Saturday, June 4, 2011

Mercantile Capital Corporation closes on loans in May to finance commercial real estate projects valued at more than $11.6 million



ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL --- Mercantile Capital Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Old Florida National Bank, closed on loans to finance commercial real estate projects valued at more than $11.6 million in May.

Geof Longstaff (top right photo), chairman of Mercantile Capital Corporation, said the firm’s largest single loan financed the construction of a $6.5 million multi-specialist medical office facility in Newport Beach, Calif.

Mercantile Capital Corporation ranks as one of the nation’s largest providers of  U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans for small business owners who want to acquire or develop their own facilities.

 and post: www.504blog.com
.
For more information about this press release, contact:
Geof Longstaff, Chairman, Mercantile Capital Corporation, 407-786-5040 GLongstaff@Mercantilecc.com
 Chris Hurn, Chief Executive Officer Mercantile Capital Corporation, ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com  , 407-786-5040
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142

Henin Signature Homes to Host Realtor Showcase June 16 at Riviera Bella in DeBary, FL




DEBARY, FL --- Henin Signature Homes will host a Realtor Showcase from 4 to 6 p.m. on June 16 to showcase the Turino model home (top left photo) at Riviera Bella, the luxury community Henin Group is developing on the St. Johns River in DeBary.

Jerome Henin, founder and president of the Henin Group, said he plans to unveil the new decorated Turino model home at that time.

The five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath luxury home offers 3,577 square feet with a two-car garage priced from $282,000 on the water.

Henin said Henin Signature Homes will host a public grand opening to showcase the Turino model on Saturday June 18 with refreshments and prizes.

For more information, contact:  
Jerome Henin, Founder & President, Henin Group, 407-425-7888;  
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications, 407-644-4142  

Friday, June 3, 2011

Steve Algermissen Joins Colliers International in Downtown Los Angeles Office

  

LOS ANGELES, CA, June 3, 2011 – Colliers International, the second largest global real estate services organization, welcomesSteve Algermissen (top right photo) to its Downtown Los Angeles office. He will serve as Executive Vice President.

After earning his B.A. from Claremont Men’s College, Algermissen went on to develop more than 28 years of experience specializing in the sale and joint venture of retail, office and ground up development in the Southern California commercial real estate market. 

“Steve is a strategic recruit to our DTLA office,” said Hans Mumper (middle left photo), managing director of Colliers International’s DTLA office. “His diverse and extensive background includes high profile properties to environmentally challenged developments. There couldn’t be a better fit for Colliers and we look forward to building a long and successful partnership.”

 Previously with Cushman & Wakefield as an Executive Managing Director since 1991 in its Downtown Los Angeles office and prior to that as a Vice President for CB Commercial Real Estate Services in its West Los Angeles office, Algermissen has closed in excess $5.6 billion and 24 million square feet in transactions. 

 Some of Algermissen’s most notable transactions include the Dior, Bally, Tom Ford and Gucci Buildings in Beverly Hills, the William Morris Portfolio in Beverly Hills, the Shops at the Fordham, the Lincoln Park Apple Store in Chicago, the Oaks Mall, and the Esplanade Shopping Center in Ventura County.

“This is another great hire for us and shows the momentum within Colliers,” states Martin Pupil (lower right photo), regional managing director of Colliers International.

“Steve’s strategic approach to the business and his overall commitment to providing sound solutions to his clients are the attributes that make him so successful and the right addition for Colliers.”

Contact: Angela Hwang, Regional Marketing Coordinator, +1 213 532 3258 angela.hwang@colliers.com


HFF secures acquisition financing for Hidden Creek Apartments in Lewisville,TX


                 
DALLAS, TX – HFF announced today that it has secured acquisition financing for Hidden Creek Apartments (top left photo), a 362-unit, Class A multi-housing community in Lewisville, Texas.

Working on behalf of Praedium Group and Mike Ochstein, president of Price Realty Corporation, HFF placed the five-year, fixed-rate securitized loan with Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation).  Loan proceeds were used to acquire the property.  The loan will be serviced thr

ough HFF’s Freddie Mac Program Plus® Seller/Servicer program.

Hidden Creek is located at 1200 College Parkway close to Xerox Corporation, Vista Ridge Mall, Lake Lewisville and Vista Ridge Business Park in Lewisville, a northern suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth.  

Completed in 2000, the property has 14 three-story buildings with units averaging 939 square feet each.  Community amenities include a resort-style pool, outdoor heated spa, sports courts, sand volleyball court, fitness center and business resource center.  Hidden Creek is currently 97 percent occupied. 

The HFF team representing Praedium Group and Price Realty Corporation was led by senior managing director John Brownlee (top right photo) and managing director Brian Carlton (bottom left photo).

The Praedium Group is a real estate investor focusing on under-performing and under-valued assets throughout North America, with over $7 billion in total investments to date in more than 275 transactions comprised of 45 million square feet of commercial space and 55,000 multifamily units.

Price Realty Corporation was founded in 1991 and currently owns and manages more than 5,200 units in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Contacts:
John S. Brownlee, HFF Senior Managing Director, (214) 265-0880 jbrownlee@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500

Central Florida Real Estate Panel Set for June 23 at Citrus Club in Downtown Orlando


ORLANDO, FL---Patrick Chisholm with Maury L. Carter & Associates, Inc. is participating in a Commercial Real Estate Panel on June 23, 2011 at the Citrus Club in Downtown Orlando.

.  Please review the information below and consider registering to attend.

 TMA Florida Presents

(Turnaround Management Association)

  On June 23, 2011, TMA Florida is hosting a special panel of Central Florida Real Estate experts for a discussion on the current conditions of and the future projections regarding commercial real estate. 

The panel will be moderated by Frank M. Mock, Esq. of Lowndes Drosdick Doster Kantor & Reed, PA and panelist will include:

Jay Ballard (top right photo) Senior Director, Apartment Brokerage Services at Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
Patrick Chisholm, Vice President at Maury L. Carter & Associates, Inc.
John Crossman, President, Crossman & Company, retail leasing, management & development
David Murphy (lower right photo), Senior VP Industrial Properties, CB Richard Ellis
George Livingston (middle left photo), Chairman Emeritus of NAI Realvest


Orlando Luncheon - Commercial Real Estate Panel
 
Thursday, June 23, 2011
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
Citrus Club, Orlando, FL

 
To register, visit:  www.tmaflorida.org
 
  Please use this link to register.  Thank you.





Lodging Econometrics Releases Its Spring 2011 US Transaction Trends Report



PORTSMOUTH, NH, June 3, 2011---For the sixth consecutive quarter, year-over-year (YoY) selling prices have accelerated. There were 110 transactions across all chain scales that reported a selling price in Q1 2011.

The overall average selling price was at a record high of $125,946 per room. This is a 30% YoY increase from Q1 2010's $97,084 per room and a 14% increase over the 2010 year-end total of $110,827.

47% of the 110 transactions were in the top 25 markets, the highest percentage LE has ever recorded. 37% were in Upscale and higher chain scales. 21 hotels greater than 200 rooms, or 19% of the total, sold at a cyclical high average of $181,680 per room.

For a complete copy of the company’s news release and US Spring 2011 Transactions Trends Report, please contact:

Jennifer Robertson
Marketing Manager
Lodging Econometrics
500 Market Street, Suite 13
Portsmouth, NH  03801, USA
Ph:    +1 603-431-8740 ext. 19
Fax:   +1 603-431-4418

 Lodging Econometrics 1065914
500 Market Street, Suite 13
Portsmouth New Hampshire 03801
United States

Thursday, June 2, 2011

$80 million refinancing arranged by HFF for Cityview Plaza in San Jose, CA



IRVINE, CA – HFF announced today that it has arranged an $80 million refinancing for Cityview Plaza (top left photo), a nine-building, Class A office and retail complex totaling 602,972 square feet in downtown San Jose, California.

HFF worked on behalf of the borrower, an affiliate of BPG Properties, Ltd., to secure the five-year, fixed-rate loan through J.P. Morgan Chase Bank N.A.  Loan proceeds are replacing maturing debt on the property.

Cityview Plaza is a recently-renovated, mixed-use campus consisting of nine high-rise and mid-rise office buildings and retail and restaurant space totaling 600,972 square feet, united by a newly designed plaza area with outdoor seating, artwork and water features. 

Major tenants include Bank of America, URS Corporation, Overland Storage, Heritage Bank of Commerce and Morton’s Steakhouse.  Presently, the property is 84 percent leased. The 11-acre property is within walking distance of the Convention Center, Caltrain, light rail, DASH shuttle service and a future BART station. 

The HFF team representing the owner was led by managing director Steve Gunther.

BPG Properties, Ltd. is one of the nation’s leading private equity real estate fund managers.

BPG’s portfolio consists of more than 24 million square feet of office, retail, student housing, and industrial properties and more than 18,000 apartment units in over 70 communities located throughout the United States. The firm is headquartered in the Philadelphia area with regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham.


Contacts:
Stephen C. Gunther, HFF Managing Director, (949) 253-8800 sgunther@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500
                    

HFF closes sale of the Hilton Dallas/Park Cities in Dallas,TX




DALLAS, TX –HFF announced today that it has closed the sale of the Hilton Dallas/Park Cities (top left photo), a 224-room, full-service hotel in Dallas, Texas.

HFF exclusively represented the seller in marketing the top-performing property.  Apple Nine Hospitality Ownership, Inc. purchased the hotel for an undisclosed amount. 

 The Hilton Dallas/Park Cities is located at 5954 Luther Lane in the heart of Preston Center. 

Originally built in 2001, the property was renovated in 2010, and features 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant and bar, 24-hour fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, club lounge, dry cleaning service, and shuttle service within the surrounding area. 

 As a result of the recent acquisition, the property will receive additional renovation and updates from the new owner.

The HFF team representing the seller was led by director John Bourret (middle right photo), senior managing director Whitaker Johnson (bottom left photo) and senior managing director Dan Peek.

According to HFF, the Hilton Dallas/Park Cities is a unique property in the Dallas landscape due to the high barriers-to-entry in Preston Center.  Apple immediately recognized value and opportunity in owning such a great asset, and executed perfectly in their acquisition. 

The sale of the Hilton provides additional evidence to the rapid recovery of the hotel sector, which has spread beyond a handful of cities to the major markets of the heartland and beyond.

Sam Reynolds, senior vice president and director of acquisitions for Apple said, “We are excited about continuing our investment in the Dallas market with the Hilton. 

"This was a unique opportunity to acquire a premiere property in the Preston Center and we anticipate that it will be a strong performing property for Apple for many years to come.”
     

Contacts:
Daniel Peek, HFF Senior Managing Director, (813) 870-1001, dpeek@hfflp.com
John Bourret, HFF Director, (214) 265-0880, jbourret@hfflp.com
 Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500
                    

HFF secures $134.76 million financing for 13-property national portfolio

                                                            

PITTSBURGH, PA – HFF announced today that it has secured $134.76 million in financing for a 13-property mixed-use portfolio totaling 2.8 million square feet throughout the United States. 

HFF worked on behalf of McMorgan & Company, LLC to secure the fixed-rate financing through a life insurance company.  The loan is cross collateralized by all 13 properties and is tranched into three, five-, seven-, and ten-year terms. 

According to HFF, the lender exceeded our expectations by engineering a highly creative loan structure for a truly unique loan request.

 The portfolio includes industrial, office, multi-housing and retail properties located in eight states.  Overall, the portfolio is 90 percent occupied.

The HFF team representing McMorgan & Company, LLC included executive managing director John Pelusi (top right photo), senior managing directors Mike Tepedino (middle left photo)  and Trey Morsbach (bottom right photo) and real estate analyst Todd Newman. 

McMorgan & Company, LLC is a real estate investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investment Management Holdings, LLC.

 Contacts:
John H. Pelusi Jr., HFF Executive Managing Director, (412) 281-8714,                                                  
Michael J. Tepedino, HFF Senior Managing Director, (212) 245-2425 mtepedino@hfflp.com
Kristen M. Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500
                    

Grubb & Ellis Facilitates Sale of Two Industrial Properties in the Puget Sound


  
SEATTLE, WA – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that Matt McGregor (top right photo), senior vice president, Industrial Group, and Bill Condon (middle left photo), executive vice president, managing director and leader of the company’s Industrial Agency group, represented both parties in the sale of two warehouse/distribution properties totaling 473,838 square feet of space in Sumner and Everett.

 Columbia Pacific Advisors sold the properties to a private buyer for an undisclosed price.   

“These are Class A properties occupied by credit tenants with long-term leases in place,” said McGregor.  “They are also well-located near the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, within highly sought after submarkets for industrial space in the Puget Sound.”

 The sale included 4501 W. Valley Highway East, Sumner, and 6617 Associated Blvd., Everett, which were each constructed in 2007 with 30-foot clear heights and include ESFR sprinkler systems.

 The first property, 4501 W. Valley Highway East, is a 256,148-square-foot building that was 70 percent leased at the time of sale to Service Paper Company. 

The building is situated on 11.8 acres of land with direct access to State Route 167.  Additionally, 6617 Associated Blvd. is a 217,700-square-foot building situated on 11.5 acres of land near State Route 526.  The property was 100 percent leased at the time of sale to Precor Inc., the anchor tenant, and PODS. 

Contact: Julia McCartney, Phone: 714.975.2230                                     
          

Boca Raton: Highest Percent Of Unsold New Condos In South Florida



MIAMI, FL--A supply of more than 18 years of new condo units created during the South Florida real estate boom remains unsold in the coastal Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach market as of March 31, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

Buyers acquired five developer units in the coastal Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach market between January and March of 2011, leaving more than 375 units still unsold from the real estate boom that began in 2003, according to the report based on the Condo Vultures® Official Condo Buyers Guide To Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach™.
  
The total number of new condo sales in the first quarter of 2011 represents a 72 percent drop in transactions on a year-over-year basis compared to the first 90 days of 2010 when buyers acquired 18 units, according to an analysis of Palm Beach County records.

At the current pace of five developer unit sales per quarter, the coastal Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach market has more than 75 quarters of remaining new condo inventory available, according to the report.

“The coastal Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach condo market has the highest percentage of unsold developer units created during the boom in the seven largest coastal markets,”said Peter Zalewski (bottom left photo), a principal with the Bal Harbour, Fla.-based real estate consultancy Condo Vultures® LLC.

 “More than one-out-of-every-three condos created in the Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach market during the boom have not yet sold. The biggest factor driving this trend is the unwillingness of developers to slash prices.

”Going forward, it will be interesting to see if developers adopt a change in strategy given the new product overhang - and the associated carrying cost with these units - in the coastal Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach market.”
 
Peter Zalewski of Condo Vultures® can be reached at 800-750-0517 or by email at peter@condovultures.com

NAI Realvest Negotiates New Five-Year Lease for Office/Industrial Facility in Winter Park, FL




ORLANDO, Fla. – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new lease agreement for 3,000 square feet of office and industrial space at 667-669 Cherry St. in Winter Park.   

 Tom Kelley, II CCIM (top right photo), principal at NAI Realvest, brokered the transaction on behalf of the local landlord, John J. Sharp Trust and the new tenant, Lajur Inc. of Winter Park

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

Marketplace Advisors, Inc. Negotiates $900,000 land sale to McDonald’s USA, LLC at the Shoppes at Aloma Walk in Seminole County, FL



 ORLANDO, Fla. --- Marketplace Advisors, Inc. recently negotiated the $900,000 sale of a 1.2-acre commercial outparcel at the Shoppes at Aloma Walk (top left photo), a Publix-anchored retail center located on Aloma Ave. at S.R. 417 in Seminole County.

David Marks, president of Marketplace Advisors, Inc., negotiated the transaction representing the seller, Aloma Walk Commercial Venture, LLC.

McDonald’s U.S.A., LLC acquired the property.  James Mitchell with CB Richard Ellis represented the buyer.

 For more information,  please contact:  
David Marks, Marketplace Advisors, Inc., 407-694-7040, dmarks@cfl.rr.com
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, LV Communications, 407-644-4142   



Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II Acquires Five Medical Office Buildings in New Jersey and Arkansas


 SANTA ANA, CA (June 1, 2011) – Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II, Inc. today announced that it has acquired four properties comprised of five medical office buildings; four of the buildings are located in Arkansas, the fifth in New Jersey. 

The $44 million purchase closed on May 26, 2011.     

Totaling approximately 179,000 square feet, each of the medical office buildings are located on the campus of, or fully leased to, a leading regional medical center. 

“This five building transaction is the first of a two phase acquisition of a portfolio of eight medical office buildings,” said Danny Prosky (top right photo), president and chief operating officer.

 “Once we have concluded the second phase, Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II’s portfolio of clinical medical buildings will have expanded to include regional portfolios in Greater New York and central Arkansas, and we will have acquired our first property in the state of Washington."

The individual properties included in the transaction are:


Jersey City Medical Office Building - Jersey City, N.J.(middle left photo)
Built in 2010, Jersey City Medical Office Building is a five-story, 100 percent leased, 68,000-square-foot Class A facility on the campus of Jersey City Medical Center, a 332-bed community hospital with full inpatient and outpatient services.  The medical center lies just across the Hudson River from Manhattan and leases 50 percent of the medical office building, which has no significant lease rollover until 2020.

Medical Park Place I & II - Benton, Ark.
Medical Park Place I & II is a four-story, two-tower medical office complex totaling approximately 79,000 square feet on the campus of Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, an affluent suburb of Little Rock.  Built in 1992 and 1999, the medical office buildings are connected to each other and the hospital via sky bridges.  Saline Memorial Hospital is a full-service, 167-bed acute care facility that has served the region for more than 50 years.

Home Health Medical Complex – Benton, Ark.
Home Health Medical Complex, a two-story medical office building totaling approximately 10,000 square feet, also located on the campus of Saline Memorial Hospital, which also leases the entire building under a triple net lease agreement that expires in 2024. 

Bryant Medical Office Building – Bryant, Ark.
Built in 1993 and fully renovated in 2006, Bryant Medical Office Building is a high-quality, single-story medical office building comprised of approximately 22,000 square feet of rentable space at 23157 Interstate 30 in Bryant..  The building is located roughly 10 miles southwest of downtown Little Rock and nine miles northeast of Saline Memorial Hospital, which leases 86 percent of the facility via two leases that expire in 2024 and 2025. 

The five medical office buildings were acquired from an unaffiliated third party represented by Jeffrey H. Cooper and Philip B. Mahler of Savills, LLC.

 Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II financed the acquisition using cash proceeds from its offering, $31.1 million in borrowings under its line of credit with Bank of America, N.A., and $5 million in borrowings from Keybank, N.A. 

Contact: Damon Elder, Phone, 714.975.2659


Latino Hotel Association Launches New Program for Hotel Members


 HOUSTON, TX, June 2, 2011—Officials of the Latino Hotel Association (LHA), the global organization dedicated to expanding Latino ownership, leadership and commerce in the hotel industry, today announced the group had signed a partnership agreement with a member company of Pan-American Life Insurance Group, a leading provider of life and health insurance in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market.

 As part of the agreement, LHA members and their hotel associates will have access to Pan-American’s limited benefit and discount medical plans that may significantly reduce many members’ out-of-pocket health care costs.

“We continue to seek out relationships with top-level industry partners who understand the needs of the Latino community so that we can leverage our members’ buying power,” said Angela Gonzalez-Rowe (top right photo), president and founder of LHA.

 “Pan-American Life Insurance Group has been providing quality health insurance products for 100 years.  The company has earned an excellent reputation throughout the U.S. and Latin America.”

“We are committed to providing the highest quality health care products at costs our clients in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market can afford,” said José S. Suquet, (middle left photo) chairman of the board, president and CEO, Pan-American Life Insurance Group.

 “The Latino Hotel Association is making tremendous strides in expanding its membership ranks.  This partnership will allow us to further address the medical insurance and discount medical needs of the growing number of Latinos investing and working in the hospitality industry.”

Additional information is available at the association’s website, www.latinohotelassociation.com
.
For more information, visit the Pan-American Life Web site at www.panamericanlife.com

Contact: Jerry Daly, Chris Daly, Daly Gray Public Relations, (703) 435-6293