Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Annaly Capital Management and Its FIDAC and RCap Securities Units Expand Management Team

NEW YORK, NY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2009-- Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE: NLY) today announced the addition of several new members to its management team over the last several months.

They are involved in a range of activities at Annaly and its wholly-owned subsidiaries RCap Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer, and Fixed Income Discount Advisory Company, a registered investment advisor.

“Annaly continues to grow the scope of its asset management and broker dealer activities,” said Michael A.J. Farrell, (top right photo) Chairman, CEO and President of Annaly, “and I am pleased that we are able to add such capable professionals to help drive that growth."

The new personnel include:

Kevin Keyes, Managing Director—Capital Markets. Mr. Keyes has 19 years of experience in the capital markets, most recently as head of global real estate, technology and clean energy capital markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Robert Karner, Executive Vice President and Head of Investments for CreXus Investment Corp. Mr. Karner has over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate finance, most recently as co-head of Morgan Stanley’s domestic CMBS syndication desk.

Jeff Conti, Executive Vice President and Head of Underwriting for CreXus Investment Corp. Mr. Conti has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate finance, most notably as a managing director in the fixed income and real estate group of TIAA-CREF, where he was a regional head of commercial mortgage originations.

Laura Zwak DeMare, Executive Vice President. Ms. DeMare has 18 years of experience in financial markets, most recently as head of global marketing for distressed structured products at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Mary Rooney, Executive Vice President. Ms. Rooney has 20 years of experience as a financial markets strategist, research analyst and economist, most recently as the head of global credit strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Anthony Green, Deputy General Counsel. Mr. Green was a partner at the law firm K&L Gates LLP in Washington, D.C.

John Frost, Vice President. Mr. Frost has over 25 years of experience in fixed income and equity lending activities. He has managed trading operations, trading positions and client relationships for these activities, most recently at Morgan Stanley.

Mike Iannetta, Vice President. Mr. Iannetta’s career spans over 20 years of experience in securities lending activities, predominantly at Morgan Stanley.

Contact: Annaly Capital Management, Inc., Investor Relations, 1-888-8Annaly,

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

HFF closes sale of Doubletree Hotel Coconut Grove in Miami


MIAMI, FL – The Miami office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it has closed the sale of the Doubletree Hotel Coconut Grove, (top right photo) a 196-room waterfront hotel in Miami, Florida.


The HFF investment sales team was led by senior managing directors Dan Peek (bottom right photo) and Dan Carlo (middle left photo) who marketed the property on behalf of the seller, GE Asset Management.




Finvarb Group, a Miami-based real estate development firm, purchased the hotel and will convert the property to a Courtyard by Marriott following a planned extensive renovation.

The property is located at 2649 South Bayshore Drive in the Coconut Grove area of Miami. It is situated within walking distance of the Coconut Grove Convention Center and the CocoWalk entertainment center that features numerous outdoor shopping and dining venues.



Renovated in 2004, the Doubletree Hotel Coconut Grove has 9,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and lobby bar, outdoor heated pool, fitness center, business center and two lighted tennis courts.

“The Doubletree Hotel Coconut Grove offered investors the opportunity to acquire an exceptional hotel with in-place cash flow, an attractive conversion opportunity and a location that is virtually irreplaceable," said Peek.


" There are no comparable sites for hotel development in the area and given the significant costs of constructing hotels in the Miami market, the below replacement cost pricing of this hotel was appealing to investors interested in renovating, repositioning and reflagging the hotel."

“During the Doubletree sale process, we saw the beginning of what is continuing in other transactions we have in the market today – a significant demand for value-add hotel investment opportunities and an expanding pool of lenders prepared to finance transactions,” added Peek.




Contacts:

Daniel C. Peek, HFF Senior Managing Director, (305) 448 1333, dpeek@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500, krmurphy@hfflp.com

Industry Veterans Form The Richard Solomon Group in Phoenix, AZ

PHOENIX, AZ (Sept. 8, 2009) – Responding to demand for recovery-based commercial real estate solutions, industry veterans Jamie Godwin (top right photo) and Craig Zupancic (top left photo) have formed The Richard Solomon Group (RSG), a commercial real estate consulting firm with a wholly owned subsidiary providing design-build, general contracting and tenant improvement services.

Godwin and Zupancic bring more than three decades of commercial development and construction experience to owners, developers, tenants and property managers.

Their expertise already has earned RSG five significant Phoenix-area projects, including a tenant improvement at Pima Center that houses First American Title Company and ranks as one of the largest office tenant improvements in the Phoenix market this year.

RSG services include process development, operational management, design and engineering management, and project and program management.

“Developers must plan carefully to ensure long-term viability under our new market fundamentals,” said Zupancic.
“Most physical site activity will be 12 or more months out, but that means that many developers—especially those who do not have in-house construction capabilities—will be seeking consultation in 2009 and 2010 for high-level, pre-development and pre-construction strategy. We’re poised to fill that need.”

RSG is currently working with banks and court appointed receivers to complete several distressed asset properties.

“Our region has an excess of construction that was initiated but isn’t complete. This work needs to get done to stabilize these assets,” said Godwin. “RSG is stepping in to struggling and receiver-controlled properties to complete the construction and finalize inspections. As tenants begin to physically occupy space, owners will start to recapture critical revenue streams and spark a new market balance.”

The First American Title Company project is one of RSG’s leading jobs to date and among the Valley’s largest tenant improvements this year, totaling 93,000 square feet of Class A space with a $4 million design-build construction contract.

At the Pima Center building, located at Via de Ventura and the Loop 101 Freeway near Scottsdale, Ariz., RSG has completed lobby space, common areas, three stories of office space, exterior modifications and exterior parking accommodations.


After the original design-build contractor was unable to complete the project, RSG negotiated a new contract with the owner, took assignment of the original contractor’s subcontract agreements, and worked directly with the project’s lender to resolve outstanding payment issues.

The project transitioned from the original contractor to RSG with no loss to the project’s schedule, and applied RSG’s background in tenant improvements and its experience from developing almost one million square feet of office space on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) land.

Demand for this type of general contracting expertise has spurred RSG to create RSG Builders, LLC, a licensed design-build and general contracting division offering horizontal site development, shell construction and tenant improvement services for office, retail, industrial, multi-family and institutional properties, including the completion of the First American Title Company tenant improvement project.

Under the RSG umbrella, RSG Builders has participated in all current company projects:

Tempe Gateway, (middle right photo) a 270,000-square-foot, $49.3 million mixed-use development in downtown Tempe, Ariz. RSG worked with US Bank to secure the contract, and has been engaged by the court appointed receiver, CBRE, to complete ground-level retail, seven stories of office space, an above/below-grade parking structure and improvements connecting the Tempe Gateway to an adjacent Valley Metro Light Rail stop. Project scope includes physical work, inspections and financial closeout, with substantial completion expected by the start of fourth quarter.

Mill Crossing, (middle left photo) a 170,000-square-foot, $12.5 million retail center in Chandler, Ariz. Retained by developer Southwest Gateway Inc., RSG is finalizing construction on 43,000 square feet of in-line shop space; tenant improvements for a 10,180-square-foot Shoe Carnival and 4,990-square-foot Sears Appliance Store; and site work on 17.11 acres that is necessary for an October grand opening by anchor J.C. Penney.

La Siena and McDowell Village independent living communities in north central Phoenix and south Scottsdale. RSG is converting select units to meet Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications. With the modifications, both communities will offer assisted living capabilities that boost their competitive advantage in the Phoenix marketplace.

Chandler Airport Center, Phase I parking expansion. (bottom right photo) RSG has entered into a design-build construction contract with the project’s owner for an expansion of the existing parking lot to accommodate approximately 100 additional vehicles.
The scope of services under the contract includes the required design, permitting and construction of the surface parking lot expansion at the recently constructed office development located on Northrop Boulevard, adjacent to the Loop 202/Santan Freeway in Chandler, Ariz.

Phoenix-based RSG is located at 5055 E. Washington St. in Phoenix, in a new building developed by Milwaukee-based Irgens Development Partners.
Media Contact: Stacey Hershauer, (480) 600-019 or stacey@focusaz.com

HFF arranges refinancing on behalf of Westland Industries for Los Angeles area multi-housing communities

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced today that it has arranged $4.37 million in refinancing for Burlington Avenue Apartments and Roxanne Apartments, two Los Angeles-area multi-housing communities.

HFF managing director Mark Wintner (top right photo) worked on behalf of the borrower, Westland Industries to secure the 10-year, 5.95% fixed-rate loans through Wachovia Multifamily Capital, Inc. – FNMA (Fannie Mae).

A $2.122 million loan was secured for Burlington Avenue Apartments and a $2.25 million loan was arranged for Roxanne Apartments, both of which are cash-out refinancings with 75% loan-to-value ratios.

This is HFF’s second transaction involving Westland Industries and Fannie Mae in 2009. In May, Wintner arranged a $6.4 million financing for Esther Ridge Apartments in Long Beach, California. Westland Industries is a diverse real estate development and management organization headquartered in Long Beach, California.

Originally completed in 1924, Burlington Avenue Apartments is a 36-unit property that was completed renovated in 2007. The fully-leased property is located at 1320 South Burlington Avenue west of downtown Los Angeles.

Roxanne Apartments is located at 3939 Roxanne Avenue in the West Adams area of Los Angeles. The property has 33 units and is currently 100% leased.
Contacts:

Mark Wintner, HFF Managing Director, (310) 407-2100, mwintner@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director Marketing, (713) 852-3500, krmurphy@hfflp.com

Arbor, EBI Consulting and CBRE-New England to Examine Local and National Market Trends

Uniondale, NY (Sept. 8, 2009) – Arbor Commercial Mortgage, along with EBI Consulting and CBRE-New England presents 'Where to Find Liquidity in the New England Market and Beyond'.

Local commercial real estate experts will discuss alternate funding sources, the state of the market, its future and how the industry will position itself best once the market recovers.

This exclusive, complimentary 90-minute roundtable discussion will also touch on the following topics:

· State of Boston and New England markets
· Untapping Government Programs to Maximize Proceeds
· Benefits of FHA and Fannie Mae products
· FHA Green products
· LEED program

WHAT: Where to Find Liquidity in the New England Market and Beyond
WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

8:30 – 9 a.m. Registration
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Panel Discussion

WHERE: Boston Marriott Copley Place, (top right photo) 110 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA

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

Franklin Street Real Estate Services Brokers Sale of Amaretto Apts. in Tampa, FL

TAMPA, FL--: Franklin Street Real Estate Services is pleased to announce the sale of Amaretto Apartments (top left site map) in Tampa, Fla., for $2.2 million. The sales price represents $22,916 per unit and $26.94 per square foot.

Franklin Street Partners Darron Kattan and Bob Goldfinger represented the seller and Bobby Soroory of BOA Asset Management represented the buyer in the transaction.


The seller was the Lender. The buyer was a private, local buyer.

“Amaretto represents one of the first transactions of a significant apartment community in Tampa that was bank owned due to failing operations and not because of a condominium conversion gone south," says Kattan.


"The property was a classic bank owned situation, full of upside for the buyer once he spends time and money to improve the property and the operations. We believe the market has settled and we expect values to stabilize by the end of the year and, based on an overall economic recovery, we will start see appreciation re-enter the marketplace.”


Built in 1971, Amaretto Apartments is located at 14401 22nd Street N. Tampa, FL. The property was constructed of concrete block and offers 81,660 rentable square feet. The apartment community consists of 48 one-bedroom units and 48 two-bedroom units ranging in size from 680 square feet to 1,016 square feet.


Common amenities include a swimming pool, clubhouse, sports court and a laundry facility. Units are equipped with walk-in closets, balconies or patios and newer windows. Amaretto is conveniently located near major highways, the University of South Florida and has excellent visibility off 22nd Street.

Contact: Mandy Force, Phone: 813.839.7300, Fax: 813.839.7330, http://www.franklinstreetfinancial.com/

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Marcus & Millichap Secures Exclusive Listing for $18.2M Note on Fremont, CA Building

FREMONT, CA– Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has obtained the exclusive listing to sell an $18.2 million Note secured by a first trust deed for a 177,000-square foot retail/warehouse building in Fremont.

The scheduled year one yield on the Note is 7.38 percent with a payoff of $18,215,301 as of November 7, 2009.

The Note has an origination date of November 7, 2007, and a maturity date of November 15, 2017. The current interest rate is 6 percent.
The rate adjustments begin with a floor of 6 percent with an adjustment every three months based on the three-month LIBOR. Current payments are $112,000 per month and there is a reserve account.

The offering price is $18,450,000 and terms are cash or the seller will finance the Note to a qualified buyer with a minimum of 20 percent cash down payment. The seller will then carry 80 percent of the purchase price, secured by the Note for three years at a rate of Prime plus 2.5 percent with a floor of 5.5 percent with a 30-year amortization.

The building was constructed in 1996 and is located in a major retail corridor close to Interstate 880. There is frontage on three streets with high traffic counts in the immediate area. The ceilings allow for a clearance height of 33 feet and the property offers parking for 4.1 vehicles per 1,000 square feet. The entire parcel is 11.31 acres.

Joshua Cohen, a vice president investments in Marcus & Millichap’s Long Beach office, along with Will Stuart, of the Palo Alto office, are the investment professionals handling this sale.

“This is a high-profile building and location,” says Cohen. “An investor is presented with a rare opportunity to acquire a current loan secured by prime commercial property in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

Press Contact: Stacey CorsoCommunications Department(925) 953-1716

Investment Sector in Fort Lauderdale, FL Boosted by Distressed Multi-Family Sales

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — The recession struck apartment fundamentals in Broward County during the first half of 2009, and weakness in the sector will persist during the remainder of the year, according to a third-quarter Apartment Research Report by Marcus & Millichap, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm.

Year to date, a drop in renter demand has contributed to a 110 basis point rise in the vacancy rate while pushing down asking and effective rents 1.8 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.

(Fort Lauderdale marina, top left photo)

“Transaction velocity has rebounded in the past few months, as several lender-owned properties were sold,” says Gregory Matus, regional manager of the Fort Lauderdale office of Marcus & Millichap. Many of these assets were purchased at the height of buying activity a few years ago. “In most of these re-sales, properties were sold at discounts ranging from 5 percent to more than 60 percent off the original purchase price.”

For additional information on the Fort Lauderdale market, please contact Stacey Corso, Communications Department, (925) 953-1716.

Detroit Apartment Fundamentals Continue to Soften

DETROIT, MI— In the Detroit metro, a weakened employment base continues to place downward pressure on local apartment fundamentals, according to a third-quarter Apartment Research Report by Marcus & Millichap, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm.

During the past year, steep layoffs have pushed vacancy rates in both Class A and Class B/C complexes higher, with top-tier vacancy rising to its highest level in more than two decades, forcing owners to lower rents.

“Although local apartment assets provide some of the nation’s highest initial yields, investment activity continues to slow due to the high level of distress in the Detroit economy,” says Steven Chaben, (top left photo) regional manager of the Detroit office of Marcus & Millichap.


For additional information on the Detroit market, please contact Stacey Corso, Communications Department, (925) 953-1716

Due to Employment Base, Denver Multi-Family Sector Expected to Outperform Nation

DENVER, CO — Denver’s weakening economy will drag on apartment fundamentals this year, though a diverse employment base should support a shallower downturn than the nation as a whole, according to a third-quarter Apartment Research Report by Marcus & Millichap, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm.

The metro’s growing alternative energy and biotechnology presence lends to a healthy outlook, with large employers such as ConocoPhillips and DaVita Inc. relocating to the area for its relative affordability and educated labor pool.

“Fewer quality offerings and a disparity between buyers’ and sellers’ expectations have hindered sales activity during the past 12 months, as buyers continue to wait for further price reductions,” says Adam Christofferson, (top right photo) regional manager of the Denver office of Marcus & Millichap.

For additional information on the Denver market, please contact Stacey Corso, Communications Department, (925) 953-1716

Rent Concessions Increase Apartment Occupancy in Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

DALLAS, TX — Occupancy rates in the two major cities of the Metroplex are expected to merge this year for the first time since 2003, according to a third-quarter Apartment Research Report by Marcus & Millichap, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm.

In Fort Worth, vacancy has begun to decline in response to rent adjustments by local owners. In Dallas, meanwhile, development is surging, with more deliveries on the way in the second half of the year.

“Local buyer activity will set the tone for the investment market during the next six months as some buyers move off the sidelines,” says Tim Speck, (top right photo) regional manager of the Dallas office of Marcus & Millichap.


For additional information on the Dallas market, please contact Stacey Corso, Communications Department, (925) 953-1716.

Arbor Closes Fannie Mae Loans totaling $12.9M in Arizona and California

Butterfield Apartments in Flagstaff, AZ Receives $7.9M

UNIONDALE, NY - Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, announced the recent funding of a $7,900,000 loan under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line to refinance the 136-unit complex known as Butterfield Apartments in Flagstaff, AZ.

The 10-year loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule and carries a note rate of 5.96 percent.

The loan was originated by Jay Porterfield, (top right photo) Vice President, in Arbor’s full-service Plano, TX lending office. “Arbor refinanced this very attractive and well-maintained property in Flagstaff with a very experienced and capable owner,” said Porterfield.

Crystal Tree Apartments in Fresno, CA Gets $5M

UNIONDALE, NY-- Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC, announced the recent funding of a $5,000,000 loan under the Fannie Mae DUS® Loan product line for the 276-unit complex known as Crystal Tree Apartments (bottom left map) in Fresno, CA.

The 10-year loan amortizes on a 30-year schedule and carries a note rate of 5.62 percent.

The loan was originated by Jay Porterfield, Vice President, in Arbor’s full-service Plano, TX lending office. “Arbor had the opportunity to pick up this deal when another lender wavered,” said Porterfield. “This low leverage loan is secured by a stable property in a solid location with a strong borrower. Arbor was able to close the loan in about 30 days in order to pay off a maturing loan.”

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

NAI Realvest negotiates three office lease agreements in Orlando Central Park

ORLANDO, FL - NAI Realvest recently negotiated three lease agreements totaling 2,586 square feet of office space in Orlando Central Park (top right photo) at 7200 Lake Ellenor Drive in Orlando.

SVSK, Inc. renewed its lease of 1,630 square feet; construction industry supplier Brand Energy Solutions, LLC signed a new lease for 777 square feet and Conners Investigative Services, renewed its lease of 179 square feet.

Tom Kelley, CCIM, principal and office leasing specialist at NAI Realvest, negotiated the transactions with the Orlando-based tenants, representing the former landlord, Dallas-based Tarragon Corporation who recently sold the building to JCQ Investments.

For more information, contact:
Tom Kelley, CCIM, Principal NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989, tkelley@realvest.com
Pat Mahoney, President, NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989, pmahoney@realvest.com
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Emerson International Closes on Six Leases Totaling 8,000 SF of Office Space in Altamonte Springs, FL

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Emerson International recently closed on six lease agreements that total 8,091 square feet of office space in Altamonte Springs.

Sean Westcott, director of leasing at Emerson International, negotiated four long-term lease agreements that total 4,761 square feet of office space at CenterPointe Office Park, on CenterPointe Circle off E. Central Parkway in Altamonte Springs.

(Evening concert, downtown Altamonte Springs photo top right)

Connected Solutions, a communications services firm leased 1,114 square feet; the Republican Party of Seminole County leased 845 square feet; JAG Holdings, LLC, leased 993 square feet; and Diana Pilatovsky M.A., L.M.H.C., a licensed mental health counselor, leased 809 square feet.

Westcott negotiated two long-term lease agreements that total 4,330 square feet at Altamonte Lakeside Office Park, on Cranes Roost Blvd. in Altamonte Springs.


Peridot Corp., a precision manufacturing firm specializing in a broad range of component parts, leased 2,843 square feet of office space.
Peridot was represented in the transaction by Joe Hills of Coglin Commercial Realty. GP Digital Solutions, Inc., an authorized Xerox sales agent, leased 1,487 square feet.

For more information, contact:
Eric J. Emerson, Vice President and General Manager Emerson International Inc., 407-834-9560
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Builder Magazine Names Lennar’s Stoneybrook at Venice, FL One of 10 Top-Selling Communities in U.S.

VENICE, FL- Builder Magazine, the leading U.S. journal of the home building industry, has named Lennar’s Stoneybrook at Venice (top right photo) one of the nation’s 10 top selling new communities.

Stoneybrook at Venice ranked as the only Florida community named to Builder Magazine’s Top 10 list and one of two communities in the southeastern U.S., along with Sun City Carolina Lakes in the Charlotte area.

The other eight communities are located in southern California, Texas, Arizona, Virginia, the Chicago area and Colorado.

Matt Devereaux, director of sales for Lennar’s Southwest Florida Division, said he was delighted with the recognition and he knows why Stoneybrook at Venice was singled out: “Lots of new home sales.”

Lennar recently announced it sold 20 new homes at Stoneybrook at Venice in a June-July six-week period, at prices ranging from $244,900 to $349,900.

Community amenities are a big reason for the strong sales, Devereaux said.
.
“Stoneybrook at Venice offers all the amenities of an island resort,” he said.

The community center includes a resort-style swimming pool, a kid’s splash pool, and an in-line skating park, a health club with an onsite activity director and four lighted tennis courts, a basketball court, two sand volleyball courts and a multi-purpose sports field.

Stoneybrook at Venice is located off North River and Center Rds. one mile west of I-75 Exit 191.

For more information, contact:
Matt Devereaux, Director of Sales, Lennar-Southwest Florida, 239-278-1177
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142