Acclaimed Chef Jereme Leung Named Consultant to W Taipei’s Restaurant,

TAIPEI, Taiwan  – W Taipei is proud to announce that creative powerhouse Chef Jereme Leung (top right photo)  has been named consulting chef to Yen, W Taipei’s signature on-site restaurant (lower left rendering). 

Chef Leung will bring his innovative style of cooking and unique approach to contemporary Chinese cuisine to the W brand’s first Chinese restaurant in the world.

  Yen will feature Cantonese and Taiwanese cuisine reflective of Leung's vision of introducing revolutionary ways to approach Chinese cooking while preserving its core traditions.

 An expert in all four schools of Chinese cooking -- dim sum, barbecue, wok cooking and knife work – Leung has honed his craft at some of Southeast Asia’s most renowned hotels.

 Leung also was the founding chef and creator of the Whampoa Club, a celebrated success of which spawned two stunning restaurants in Shanghai and Beijing. 

In January 2010, working with international fashion brand Shanghai Tang, he developed the world’s first Shanghai Tang Café concept.

 Leung is also the author of two internationally acclaimed cookbooks, (New Shanghai Cuisine:  Bridging the Old and the New) and (New Beijing Cuisine:  A New Look at Classic Dishes).

A multi-faceted understanding of the different Chinese kitchens in the region has allowed Leung to create a contemporary, improvisatory culinary style that is nonetheless firmly rooted in traditional craftsmanship and that remains sensitive to culinary history.

 Yen is located on W Taipei’s 31st floor, offering a stylish bar for sipping and flirting plus delicate dim sum, sensational seafood, signature soups, and tantalizing desserts.

 Five private dining rooms are available for more intimate affairs.  Yen features six-meter, floor-to-ceiling windows providing dramatic views of the Taipei 101 building, one of W Taipei’s spectacular panoramic vistas of its new home, the buzzing, central business district of Xinyi.

For reservations and more information, please visit www.whotels.com/taipei.

Contact:

Hwee Peng Yeo

Director of Asian Markets

Glodow Nead Communications – Asia

Level 21, Centennial Tower

3 Temasek Avenue

Singapore 039190

Tel : 65 9768.6087

 Glodow Nead Communications

1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 203

San Francisco, CA 94111

T: 1 415.394.6500

C : 1 650.892.4769 F: 415.403.9060

hweepeng@glodownead.com

http://www.glodownead.com/

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Ambrose S. Aston Joins Grubb & Ellis Securities as Regional Vice President

                                        

SANTA ANA, CA– Grubb & Ellis Securities, Inc. announced that Ambrose S. Aston has joined the company as a regional vice president. 

 In his new role, Aston is responsible for raising equity in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana for the company’s two publicly registered non-traded real estate investment trusts, Grubb & Ellis Apartment REIT, Inc. and Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II, Inc.

“Ambrose is a seasoned professional who has gained experience working with a variety of investment programs in the securities industry,” said Rich Arnitz (top right photo), president and chief executive officer of Grubb & Ellis Securities. 

 “He is a proven performer with well-established relationships with key advisors and broker-dealers throughout his network, and we are pleased to welcome him to the Grubb & Ellis family.” 

Aston joins the company from Hartman Securities Inc.

Contact:               Damon Elder

Phone:                 714.975.2659                                                     

Email:                    damon.elder@grubb-ellis.com

Jeffrey Hyman joins Grubb & Ellis as Senior Vice President, Senior Housing Practice Group in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, announced that Jeffrey Hyman (top right photo) has joined the firm as senior vice president and a member of the company’s Senior Housing practice group.

In this role, Hyman will be responsible for representing owners and operators of senior housing facilities in the Chicago area and regionally, further enhancing Grubb & Ellis’ capabilities in this sector. 

 In August, the company hired Alan Ursillo (lower left photo) as executive managing director of the Senior Housing practice group, responsible for leading the expansion of the company’s capabilities and commitment to provide fully integrated real estate services platform for clients in the senior housing sector.

“Bringing Jeff on board significantly bolsters our efforts to establish senior housing expertise in key markets throughout the country,” said Ursillo. 

“With his background leading acquisition and development efforts for a number of high-profile senior and residential housing communities, Jeff has a keen awareness of what it takes for an investor and developer to succeed in this growing property segment.”

Most recently, Hyman was vice president of real estate acquisition for a privately held development firm, where he was responsible for all aspects of land acquisition including site selection, site planning and development for senior lifestyle communities. 

 Prior to assuming this role in 2006, Hyman was director of land acquisition and entitlement for five years at Burnside Construction and Management, where he directed operations related to the development of active adult development projects, among others.  Previously, he was vice president and managing director of Chicago Ocean Atlantic Companies, Chicago, which he joined in 1994.

“Being a part of Grubb & Ellis provides the opportunity to work with experts in a number of complementary disciplines, bringing tremendous resources and support to my clients and my business,” said Hyman.

 “In addition, Alan and his team represent one of the best – if not the best – senior housing teams in the country.  It was also extremely important to me that I work with people who share my passion for the senior housing sector and the people it serves, as the team at Grubb & Ellis does.”

Hyman is a member of the Real Estate Investment Association.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Illinois.

Contact:         Erin Mays                                            

Phone:            312.698.6735                                       

Email:             erin.mays@grubb-ellis.com                

Cambridge Reports Loan Origination Requests Spiked Higher in September

 CHICAGO, IL--After trailing for much of the year, Cambridge Realty Capital Companies reports loan origination requests processed by the company spiked sharply higher in September, with 33 requests totaling $493.1 million.

This total compares with 25 origination requests totaling $321.5 million for the same month a year earlier, Cambridge Chairman Jeffrey A. Davis (top right photo)  said.

Through the first nine months of the year, Cambridge has processed 207 loans totaling $2.5 billion, compared with 231 loans totaling $3.3 billion a year earlier.

Davis points out that lenders close a relatively small percentage of loan requests received, but believes it’s useful to track this information as an indication of market direction.

In 2010, the total number of loans and dollar volume have been off dramatically as funding for more expensive new construction projects has been difficult to find in today’s tight credit market.

“It’s so hard to find capital for new projects that few of these deals are progressing to the point where they can be seriously considered and included in the tally.  So the number of origination requests and the dollar volume totals have been off as a result,” he said.

“The flip side of this is that requests for loans to refinance existing loans has been holding up nicely,” he added.

Contact:

Evan Washington

Phone: (312) 521-7604

Fax: (312) 357-1611

E-Mail:  ew@cambridgecap.com

Pulte Homes debuts two new floorplans at Meadow Ridge in Ocoee, FL

ORLANDO, FL - Pulte Homes, the nation’s largest home builder, has introduced two new floorplans at Meadow Ridge (top left photo), the gated community located on Douglas Edward Drive off Jordan Rose Avenue and Maguire Road in Ocoee.

Sean Strickler, vice president of sales and marketing for Pulte Homes in Central Florida, said the new Manchester design offers three or four bedrooms and three baths in 2,163 square feet of living space with a two-car garage, a morning room and spacious lanai, priced from $269,990.

The two story Cordelia, with 3,563 square feet of living space, offers four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, over-sized loft, spacious lanai, a gourmet kitchen with dual pantries and a three-car garage.

Strickler said the Cordelia floorplan features a large island kitchen with a breakfast nook, granite countertops, GE stainless steel cooktop, double wall oven, built-in microwave, seven cycle dishwasher, maple cabinets with crown molding and ceramic tile throughout.  The Cordelia is priced from $387,990.

For more information, visit www.Pulte.com/orlando or call 407-656-1546.  The model sales center for Meadow Ridge is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and Noon to 6 Sunday.

Contact:  

Lyndsey Clarke, Marketing Manager, Pulte Homes, 407-661-2150 ext 1416 2301 Lucien Way, Suite 400, Maitland, FL 32751; lyndsey.clarke@pultegroup.com;

  

Sean C. Strickler, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Pulte Homes, 407-661-1461 sean.strickler@pultegroup.com;

    

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142 lvershelco@aol.com;

 

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty Forms Marketing Alliances with Major Builders at Bella Collina, FL

ORLANDO - Stirling Sotheby's International Realty has formed marketing alliances with Continental Homes & Interiors and R. L. Vogel Homes, two of the top luxury home builders at Bella Collina (top left photo), the luxury community located in Lake County north of S.R. 50 near Monteverde.

Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby's International Realty, said Stirling Sotheby's will market the builders’ new home design concepts that feature new leading-edge designs focused on energy conservation, lifestyle and today's consumer-centric home buyer. 

“New product designs will be priced in the $500,000 to $800,000 range, with luxury estate homes priced at $1-2 million or more,” Soderstrom said.

Stirling Sotheby's recently opened a Welcome and Marketing Center at Bella Collina to represent the builders. Six luxury home specialists are staffing the Welcome and Marketing Center seven days a week, Soderstrom said.

Stirling Sotheby's recently launched an outreach marketing program that targets buyers from the UK, Europe, Canada and South America, as well as domestic buyers throughout the United States.   Soderstrom said Stirling Sotheby’s will also focus on luxury home buyers in the Orlando area.

There will also be a major marketing campaign targeting Orlando home buyers. More than half of the Bella Collina sales inquiries Stirling Sotheby’s has fielded come from Central Florida buyers.

“Downtown Orlando (bottom right photo) is only 25 minutes from Bella Collina and the view of the downtown Orlando skyline from the Bella Collina Country Club is spectacular,” Soderstrom said.

 

For more information, contact:  

Roger Soderstrom, Founder/Owner Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty 407-581-7890;  

Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, Larry Vershel Communications 407-644-4142;  

Marcus & Millichap Sells 36-Unit Apartment Property in Valrico, FL for $2 Million

VALRICO, FL – Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has announced the sale of Suburban Villas (top left photo), a 36-unit apartment property located in Valrico, Fla, according to Bryn D. Merrey, Regional Manager of the firm’s Tampa office.

The asset commanded a sales price of $2 million.

Casey Babb, CCIM (middle right photo), senior associate and multifamily specialist in the firm’s Tampa office, facilitated the sale on behalf of the seller, a Florida-based private investor and the buyer, a private investor from Connecticut. 

Babb explains, “Conventional, non-distressed real estate transactions like Suburban Villas are beginning to reemerge in the marketplace and the new perception for some of today’s investors is that if you are waiting for the perfect distressed opportunity to fall into your lap, you will miss out on tremendous values right now.

“In the case of Suburban Villas, the seller was a long-term owner and was simply retiring from the real estate business.  Our initial pricing and the non-distressed nature of the sale turned many people off.

“However, after a full six-month marketing process, we were able to secure a sale at a 33 percent profit for the seller, and the buyer bought in at a 10.79 percent cap rate and a ‘high-teens’ cash-on-cash return.”

Suburban Villas was built in1972 and is located at 502 Beverly Boulevard.  This garden duplex rental community is located east of Brandon. 

Residents have direct proximity to major retail shopping, including Walmart and Home Depot, as well as numerous restaurants, convenience stores, pharmacies and banks.

Press Contact: Bryn D. Merrey, Regional Manager, Tampa, (813) 387-4700

HFF arranges $44 million refinancing for retail condominium in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood

NEW YORK, NY – The New York office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P.) announced has arranged a $44 million refinancing for the retail condominium at 599 Broadway (top left photo) in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood (middle right photo).

HFF managing director Evan Pariser and senior real estate analyst Todd Newman worked exclusively on behalf of the borrower, ABC Management Corp., to secure the 10-year, fixed-rate loan with Prima Capital Advisors. 

599 Broadway is located at the intersection of Broadway and Houston Street in SoHo’s Cast Iron Historic District.  The retail condominium includes the first three floors and lower level retail space of the 12-story property.

  An entity controlled by Jeff Sutton is the master tenant for the retail condominium and American Eagle subleases the ground, second floor and lower level spaces through a 15-year lease.  American Eagle is scheduled to open this flagship SoHo store in November 2010.

“This transaction represents the skillful culmination of a long-term repositioning of 599 Broadway by David R. Topping, the principal partner of ABC Management Corp. 

" The creative ownership structure utilizing a joint venture master lease led by the talented Jeff Sutton has maximized the retail potential of what is arguably the best retail location in SoHo,” said Pariser.   

Founded in 1977, ABC Management Corp. is a real estate investment and management company headquartered in New York.  ABC owns numerous commercial properties in the New York metropolitan area and nationally including residential apartment buildings, shopping centers, office buildings and warehouses.

Prima Capital is an investment advisory firm specializing in whole loans, investment grade CMBS and REIT bonds and commercial mortgage ‘B’ notes.  With approximately $2 billion under management Prima Capital’s investments are made on a fully discretionary basis for a number of public and corporate pension funds.

Contacts:          

Evan Pariser, HFF Managing Director, (212) 245-2425, epariser@hfflp.com

Todd Newman, HFF Senior Real Estate Analyst, (212) 245-2425, tnewman@hfflp.com

Kristen Murphy, HFF Associate Director, Marketing, (713) 852-3500,

krmurphy@hfflp.com