Tuesday, September 16, 2008

SPECIAL REPORT: RECI Calls Wall Street Debacle 'Real Estate Correction'

"The real estate correction is just that... a true correction of values based on historical norms"-- The Real Estate Capital Institute


CHICAGO, IL-- About a year ago, the real estate capital markets turned topsy-turvy. Investors, lenders and real estate professionals alike panicked.

Debt and equity funds nearly evaporated based on false risk/reward expectations. Nearly all capital markets reached "pricing nirvana," leaving no room for error as prices peaked to unchartered levels.

Typical income-property loans often were priced within a percent of treasuries -- well beyond any historical underwriting guidelines measuring debt coverage margins, leverage and valuations.

Today, the opposite is true. Over-reactive fear governs expectations. The aftermath of the mortgage-backed securities re-pricing and fresh concerns about financial institutions' real estate portfolios force investors to the sidelines.

Mortgage markets remain dislocated and more problems appear on the horizon. Are real estate markets in a continuing downward spiral? Not exactly, if history is any guide. Markets are reaching "correct" levels as measured by the past decade.

Many will argue the past five years' realty capital market conditions were abnormal. Investors scrabbled from the "tech wreck" in search of new profit frontiers; Wall Street greeted them offering lucrative yields blessed by the rating agencies. The model worked as long as values continued climbing.

The rating agencies claimed the new role as risk arbitrators of real estate capital - an untested valuation model for monitoring rapidly expanding mortgage securities market.

Wall Street became Main Street for policing realty supply-and-demand risk fundamentals as well as the traditional role of providing capital. The judge and the jury.

By the end of 2006, overall commercial property pricing skyrocketed to unsustainable levels as values increased by as much as 40 to 50%, while rent levels remained flat -- or even declined.

Investors justified such economics by accepting lower profit thresholds often based on optimistic cash flow projections. In contrast, more "correct" market conditions existed during the late 1990s. Project yields were more evenly matched to interest rate costs.

During this era and for most of the Twentieth Century, investment returns normally required positive leverage based on current cash flows, resulting inpositive leverage.

In conclusion, John Oharenko, a Member of the Real Estate Capital Institute's advisory board, notes "the [current] correction will continue with prices trending downward until equity investors start capturing more sensible yields in line with the cost of debt".

He adds, "Unrealistic equity premiums need to be removed from pricing expectations."

This re-pricing is a healthy side effect of excessive capital market behavior. Measurable, risk-adjusted cash flow will dominate investor's return expectations -- back to basics!

ABOUT US:

The Real Estate Capital Institute(r) is a volunteer-based research organization that tracks realty rates data for debt and equity yields.

The Institute posts daily and historical benchmark rates including treasuries, bank prime and LIBOR. Furthermore, call the Real Estate Capital RateLine at 7RE-CAPITAL (773-227-4825) for hourly rate updates.

Contact: Nat Zvislo, Research Director, Toll Free 800-994-RECI (7324), director@reci.com/
http://www.reci.com/
The Real Estate Capital Institute(r), 3517 West Arthington Street, Chicago, Illinois USA 60624.

Cushman & Wakefield Brokers $7,625,000 Sale of Fairway Oaks Shopping Center

HUDSON, FL – September 16, 2008 – Cushman & Wakefield of Florida announced today that it has finalized the sale of the Fairway Oaks Shopping Center, a 79,283 square foot neighborhood shopping center located at the intersection of Little Road and Hudson Avenue in Hudson, Florida north of Tampa.

The property, previously owned by Case Pomeroy Properties, a private real estate investment company based in Jacksonville, Florida, was purchased by Forge Capital Partners, a private real estate investor based in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Cushman & Wakefield investment sales team of Karl Johnston and Patrick Berman (top left photo) represented Case Pomeroy Properties in the deal.

"Fairway Oaks is one of the premier Publix-anchored shopping centers in the Hudson area," said Johnston, Senior Director with Cushman & Wakefield's Jacksonville office.

"Publix's sales at the Property were strong and this was a key factor in driving investor interest in the deal. In the current economic environment, deals are taking longer to complete and require seller and buyer to work together to resolve the myriad of issues that typically arise in the sale of a retail center," said Johnston.

"There will always be good investor demand for solid, grocery anchored neighbor shopping centers as these deals are viewed as recession proof because they cater to the everyday needs of consumers, such as groceries," said Johnston.
"Fairway Oaks” has been a strong performing center for over the years and will continue to be for the foreseeable future given its strong anchor tenancy, limited competition, and infill location.

Originally developed in 1994, Fairway Oaks is anchored by a 42,323 square foot Publix and features a high-quality roster of shop tenants. The Property was 84% leased at the time of sale.

Contact: Karl M. Johnston, 904-380-8334, Karl.Johnston@cushwake.com

St. Regis Makes the Next Stop on its Global Expedition with the Opening of St. Regis Bali Resort



SINGAPORE--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) has opened The St. Regis Bali Resort, (above centered photo) located in Nusa Dua,(top right map) an elite beach enclave on the Southern tip of Bali.

Offering an unrivaled dimension of luxury, bespoke service and refined elegance at one of the best addresses in the world, The St. Regis Bali Resort features 79 luxurious, oversized suites, 42 private villas and two exclusive Residences, as well as world-class restaurants and bars, a signature Remède Spa, an intimate wedding chapel, ballroom and state-of-the-art meeting space.

Owned by PT Pacific Resorts Buana Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT Rajawali Corpora, The St. Regis Bali Resort occupies a breathtaking beachfront location with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean and neighboring Bali Golf & Country Club.

“We are delighted with the opening of The St. Regis Bali Resort. Truly one of the world’s most desirable destinations, Bali is rich in culture and heritage and perfect for our global St. Regis guest,” said Miguel Ko, (middle left photo) President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific.

“As arrival figures into Bali grow exponentially, we are honored to witness the perfect timing with the opening of this most extraordinary luxury resort in Asia and beyond.”
CONTACT:

Hwee-Peng Yeo, Director, Corporate Communications, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Ltd., 9 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Tower 2, #24-02, Singapore 038989
Tel : +65 6335 4837; Cell : +65 9768 6087; +65 9248 0424 Fax : +65 6335 4820
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/

HFF Named to Market for Sale The Waterfront Apartments in Pittsburgh, PA

PITTSBURGH, PA – The Pittsburgh office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it has been named to market for sale The Waterfront Apartments, (top right photo) a 235-unit luxury multifamily complex along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The HFF investment sales team will be led by managing directors Nick Matt, (middle left photo) Claudia Steeb and Oliver Shoemaker who are exclusively representing the seller, a joint venture between Continental Real Estate and Nationwide Realty Investors.

The property is listed for sale without a formal asking price free and clear of debt.

Completed in 2001, The Waterfront Apartments has one-, two- and three-bedroom units and townhomes averaging 1,049 square feet each. Residents have access to a clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool, outdoor grill, car wash area and laundry facilities.

The 97% occupied property is located on a 10.7-acre site at 611 East Waterfront Drive, within the larger Waterfront mixed-use development five miles south of Pittsburgh’s central business district.
The Waterfront development has 2.3 million square feet of retail, office, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues.
"Going forward, demand for rental housing is expected to be fueled by a lack of available credit for single family housing,” said Matt. “At the same time, there is a limited new supply in the pipeline. With very little current vacancy, effective rents are expected to increase.”

Continental Real Estate Companies began over fifty years ago as a quality office supply company and evolved into the largest supplier of office products and furnishings in Ohio. In 1973, Continental became actively involved in the building and development of commercial real estate primarily through the need to develop facilities for other businesses.
Since that time, Continental has developed in excess of 3,000,000 square feet of office and office/warehouse space, 3,000,000 square feet of retail space and 3,000 apartment units.

Nationwide Realty Investors, Ltd. (NRI) is a recognized real estate developer and equity investor. The company, a subsidiary of Nationwide, is active throughout the United States with developments and investments in the office, commercial, retail, hotels, restaurant and residential real estate markets. Directly and through joint ventures, NRI controls more than $1 billion in real estate investments.
CONTACTS:
Nicholas Matt, HFF Managing Director, 412 281 8714, nmatt@hfflp.com/
Laurie Fish McDowell, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, 617 338 0990, lmcdowell@hfflp.com/

Cushman & Wakefield to Lease Trophy Tampa Tower

TAMPA, FL-– Cushman & Wakefield has been selected as exclusive marketing and leasing agent for SunTrust Financial Centre, (top right photo) a prestigious Class A office tower in Tampa, Florida jointly owned by Macquarie Office Trust and the Stiles Corporation.

Leasing responsibilities will be handled by Tampa's top office team of Andy May, Barry Oaks, and Bill Reeves, professionals who bring longstanding expertise and experience in the Tampa market.

"This is truly one of the top properties in the Southeast," said C&W's May. "We have a tremendous belief in it, and we think tenants consider it one of the most, if not the most, desirable office address in Tampa."

The SunTrust Financial Centre is currently home to major tenants such as SunTrust Bank, Hapag-Lloyd, 22Squared and Ernst & Young.

Macquarie Office Trust closed on the 527,000 square foot trophy tower in September 2007.

In March of this year Stiles Investment Services exercised an option to acquire a 9 percent interest in SunTrust Financial Centre via a joint venture with Macquarie Office Trust which retained the remaining 91 percent interest.

Rocco Ferrera (bottom left photo) of Stiles Investment Services said: “We look forward to working with Cushman & Wakefield. C&W has an impressive reputation in the Tampa market and we believe they will truly be an asset to our team.”

Contact: Dawn Bagrowski, 813-204-5378, Dawn.Bagrowski@cushwake.com

Walgreen Co. 'A+' Corporate Credit Rating On Watch Neg On Proposed Longs Drug Acquisition

NEW YORK, NY--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has placed its ratings on Walgreen Co., including the 'A+' corporate credit and 'A-1' short term ratings, on CreditWatch with negative implications following Walgreen's proposal to acquire Longs Drug Stores Corp. in a transaction valued at about $3 billion, including the assumption of debt.

In addition, Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen will also pay the $115 million termination fee related to the CVS transaction.

"The CreditWatch placement reflects Walgreen's more aggressive financial policy, the expected increased in debt leverage to fund the acquisition, and its limited track record in integrating large acquisitions," explained Standard & Poor's credit analyst Ana Lai.

Assuming that the acquisition is largely debt funded, we expect debt leverage to increase to the mid-3x range from 2.9x for the 12 months ended May 2008.

"If completed, we could lower the corporate credit rating by at least one notch," added Ms. Lai.

Media Contact: David Wargin, New York (1) 212-438-1579, david_wargin@standardandpoors.com

Analyst Contact:
Ana Lai, CFA, New York (1) 212-438-7895

Southern Commercial Completes Leasing Deals Totaling 46,097 SF

PDMG Nimlok Takes 6,537 SF at 4669 LB McLeod Road, Orlando

ORLANDO, FL.(September 15, 2008) Tom McFadden, SIOR (top left photo) and Kelly Chamberlain (top right photo) of Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors completed a 6,537 square foot new lease at 4669 LB McLeod Road, Orlando.
McFadden and Chamberlain represented the landlord, FGHP Properties and negotiated the five year new lease. The tenant, PDMG Nimlok was represented by Rich Davis with Grubb & Ellis Commercial Florida.


G&K Services Leases 14,960 SF at 7320 Kingspointe Parkway, Orlando, for Five Years

ORLANDO, FL.(September 15, 2008) Principals Tom McFadden, SIOR and William “Bo” Bradford, (middle right photo) CCIM, SIOR of Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors completed a 14,960 square foot new lease at 7320 Kingspointe Parkway, Orlando (Crownpointe V). McFadden and Bradford represented the landlord, McDonald Development and negotiated the five year new lease. The tenant, G&K Services was represented by Todd Davis with Carter & Associates, LLC.

Hellman Worldwide Logistics Inc. Signs 24,600-SF Sublease at 7522 Presidents Drive, Orlando

ORLANDO, FL.(September 15, 2008) William “Bo” Bradford, CCIM, SIOR and Kelly Chamberlain of Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors completed a 24,600 square foot warehouse sublease at 7522 Presidents Drive , Orlando. The property is located in Orlando Central Park. Bradford and Chamberlain represented the tenant, Green Bay Packaging. The subtenant, Hellman Worldwide Logistics, Inc. was represented by Jeff York with York Properties.

CONTACT: Celeste MacKenzie, 321 281 8503, cmackenzie@southerncommercialre.com

GVA Advantis' Kevin Wattenbarger Receives CCIM Designation

PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL. – (Sept. 15, 2008) – GVA Advantis is pleased to announce Kevin L. Wattenbarger (top right photo) has received the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute. Wattenbarger is an associate in GVA Advantis’ Panama City office where he specializes in investment sales and analysis in addition to retail and industrial brokerage.

“The attainment of this designation is evidence of Kevin’s commitment to establishing himself as one of the top real estate professionals in the Panama City market and a reflection of his dedication to the highest level of customer service,” says Managing Director Lucas Hewett. (top left photo)

Wattenbarger currently serves as co-chair of the sponsorship committee for the Florida Chapter of CCIM. He is a member of the Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of Leadership Bay, a community leadership development program sponsored by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce. Additional industry affiliations include the National Association of Realtors and the Bay County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee.

Prior to joining GVA Advantis, Wattenbarger served as an Infantryman in the United States Army. He is a veteran of two combat tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While serving in Iraq, Wattenbarger was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Army Commendation Medal. Wattenbarger was honorably discharged from the Florida Army National Guard and is currently a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He also volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

A life-long resident of Northwest Florida, Wattenbarger is a graduate of Florida State University. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Real Estate and Finance with a minor in Urban and Regional Planning and is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Florida.

A Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) is a recognized expert in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate. Based in Chicago, the CCIM Institute confers the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation to commercial real estate professionals through an extensive curriculum of 200 classroom hours, in addition to professional experiential requirements.

Currently, there are only 9,500 CCIMs in 1,000 markets worldwide. CCIM designees include professionals who work in brokerage, investment and development, the corporate environment, property management, appraisal and related segments of commercial real estate. For more information, visit http://www.ccim.com/.


Media Contact: Lisa Hyde, GVA Advantis, 813.342.4752. 3000, Bayport Drive, Suite 100, Tampa, FL 33607 LHyde@gvaadvantis.com

HFF arranges $53.5M in refinancings for a Miami office/industrial portfolio

MIAMI, FL – The Miami office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced has arranged refinancings totaling $53.5 million for an office and industrial portfolio in Miami, Florida.

HFF senior managing director Paul Stasaitis (middle right photo) and senior real estate analyst Todd Adams worked exclusively on behalf of entities controlled by The Adler Group to secure two seven-year, fixed-rate loans for the purpose of refinancing a maturing CMBS loan.

The office and industrial portfolio (top left photo) is situated in Miami’s Airport West submarket. The properties have tenants including ITT Technical Institute, Miami-Dade Health Department and American Cancer Society.

“The property’s prime location, operating history and highly experienced sponsorship created an extremely competitive lending market for these placements. Many market participants may view the debt markets as somewhat stymied, however these transactions, which were closed within three weeks of application execution, simply illustrate that there is ample debt-market liquidity,” said Stasaitis.

“We were very pleased with level of options and creativity HFF provided, which ultimately led us to two ideal financing solutions,” said Brett Harris of The Adler Group.

The Adler Group and its affiliates have developed and acquired in excess of 14 million square feet of industrial, office, retail and residential real estate in more than 40 years as a landmark South Florida company. The Adler Group has helped build South Florida’s business infrastructure, while contributing steadily to the community as a whole.


CONTACTS:
G. Paul Stasaitis, HFF Senior Managing Director, 305 448 1333. pstasaitis@hfflp.com
Laurie Fish McDowell, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, 617 338 0990. lmcdowell@hfflp.com