Wednesday, October 2, 2013



Lakeshore Center within Orlando Central Park, Orlando, FL

ORLANDO, FL -- CBRE, as exclusive advisor, is pleased to present an opportunity to acquire Lakeshore Center, an eight-story, ±133,075 square foot suburban office property located prominently within the South Orlando suburban submarket at Orlando Central Park—a 12 million square foot office and light industrial park in Central Florida.

Ron Rogg
Orlando Central Park features the largest concentration of office space in Orlando’s largest suburban submarket—it is a “self-contained city,” with more than 400 companies at the very epicenter of Orlando’s past, present, and future growth. That keeps it in site selection rotation for the area’s most credit-worthy tenants and investors, according to Ron Rogg.

PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS

•
 Provides an Owner/User with immediate income and room for expansion—over 115,000 square feet available for immediate occupancy
•
 Corporate HQ location with possible building signage
•
 Ability to expand parking lot on the outparcel, increasing the parking ratio from 4.0 to 5.4 per 1,000 rentable square feet
•
Orlando Central Park
 No shell space - all floors are completely built-out
•
 The property is expected to transact at a basis below replacement cost (estimated to be $185.53 per square foot)
•
 Existing full floor tenant provides predictable cash flow through November 2017
•
 Only building of this size and height available for purchase in Orlando’s MSA
•
 Excellent alternative to a build-to-suit
•
 No existing debt on the property - can be fully leveraged with today’s low interest rate debt

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

Ron Rogg

Greystone Closes $15.9 Million Loan for Multifamily Property in Maryland

  
Whitfield Towne Apartments, Lanham, MD

  
New York, NY, Oct. 2, 2013 – Greystone, a leading national provider of multifamily and healthcare mortgage loans, today announced it provided $15.9 million in Fannie Mae financing for Whitfield Towne Apartments, a 322-unit property located in Lanham, Maryland.

Billy Posey
Andrew Ellis, originator in Greystone’s Maryland office, worked closely with the borrower to close the loan.

 This latest deal was the culmination of $34.2 million in funds across three loans in the last 18 months on behalf of Avis-R Company of Rockville, Maryland.

For Whitfield Towne Apartments, Greystone refinanced a $11.5 million bridge loan, which was closed by Greystone in April 2012, with a $15.9 million Fannie Mae DUS loan.

The Greystone bridge loan enabled the borrower to take control of the property and invest approximately $2,375,000 in capital improvements, helping to obtain long-term financing. Greystone worked closely with broker Marc Tropp of Eastern Union Commercial throughout the loan process.

Marc Tropp
 “Through our strong relationship with Fannie Mae and understanding of the borrower’s needs, we were able to provide Whitfield Towne Apartments with not only a temporary financing solution, but a more permanent one as well,” said Billy Posey, CEO of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Lending at Greystone.

 “We see the success of this transaction as a great example of the team’s ability to help secure short-term funding for our clients while keeping long-term financial objectives in mind.”

 The Greystone Bridge Program is specifically designed for properties that are either stabilized or are in need of minor to moderate renovation or other value-add strategies. The real estate and finance experience of Greystone guarantees a deep understanding of the market and an ability to find creative solutions for multifamily and healthcare borrowers.

Zion Avissar
Zion Avissar, President of Avis-R Company stated, “Greystone was able to understand our plans, vision and underutilized potential of Whitfield Towne Apartments. 

“Our team worked incredibly hard to gut-rehab a large percentage of the units and spruce up the asset in a very short amount of time.  Greystone was there along the way and was ready with a solid permanent financing package at stabilization.  We look forward to working with Greystone in the future as we grow our portfolio and property management platform.”

 Greystone, with more than 200 mortgage professionals throughout the United States, is ranked as a top-10 Fannie Mae DUS lender by volume and was the number one FHA lender for 2012. A multifamily industry expert and leader, Greystone offers long term, bridge, gap, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA and CMBS lending solutions. 

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

Karen Marotta
PR Manager
Greystone
152 W. 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-896-9149 direct
917-902-7073 mobile

Waterbury, CT Apartment Building Sells for $1.35 Million

  
Valley View Apartments, 209 Wolcott Street, Waterbury, CT

  
BRIDGEPORT, CT – Investment sales broker Northeast Private Client Group has announced the sale of the Valley View Apartments, a 29-unit garden-style apartment complex located at 209 Wolcott Street in Waterbury, CT.

Bradley Balletto
  Bradley Balletto, the firm’s regional manager for Connecticut, represented both the seller and the buyer in the $1,350,000 transaction, which closed on September 26th.

 “High occupancy and rent growth are driving strong demand, especially for multifamily properties,” notes Balletto.  “In today’s slow recovering financial market conditions, income-producing real estate remains one of the best opportunities for generating and preserving wealth.”

 The Valley View Apartments consist of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments built in 1989, with 11 income-generating garages set on 2.32 acres.

Edward Jordan
The Connecticut-based buyer, 209 Wolcott Waterbury LLC, purchased the Valley View Apartments property for a price that equates to more than $46,500 per unit, which represents a capitalization rate of 9.3 per cent on the current year’s net operating income.  The seller, ROI Valley View LLC of Waterbury, CT, will focus on new projects moving forward. 

 “The success of this transaction is the result of our relation-based approach to investment sales,” explains Edward Jordan, JD, CCIM, the firm’s managing director.  “With our regional brokerage platform, we were able to identify the right buyer for the assignment and close the deal.”

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

Rick Leonard
 rleonard81@gmail.com
203.434.7734




Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Jones Lang LaSalle Brokers $4.73 M Main Street Lofts Sale in Buckeye, AZ to Phoenix Investor


Main Street Lofts at Verrado, 21068 West Main Street, Buckeye, AZ

PHOENIX, AZ – Capital Markets experts in the Phoenix Office of Jones Lang LaSalle have completed the $4.73 million sale of Main Street Lofts at Verrado, a Class A, urban-style, condominium-quality multifamily property located at the center of the Verrado master-planned community in Buckeye, Ariz.

John Cunningham
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Executive Vice President John Cunningham and Vice President Charles Steele represented the property developer and seller, DMB Associates.

The buyer is Waitt Verrado LLC, a newly formed company involving WaittCorp Real Estate LLC of Omaha, Neb. (Norm Waitt, Chairman) and Arcadia Capital Group LLC of Phoenix, Ariz. (Jay Khor, Director of Acquisitions). 

As is the case with Main Street Lofts, the companies continue to seek high quality, uniquely positioned real estate opportunities in the Phoenix market.

Charles Steele
They purchased Main Street Lofts because of the prime location within the Main Street District at Verrado, one of the Valley’s fastest growing and highest quality master-planned communities. In the near term, the company will work to improve efficiency, grow rental rates and occupancy. 

“This is a truly unique urban-designed property for the West Valley that earned very broad buyer interest,” said Cunningham. “The transaction continues to demonstrate the investment community’s interest in the recovering single-family and multifamily markets, particularly in the West Valley.”

According to Michael Burke, Vice President of Development at DMB, “the Main Street Lofts has helped energize Main Street, and the strong return of the multifamily market signalled the right time for this planned sale.”   

Located at 21068 W. Main St., Main Street Lofts is a 44,750-square-foot property that includes 45 apartment homes in nine, two- and three-story buildings. 

The structures border the north and south sides of Main Street in Verrado’s town center, and sit above ground floor retail that is 100 percent leased to Bashas’ grocery store, CVS Pharmacy, Bank of America, Ciao, Grazie Pizzeria, Tempo Urban Bistro and Anderson Institute of Music.

Completed in 2004, Main Street Lofts is a collection of townhome, loft and apartment residences averaging 994 square feet.

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

Stacey Hershauer
focusAZ
Marketing & Public Relations
(480) 600-0195


Carter Developing 590-Bed Student Housing Project in San Antonio, TX

  
Rendering of planned student housing development, San Antonio, TX


SAN ANTONIO, TX (Oct. 1, 2013) – Carter, one of the nation’s leading real estate development, investment and advisory firms, announced today that the company will develop a 198-unit, 590-bed student housing project located less than half a mile from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Conor McNally
The 16-acre community will include 121 flats and 77 townhomes built around a “town center.” The development will feature a mixture of two-, three- and four-bedroom units. The townhomes will include two-car garages.

“Carter is excited to be developing a unique student housing project in what we consider to be a growing and strong market,” said Conor McNally, chief development officer at Carter. “UTSA’s enrollment has increased by nearly 10 percent since 2006, and this high-quality, amenity-rich project will provide the university with a progressive alternative to traditional student housing developments.”

Scott Taylor
The community will feature abundant green space with a variety of areas for people to congregate. The amenities will also include a resort-style pool, dog park, fitness center with tanning beds, media/game room and volleyball and basketball courts.

“Carter has a rich history of developing mixed-use projects, and we are committed to creating off-campus student housing developments that meet students’ educational and lifestyle needs,” said Scott Taylor, president at Carter.

University of Texas, San Antonio Campus
“Developing student housing that provides robust amenities and walkability, as well as access to public transportation is a priority of ours. With college enrollments continuing to grow, we look forward to developing more projects like the one we have planned at UTSA.”

The community will be located less than a mile from The Shops at La Cantera, an upscale, open-air regional shopping center featuring more than 160 retail, dining and entertainment offerings, as well as The Rim, a retail center that includes a Bass Pro Shop, 19-screen IMAX, Hotel Talavera, Target and Best Buy.

The Shops at La Cantera, San Antonio, TX
Additionally, the community is less than a mile from the 125-acre UTSA Park West, the school’s athletic facility that will eventually include a 35,000-seat football stadium once construction is complete.

The project design team includes Reese Vanderbilt & Associates as the architect, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc. as the civil engineering firm and SpawGlass as the contractor. Cardinal Group Management will provide property management and leasing services for the project.

Construction began in September 2013, with a scheduled completion date of July 2014.
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  For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:
  
Tony Wilbert
The Wilbert Group
404-965-5022
.  

Veteran Attorney Diane Lidz Joins Hartman Simons Commercial Real Estate Firm

  
Diane L. Lidz
 ATLANTA, GA (Oct. 1, 2013) – Diane L. Lidz, who has nearly 30 years of experience in representing clients in various types of commercial real estate transactions, has joined the Hartman Simons & Wood law firm as apartner.

Lidz, who previously was a partner in Troutman Sanders’ Atlanta office, has focused in recent years on retail development projects,industrial leasing and loan workouts, and she will continue to do so at Hartman Simons.

 Over the years, her practice has included the purchase, sale and development of land and income-producing properties; leasing; lending; construction contracting; and loan workouts.

Summey Orr
“The commercial real estate markets in Atlanta, the Southeast and across the nation are picking up, making this an ideal time to add a lawyer of Diane’s considerable skill and experience to our firm,” said Summey Orr, managing partner of Hartman Simons.

 “Diane also has an outstanding rapport with clients, and the time she takes to really dig in and understand their needs and businesses will serve them and us very well.”

A 1984 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Lidz is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the CREW Network and the International Council of Shopping Centers. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Williams College.
.
  For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Stephen Ursery
The Wilbert Group
404.549.7150 – office
404.405.2354 – cell




Startup Atlanta Launches New Website Dedicated to Connecting and Supporting the Entrepreneurial Community

  


  
ATLANTA, GA, Oct. 1, 2013  – Today, Startup Atlanta, a non-profit dedicated to making Atlanta nationally and internationally recognized for entrepreneurship, launches a new website, which promises to connect, support and expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the greater Atlanta region. 

Dr. Eloisa Klementich
Founded in May 2013, Startup Atlanta is backed by the following founding partners: Atlanta Technology Angels, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Invest Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

"Great ideas come out of Atlanta.  We have talented, smart people generating world-changing ideas here, with outstanding resources to support them,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “Startup Atlanta’s online hub will help us highlight the many opportunities and successes for entrepreneurs and innovators in our region."  


Bess Weyandt
The new website features a resource map, interactive events calendar and a blog, which will showcase best practices and ideas from well-known Atlanta entrepreneurs and thought leaders. It also includes Atlanta’s startup deal flow, outlining angel investments and venture capital that support promising area companies.

“Perhaps the most exciting aspect of our website is its ability to showcase the name and logo of every startup in metro Atlanta,” said Bess Weyandt, Startup Atlanta’s executive director.  “Through our connection to Angel List, we have the capability to import information about every local startup and feature each company in one central location.”


Mayor Kasim Reed
“Atlanta has a strong - and rapidly growing - set of resources that entrepreneurs can tap into,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, director of business development at Invest Atlanta and chair of Startup Atlanta’s board of directors.

  “With the launch of this website, Startup Atlanta is becoming a go-to hub for entrepreneurs, connecting them with each other and the tools they need to grow and thrive.  We invite the community to contribute content to this project as we help the city’s young, aspiring companies achieve success."

Click here to visit the new Startup Atlanta website.
  
  For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please contact:

Anna Ruth Williams, AR|PR
annaruth@annaruthpr.com
855.300.8209



@StartupAtlanta on Twitter.

Beech Street Capital Provides $5 Million Freddie Mac Loan to Acquire Mississippi Apartments


The Royal Gulf Apartments, Biloxi, MS


Chad Thomas Hagwood
OCTOBER 1, 2013, BETHESDA, MD –Beech Street Capital, LLC announced today that it has provided a $5 million Freddie Mac CME loan for the acquisition of The Royal Gulf Apartments, a 144-unit garden-style apartment complex located in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Chad Thomas Hagwood, executive vice president of loan originations in Beech Street’s Birmingham, Alabama office, originated the loan. This is the borrower’s third transaction with Beech Street. 

Bill Butler
 Beech Street was able to underwrite around the newly created entity, and together with Freddie Mac, turned the deal around very quickly to meet the timeline of the borrower.   “We once again put our trust into Beech Street’s ability, and they came through for us,” states Bill Butler, Engel Realty Company.

 Built in 1996, The Royal Gulf Apartments is considered a Class B asset and is located along the Gulf of Mexico with close proximity to the beach and within 12 minutes from Downtown Biloxi, Keesler Air Force Base, and Gulfport.

 The fixed-rate loan has a 10-year term with 30 years of amortization.

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

Courtney Lewis or
240-507-1948

Jenifer Bernardi
 240-507-1946.  


Cousins Properties Announces Retail Dispositions


PetSmart at Tiffany Springs MarketCenter
Kansas City, MO

ATLANTA -- Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) announced today the unwinding of two retail joint ventures and the sale of a retail power center as it continues to implement its strategy to exit non-core holdings and focus on Class-A office properties and opportunistic mixed-use developments.

The two joint ventures consisted of eight retail centers, totaling 2.1 million square feet, in four markets. 

The Prudential Insurance Company of America, which previously held an approximately 89 percent interest in the ventures, purchased Cousins’ interests to become sole owner of the portfolio. 

The transaction valued Cousins’ interests at approximately $57 million prior to allocation of property level debt.

Cousins also completed the sale of Tiffany Springs MarketCenter, a retail power center in Kansas City, Missouri, for approximately $54 million to an unrelated third party.

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

Cousins Properties Incorporated
Cameron Golden, 404-407-1984
Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
  

Industry Icon Blaine Strickland Joins Crossman & Company


Blaine Strickland
               ORLANDO, FL -- Crossman & Company announced today that Blaine Strickland, one of the most respected leaders and educators in the real estate industry has joined the company as Senior Vice President.  Strickland will lead Crossman & Company’s leasing division for the Southeast US. 

               Strickland, a 30-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry, has worked with some of the country’s largest developers and undertaken a variety of projects across Florida.

 Prior to joining Crossman & Company, Strickland was an adjunct professor at the University of Florida in the Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) program and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina. 

John Crossman
In 2003, Strickland formed his own company, Remora Partners and actively syndicated several projects, assembling more than $300-million in debt and equity. In 2007, he became a CCIM instructor and has worked as a coach for numerous brokerage firms nationally. 

               “Blaine is one of the most respected coaches, mentors and leaders in the industry.  We are thrilled to have him on our team,” stated John Crossman, President of Crossman & Company. “Blaine embodies what we are about – service, education, and community”.

                 “The Crossman platform is unique in the industry, and has proven to be very effective for our clients.  I look forward to working with the Crossman team as we strive for an even higher level of service,” Strickland remarked.

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

Claire Pagán
Marketing Specialist | Crossman & Company
3333 S. Orange Ave. Suite 201 | Orlando, Florida 32806
407.423.5400 main | 407.581.6223 direct | 352.348.3066 cell
cpagan@crossmanco.com | Web | Facebook


Monday, September 30, 2013

MBA Releases Commercial/Multifamily Quarterly Data Book for Q2 2013




WASHINGTON, DC -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its second quarter 2013 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Quarterly Data Book.

To download a free copy, click here.

The report includes a summary of major trends and detailed charts and tables that provide current and historical information on the economy and commercial/multifamily real estate markets. Among the findings covered in the Data Book.

-       The U.S. economy grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.5 percent in the second quarter, well above the 1.1 percent growth in the first quarter.

-       Commercial and multifamily mortgage originations were seven percent higher than during the second quarter last year and 36 percent higher than the first quarter of 2013.

-       The level of commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding increased by $24.5 billion, or one percent, in the second quarter of 2013, as three of the four major investor groups increased their holdings.

-       Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgage loans declined in the second quarter of 2013. 

MBA’s Quarterly Data Book compiles the most up-to-date information on topics of interest to commercial/multifamily real estate finance industry professionals, including trends in the economy, property sales, originations, delinquencies and mortgage debt outstanding.

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

Matt Robinson
 (202) 557-2727

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Jay Brinkmann Leaving MBA Early Next Year

  
Jay Brinkmann

 Washington, DC (Sept. 30, 2013)– David H. Stevens, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), announced today that MBA’s chief economist, Jay Brinkmann, will be retiring in early 2014.  Dr. Brinkmann has been with MBA since 2001 and has served as the association’s chief economist since 2008.

“Having the opportunity to work for the mortgage industry through all of the changes of the last 13 years, not to mention becoming MBA’s chief economist at the onset of the recession, has been a tremendous but exhausting experience,” said Brinkmann. 

Marina Walsh
“My wife Nancy and I own an historic old home in New Orleans and we have decided that the time has come to relocate down there on a more full-time basis to be closer to family, especially our new grandson, and to see if we still remember how properly to boil a pot of crawfish.

“I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to trade the sturm und drang of daily life in Washington for the luxury of reading the Wall Street Journal on my front porch while the streetcars roll by.”


Jamie Woodwell
“I want to thank three people who have been my principal deputies for most of the time I have been here, Marina Walsh, Jamie Woodwell and Mike Fratantoni,” continued Brinkmann.

 “Each has expertise that is of tremendous value to the industry and their hard work has made my job immensely easier.  I also want to say what a great pleasure it has been to work with Dave Stevens since he arrived on the scene."  

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

John Mechem
(202) 557-2924

NAIOP Central Florida Presents:P3 Legislation


Dubsdread Ballroom, 549 West Par Street, Orlando, FL
  
Orlando, FL–The Central Florida Chapter of NAIOP will be exploring the creation of the new Public-Private Partnership (P3) legislation. An expert panel will discuss the nuances of this delivery system that make it unique.

Who:   Florida citizens to include: architects, engineers, contractors, attorneys, bankers and real estate brokers and developers.

Why:   To engage professionals in a discussion on the P3 Legislation (which became law on June 27, 2013).  Panelists will explain how to employ it successfully, the economic affects to each partner in the P3, the net effect for private sector developers and support professionals and the benefits to Florida citizens.

Where: Dubsdread Ballroom, 549 West Par Street, Orlando, FL 32804

 When:  Thursday, October 10th | 11:30AM Registration & Networking |
12-1:00PM Lunch & Program

Cost:   Member $45 | Developing Leader $35 | Non-Member $65 | Student $25 |   Media COMP

 NAIOP Central Florida is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed-use real estate, with 15,000 members in North America. NAIOP advances responsible commercial real estate development and advocates for effective public policy.

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

Claire Pagán
Marketing Specialist | Crossman & Company
3333 S. Orange Ave. Suite 201 | Orlando, Florida 32806

407.423.5400 main | 407.581.6223 direct | 352.348.3066 cell

40th Condo Tower Proposed For Greater Downtown Miami Since 2007 Crash


Rendering of planned Brickell CityCenter,  Downtown Miami, FL

Josh Merkin
MIAMI, FL -- As the South Florida condo market increasingly rebounds from the last real estate crash to devastate the tri-county region, the Hong Kong-based development company Swire Properties has announced plans for what amounts to the 40th new condo tower proposed for Greater Downtown Miami since 2007, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

Swire Properties has unveiled plans to add a fourth new condo tower with fewer than 400 additional units to its previously proposed nearly $1.1 billion Brickell CityCenter mixed-use complex with seven towers and 5.4 million square feet of "gross floor area" in the Brickell Avenue Area of Greater Downtown Miami, according to company statement.

"Under Miami 21 zoning, residential development of the One Brickell CityCentre site would be permitted as of right and would allow over 400 units to be developed," said Brickell CityCentre spokesman Josh Merkin of RBB Public Relations. "Swire’s development plan for One Brickell CityCentre is yet to be finalized but will include fewer residences than a stand-alone condominium tower."


The newest tower is slated stand 80-stories tall on a 1.6-acre site located at 700 Brickell Ave. that was acquired for $64.1 million - or nearly $950 per square foot - in a deal that transacted on July 15, 2013, according to Miami-Dade County records.

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

Condo Vultures® LLC
225 Midtown Building
225 NE 34th St.,
Suite 209B,
Downtown Miami, Florida, 33137.
1-800-750-0517.

W Guangzhou’s I by Inagiku launches city’s first al fresco in China

  
I by Inagiku Chef Eiji Nakamura 
  
Guangzhou, China (Sept. 30, 2013) -- I by Inagiku at W Guangzhou is delighted to introduce “Crazy Hour,” the city’s first al fresco happy hour.

I by Inagiku
at W Guangzhou Hotel
 With a twist on the traditional happy hour, Crazy Hour is a relaxing afternoon Japanese-infused BBQ in I by Inagiku’s lush outdoor garden complete with a selection of Japanese beers and grooves to suit the mood. 

With its prime location in the midst of Guangzhou’s busy business and shopping district, Crazy Hour will undoubtedly become a daily after-work treat for the area’s business professionals, trendsetters and visitors.

 Each weekday from 5:30pm – 8:00pm, I by Inagiku Chef Eiji Nakamura will fire up the BBQ and present a delectable assortment of grilled Japanese skewers along with a selection of favorite Japanese and European beers.

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

Hwee Peng Yeo
Director of Asian Markets
Glodow Nead Communications
Level 21, Centennial Tower
3 Temasek Avenue
Singapore 039190