients.”

GlobeSt.com was unable to reach the Auers prior to deadline to discuss the firm's commitment to the Inland Empire and why SFRs have been so strong there. We will update this story as more information becomes available.

However, as GlobeSt.com reported in January, there are many reasons why the Inland Empire has become a region of focus for the industrial sector in particular. According to Marc Berg, director of development and acquisitions for Thrifty Oil Co., who spoke on a panel during RealShare Inland Empire in January, with a population of 24.5 million, a mild climate, the Southern California lifestyle and a large pool of workers, the Inland Empire is a natural place for distributors to locate. “There's a great base of people to work with, and they're well educated.” He added that thanks to e-commerce, industrial here is not just distribution—it includes back-off operations as well.