KANSAS CITY—The suburbs have been a bright spot for the metro area, and future hiring plans by a major employer gives many analysts confidence in the market's continued growth.

CHICAGO—The coming of Google has boosted neighborhood values, but many local food producers need somewhere to go before they sell.

CHICAGO—Prices keep increasing, but a thinning inventory has also curtailed the number of purchases.

ST. LOUIS—Demand has soared as the metro region shakes off the recession, setting the stage for speculative construction.

CHICAGO—The area hosts many small manufacturers and distributors, and a top developer says both local and overseas companies are thinking about expanding here.

OMAHA—The office and industrial markets recorded a great deal of absorption in the last quarter, according to Xceligent, pushing down vacancy rates to historic lows.

CHICAGO—The national occupancy rate of the 361 centers studied by IREM was 93%, up from 92% the previous year.

CHICAGO—As the self-storage industry looks ahead to a major conference in Chicago on Sept. 23-24, entrepreneurs say now is the time for new construction to begin.