Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Thomas D. Wood Brokers $10.25M Loan for Fort Lauderdale, FL Mobile Home Park

MIAMI, FL, Aug. 4, 2009— Thomas D. Wood and Company, a Strategic Alliance Mortgage LLC member, secured financing on July 23, 2009, in the amount of $10,250,000 for Everglades Lakes Mobile Home Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Tom Wood, Jr., (top right photo) Company President, financed Everglades Lakes Mobile Home Park through Thomas D. Wood and Company’s correspondent relationship with Advantus Capital Management.

The permanent loan has an interest rate of 6.80% and a 10-year term, based on a 30-year amortization. The loan-to-value is 35%. The 90-acre mobile home park accommodates 485 pads and is located at 2900 SW 52 Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

For further information, please contact:
Tom Wood, Jr. (305) 447-7820 tomjr@tdwood.com
Jessica Gurtowski (407) 937-0470 jgurtowski@tdwood.com

Arbor Closes $1,732,300 Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan for Ocean Park Apartments in Santa Monica, CA

Uniondale, NY (August 4, 2009) - Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, announced the recent funding of a $1,732,300 loan under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line for the 7-unit complex known as Ocean Park Apartments in Santa Monica, CA.

The 10-year loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule and carries a note rate of 6.25 percent.

The loan was originated by John Kelly, (top left photo) Vice President, in Arbor’s full-service Boston, MA lending office. “This transaction was for an asset in an A+ location that had undergone a substantial rehabilitation,” said Kelly.

“After the client decided to switch from a for-sale condo approach to a long-term rental plan, Arbor went ahead and quickly closed the deal.”

Contact: Ingrid Principe, P: 516.506.4298, F: 516.542.2555, www.arbor.com
Follow us on Twitter @ arbor1

Fitch: Large Hotels Lead Loans of Concern for U.S. CMBS

NEW YORK, NY-- Eight newly defaulted loans greater than $100 million have entered special servicing, according to Fitch Ratings in the latest edition of it's 'What's in Special Servicing' U.S.CMBS report.

Recent defaults include two hotel portfolios, Red Roof Inn andExtended Stay.

Since Fitch's last update in April, $17.4 billion in Fitch-rated loans have entered special servicing, which does not include the Extended Stay Portfolio, which on its own totals over $4 billion.

'Four of the 10 largest delinquent loans have experienced appraisal reductions as a result of value declines, indicating that losses may be significant in their respective deals' said Managing Director MaryMacNeill. 'Of over 2,000 specially serviced loans, 64 have balances in excess of $100 million.'

Property performance has not deteriorated significantly since Fitch's last update among loans of concern such as the Riverton Apartments and PeterCooper Village/Stuyvesant Town.(top right photo)

However, 'Cash flow from Riverton and PeterCooper Village/Stuyvesant Town still requires significant reserves to cover debt service obligations, and these reserves will likely be depleted by the end of the year,' said MacNeill.

Fitch has classified over $75 billion or 18% of its rated U.S. CMBS portfolio as loans of concern. Recent vintage loans account for over 11% ofthe $75 billion.

The fourth edition of 'What's in Special Servicing?' is available at'www.fitchratings.com' under the following headers:Sectors >> Structured Finance >> CMBS >> Research

Contacts:
Mary MacNeill +1-212-908-0785, Adam Fox +1-212-908-0869, or LisaCook +1-212-908-0665 New York.

Sandro Scenga, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Fitch Ratings+1-212-908-027, Ssandro.scenga@fitchratings.com

Fortress Construction Group Wins Medical Building Construction Contract

ORLANDO, FL. - Fortress Construction Group, Inc. won a contract worth $230,000 to renovate a medical office for the Central Florida Pulmonary Group in Altamonte Springs. Work has already started on the building at 610 Jasmine Rd.

Charles Ayers, president of Fortress Construction, said the company will add several offices and exam rooms, and update the interior of the building, which will be used for sleep studies and respiratory therapy by the physicians group.

Locally based Designers Architectural, P.A. is providing architectural services for the project.

For more information, please contact:
Charles Ayers, Fortress Construction Group, Inc., 407-829-2689; ca0018@yahoo.com
Beth Payan or Larry Vershel, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

D.R. Horton Loses $142M in its Fiscal Third Quarter But Has $1.97B Cash on Hand


FORT WORTH, TX—D.R. Horton Inc., the largest homebuilder in the U.S., lost $142.3 million in its third fiscal quarter that ended June 30, but the Fort Worth, TX-based company still has $1.97 billion in cash on hand.
In an online conference with industry analysts today, company chairman Donald R. Horton (top right photo) said, “Our net sales orders in the June quarter reflected a 22% sequential increase from our March quarter which was stronger than our usual seasonal trend.

“However, market conditions in the homebuilding industry are still challenging, characterized by rising foreclosures, high inventory levels of available homes, increasing unemployment, tight credit for homebuyers and weak consumer confidence.

“We have continued to adjust our business to the current homebuilding environment by reducing our owned lot position and completed specs, controlling costs and strengthening our balance sheet.”

Horton adds, “We have generated positive cash flow from operations in each of the past 12 quarters, and our unrestricted homebuilding cash balance was $1.97 billion at June 30, 2009.
“Our net homebuilding debt to total capitalization was 34.5% at the end of the quarter, and we will continue to focus on maintaining our strong liquidity position and balance sheet.”
The third quarter loss equates to a loss of 45 cents per diluted share.
The quarterly results included $110.8 million in pre-tax charges to cost of sales for inventory impairments and write-offs of deposits and pre-acquisition costs related to land option contracts that the company does not intend to pursue, Horton says.

The net loss for the same quarter of fiscal 2008 was $399.3 million, or $1.26 per diluted share.

Homebuilding revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2009 totaled $914.1 million, compared to $1.4 billion in the same quarter of fiscal 2008.

Homes closed totaled 4,240 homes, compared to 6,167 homes in the year ago quarter.
For the nine months ended June 30, 2009, the Company reported a net loss of $313.4 million, or $0.99 per diluted share.
The company’s sales order backlog of homes under contract at June 30, 2009 was 5,430 homes ($1.1 billion), compared to 8,281 homes ($1.9 billion) at June 30, 2008.
Net sales orders for the third quarter totaled 5,089 homes ($1.1 billion), compared to 5,501 homes ($1.2 billion) for the same quarter of fiscal 2008.

The company’s cancellation rate (cancelled sales orders divided by gross sales orders) for the third quarter of fiscal 2009 was 26%. Net sales orders for the first nine months of fiscal 2009 were 12,026 homes ($2.5 billion), compared to 17,274 homes ($3.8 billion) for the same period of fiscal 2008.

The company has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.0375 per share. The dividend is payable on Aug. 28, 2009 to stockholders of record on Aug. 19, 2009.

D.R. Horton delivered more than 26,000 homes in its fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2008.
Founded in 1978, D.R. Horton has operations in 76 markets in 27 states in the East, Midwest, Southeast, South Central, Southwest and West regions of the United States.

The company is engaged in the construction and sale of high quality homes with sales prices ranging from $90,000 to over $900,000. D.R. Horton also provides mortgage financing and title services for homebuyers through its mortgage and title subsidiaries.

Post Properties Loses $50M in Second Quarter

ATLANTA, GA—Post Properties Inc., one of the largest developers of multifamily properties in the U.S., lost $50.7 million in the second quarter of this year. In the same 2008 period, the Atlanta-based developer lost $27 million.

The company reported its financials today in an online conference call with industry analysts.
On a diluted per share basis, the net loss attributable to common shareholders was $1.14, compared to $0.61 for the second quarter of 2008.

The company’s net loss attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended June 30, 2009 included non-cash impairment charges of approximately $76.3 million relating to the company’s investment in a condominium project and adjacent land.

These charges were partially offset by a net gain of approximately $24.7 million on the sale of an apartment community in April 2009.

The company’s net loss attributable to common shareholders for the six months ended June 30, 2009 included the above-mentioned items as well as gains of approximately $2.3 million relating to the early extinguishment of indebtedness, the mark-to-market of an interest rate swap, and changes in previous hurricane loss estimates.
FFO for the second quarter of 2009 was a deficit of $59.0 million, or $1.32 per diluted share, compared to a deficit of $12.6 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2008.

The company’s reported FFO for the second quarter of 2009 included the impairment charges discussed above of approximately $76.3 million, or $1.71 per diluted share.

The company’s reported FFO for the second quarter of 2008 included the charges discussed above in the aggregate of approximately $31.4 million, or $0.71 per diluted share.

FFO for the six months ended June 30, 2009 was a deficit of $42.0 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, compared to FFO of $1.3 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, for the first six months of 2008.

The company’s reported FFO for the six months ended June 30, 2009 included the impairment charges and income items discussed above in the aggregate of approximately $74.0 million, or $1.66 per diluted share.
The Company’s reported FFO for the six months ended June 30, 2008 included the charges discussed above in the aggregate of approximately $37.5 million, or $0.84 per diluted share.
For a complete copy of the company's news release, please contact Chris Papa, 404-846-5028

Monday, August 3, 2009

Grubb & Ellis Represents Lisle Portfolio LLC in Sale of 51,000-SF Office Building to Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters

ROSEMONT, IL (Aug. 3, 2009) – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that it represented Lisle Portfolio LLC, a subsidiary of Philadelphia-based Amerimar, in the sale of 51,000 square feet of office space at 4979 Indiana Ave. in Lisle to the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters.

The purchase price was undisclosed.

The organization purchased the building with the intent of consolidating its suburban operations in one location.

Michael Fortuna, senior vice president, and Brett Ratay, vice president, both of Grubb & Ellis’ Office Group, facilitated the transaction on behalf of the seller. Jules Marling and Michael Jacobs of Real Estate Research Corporation represented the buyer.

“The property provides a centralized location in the Chicago suburbs with close proximity to major highways and other thoroughfares,” said Fortuna. “It was a good opportunity for an organization like the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters to purchase its own facility in this marketplace.”


Contact: Erin Mays, 312.698.6735, erin.mays@grubb-ellis.com,

Arbor Closes $1,815,000 Fannie Mae DUS ® Small Loan for Belvedere Gardens in Baltimore, MD

Uniondale, NY (August 3, 2009) - Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, announced the recent funding of a $1,815,000 loan under the Fannie Mae DUS® Small Loan product line for the 54-unit complex known as Belvedere Gardens in Baltimore, MD.

The 10-year loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule and carries a note rate of 5.83 percent.

The loan was originated by Edward Petti, (top right photo) Director, in Arbor’s full-service New York, NY lending office. “We are seeing acquisition activity picking up in the marketplace,” said Petti. “Arbor understands fully the demands of a client in an acquisition situation; in this case, it was particularly critical to be there for the client and make accommodations to facilitate this closing.”

Contact: Ingrid Principe, P: 516.506.4298, F: 516.542.2555, http://www.arbor.com/
Follow us on Twitter @ arbor1

Michael Landon Joins Grubb & Ellis as Senior Vice President

DALLAS, TX (Aug. 3, 2009) – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that Michael Landon, a 30-year veteran of the Dallas commercial real estate industry, has joined the company as senior vice president.

He will be responsible for serving the debt financing and equity needs of clients, expanding the office’s service offerings to include mortgage brokerage.

“This is the first time Grubb & Ellis will offer mortgage brokerage services in its Dallas office,” said Moody Younger, executive managing director, Texas. “With a professional of Mike’s caliber leading this effort, we will be able to offer our clients a new level of service.”

Landon joins Grubb & Ellis from JML Capital, which he founded in 2003 to provide real estate capital consulting throughout the Dallas and Austin markets.

Contacts:
Julia McCartney, 714.975.2230, julia.mccartney@grubb-ellis.com
Janice McDill, 312.698.6707, janice.mcdill@grubb-ellis.com

Orange County, FL Resort Tax Collections for June Down 16%

ORLANDO, FL -- County Comptroller Martha Haynie announced today that resort tax collections received by the County in July for the hotel collection month of June 2009 were $12,259,500.

Resort taxes are charged on short-term rentals, mostly hotels and motels.
Comptroller Haynie noted that June 2009 collections were sixteen percent lower than June 2008.

“This month marks a full year of continuous monthly declines, which means that the percentages now are being benchmarked against previous year monthly declines.
" In other words, while the June 2009 collections are 16% lower than the previous June, June 2008 was already showing declining collections,” Haynie added.

CONTACT: Martha O. Haynie (407) 836-5690

Greg Findlay Named GM forWestin Siray Bay Resort & Spa in Phuket, Thailand

Regina Wilson appointed Director of Sales & Marketing

SINGAPORE– Westin Hotels & Resorts today announcement the appointment of Greg Findlay (top right photo) as General Manager and Regina Wilson (top left photo) as Director of Sales & Marketing for The Westin Siray Bay Resort, Phuket.

Findlay will play a key role in setting the strategic directions for the hotel and be responsible for all aspects of the resort while Wilson will be leading the Sales and Marketing team.

“We are thrilled to introduce the first Westin resort in Thailand! Thailand is known for the warm hospitality and friendly services and we are excited to bring travelers to Phuket a new level of personal and instinctive services in an inspiring setting of abundance green, white sandy beach and crystal clear water,” said Findlay.

Wilson joins Findlay from Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort, Bali as the Director of Sales & Marketing. Prior to that she was the Director of Sales at Sheraton & Westin Resorts, Denarau Island, Fiji (Complex). Wilson renews by spending time with her family and going to the spa.

Contact: Hwee-Peng Yeo, Tel : +65 6335 4837; Cell : +65 9768 6087; +65 9248 0424
Fax : +65 6335 4820
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/; http://www.starwoodpressclub.com/

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Real Estate Capital Market Investors Beginning to See Bottom

CHICAGO, IL - The Real Estate Capital Institute reports mid-summer market madness clouds the real estate capital industry, yet bursts of hope glimmer as more properties are sold and investors are beginning to see a bottom.

As short term rates remain near the bottom, with LIBOR sinking to a record low, plenty of funds are available.

However, funds are sidelined in anticipation of even more favorable pricing in the coming months as distress deals are predicted to flood the market during the next two years.


Other market highlights includethe following:

* Pricing readjustments of 20% to 30% below 2007-08 levels emerge as new benchmarks. With rare exception, pro forma valuation is replaced with direct capitalization of actual income.

In fact, most investors are revamping net operating income figures with downward income expectations, while expenses are expected to rise -- particularly property taxes and utilities.

* The yield curves for secondary-market and older properties are substantially steeper as investors focus on prime-location assets at relatively attractive price levels. Such assets are sized based on overall yields often in excess of 15% or more.

* Mortgage pricing substantially favors multifamily assets as debt is still available at 6% or less for higher leveraged the assets via the Agencies. Conversely, commercial properties are financed at levels of 60% of value or less with strict cash-out requirements and other provisions (e.g., recourse) previously thought too onerous as lenders cherry-pick deals.

* With distressed debt deals offering very appealing rates and principal reduction, astute investors redouble efforts in this investment arena.

"Loan to own" opportunities appeal to such buyers, especially those with development and management expertise. Banks and other distressed financial institutions provide an ongoing pipeline of deals.

* "Hidden" prepayments plaque many acquisition deals with existing, assumable debt as lenders force pay down - along with corresponding penalties - in those cases where the purchase prices create unusually highleverage due to the denominator effect.

Less evident, although just ascritical, the same issue applies for lenders requiring pay downs from borrowers, even if no new recapitalization occurs as balance-sheet cleansingcontinues.

Gary Duff, an Advisory Board Member of the Real Estate Capital Institute, remarks that "more market clarity is expected in the fall when investorsreturn from the summer holidays.

"For now, most institutions consider asset management as their top priority."

He suggests, "Many legacy owners aremore concerned about losing income stream rather than capturing newopportunity plays."

Contact: Nat Zvislo, Research Director, Toll Free 800-994-RECI (7324), director@reci.com

Friday, July 31, 2009

Franklin Street Announces $9,550,000 Florida Multifamily Sale

TAMPA, FL, July 31, 2009--Franklin Street Real Estate Services is pleased to announce the sale of Costa Del Sol Apartments (top right photo) in Seminole, Fla., for $9.55 million.

The sales price represents $66,319 per unit and $84.22 per square foot.

Franklin Street broker Robert Goldfinger represented the buyer in the transaction.

John Burpee from NAI Real Estate represented the seller.

The seller was Merecorp, Inc. The buyer was a private investor group.

The buyer paid a premium for the property due to its outstanding location and condition and due to the lack of quality apartment communities available to acquire today,” comments Goldfinger, a Partner with Franklin Street Real Estate Services.

Built in 1972, Costa Del Sol Apartments is located at 7700 Ridge Road in Seminole, FL. The property was constructed of concrete block and offers 113,400 rentable square feet.

The apartment community consists of 72 one-bedroom units and 72 two-bedroom units ranging in size from 675 square feet to 900 square feet.


Common amenities include a swimming pool, lush landscaping, clubhouse and a playground. Units are equipped with washer and dyers, balconies or patios and central air-conditioning.

Costa Del Sol is conveniently located near major highways, beaches and the Gulf of Mexico.


Contact: Mandy Force, Franklin Street Real Estate Services, Phone: 813.839.7300, Fax: 813.839.7330, http://www.franklinstreetfinancial.com/

Marcus & Millichap Promotes 3 to Vice President Investments in Encino, CA office


The achievement of vice president investment status is one of the highest levels of recognition the firm awards its sales agents.

It represents excellence in client relationships, investment real estate expertise and sales volume, according to Scott D. Lamontagne, regional manager in the firm’s Encino office.


Miller began his career with Marcus & Millichap in 2003, specializing in multi-family properties.

Isaacson also began his career with Marcus & Millichap in 2003 specializing in multi-family properties.

Regenstreif began his career with Marcus & Millichap in 2007, specializing in the sale of retail properties.

Press Contact: Stacey Corso, Communications Department, (925) 953-1716

Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. Arranges $4.53M Loan for New York City Mixed-Use Property


NEW YORK, N.Y., July 30, 2009 – Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation (MMCC) has arranged a $4.53 million loan for the acquisition of an 8,700-square foot mixed-use multi-family and retail building located at 229 Lenox Ave. in New York City.

Brian Ursino, an associate director for the firm’s Manhattan office, arranged the financing package for the mixed-use building.

“The property presented many unique challenges in creating a comprehensive financing package for our client,” states Ursino.

“Our client, a successful art gallery owner, wanted to open a gallery on the first floor and also reside in the building. This required MMCC to source lenders who would finance a combination of loans to include a small business loan, a construction loan for renovations and an equity line of credit.”

“By utilizing MMCC’s platform, we were able to create a knowledgeable advisory team consisting of a lender whose underwriters were familiar with our client’s business, and New York State agencies that subsidized a portion of his interest payments for the first few years of his loan,” continues Ursino.



“The loan program we created gave our client interest on $500,000 at a specified rate for a period of time which paid some of his interest expense.”

Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation arranged a total of $4.53 million of financing on a $1.8 million purchase.

Financing was provided by a SBA loan of $1.44 million, a construction loan of $2.34 million and a $750,000 equity line. Interest rate was at 5.3 percent fixed rate with a 30-year amortization schedule.

Loan-to-value was 80 percent plus 20 percent in a working capital equity line for a total of 100 percent financing.

“MMCC was able to arrange a creative financing transaction for our client that is becoming increasingly rare, if not extinct, given the current state of the capital markets,” adds Ursino.



Press Contact: Kathy Molitor, Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation, (925) 953-1704