donedeals-3: 03/01/2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Colliers International Negotiates Five-Year Lease for a 155,992-SF Industrial Building Valued at $3.1 million in City of Industry, CA

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA, Mar. 31, 2011. – Colliers International, the second largest global real estate services organization, recently negotiated a five-year lease for a 155,992-square-foot industrial building located at 14255-14317 Lomitas Ave (top left photo), City of Industry, Calif. The transaction is valued at $3.1 million.

Built in 2001, the property offers state-of-the-art building features including 30’ minimum ceiling clearance and a secured concrete yard.

It will be used as a warehouse by the new tenant. Steve Bellitti, senior executive vice president, Tom Taylor, senior executive vice president, and Tony Phu, executive vice president, all based in Colliers International’s Inland Empire office represented the landlord, Lomitas LP, a Orange County-based investor. The tenant, HOT Services, was represented by IDS Real Estate Group.

“This is one of the few deals done greater than 100,000 SF size range in Industry this year. By tracking movement in the market, Colliers brokers were able to identify the potential tenant whose building recently sold,” said Phu. “By working with the tenant's broker, Colliers was able to introduce the prospective tenant to the building and consummate a deal.”

.Contact: Angela S. Hwang

Dir +1 213 532 3258 | Mob +1 310 867 4105

Main +1 213 627 1214 | Fax +1 213 327 3258

angela.hwang@colliers.com

http://www.colliers.com/

Morrison Commercial Real Estate Completes Lease Transactions Totaling 74,092 SF in Metro Orlando

ORLANDO, FL (Mar. 31, 2011): Greg Morrison, CCIM, SIOR, Principal of Morrison Commercial Real Estate, announced the completion of two lease transactions totaling 74,092± square feet.

Greg Morrison and Emily Zinaich (top right photo) represented Parkway Properties in renewing and expanding the lease of Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. for a total of 63,286± square feet in the Maitland 200 building located at 2301 Maitland Center Parkway. Sarah Castor, Daniel Sullivan and Chris Crooks of CresaPartners represented the Tenant in this transaction.

Damien Madsen (bottom left photo) represented the Center for Drug Free Living in renewing their 10,806± square foot lease at Corporate Park located at 3670 Maguire Road in Orlando, FL. Elliott Jamison and Robbie McEwan of Realty Capital Advisors represented the landlord in this transaction.

Contact: Buffy Gillette, Phone: 407.219.3500

Email: bgillette@morrisoncre.com

The Marketing Directors Orchestrates Sell-out of Huff Heights in West Midtown Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA (Mar. 31, 2011) – The Marketing Directors announced a sellout of all 18 townhomes at Huff Heights (top left photo) located at 1199 Huff Road in Atlanta.

The sales effort was led by Senior Vice President of Sales/Managing Broker Vic Miller whose 15 years of real estate experience created a winning strategy, while June Obondo spearheaded the on-site sales.

“We have enjoyed working with Rob Meyer for many years,” says The Marketing Directors President, David Tufts. “Our combined strengths make us a strong force in today’s marketplace.”

After the success at Huff Heights, Meyer has named The Marketing Directors the exclusive sales and marketing team for 18 townhomes at Brownstones at Edgewood. Once again Miller and Obondo will bring their successful approach to selling townhomes in one of Atlanta’s sought-after urban neighborhoods to Brownstones at Edgewood.

Brownstones at Edgewood are located near East Atlanta, Kirkwood, Inman Park, Grant Park and Candler Park, perfectly situated in a hotbed of activity near great restaurants and shopping. The three- and four-bedroom townhomes embody the classic curbside appeal of traditional brownstones, while the interiors are sophisticated and stylish.

For More Information, Contact:

Liz Lapidus/Traci Buch, Liz Lapidus PR, 404.688.1466,

traci@lizlapiduspr.com

http://www.lizlapiduspr.com/

SunRail Commuter Rail Will Transform Central Florida into a Modern, Sustainable Community, Says Noted Urban Economist

ORLANDO, FL --- The SunRail commuter rail system that will link Orlando with Volusia, Seminole and Osceola communities will transform Central Florida into a modern, sustainable community that will dramatically improve Central Florida’s economy, says David Marks (top right photo), a nationally-recognized urban economist who has amassed a 20-year study of sustainable communities.

Marks, president of Marketplace Advisors, Inc. in Orlando, is preparing a book that details his study, the topic of presentations to policy-maker conferences and seminars throughout the country.

“SunRail’s 61-mile route will eventually define the core of urban living in Central Florida,” Marks said. “For an area of about two-miles from these rail stations (an area of approximately 8,000-acres), we’ll see the sort of urbanization that has made many European communities and some American communities more livable,” he said.

This 120,000-acre SunRail corridor now includes approximately 423,000 people, 16 percent of the region’s 2.6 million residents, and approximately 28 percent of the region’s employees, Marks said. Eventually, these figures should be closer to 50 percent.

SunRail will also reduce the need for road-building efforts in outlying suburban areas and will reduce traffic congestion in our urban areas, Marks said.

“Like most American communities, Central Florida has followed a 20th-century fossil fuel model for growth,” Marks said.

That means thousands of acres of asphalt highways to distant suburban communities and millions of hours wasted driving back and forth to work, not to mention fuel costs and the impact on the environment.

Marks said more sustainable economic policies will eventually lead city and county governments to incentivize growth within the SunRail corridor and dissuade growth from many outlying areas.

The population density for the Central Florida region is now about 0.9 people per land acre, and 3.57 people per land acre for the SunRail corridor, these low densities mean that virtually every adult must own a car, Marks said.

“Boston and Washington, D.C. have a population density of about 19 people per land acre, which is more sustainable,” Marks said. “In Santa Monica, California, density is about 17 people per land acre. In parts of London and Paris, it’s over 100 people per land acre,” he said.

Greater density means more opportunities for walkable communities, multi-model transportation, and community amenities in walking distance, such as parks, swimming pools and athletic fields, Marks said.

“SunRail is a giant leap into a more sustainable future for Central Florida,” Marks said.

For more information, please contact:

David Marks, Marketplace Advisors, Inc., 407-694-7040, http://www.marketplaceadvisorsinc.com/

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

WeinPlus Chief Executive Says for Many Real Estate Companies, Revenue Opportunities Lie “Between the Cracks”

ST. PETERSBURG, FL--- Most companies do fairly well at optimizing productivity within individual departments. But substantial revenue opportunities---and profits---often lie “between the cracks,” says Rachel Elias Wein (top right photo) at WeinPlus Real Estate Advisory Services in St. Petersburg.

Wein, whose firm specializes in helping real estate owners, developers, lenders and management companies manage their operations to increase revenues, said most operations are good at maximizing efforts within departments.

“The leasing department does a good job of leasing, the legal department does a good job of negotiating and executing the lease.

“The construction department does a good job with construction. But the biggest opportunities to increase profits lie in the hand-off between leasing and legal, or the notification between legal and construction, or the turn over from construction to property management,” Wein said.

“I see significant gaps, and significant opportunities between these departments,” she said.

That’s where WeinPlus focuses much of its expertise.

“Creating overlapping systems to optimize the entire process--- not just the sub-processes---can result in significant revenue enhancement and profitability,” Wein said.

For more information, contact

Rachel Elias Wein, AIA, Founder / Principal, WeinPlus, 727-386-9346, www.weinplusassociates.com;

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

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

New Faces at Grubb & Ellis

Cindy Burger Joins Firm as Senior Vice President, Director of Management Services in Dallas, TX

DALLAS, TX (Mar. 30, 2011) – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that Cindy Burger (top right photo), a 22-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry, has joined the firm as senior vice president, director of Management Services.

In this position, Burger will lead Grubb & Ellis’ property management team in Dallas, as well as oversee and expand the company’s management services business throughout the region.

“Cindy has considerable experience in commercial real estate, having represented property owners in most phases of the real estate cycle, including, leasing, marketing, property management and financial reporting,” said Moody Younger (lower left photo), executive managing director, Texas. “We couldn’t be more pleased that she is now part of our team.”

Burger joins the company from CB Richard Ellis, where she was responsible for the leasing, marketing and property management of more than 50 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space.

Prior to joining CB Richard Ellis in 2008, she spent three years with Cushman & Wakefield’s Irvine office, ultimately rising to the position of director.

Jonathan A. Walz Is New Executive Vice President, Debt & Equity Finance In San Diego, CA

SAN DIEGO, CA (Mar. 30, 2011) – Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that Jonathan A. Walz (bottom right photo) has joined the company as executive vice president, Debt & Equity Finance.

“Jon has extensive experience in portfolio management, as well as developing and executing commercial lending programs,” said Jeff Majewski, executive managing director, Debt & Equity Finance.

“He brings a strong network of relationships that includes a number of servicers and financial institutions throughout the Southwest; he will be an integral part of helping to grow our business.”

Walz joins Grubb and Ellis from Cushman & Wakefield Sonneblick Goldman, where he was senior director, Real Estate Financial Services.

Contact: Julia McCartney, Phone: 714.975.2230

Email: julia.mccartney@grubb-ellis.com

Concord Hospitality Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Record Growth in 2010; Adds 18 Hotels

RALEIGH/DURHAM, N.C., Mar. 30, 2011—Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s top-ranked hotel developer/owner/operators, today announced that it celebrated its 25th anniversary with the addition of a record 18 hotels to its portfolio in 2010 and generated more than $287 million in revenues.

The company opened three new hotels, including the pioneer prototype for the first LEED-Designated Courtyard by Marriott, broke ground on two properties, and added 13 new third-party management contracts.

Concord’s portfolio has grown by nearly 40 percent since the recession that hit in the fall of 2008. The company also added new brands to its portfolio, including Hyatt Place, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn.

The company’s 2010 operating and development excellence was recently recognized with six national awards, including the prestigious “Partnership Circle” award, Marriott International’s highest honor presented to outstanding owners and franchisee partners.

It is the eighth time Concord has received the award, one of only two companies to achieve this level.

The other five national awards earned by the company for 2010 are Developer of the Year Award; Best Opening Award for the company’s handling of the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel opening in Cumberland, Md.; Best New Product Award for the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills hotel; the Service Excellence Award; and the first ever Marriott Design & Construction Icon Award.

The awards were presented at Marriott International’s recent select-service owners' conference.

“We continue to see development opportunities in both the U.S. and Canada,” said Mark G. Laport (top right photo), president and CEO of Concord Hospitality.

“On the acquisition front, the hotel real estate market is reviving, judging by the growing number of hotels coming to market now, a trend that began last fall.

“Working with our partners, including 11 new relationships in the past year, we have significant funding available to maintain an aggressive growth pace and expect to exceed the 100 hotel milestone in the next two years.”

“Winning the prestigious Partnership Circle award eight times is humbling and places us in a very elite group,” he noted. “We are fortunate to have some of the hardest-working, service-oriented team leaders, who are the ones who earned this award.”

For more information, visit http://www.concordhotels.com/

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

Hendricks & Partners Negotiates Sale of 208 Unit Crosswinds Apartments in St. Petersburg, FL for $13.1 Million

ORLANDO, FL--- Hendricks & Partners, which ranks as one of the nation’s largest multi-family real estate advisory and research firms, recently negotiated the sale of the Crosswinds Apartment Homes, located at 500 110th Ave. North in St. Petersburg, for $13.1 million.

Cole Whitaker (top right photo), partner at Hendricks & Partners who heads the Southeast Division of the firm based in Orlando, negotiated the transaction with Associate Partner Hal Warren (lower left photo) representing the seller Chicago-based Equity Residential.

The 208-unit apartment property totaling 153,984 square feet was built in 1986-87, Whitaker said. The units are situated in 13 two-story garden-style buildings on 18.5 acres with tranquil lakes and fountains.

Amenities include two laundry facilities, fenced pet-play area, resort-style swimming pool and separate spa area, private Jacuzzi, racquetball and tennis courts, and clubhouse with fitness facility and business center.

Covenant Capital Group LLC, a Nashville, Tenn. firm acquired the property.

For more information, contact:

Cole Whitaker, Southeast Partner, Hendricks & Partners, 407-218-8880, cwhitaker@HPAPTS.com

Hal Warren, Associate Partner, Hendricks & Partners, 407-218-8881, hwarren@HPAPTS.com

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

MBA Hires Thomas Kim to be Vice President of Commercial Regulatory Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Mar. 30, 2011) - John A. Courson (lower left photo), President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), today announced the appointment of Thomas T. Kim (top right photo) as Vice President of Commercial Regulatory Policy.

"Tom is uniquely qualified to help craft MBA's commercial policy, as well as help navigate our industry through the seemingly constant regulatory changes," said Courson.

"He joins us at a most crucial time in our industry's history, as we work through the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act and other critical regulatory changes. We are thrilled to have Tom coming on board at MBA."

Kim is joining MBA from the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), where he served as Associate General Counsel.

Contact:: Matt Robinson, (202) 557-2727, mrobinson@mortgagebankers.org

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

HFF arranges $8.9 million refinancing for Carlsbad, CA mobile home community

LOS ANGELES, CA – HFF announced today that it has arranged an $8.9 million refinancing for Lanikai Lane Mobile Home Park (top left aerial), a fully-occupied, 146-pad site in Carlsbad, California.

Working on behalf of Irvine, California-based Core Capital Investments, HFF placed the four-year, 6.55 percent fixed-rate, interest-only loan with ING Investment Management.

Loan proceeds are paying off existing debt as well as providing an interest reserve until an existing ground lease expires in two years. The borrower owns the land, which it leases to the unaffiliated owner/operator of the mobile home park.

Lanikai Lane is located at 6550 Point Drive across the street from the South Carlsbad State Beach and adjacent to the Carlsbad Poinsettia Station of the COASTER rail line providing access into downtown San Diego. The 14.3-acre site is also within walking distance to the new Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa.

The HFF team representing the borrower was led by director Tina Derderian (lower right photo)

Contacts:

Tina K. Derderian, HFF Director, (310) 407-2100, tderderian@hfflp.com

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

krmurphy@hfflp.com

Mercantile Capital Corp. Partners with San Diego and Atlanta Firms to Increase Liquidity to Small Business Lending Marketplace

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL --- Mercantile Capital Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Old Florida National Bank, has formed partnerships with firms in San Diego and Atlanta to provide funding for SBA 504 loans eligible for the SBA’s new First Mortgage Pool (FMP) Program.

Geof Longstaff (top right photo), chairman of Mercantile Capital Corporation said the firm’s new partners are CDC Direct Capital, the San Diego based subsidiary of non-profit lender CDC Small Business Finance, and FIG Partners, LLC of Atlanta.

Chris Hurn, (lower left photo) chief executive officer of Mercantile Capital Corporation said, “The SBA’s new FMP Program is meant to provide liquidity to the small business lending marketplace. $3 billion was allocated to provide government-guarantees on SBA 504 loans for the first time ever.”

Mercantile will be providing interim second mortgage financing, as it currently does, along with interim first mortgage financing until these FMPs are sold to institutional investors.

Longstaff and Hurn expect these loans to become a meaningful part of Mercantile’s business over the next two years. A dedicated website on this FMP Program is forth coming from Mercantile.

For more information, contact:

Geof Longstaff, Chairman, Mercantile Capital Corporation, 407-786-5040, glongstaff@MercantileCC.com

Chris Hurn, Chief Executive Officer, Mercantile Capital Corporation, 407-786-5040 ChrisHurn@MercantileCC.com

Marcus & Millichap Promotes Travis R. Trautvetter to Associate Vice President in San Diego, CA

SAN DIEGO CA– Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, the nation’s largest real estate investment services firm, has promoted Travis R. Trautvetter (top right photo) to associate vice presidents investments.

This designation represents excellence in the development and servicing of long-term client relationships, according to Kent R. Williams, senior vice president and regional manager of the firm’s San Diego office.

Most recently, Trautvetter was a senior associate.

“Travis continues to excel as an investment specialist in the Southern California commercial real estate market and we are proud to recognize him as our top office and industrial investment specialist nationwide for 2010,” says Williams.

“Travis’s ability to execute transactions over the past few years – a challenging time for the industry – demonstrates his tenacity and dedication to providing superior client service.”

Trautvetter began his career at Marcus & Millichap in May 2005. He was named an associate a year later and in May 2008, he was promoted to senior associate. He has received eight internal sales awards from the firm, including one National Achievement Award in 2010.

Contact: Stacey Corso, Public Relations Manager, (925) 953-1716

Suburban Condos Priced At Fraction Of Coastal Units In South Florida

MIAMI, FL--The average resale asking price for a condo or townhouse near the coast in South Florida is nearly 350 percent more than the typical listing price of a unit in the suburbs of the tricounty region, according to a new report from CondoVultures.com.

Condo resellers in South Florida are seeking an average of $523,800 for a unit near the coast - east of Interstate 95 - compared to a price of $118,200 for a unit in suburban Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, according to an analysis by the licensed Florida buyer brokerage Condo Vultures® Realty LLC.

"The South Florida condo resale environment is increasingly becoming a tale of two markets," said Peter Zalewski (top right photo), a principal with the Bal Harbour, Fla.-based real estate consultancy Condo Vultures® LLC.

"The average asking price for a condo resale near the coast is nearly $406,000 more expensive than the cost of a unit in suburbia. South Florida's double-digit unemployment rate - which is higher than the national average - is at the root of the price differential.

"Contributing to the price discrepancy is the fact that condo owners in suburbia are struggling to hold on to their homes while the coastal market has received an infusion of all-cash investors and second-home buyers who are somewhat less vulnerable to the economic downturn."

South Florida is a tricounty region with a population of nearly 5.5 million people living from south to north in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Interstate 95 bisects each county with the coast to the east and the suburbs to the west.

Peter Zalewski of Condo Vultures® can be reached at 800-750-0517 or by email at peter@condovultures.com

NAI Realvest negotiates new Industrial lease for 10,500 SF at Airport Industrial Center in Orlando

ORLANDO, FL – NAI Realvest recently negotiated a new lease agreement for 10,500 square feet at Airport Industrial Center on Narcoossee Road in Orlando.

Michael Heidrich (top right photo), a principal at NAI Realvest, brokered the transaction representing the landlord, Columbus, Ohio-based Airport Investment Properties LLC.

The tenant who has leased Unit 100A-E in the industrial center at 7480 Narcoossee Rd. is Ultimate Power Martial Arts & Fitness Center of Orlando.

For more information, contact:

Michael Heidrich, Principal, NAI Realvest, 407-875-9989 mheidrich@realvest.com

Patrick Mahoney, President, NAI Realvest 407-875-9989 pmahoney@realvest.com

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

C&W industrial group negotiates new 30,000 SF warehouse lease for Event Productions, Inc. in Orlando

Orlando, FL – Mar. 29, 2011– Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc. (C&W) Industrial Brokerage team of Lee Morris (top right photo) and Jared Bonshire negotiated a 6-year lease on behalf of land lord Princeton Oaks, FL, LLC.

The tenant, Event Productions was represented by Greg Stake of Commercial Realty of Central Florida.

Event Productions leased 30,000 SF at 1930 Commerce Oak Avenue in the Silver Star submarket.

Contact: Brook Hines,Tel: 407-541-4401, brook.hines@cushwake.com

http://www.cushwake.com/

Liberty Property Trust’s 15th Annual Platinum Broker Dinner Held in Jacksonville, FL

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Mar. 29, 2010 - Liberty Property Trust (NYSE:LRY), the real estate investment trust that owns and manages nearly 2.5 million square feet of office and industrial properties in Jacksonville, today announced that it honored 15 of the region’s top commercial real estate brokers at its 15th Annual Broker Dinner on Thursday, March 24 in Jacksonville.

Mike Heise (top right photo), vice president and city manager and along with Dan Santinga, senior leasing representative, Greg Letnaunchyn, senior property manager and Susan Roberts, marketing assistant at Liberty, hosted this year’s event at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Jacksonville.

Each broker received an award honoring them as one of the “Platinum” brokers who brought new deals to Liberty in 2010.

Professionals attending from the broker community (alphabetical order by firm) include: Joe Ayers (CBRE); Lou Nutter (CBRE); Deborah Royal (CBRE); Chris Eyrick (Castlerock Realty); Pate Foshee (Castlerock Realty); Carmen Mantay (Coldwell Banker Commercial Benchmark); Jason Hinson (Colliers International Northeast Florida Commercial Real Estate); Glenn Palmer (Colliers International Northeast Florida Commercial Real Estate); Peter Crolius (Graham & Company); Bob Hillis (Hillis Properties); Kaycee Gardner (Jones Lang LaSalle); Joe Russell (KW Commercial); Jacob Horsley (NAI Commercial Jacksonville); Robert Lawrence (NAI Commercial Jacksonville); and Don DePietto (Watson Commercial Realty).

General Inquiries: Mike Heise, Liberty Property Trust, 904/281-5454

Media Contact: Margo Hunt Winans, a.s.a.p.r., 757/404-8653

For more information please visit http://www.libertyproperty.com/

HFF arranges $5.8 million refinancing for Indianapolis multi-housing community

NDIANAPOLIS, IN –HFF announced today that it has arranged a $5.85 million refinancing for Oakbrook Village Apartments (top left photo), a 384-unit multi-housing community in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Working on behalf of the owner, Oakbrook Village, LLC, HFF placed the 10-year, 5.43 percent fixed-rate loan with Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation). HFF executed the loan as a streamline refinance through its Freddie Mac Program Plus® Seller/Servicer program.

In addition to a significant reduction in the interest rate, the loan provides additional proceeds for property repairs and upgrades.

Oakbrook Village Apartments is located at 6098 Georgetown Road in northwest Marion County, Indianapolis. The property is managed by an affiliate of the owner; Wilds Property Management.

The HFF team representing the borrower was led by senior managing director Dave Keller (bottom right photo).

Contacts:

David B. Keller, HFF Senior Managing Director, (317) 630-3191, dbkeller@hfflp.com

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

krmurphy@hfflp.com

Watt Commercial Signs Lease with High Fashion $5.99 Clothing in Norwalk CA

NORWALK, CA--Watt Commercial Properties, a leader in developing, redeveloping and managing community shopping centers in urban markets throughout the Southwest, has announced that it has signed Hi Fashion $5.99 Clothing to a 5-year lease for 5,355 square feet of space at Norwalk Plaza (top left photo) , a 119,685-square foot neighborhood retail center located at 11660 Firestone Blvd. in Norwalk, Calif.

The landlord, Watt Commercial, was represented by Peter Kay of Watt Commercial. The tenant was represented by Vlady Jacoby of Jacoby Commercial.

Norwalk Plaza is 79 percent leased to several tenants including Northgate Market, TJMaxx, Starbucks, Subway and Metro PCS.

Contact: David Ebeling, Ebeling Communications, (p) 949.861.8351

Improving an Existing Property May Be a More Profitable Approach Than Seeking out New Opportunities

CHICAGO, IL--Senior housing property management and financial consultant Brent Holman-Gomez (top right photo) thinks that senior housing/healthcare owners looking for new opportunities to make money may be well advised to consider the potential of assets currently owned.

“When a property seems to be operating at its peak, many decide to start looking at new opportunities to make money. I say consider the bird in hand,” he observes.

Holman-Gomez is a Senior Vice President for Originations, Operations and Asset Management for Cambridge Realty Capital Companies, one of the nation’s leading senior housing/healthcare lenders.

The company’s principal investment strategy includes direct property acquisitions and joint ventures, sale/leasebacks and the acquisition of distressed debt through its Cambridge Investment and Finance Co. business unit.

Writing in the company’s PulsePoints blog, Holman-Gomez advises that unless the property is at 100 percent occupancy and at the market’s highest rent level with a controlled expense ratio, the most profitability available is in the present property.

“Compared to a new business venture, operating improvements to your current facility are much more lucrative, as they generally cost much less, possess solid upside potential and are a reinvestment in your existing business that lowers your existing risk.

“More likely than not, focusing on a currently owned property will be more rewarding than taking on the unknown challenges of a new property,” he suggests.

The PulsePoints blog posts on the www.cambridgecap.com website. Holman-Gomez further observes that any improvement in a senior housing business’ ability to produce a steady income will improve its value nearly tenfold (when based on property valuations per dollar of income).

“Empty units are potential goldmines of profitability. Adding some new excitement and energy to the things that seem mundane about your business by re-training staff, marketing and making cosmetic improvements can be the map that leads you to the pot of gold,” he said.

Contact:

Evan Washington

Phone: (312) 521-7604

Fax: (312) 357-1611

E-Mail: ew@cambridgecap.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CambridgeCap

The State of Retail Improving Steadily; Tenants Still Getting Great Deals

ATLANTA, GA – The retail sector has hit bottom, and retailers are starting to expand again, according to experts on the most recent episode of the Commercial Real Estate Show. For companies willing to add locations, there are good real estate deals to be had.

“There are still pockets of weakness going forward, but my feeling is that the worst is most likely already behind us,” Ryan Severino, a senior economist at Reis, told radio show host Michael Bull (top right photo).

“I would characterize the environment as still challenging, but again keeping with the theme from before, we’re not seeing the massive deterioration we once saw in the sector.”

National retailers such as Blimpie are hopeful the market will continue to turn in their favor. Paul Gwin, a Blimpie franchisee and guest on the show, explained the company is promoting growth.

“We’re striving in the next three years to get to 200 locations in Georgia,” said Gwin.

In an effort to reach its goal, Blimpie has implemented the Blueprint 47 plan, which reduces franchise fees from $18,000 to $47 for veteran owners.

Guest Jon Neville, a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory, said national retailers should take advantage of a more tenant-friendly market. “Developers want to get in their centers the best tenant possible, if it has to mean making some concessions to get a national brand like a Blimpie in there, they are willing to do that,” he said.

The retail show aired Saturday on Biz 1190 WAFS in Atlanta and is available for download.

The next Commercial Real Estate Show will air April 2 and include a national office update, as well as a focus on office tenant/user strategies. Guests will include Andrew Zezas, president of Real Estate Strategies Corporation; Philip Skinner, a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory; and Rick Ferguson, a vice president in the corporate office services group at Bull Realty.

Contact: Midd Read, mread@wilbertnewsstrategies.com

Timothy Magnussen Appointed Director In Arbor’s New York City Office

Uniondale, NY (Mar. 29, 2011) - Arbor Commercial Funding, LLC (“Arbor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arbor Commercial Mortgage, LLC and leader in the commercial real estate finance industry, has announced today the appointment of Timothy Magnussen (top right photo) to Director in Arbor’s New York City office.

Mr. Magnussen is responsible for originating loans nationwide using Arbor’s complete product portfolio with a special focus on Fannie Mae DUS® and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) transactions. He reports to Ken Fazio, Senior Vice President, National Production Manager.

Mr. Magnussen is a dedicated commercial real estate professional with 10 years of diversified experience in loan originations, specializing in Fannie Mae DUS® transactions and construction financing.

Prior to joining Arbor, Mr. Magnussen worked as a Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer at Kearny Federal Savings Bank.

Previous to that role, Mr. Magnussen was a Consultant/Loan Officer at Capital Source Mortgage, where he was responsible for consulting clients and associates on their mortgage financing needs. While there, he expanded the client base and network of financial institutions to improve originators’ profitability and efficiency.

Contact: Christopher Ostrowski, costrowski@arbor.com

Monday, March 28, 2011

Winter Park Construction Breaks Ground on 416-Unit Student Housing Project Near UCF

ORLANDO, FL /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Winter Park Construction (WPC), (www.wpc.com), one of Orlando's leading locally owned construction companies, has broken ground on University House Central Florida (UCF), an off-campus student housing project located one half-mile from Orlando's University of Central Florida campus.

The 416-unit project is expected to be completed in August 2012 and will create 400 jobs.

University House Central Florida is located on 10 acres at 3100 N. Alafaya Trail, offering easy access to university and city shuttle systems at the University of Central Florida. The one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments range in size from 500 -1,600 square feet. All units will be fully furnished.

University House Central Florida will offer state of the art student-oriented amenities including a large pool and patio deck, fitness center, sand volleyball, basketball court, putting green, clubhouse with multi-media lounge and parking garage.

With more than 20,000 units constructed throughout the country, WPC has a solid reputation in student housing construction. Prior projects include: Hawks Landing, Tampa; Northgate Lakes, Oviedo; and Countryside at The University and University Terrace, both in Gainesville.

The development/management company for University House Central Florida is Dallas-based Inland American Communities (http://www.inlandac.com), one of the nation's leading development, acquisition and management organizations dedicated to the creation of apartment communities in urban-infill and university markets.

The project architect is Humphreys & Partners (http://www.humphreys.com), an urban planning, master planning and land planning firm.

For more information contact Winter Park Construction at 407.644.8923 or visit http://www.wpc.com/