Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Key Components of a Successful Social Media Strategy


Les Adkins, CEO, Orange SMS

Observations by Michael Bull, CCIM, Founder, Bull Realty Inc., Atlanta, GA

In today’s online world, having an effective social media presence is more important than ever. To achieve a proper return on investment, successful business users utilize a well-planned social media strategy

Michael Bull
I had the opportunity to speak on some panels with social media strategist Les Adkins, CEO of Orange SMS. With everyone so impressed with his advice, we invited him to Studio One to share some best practices with the “Commercial Real Estate Show” audience. We discussed several key components of a good social business strategy, including how to pick the right platforms and how to attract the right audience for your specific business.


Creating a Strategic Plan

When building a social media strategy, the first two questions you should ask are “Who is your audience?” and “What do you want them to do?” Adkins said.

 Based on your answers, you’ll be able to choose which platforms are best for you to focus on and what kind of content you’ll want to create.

 Keep in mind that innovation and technology change rapidly, so you must have a fluid strategy that you are constantly reviewing, Adkins said.

For example, our audience for the “Commercial Real Estate Show” is nationwide and somewhat worldwide, so we post information interesting to a very wide commercial real estate-oriented audience.  

However if you’re an office tenant rep in New York, you should post information interesting to business owners in New York, and not always real estate oriented. Include HR, sales and other items interesting to business leaders in your area.

“It’s important to include a combination of some personal information along with business information on social media,” Adkins added. “People want to do business with people. Social media allows people to feel connected to your employees, even if they have never met. They are more likely to promote your organization if they can see that you are an entity of individuals.”

There are several tools that can help create efficiencies with your social media endeavors, like HootSuite, but you have to be careful how you use them, Adkins said. 

For example, some platforms allow you to pre-schedule posts, which is good within a small timeframe. 

If it’s too far out, your audience could change or there could be some kind of event that might make your information irrelevant, he added.

Choosing Platforms

What platform you use depends on your audience, Adkins said. The top three social media platforms are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, but others such as Instagram might be a good fit depending on the interests of your audience and where they are active.

It’s important to know which platforms your best customers are most active in, Adkins said. “If your audience is on Twitter and your business isn’t, they may not do business with you because to them you don’t exist.”

Mistakes to Avoid

When launching your social media platforms, it’s important to know what not to do. If you are just starting out and you try to sell something, it won’t work and you’ll immediately lose your audience, Adkins said. “If you do something wrong on social media, people are much less forgiving and the mistake can take longer to overcome.”

A lot of big companies still try to use social media platforms for push marketing, but it’s more about attraction marketing because you are trying to build loyalty and trust, Adkins said. 

If your social media audience trusts your organization, they’ll be more likely to purchase and promote your product or service. You should post, re-tweet and share information helpful to your target customer to attract them.

We recently started another attraction marketing system utilizing twitter and YouTube. Called “Ask Michael Bull,” I answer a commercial real estate-related question on video each business day. You’re invited to check it out on twitter at @AskMichaelBull or at the play list “Answers” on the show’s YouTube channel.

To hear more tips and best practices, you’re invited to listen to the on-demand show podcast on iTunes or at the show website.

Michael Bull, CCIM, is the host of the nationally syndicated Commercial Real Estate Show and founder of Bull Realty, Inc., a U.S. commercial real estate sales and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta. Michael on Twitter and LinkedIn.


Industrial Strength: Sector Making Significant Strides




Observations by Michael Bull, CCIM, Founder, Bull Realty Inc., Atlanta, GA


Michael Bull
With the housing market starting to pick back up and absorption on track to outpace last year, the industrial sector has continued its recovery, its sights set on a bright 2014.

That recovery was the focus of the most recent episode of the “Commercial Real Estate Show” radio program. My guests and I discussed the specific factors driving the recovery, such as the growth of e-commerce, as well as the return of new development.

Who’s Steering?

A steadily improving economy has led the industrial market to experience improving fundamentals for the last 13 quarters, said Rene Circ, director of research at PPR, a CoStar company. 

Approximately 33 million square feet of absorption occurred nationwide in third quarter for a total of 79 million square feet year-to-date, he said.

Rene Circ
“All we need is 3 million square feet of absorption in the fourth quarter to surpass absorption in 2012,” Circ added. “We are forecasting [the fourth-quarter total] to be closer to 30 million square feet.”

So what specifically is driving the recovery? The housing sector, for starters. “Housing was an anchor on the industrial market, but now that’s not the case,” Circ said. 

“The housing market has legs. That’s why we are seeing recovery in the light-industrial segment.”

In third quarter, approximately 60 percent of the 1,200 submarkets tracked by PPR saw improvement in the light-industrial segment — buildings that are approximately 100,000 square feet. 

Vacancies in that segment are about 7 percent, better than the 7.9 percent vacancy for the industrial market overall.

E-Commerce Remains Hot

Summey Orr
“When e-commerce first emerged, so many people said ‘That’s going to take commercial real estate under,’ but that doesn’t make sense,” said Summey Orr, managing partner of Hartman Simons.

 “Merchandise has to be housed somewhere. We’ve seen a lot more industrial development as big retailers are building large rapid-deployment centers closer to major commerce areas so the product can be shipped more quickly.”

Amazon has been the leader of this trend, said Sim Doughtie, president of King Industrial Realty Inc. “An economist from Texas A&M said that when Amazon had $58 billion in sales they had replaced approximately 128 regional malls,” he added.

“With Amazon delivering some items the same day, now that’s going to affect commercial real estate,” Orr said. “That means there are more opportunities for developers to get out there and find buildings to be a part of.”

Sim Doughtie
However, investors should be wary of the huge industrial distribution buildings that companies like Amazon are building, Circ said. “It’s a safe assumption that Amazon will leave after the first lease or possibly extend their lease for five years,” he said. “As an investor, you have to think about who would be willing to lease that space.”

Development Starting Again

Development has started to pick up, with strong industrial markets such as Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles seeing both speculative and build-to-suit activity, Doughtie said.

Markets like Chicago and Atlanta are still seeing more build-to-suit product, as vacancies in those markets still remain high. “For example, Atlanta has had 24 build-to-suit developments take place during the last couple of years, but only two speculative projects,” Doughtie added.

“We are actually doing a lot of deals where lenders are lending to developers to build new products,” Orr said. “That’s a real sign that this isn’t just a mythical recovery.”
For companies looking for new development sites, it’s imperative that they define their needs exactly, Doughtie said.

 “A lot of companies get off course because they don’t define clearly what it is that they want. They might have a national broker, but they need a local broker too who knows the market, incentives and where the properties are.”

A lawyer or broker can help navigate through the process of getting incentives for new developments or relocations, Orr said. “It’s becoming more and more important to use incentives. It can make a dramatic difference in the bottom line.”

The entire episode on the U.S. industrial market is available for download at www.CREshow.com.

Michael Bull, CCIM, is the host of the nationally syndicated Commercial Real Estate Show and founder of Bull Realty, Inc., a U.S. commercial real estate sales and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta. Michael on Twitter and LinkedIn.

1,780 New Condos Unsold In South Florida From Real Estate Crash Of 2007




MIAMI, FL -- Less than 1,780 new condos from a pool of nearly 49,000 units created during the last South Florida real estate boom are unsold in the seven largest coastal markets of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties as of the third quarter of 2013, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

Between July and September of 2013, buyers paid nearly $84.7 million - an average of about $470 per square foot - for almost 150 condo units in projects built since 2003 east of Interstate 95 in the coastal markets of Greater Downtown Miami, South Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Hollywood / Hallandale Beach, Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Beach, Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach, and Downtown West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Island, according to a report based on the Condo Vultures® Official Condo Buyers Guide™ eBook series.

The buying activity - at a pace of nearly 50 new condos monthly - in the third quarter of this year reduced the number of unsold developer units to more than 1,775 condos as of September 30, 2013, according to the report.

Peter Zalewski
"Developers in South Florida are still in possession of about four percent of the condo units created during the last boom-and-bust cycle that began in 2003," said Peter Zalewski, a principal with the Greater Downtown Miami-based real estate consultancy Condo Vultures® LLC.

"At the current 2013 sales pace of more than 75 transactions monthly between January and September, the unsold developer units from the last South Florida condo boom-and-bust cycle should be absorbed in about 23 months.

“The unanswered question is what impact the more than 180 pre-construction condo towers proposed - or under construction - in South Florida will ultimately have on the unit inventory from the last real estate boom."

Since the week of October 14, 2013, CondoVultures.com has been profiling condo trends in the third quarter of 2013 in the 10 largest coastal markets in the tricounty South Florida region of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Condo Vultures® LLC
225 Midtown Building
 225 NE 34th Street
 Suite 209B
Downtown Miami, Florida, 33137.

1-800-750-0517.

Bull Realty Brokers Sales of Three Office Properties in Metro Atlanta


3050 and 3060 Royal Boulevard South, Alpharetta, GA

Casey Keitchen
ATLANTA, GA (Dec. 31, 2013) – In separate transactions, Bull Realty has brokered the sales of three metro Atlanta office properties. The properties, which are located in Acworth, Ga., and Alpharetta, Ga., total more than 78,000 square feet.

• SugarOak Investors acquired 3050 and 3060 Royal Blvd. South in Alpharetta for $3.9 million. The two office buildings total 60,352 square feet and have a combined occupancy rate of 70 percent. Tom Shafer and John Hinson of CBRE represented the seller, KR Office Investors LLC, and Casey Keitchen, a vice president in Bull Realty’s National Office Group, represented the buyer.

• An Israeli-based investor purchased the 18,000-square-foot Building 800 in the office park located at 4900 Ivey Rd. in Acworth for $960,000. In partnership with the FDIC, a regional bank sold the property, which has an occupancy rate of 50 percent. Keitchen represented the sellers in the transaction.

4900 Ivery Road, Acworth, GA
 “These sales are an example of investors’ increasing interest in suburban product as they search for opportunities to increase yield,” Keitchen said.

 “Investor interest has continued to increase throughout 2013 for both distressed and stabilized office product alike. As 2014 gets underway, we expect to see office investment sales activity continue to accelerate for both core and value-add opportunities like these.”

Bull Realty Inc (www.BullRealty.com) is a U.S. commercial real estate sales and consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta. The firm was founded 16 years ago with two primary missions: 1) to provide a company of stellar integrity and reputation, and 2) to provide the best commercial real estate marketing in the nation.

 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Savannah Duncan • The Wilbert Group
1720 Peachtree St., Suite 350 • Atlanta, Ga. 30309
O: 404-343-0870  • M: 404-901-4433

Veteran Attorney Joseph J. Fucile Joins Hartman Simons Law Firm in Atlanta, GA


Joseph J. Fucile
ATLANTA, GA – Joseph J. Fucile, whose legal career includes a nearly six-year stint with the University System of Georgia, has joined the Hartman Simons & Wood (Hartman Simons) law firm as senior counsel. His practice will focus on commercial real estate matters.

Fucile, who most recently worked as a sole practitioner, served as director of real estate services for the University System of Georgia from 2007 to 2013.

There, he managed the legal and real estate issues of a portfolio that includes more than 9,000 buildings owned by the system as well as nearly 3.6 million square feet of space that it leases.

Fucile worked at Hartman Simons, where he served as an environmental and land development attorney for international retailers and commercial developers, from 2000 to 2005, and he later practiced at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton in Atlanta, where he represented clients in commercial real estate and construction contract matters.

Before attending law school, Fucile worked as a planner in the Putnam County, Fla., Department of Planning, Zoning and Building, and as a senior management analyst for the State of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management.

Summey Orr
“Joe brings both a depth and range of experience and expertise that will serve our clients very well,” said Summey Orr, managing partner of Hartman Simons. 

“His intelligence and skill were tremendous assets to our firm during his initial tenure at Hartman Simons, and we could not be more excited about his return.”

Fucile is a 1999 graduate of the University of Florida College of Law. 

He also holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida College of Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts from Florida Atlantic University. 

He was named a “rising star” in Atlanta magazine’s Super Lawyers issues in 2005, 2006 and 2007.





For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Stephen Ursery
The Wilbert Group
404.549.7150 – office
404.405.2354 – cell
sursery@thewilbertgroup.com


Cuhaci & Peterson Architects awarded contract on redevelopment project in Hialeah, FL

       
Typical Aldi Grocery Store exterior

ORLANDO, FL--- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park started work on a redevelopment project with Sears Holding Co. on a former K-Mart facility in Hialeah.

Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson, said the facility, originally 100,000 square feet and now under construction, will be home to an 18,000 square foot Aldi grocery store and an 80,000 Sears store.

 Cuhaci & Peterson Architects is one of the nation’s leading designers of retail space with projects that total more than two million square feet annually.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, Inc. 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

   

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects awarded contract to design “Retail Center” by Palm Beach Mall in West Palm Beach, FL

                                                          
Palm Beach Mall, West Palm Beach, FL

 ORLANDO, FL--- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, recently won a contract to design a new “retail center” located off I-95 by the Palm Beach Mall on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson Architects, said the power center totals 310,100 square feet and the developer is New England Development in Boston.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, Inc. 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com

   

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects complete design work on Eagle Creek Center in Orlando, FL


Eagle Creek Golf Course, Orlando, FL

ORLANDO, FL --- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects Engineers Planners, based in Orlando’s Baldwin Park, recently completed design work on Phase One of a new Eagle Creek Retail and Business Center.

Eric J. Emerson, Vice President,
Emerson International Inc.
Lonnie Peterson, chairman at Cuhaci & Peterson said Eagle Creek is located off Narcoossee Rd. and Phase One of the center will offer around 28,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and professional office space that will be ready for occupancy in the fall of 2014.

The owner and developer of the project is Emerson International, Inc.

Cuhaci & Petersen Architects is one of the nation’s leading designers of retail space with projects that total more than two million square feet annually.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, Inc. 407-644-4142, lvershelco@aol.com
  

Monday, December 30, 2013

Marcus & Millichap Brokers $7.5 Million Sale of 155-Unit Apartment Building in Satellite Beach, FL


Shore View Apartments, 50 Berkeley Street, Satellite Beach, FL

Michael Donaldson

 SATELLITE BEACH, FL,  Dec. 30, 2013 – Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has announced the sale of Shore View, a 155-unit apartment community located in Satellite Beach, Fla., according to Richard D. Matricaria, regional manager of the firm’s Tampa office. The asset sold for $7,500,000.

Michael Donaldson and Nicholas Meoli, senior associates in the Tampa, Fla. office of Marcus & Millichap had the exclusive listing to market the property on behalf of the seller, based in Maryland.  The local buyer, a limited liability company, was also secured by Donaldson and Meoli.

Shore View is located at 50 Berkeley Street, across the street from the Atlantic Ocean in Satellite Beach, Fla. 

This 155-unit apartment complex is situated on approximately 8.5 acres of land and consists of five, two-story buildings built in 1964.

Nicholas Meoli
  Each unit is cable-ready, equipped with ceiling fans, oversized utility rooms, private patios or balconies and central heat and air-conditioning.

Common area amenities of the property include laundry facilities in each building, a state-of-the-art fitness center, several barbeque/picnic areas equipped with grills and tables, a junior Olympic-size swimming pool, basketball court and a 1,000-square foot clubhouse that is available for rent by tenants.

“Combined with the property’s unique location across from the Atlantic Ocean and the high occupancy level sustained over the last few months, Shore View Apartments was a ‘one-of-a-kind’ investment opportunity as evidenced by the 18 offers we procured from buyers all over the world,” says Donaldson.

“If you look at Florida’s inventory of beachside communities, they are typically smaller complexes with fewer than 100 units and have already been converted to condominiums, making Shore View a rare find.” 

“Overall, Shore View is an exceptional piece of real estate and a well sought-after investment with multiple exit strategies,” adds Meoli. 

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

 Richard D. Matricaria
Regional Manager
Tampa, FL
(813) 387-4700


Marcus & Millichap Arranges Sale of 62-Unit Multifamily Community in St. Petersburg, FL for $3 Million

  
Fountain Court Apartments, 600 40th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL

  
Francesco
Carriera

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Dec. 30, 2013 – Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has announced the sale of Fountain Court Apartments, a 62-unit multifamily community located in St. Petersburg, Fla., according to Richard D. Matricaria, regional manager of the firm’s Tampa office.

The asset sold for $3,090,000.

Michael Regan
Francesco “Frank” Carriera and Michael Regan, vice presidents investments and Joshua Teplitzky, investment specialist in Marcus & Millichap’s Tampa office, had the exclusive listing to market the property on behalf of the local seller, a private investor. 

The listing agents also procured the buyer of the property, a limited liability company based in Safety Harbor, Fla.

Fountain Court Apartments was built in 1968 and is located at 600 40th Street North in St. Petersburg, Fla. 

Joshua Teplitzky

There are two, two-story buildings and two, three-story buildings consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans.

 The property has undergone major renovations within the last two years which includes, new exterior paint, new roofs, updates to the pool, elevators, courtyard and the interiors of select units.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

 Richard D. Matricaria
Regional Manager
Tampa, FL
(813) 387-4700


Saturday, December 28, 2013

The Partyka Group (PG) at NAI Realvest Expands, names Juan Jimenez a PG partner to focus on Investors from South America


Juan Jimenez
Orlando, FL – The Partyka Group at NAI Realvest has named Associate Juan Jimenez, a PG partner focusing on investment buyers from South America.

 Paul P. Partyka, partner at NAI Realvest, said the Partyka Group is focusing on investors from the Middle East and South America.

 Jimenez, a native of Colombia, is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, and has been with NAI Realvest for two years.  The Partyka Group has multi-lingual capabilities and can handle international transactions throughout the world.

 Partyka, a former mayor of Winter Springs, has more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate and was recently recognized by CoStar as a Power Broker.

 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:


 Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com   

New Tenant to bring Tempting Aroma to Aloma Business Center in Winter Park, FL


Aloma Business Center, Aloma Avenue near the Greenway (State Road 417, Winter Park, FL


Winston Schwartz
WINTER PARK, FL--- Aloma Business Center recently negotiated a new long-term lease agreement for 1,875 square feet of industrial space and developer Winston Schwartz said he can’t wait for the new tenant to move in.

All From Scratch, LLC is an established specialty bakery based in Oviedo.

Aloma Business Center is located on Aloma Ave. near the Greeneway (SR 417).

For more information, please contact:  

Winston Schwartz, President, Winston-James Development, Inc. 933 Beville Rd., South Daytona, Fla. 32119; 386-760-2555;  


 Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com

Friday, December 27, 2013

HFF arranges $114.7 million construction and equity financing for multi-housing development along Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston, MA


One Greenway rendering planned along southern end of Rose Kennedy Greenway
in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood
 
Riaz A. Cassum

 BOSTON, MA – HFF announced today that it has arranged $114.7 million in financing for One Greenway, a to-be-built, Class A multi-housing property located along the southern end of the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood.

               HFF worked on behalf of the borrower, an affiliate of New Boston Fund, Inc., Urban Strategy America Fund LP, and the Asian Community Development Corporation to secure the $104 million construction loan through PNC Bank, People’s United Bank, and Boston Private Bank & Trust. 

HFF also arranged a $10.7 million equity investment from National Real Estate Advisors.

               Due for completion in Summer 2015, One Greenway’s North Building will consist of the following  components: a 21-story, 217-unit market-rate rental unit tower portion, a 10-story, mid-rise portion with 95 affordable-rate rental units, a 135-space, below-grade parking garage, and approximately 3,300 square feet of retail and 5,000 square feet of community space. 

Also included in the development is a new 1/3 of an acre public park.  The 1.5-acre site is located at the intersection of Kneeland and Hudson Streets adjacent to the Rose Kennedy Greenway and close to the Financial District and South Station. 

Porter Terry
               The HFF team representing the borrower was led by senior managing director Riaz Cassum and director Porter Terry.

               “HFF was thrilled to be involved with One Greenway given the transformative nature of this development,” said Cassum.  “It took a tremendous amount of effort and coordination to bring together the various capital sources for the project.”

               Founded in 1993, New Boston is a real estate investment management firm based in Boston, MA that manages more than $1.2 billion in private equity capital on behalf of high net worth and institutional investors.  

With nearly $3.5 billion in cumulative investment and development activity through eight successful private equity real estate funds, New Boston's value-added investment strategies focus on middle market investment opportunities in the Eastern United States.

Rose Kennedy Greenway park, Boston, MA
               Asian CDC is a nonprofit developer that specializes in affordable housing development, having built over $110 million of real estate in the Downtown and Greater Boston area over the last 24 years.  

The firm has experience taking complex, mixed-use development proposals through multi-agency, multiple stakeholder public approval processes.  

Among a multitude of other public subsidies, Asian CDC has successfully secured tax credit allocations and maintained program compliance for previously awarded projects.
  
For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Kristen M. Murphy
Associate Director
HFF | One Post Office Square, Suite 3500 | Boston, MA 02109
Main: 617-338-0990 | Direct: 617-848-1572 | Cell: 617-543-4873 | www.hfflp.com



Marcus & Millichap Arranges Sale of Sandy Creek Apartments in Waycross, GA for $1.55 Million

  
Sandy Creek Apartments, 600 Summit Street, Waycross, GA

John E. (Jay) Brigel
WAYCROSS, GA,  Dec. 27, 2013 – Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has announced the sale of Sandy Creek Apartments, a 80-unit apartment property located in Waycross, Ga., according to Richard D. Matricaria, regional manager of the firm’s Tampa office.

 The asset sold for $1,550,001.

John E. (Jay) Brigel, a senior associate in Marcus & Millichap’s Tampa office, had the exclusive listing to market the property on behalf of the seller, a government agency.  Brigel also represented the buyer of the property, a Georgia-based partnership.

 Michael Fasano, vice president and regional manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Atlanta office is the firm’s broker of record in Georgia.

Sandy Creek Apartments is located at 600 Summit Street in Waycross, Ga.  

The property was built in 1973 and consists of ten, two-story buildings.  Sandy Creek Apartments is located in a very desirable location, approximately one half-mile from the Mayo Clinic Hospital. 

Michael Fasano
Property amenities include a sparkling pool, an on-site courtesy officer and a laundry facility. 

“The asset was gifted to a local University three years ago and subsequently rents were never raised and capital maintenance items were allowed to mount,” says Brigel.

 “The University Foundation’s president is very excited about the final sales price and the buyer is equally excited about acquiring a nice value-add property.”


For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Richard D. Matricaria
Regional Manager
Tampa, FL
(813) 387-4700

Steve Gabbert, CSBA, CBCP, LEED® AP of Snyder Langston is Elected to Board of Directors for U.S. Green Building Council Orange County Chapter

  
Steven Gabbert

IRVINE, CA (Dec. 27, 2013)— Snyder Langston, one of Southern California’s largest and most respected builders, is pleased to announce that its Director of Sustainability, Steve Gabbert, CSBA, CBCP, LEED® AP, has been elected by the Orange County Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC-OC) to serve on its Board of Directors for the 2014-2015 term.

“It is an honor to be elected to this position,” said Gabbert. “I am looking forward to serving on the USGBC-OC Board and will focus on building a stronger engagement within the organization, as well as further develop a culture of sustainability within our community.”

 This new board position is an extension of Snyder Langston’s passion for leading its sustainability initiative.  The firm has a deep-rooted philosophy and culture to be an advocate for green building and promoting the value of sustainability to its clients and their projects. 

 The USGBC-OC Chapter has more than 400 members which include developers, designers, investors, manufacturers, architects, facility managers, engineers and builders who work together to foster more sustainable, healthy and prosperous communities in Orange County. 
 The Chapter organizes regular events, workshops, meet-ups, and study groups to provide numerous opportunities for education, advocacy and networking.

A 10-year employee of Snyder Langston, Gabbert holds a Bachelor of Science, Regional Development, from University of Arizona, and is a LEED® Accredited Professional, a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor and Certified Building Commissioning Professional.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Darcie Giacchetto
Spaulding Thompson & Associates
949.278.6224


Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Related Plans 1,200 Miami Condos Across From Its 1,800-Unit ICON Brickell


ICON Brickell condominiums, Downtown Miami, FL


Jorge Perez

MIAMI, FL -- As the South Florida condo market rebounds from the devastating real estate crash of 2007, Miami billionaire Jorge Perez of the Related Group - the tricounty region's most prolific vertical residential developer - is proposing to build three towers with 1,200 condo units across the street from one of his earlier three condo tower projects - the 1,800-unit ICON Brickell - in Greater Downtown Miami, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

For the Related Group, the newly proposed project - dubbed the One Brickell and slated to go up at 444 Brickell Ave. - represents the 27th, 28th, and 29th new condo towers with a combined 7,500 units slated to be developed by the Miami-based company in the coastal tri-county region of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, according to the Preconstruction Condo Projects Database™ compiled by the licensed Florida brokerage CVR Realty™.


By comparison, the Related Group developed 24 new condo towers with more than 9,125 units in South Florida's seven largest coastal markets during the last boom-and-bust cycle that began in 2003, according to the Condo Vultures® Official Condo Buyers Guide™ series.

Peter Zalewski
With the new Related Group project, developers are now proposing at least 45 new towers with more than 13,400 condo units in the Greater Downtown Miami market that stretches from the Julia Tuttle Causeway south to the Rickenbacker Causeway, and Biscayne Bay west to Interstate 95 as of December 23, 2013, according to the Preconstruction Condo Projects Database™ compiled by the licensed Florida brokerage CVR Realty™.

Overall in South Florida, at least 182 new condo towers with more than 24,675 units are now proposed, planned, under construction, or recently completed in the tri-county South Florida region of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach as of December 23, 2013, according to the Preconstruction Condo Projects Database™ compiled by the licensed Florida brokerage CVR Realty™.

(It is worth noting, real estate expert Peter Zalewski - founder of CraneSpotters.com in conjunction with the Miami Association Of Realtors - narrates weekly Official Preconstruction Condo Project Tours of South Florida's hottest coastal market, including Greater Downtown Miami, on Saturdays and Sundays during the winter tourism season.)

 For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

 Condo Vultures®
225 Midtown Building
225 NE 34th St.,
Suite 209B,
Downtown Miami, Florida, 33137.
PH: 800-750-0517.