Tuesday, March 24, 2009

NAI Realvest Founder, Chairman George Livingston Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Central Florida Commercial Real Estate

MAITLAND, FL --- NAI Realvest founder and chairman George Livingston (top right photo) was honored with the Wilbur Strickland Award for Lifetime Achievement during the 14th annual Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors (CFCAR) Hallmark Awards ceremony in Orlando recently.

This award, presented by Debra Lupton, AIA, chief executive officer of TLC Engineering for Architecture, recognizes an individual considered to be a founding father of commercial real estate who exemplifies outstanding dedication to the profession.

Livingston launched NAI Realvest in 1988. The former career Special Forces officer and counter-terrorism expert negotiated commercial property
transactions valued at more than a quarter billion dollars.

Livingston authored the first U.S. Department of Defense pamphlet on protection against terrorism strategies following three tours of duty in Vietnam.

CFCAR recognized ten other NAI Realvest brokers at the Hallmark Awards for outstanding performance in 2008.

NAI Realvest senior vice president and principal Michael Heidrich (top left photo) placed third among the top five industrial brokers for 2008.

Livingston, NAI Realvest principals Christie Alexander (middle right photo) and Robert Blackwell, (middle left photo, below Heidrich photo) SIOR were named among the top 10 producers for industrial properties in 2008.

Broker Mez Birdie, CCIM, CPM, SCSM, ranked among the top 10 retail producers and brokers Matt Cichocki, (middle right photo, above Partyka photo)) Kevin O’Connor (bottom left photo) and associate Drew Saphos were named among the top 10 land producers, NAI Realvest president Patrick Mahoney (bottom left photo, above O'Connor photo) said.

NAI Realvest managing partner and former Winter Springs Mayor Paul P. Partyka, (middle right photo, above Tom Kelley photo) ) principal Tom Kelley (bottom right photo) CCIM, and senior associate Mary Frances West, CCIM each received the Circle of Achievement Award.

CFCAR’s Hallmark Awards recognizes outstanding commercial real estate brokers in retail, office, land, and industrial transactions in a nine-county Central Florida region that includes Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler, Sumter, Marion and Lake Counties.

CONTACTS:
Paul P. Partyka, Managing Partner NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989, glivingston@realvest.com;
Patrick Mahoney, Partner, President, & COO, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com
Janice Paiano, Director of Marketing, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989, jpaiano@realvest.com
Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications, Inc. 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com.

$100.5M financing secured by HFF for 1101 K Street NW in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington, D.C. office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) has secured $100.5 million in financing for 1101 K Street NW, (top left photo) a 310,825-square-foot, Class A office property in Washington, D.C.

HFF senior managing directors Bob Donhauser (top right photo) and Bill Asbill (middle left photo) and director Cary Abod (bottom right photo) worked exclusively on behalf of the borrower, a joint venture between The JBG Companies and Rockwood Capital, LLC in arranging the three-year, adjustable-rate loan through Helaba (Landesbank Hessen-Thuringen Girozentrale).

The 65% loan-to-cost financing is replacing a construction loan through Bank of America and will provide funds until the asset is stabilized.

Completed in 2007, 1101 K Street NW is leased to tenants including FTI Consulting, Brunswick Capital, District of Columbia Bar Association, Information Technology Industry Council and Brasserie Back.

The property has 28,000-square-foot floor plates that feature 16 corner offices per floor and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the New City Center, Washington Monument and Capital Dome.

Building amenities include a rooftop deck, high-end fitness center with locker rooms and a first-floor restaurant.

The property is located in Washington, D.C.’s east end submarket on the corners of K, 11th and 12th Streets with easy access to four metro stations as well as the Verizon Center, Gallery Place neighborhood and the New City Center, due for completion in 2011.

Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, The JBG Companies is an active developer, investor, owner and operator of office, residential, hotel and retail properties with more than $10 billion in assets under management and development.

Founded in 1960, JBG has established a reputation as one of the leading real estate companies in the Washington metropolitan area.

More information can be found by visiting the company’s Web site: http://www.jbg.com/.

Rockwood Capital, LLC is a real estate investment company, which provides equity capital for repositioning, recapitalization, development and redevelopment of commercial property types, including retail, hotel, residential, office and research and development space in key markets throughout the United States.

Contacts:

Robert F. Donhauser, Senior Managing Director, (202) 533-2500, rdonhauser@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing (713) 852-3500, krmurphy@hfflp.com

HFF arranges $9M refinancing for south central Pennsylvania multifamily community

FLORHAM PARK, NJ – The New Jersey office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) has secured refinancing totaling $9 million for Plaza I and Plaza II Apartments, (top right photo) a 256-unit multifamily community in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

HFF senior managing director Jim Cadranell (bottom left photo) worked exclusively on behalf of Altman Companies to secure two, 10-year, 6.25% fixed-rate loans.


Wachovia Multifamily Capital Inc. and Fannie Mae provided a $4.6 million loan for Plaza I and a $4.4 million loan for Plaza II Apartments.


Located on 24 acres at 1813 Summit Street (Route 72), Plaza I and II Apartments is adjacent to the Lebanon Place Mall and close to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lebanon, a south central Pennsylvania suburb.


The 98% leased property has 12, three-story buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 780 square feet each. Community amenities include a swimming pool, two tennis courts, a half-court basketball court and tot lots.


Altman Companies, located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia, is a full-service real estate firm that owns and operates several thousand multifamily units throughout eastern Pennsylvania, and manages more than 14,000 units in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Contacts:



James A. Cadranell, HFF Managing Director, (973) 549-2000, jcadranell@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500, krmurphy@hfflp.com

HFF arranges $9.2M financing for most recent phase of Southlake Town Square in Dallas/Fort Worth area

DALLAS, TX – The Dallas office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced that it has arranged $9.2 million in financing for Block 22 of Southlake Town Square, (top right photo) a 35,436 -square-foot retail property in Southlake, Texas.

HFF managing director Kevin MacKenzie (bottom left photo) worked exclusively on behalf of the borrower, Inland Western REIT to secure the two-year, fixed-rate loan through American Bank of Texas.

Loan proceeds were used to acquire the property. This is the second financing HFF has arranged with Inland and American Bank of Texas in the last month. A $13.97 million financing was arranged for Preston Trail Village in late February 2009.

Completed in 2007, Block 22 is 96% leased to tenants including Charles Schwab, FedEx/Kinkos and AT&T and is the most recent expansion of Southlake Town Square, an 807,000-square-foot mixed-use center.


The property is situated on nearly four acres at 1256 Main Street on the north side of East Southlake Boulevard between Summit and Central Avenues in Southlake, a western suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth.

“The quality of the asset, strength of the borrower, and the previous relationship established with American Bank of Texas made for a smooth process throughout the transaction,” said MacKenzie.

Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust, Inc. is a self-managed real estate investment trust focused on the acquisition, development and management of retail properties, including lifestyle, power, community and neighborhood centers, in addition to single-user net lease properties in locations demonstrating solid demographics.

As of September 30, 2008, the portfolio consisted of 334 properties nationally, which the company owned or had interests in, totaling in excess of 51 million square feet.

For further information, please see the company website at http://www.inlandwestern.com/.

Contacts:
Kevin C. MacKenzie, HFF Managing Director, (214) 265-0880, kmackenzie@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing (713) 852-3500 krmurphy@hfflp.com

Florida's Existing Home, Condo Sales Rise in February

ORLANDO, FL /PRNewswire/ -- Florida's existing home sales rose in February, making it the sixth consecutive month that sales activity showed increases in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data released by the Florida Association of Realtors(R) (FAR).

February's statewide sales also increased over January's figures in both the existing home and existing condo markets.

Existing home sales rose 20 percent last month with a total of 9,858 homes sold statewide compared to 8,181 homes sold in February 2008, according to FAR.

February's statewide existing home sales were 16.7 percent higher than January's statewide sales.

Florida Realtors also reported a 15 percent gain in statewide sales of existing condominiums in February, continuing a trend in recent months for higher statewide sales of both the existing home and existing condo markets compared to year-ago levels.

Statewide existing condo sales last month increased 25.1 percent over the total units sold in January.

Thirteen of Florida's metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing-home sales in February while 11 MSAs also showed gains in condo sales.

It marks the eighth month in a row that a number of markets have reported increased sales.

Florida's median sales price for existing homes last month was $141,900; a year ago, it was $199,300 for a 29 percent decrease.

Industry analysts with the National Association of Realtors(R) (NAR) report a significant downward distortion in the current median price due to many discounted sales, including a large number of foreclosures.

The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.The national median sales price for existing single-family homes in January 2009 was $169,900, down 13.8 percent from a year earlier, according to NAR.

In California, the statewide median resales price was $254,350 in January; in Massachusetts, it was $321,000; in Maryland, it was $244,820; and in New York, it was $205,000.

Significant variations in local markets continue, according to NAR's latest housing outlook, which also notes that it will take time for the impact of the economic stimulus to show in housing data.

"Some markets appear to have reached the tipping point of accelerating home buying," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.(bottom right photo) "Improvement from the economic stimulus isn't likely to show as closed home sales before summer, although we may see an earlier lift from lower mortgage interest rates."

NAR analysts estimate the impact of the federal economic stimulus package and lower interest rates on the housing market to be about 900,000 additional home sales in 2009 compared to conditions before the stimulus package.

By the end of the year, NAR expects inventory to fall below an eight-month supply, which would be consistent with home price stabilization.In Florida's year-to-year comparison for condos, 3,198 units sold statewide compared to 2,785 sold in February 2008 for a 15 percent increase.

The statewide existing condo median sales price last month was $109,300; in February 2008 it was $173,900 for a 37 percent decrease.

In the latest data available at press time, NAR reported the national median existing condo price was $174,400 in January 2009.

Interest rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.13 percent last month, down significantly from the average rate of 5.92 percent in February 2008, according to Freddie Mac. FAR's sales figures reflect closings, which typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.

Among the state's medium-size markets, the Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie MSA reported a total of 372 homes sold in February compared to 263 homes a year ago for a 41 percent increase.

The existing home median sales price was $122,100; a year ago, it was $172,900 for a 29 percent decrease. In the year-to-year comparison for the existing condo market, a total of 71 units sold in the MSA last month, up 22 percent compared to 58 condos sold the previous February. The market's existing condo median price was $116,700; a year ago, it was $126,700 for an 8 percent decrease.

CONTACT:

Marla Martin, Communications Manager, +1-407-438-1400, ext.2326, or
Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications, +1-407-438-1400, ext.2314, both of Florida Association of Realtors

Pediatric Health Choice Opens Haines City, FL Facility

Child Care Specialist Plans 20 to 30 New Jobs for Area

HAINES CITY, FL—Jay Rohr of MetroOne, Inc. announces the opening of Pediatric Health Choice, a child health care specialist at Green Medical Center, 306 South 10th Street in Haines City, FL. (site map, top right)

Jay was the broker for the transaction and is part owner of the building.

“This is a wonderful service for the children and a huge convenience for parents. The alternatives are that the parent stays home with the child or the child is hospitalized.” notes Rohr.

PHC provides a One-Stop Care Coordination Model that enables physicians, discharge planners and case managers to easily order all needed services and continuity of patient care upon discharge from the physician or hospital.

The facility offers prescribed extended care for children with medically complex needs; infusion, physical, speech, nutrition, occupational and respiratory therapies; specialty injectables; case management and disease management; nursing visits; and private duty and/or skilled nursing services.
“It’s the best thing for the child who can be discharged from the hospital sooner and still obtain the prescribed medical care in a more relaxed environment” says Deborah Fraze, PHC’s vice president of clinical services.

The facility is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days a week. Most children arrive for a few hours of treatment or therapy, then leave with their parents. Others remain at the facility until their parents pick them up at the end of the day.

“We are adjustable on hours and can remain operational up to 12 hours a day, depending on the child’s needs,” notes Fraze.

The Haines City facility currently has an eight-person staff and plans to increase its work force shortly to about 20 professionals and support staff.

“We are looking possibly at 20 to 30 new jobs for the area,” says Fraze.

Mark Woodard, a health care professional from Lakeland, FL, is the administrator for the Haines City location.

Other PHC facilities in Florida, besides Haines City are located at Lakeland, Tampa, Sarasota, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, Orlando, Ocala, Daytona Beach and Gainesville. The nearby Lakeland facility opened in 1996.

Besides Pediatric Health Choice, the 306 South 10th St. building has another medical services tenant – At Home Companions. That company provides nursing services to patients in their homes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, a third tenant, occupies 9,100 square feet. About 3,000 square feet are available for lease. That space is “perfect for a pediatrics practice,” says Rohr.

“This building was the first clinic in the area with Dr. David J. Green; then a medical office; and now it’s completely renovated and again providing much needed services and jobs in the Haines City area,” says Rohr.

The building is three blocks south of U.S. 17 (Hinson Avenue) overlooking Lake Eva Park. Rohr says the Haines City/Davenport area is projected to continue its high-growth rate as the Orlando metropolitan area expands down the Interstate 4 corridor and Tampa presses eastward past Lakeland.

For more information on the Haines City facility, please contact:

Mark Woodard, Administrator, Pediatric Health Choice, 863 422 9050 or e-mail, Mwoodard@PediatricHC.com.

For more information on leasing, please contact:

Jay Rohr, CRE, MetroOne Inc., 427 S. New York Ave., Suite 201-C, Winter Park, FL 32789. PH 407 629 6001. E-mail, jayrohr@earthlink.net.