Wednesday, July 31, 2013

'Bell Labs' Town Center Project Gets Final OK




National





'Bell Labs' Town Center Project Gets Final OK



HOLMDEL, NJ-Somerset Development's Ralph Zucker says that he expects the medical-related office part of the Town Center plan approved Tuesday night for the former Bell Labs building will be open by mid-year 2014.








Offices on Alameda Go Private




National





Offices on Alameda Go Private



BURBANK, CA-A four-story, 34,153-square foot office building has been sold to a local private investor. The building's two major tenants have renewed leases.








Gerson Is Cautious After $300M Q2




National





Gerson Is Cautious After $300M Q2



SAN DIEGO-The law firm closes nearly $300 million in multifamily loans in the second quarter, but expects a slowdown in Q3 as the market adjusts, Gordon Gerson tells Carrie Rossenfeld.








Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Home Price Gains Keep Adding Muscle




National





Home Price Gains Keep Adding Muscle



NEW YORK CITY-Two cities in the S&P/Case-Shiller indices set new highs, while five more posted monthly gains of more than 3%, says S&P Dow Jones’ Blitzer.








Yes, Banks Reign in Net Lease Space - But Which Ones?




National





Yes, Banks Reign in Net Lease Space - But Which Ones?



WASHINGTON, DC-Currently bank branches are commanding the lowest cap rates of any class of triple net properties. Some, though, are lower than others.











Net Lease's Remarkably Stable Spread (For Now)



WASHINGTON, DC-All of this talk of rising interest rates has already been absorbed by the market, Winston Orzechowski, research director at Calkain Cos., tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy.











Experts: More Monetization on the Horizon?



CHICAGO-In this second of a two-part series, HREI's John Mugford discusses a recent healthcare real estate conference in which panelists debated the impact of Obamacare on the sector's commercial real estate development.








Cousins Agrees to Buy 5M SF of Office Assets




National





Cousins Agrees to Buy 5M SF of Office Assets



FORT WORTH-Upon closing, the Atlanta company will pay north of $1 billion to add the local 980,000-square-foot 777 Main Street and the 4 million-square-foot, four-building Greenway Plaza to its portfolio.











CompStak Launches Chi. Leasing Database



CHICAGO—The online service will launch on August 1, allowing users to search for lease comps by address, tenant and other details.











Publicis and Omnicom Merge



NEW YORK CITY-The joining of the two communication giants forms the world’s largest advertising agency, valued at more than $30 billion.








Monday, July 29, 2013

Ziff: How To Hire Effectively During the Rebound




National





Ziff: How To Hire Effectively During the Rebound



NEW YORK CITY-Simon Ziff, president of Ackman-Ziff, talks to GlobeSt.com's Ian Ritter about the best commercial real estate hiring practices in an improving industry.











Lord & Taylor Buys Saks Fifth Avenue



NEW YORK CITY-The newly merged entity is likely to become a REIT in order to manage its collective assets.








Plenty of Competition For A and B Assets




National





Plenty of Competition For A and B Assets



IRVINE, CA-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, Kyle Winning of Steadfast Income REIT tells GlobeSt.com that buyers are still clamoring for both multifamily asset classes.








Friday, July 26, 2013

Brookfield's Q2 Success More Global Than Local




National





Brookfield's Q2 Success More Global Than Local



NEW YORK CITY-Aside from a $1-billion refi on two of the Brookfield Place New York towers, BPO’s biggest news during the second quarter was made in other gateway markets, domestic and international.











Johnson Capital Launches New Division



LOS ANGELES-Johnson Capital's new division will look for “opportunistic” national development projects in the $20-million to $500-million range.








Healthcare Organizations Planning More CRE Projects




National





Healthcare Organizations Planning More CRE Projects



CHICAGO-At a recent healthcare real estate conference, panelists discussing the state of healthcare real estate note that with Obamacare a certainty, more hospitals and health systems are planning projects. Part one of a two-part series.








Thursday, July 25, 2013

W. P. Carey Forges $4B Merger with CPA:16




National





W. P. Carey Forges $4B Merger with CPA:16



NEW YORK CITY-The combined company is expected to have a market cap of about $6.5 billion and a net lease portfolio of 86 million square feet, W. P. Carey said late Thursday afternoon.








Panama Canal Impact "Minimal," Says Exec




National





Panama Canal Impact "Minimal," Says Exec



LOS ANGELES-In an UPDATE to our earlier story, Jones Lang LaSalle SVP Barry Hill talks about aspects of the firm's recent Seaport Outlook report.








Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Square Mile, USAA Partner on Loan Platform




National





Square Mile, USAA Partner on Loan Platform



NEW YORK CITY-The new venture, which will focus on mezzanine and bridge loans, expects to generate as much as $1 billion in originations by the end of 2014.











Coming Full Circle



NEW YORK CITY-Little did Jennifer Falk know that she would eventually be director of the Union Square Partnership, but her career has made a huge, interesting arc.








Richman Closes on Two Tax Credit Funds




National





Richman Closes on Two Tax Credit Funds



GREENWICH, CT-Totaling nearly $300 million, the funds target properties “all over the US” as well as in New York City, Richman’s Stephen Daley tells GlobeSt.com.











Interest Rate Hikes Just a Passing Fear



NEW YORK CITY-In this UPDATE to yesterday’s story about the macro economy, three commercial real estate pros tell our readers to stay calm. The sky won’t fall because interest rates rise.








Tuesday, July 23, 2013

ARCP Readies $300M Note Sale




National





ARCP Readies $300M Note Sale



NEW YORK CITY-Proceeds from the convertible senior note offering will be used to pay back debt or acquire more net lease assets, according to an SEC filing.








Monday, July 22, 2013

EB-5. Love It or Hate It?




National





EB-5. Love It or Hate It?



EB-5 can be a good thing for commercial real estate or a bad thing. You make the decision.








Sunday, July 21, 2013

Scion, Virtus Acquire $118M Student Portfolio




National





Scion, Virtus Acquire $118M Student Portfolio



CHICAGO—The Chicago and Texas-based firms join forces to buy thousands of units at Virginia Tech, Penn State and Georgia Southern.











The Cs Have it



DALLAS-Local apartment research company Axiometrics reports that, at the national level, class C multifamily properties in June continued generating both the strongest annual effective rent and occupancy growth.











How Rising Interest Rates Are Impacting Multifamily



MIAMI— Nat Barganier and John Stone of Colliers International Tampa Bay offer insights into how higher interest rates are impacting multifamily sales and development.











Industrial Tenants in for Cost Hikes



CHICAGO-Demand still outstrips supply, leading to a nearly 2% growth in tenant costs over the next five years, according to new data being released by DTZ.








Friday, July 19, 2013

Ackman-Ziff Adds Schulder to Equity Team




National





Ackman-Ziff Adds Schulder to Equity Team



NEW YORK CITY-The new managing director’s background brings “a fresh perspective” to Ackman-Ziff’s joint venture equity business, says CEO Ziff.








Calvert Sells MOB Portfolio to Monetize




National





Calvert Sells MOB Portfolio to Monetize



PRINCE FREDERICK, MD-At a recent healthcare real estate conference, the locally based healthcare system made a "real-time" announcement about a six-property disposition.











HRE: Construction Rising, Vacancies Falling



MINNETONKA, MN-According to a recent Marcus & Millichap report, the remainder of the year could see about 10 million square feet of healthcare real estate delivered, a significant increase from 2012.











Can CRE Handle a Fall Interest Rate Hike?



OAKLAND, CA-The possibility of another interest-rate rise in the wake of QE2 easing might be the cause of some preemptive nail-biting.











Brixmor Plans IPO, Cites NOI Growth Prospects



NEW YORK CITY-In its SEC filing, the shopping center REIT notes that it has increased same-property occupancy for nine consecutive quarters and total ABR for 20 consecutive months.











Blackstone's CRE Income Jumps 88% Y-O-Y



NEW YORK CITY-The hedge fund giant’s Stephen Schwarzman says the past three quarters have produced the highest earnings since the company went public six years ago.











Xceligent Signs Agreements With Big Three



INDEPENDENCE, MO— In this EXCLUSIVE to GlobeSt.com, the commercial real estate researcher announces multiyear agreements with CBRE, Colliers and JLL, and takes several giant steps toward building a national platform.











Walker & Dunlop Lines Up Over $250M in Financing



BETHESDA, MD-The CRE financing firm doled out monies for properties throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.











Rock Group Closes $250M US Office Fund



NEW YORK CITY-The fund is the first domestic initiative from Rockefeller Group Investment Management and is targeting assets in gateway markets including New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC.








Can CRE Handle Another Interest Rate Hike?




National





Can CRE Handle Another Interest Rate Hike?



OAKLAND, CA-The possibility of another interest-rate rise in the wake of QE2 easing might be the cause of some preemptive nail-biting.








Thursday, July 18, 2013

Brixmor Plans IPO, Cites NOI Growth Prospects




National





Brixmor Plans IPO, Cites NOI Growth Prospects



NEW YORK CITY-In its SEC filing, the shopping center REIT notes that it has increased same-property occupancy for nine consecutive quarters and total ABR for 20 consecutive months.











Blackstone's CRE Income Jumps 88% Y-O-Y



NEW YORK CITY-The hedge fund giant’s Stephen Schwarzman says the past three quarters have produced the highest earnings since the company went public six years ago.








Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Xceligent Signs Agreements With Big Three




National





Xceligent Signs Agreements With Big Three



INDEPENDENCE, MO— In this EXCLUSIVE to GlobeSt.com, the commercial real estate researcher announces multiyear agreements with CBRE, Colliers and JLL, and takes several giant steps toward building a national platform.











Walker & Dunlop Lines Up Over $250M in Financing



BETHESDA, MD-The CRE financing firm doled out monies for properties throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.











Rock Group Closes $250M US Office Fund



NEW YORK CITY-The fund is the first domestic initiative from Rockefeller Group Investment Management and is targeting assets in gateway markets including New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC.








Distressed Multifamily Pipeline Coming to End




National





Distressed Multifamily Pipeline Coming to End



INDIANAPOLIS—The number of distressed properties has begun to shrink, RADCO’s Radow says, leaving fewer opportunities to pick up bargains.








Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Ziff: How To Hire Effectively During the Rebound




National





Ziff: How To Hire Effectively During the Rebound



NEW YORK CITY-Simon Ziff, president of Ackman-Ziff, talks to GlobeSt.com's Ian Ritter about the best commercial real estate hiring practices in an improving industry.








Ziff: How To Build a Strong Team During the Rebound




National





Ziff: How To Build a Strong Team During the Rebound



NEW YORK CITY-Simon Ziff, president of Ackman-Ziff, talks to GlobeSt.com's Ian Ritter about the best commercial real estate hiring practices in an improving industry.











Johnson Capital Refis 215-Property Deal



PALMDALE, CA-GlobeSt.com learns EXCLUSIVELY that the firm has arranged a $23.5-million loan for pool of single-family homes that borrower DRI Holdings had assembled over five years.








How to Build a Succession Plan




National





How to Build a Succession Plan



HOUSTON-What are the most important steps to building a successful succession plan? In this EXCLUSIVE interview, Transwestern’s Larry Heard spells out how his firm covers those bases.








Monday, July 15, 2013

Campus Crest Enters Canada in $60M JV




National





Campus Crest Enters Canada in $60M JV



MONTREAL—The firm has partnered with Beaumont Partners to buy and convert a local hotel into an upscale student housing tower.








A Look at Amenities for Smaller Apts.




National





A Look at Amenities for Smaller Apts.



SAN DIEGO-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, tenants don’t mind having less square footage as long as the amenities are something to write home about, says David Adelman of AREA Real Estate LLC.











Foreclosure Starts Down 84% in Nevada



IRVINE, CA-Nevada had one of the most dramatic decreases in foreclosure starts last month, thanks in part to new legislation taking effect, RealtyTrac reports in this UPDATE to an earlier story.








GSE Multifamily Pipeline Going Strong




National





GSE Multifamily Pipeline Going Strong



WASHINGTON, DC-The two GSEs are steadily pushing out securities backed by multifamily deals.











About That $116B US Surplus




WASHINGTON, DC-Payments from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, plus the sequestration, gave the US Treasury a nice boost for June.











Institutions Store Up for QE2 Winter



CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA-The wind-down of quantitative easing will have its negative impact investment company activity when it kicks in this fall. In the meantime, SNL Financial sees the sector in a capital-raising “flurry.”











Foreclosures Hit Lowest Level Since 2006



IRVINE, CA-Despite a 34% jump in judicial foreclosure auctions from a year ago, US foreclosure activity decreases 14% in June from the previous month, according to RealtyTrac.








Friday, July 12, 2013

Harrison Street Acquires 200,000-SF Outpatient Campus




National





Harrison Street Acquires 200,000-SF Outpatient Campus



PLYMOUTH, MN-The Chicago buyer pays $58 million for the three-building campus, which has been added to its Core Property Fund.











The Tsunami of Government Stimulus



DALLAS-According to Transwestern CIO Tom McNearey, "As we approach the fifth anniversary of the Lehman Brothers’ collapse and bankruptcy, the question of how to unwind the global tsunami of government stimulus is finally at the forefront of capital markets discussions."











C&W Beefs Up Industrial Team



CHICAGO-The announcement of new hires for their industrial group quickly follows several top hires for the Capital Markets group.








C & W Beefs Up Industrial Team




National





C & W Beefs Up Industrial Team



CHICAGO—The announcement of new hires for their industrial group quickly follows several top hires for the Capital Markets group.











Tenet Buys Back Three Hospitals



DALLAS-Going against the trend, the Dallas-based Tenet exercised its option to acquire three hospitals owned by HCP Inc., with closing expected in early 2014.











NorthMarq's Pribnow to Retire at Year-End



MINNEAPOLIS-GlobeSt.com's Sule Aygoren has learned EXCLUSIVELY that the leader of NorthMarq’s loan servicing business will leave at year-end, having built the practice from $500 million in 1988 to $41 billion today.








Thursday, July 11, 2013

North American Real Estate Continues to Rise




National





North American Real Estate Continues to Rise



CHICAGO—The fundamentals are improving in most regions, and the firm strongly recommends investing in large distribution centers in major US hubs.











Buyers Take Straight, Narrow Course



MIAMI—Buyer and sellers are coming closer to the same page after five years of low-yield alternatives. Will they meet in the middle this year?











Financial Guru Talks Opportunity



MIAMI—GlobeSt.com caught up with Randy Banchik, EVP of Los Angeles-based Westwood Financial Corp., to get his take on the challenges and opportunities in this exclusive interview.











Consider Us Professionals. Period.



NEW YORK CITY-From REBNY’S Deal of the Year award-winner comes a wealth of experience and the sentiment that male, female, young, old, all those in commercial real estate just want to be considered professionals.











Commercial Property Values Flatten



NEWPORT BEACH, CA-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, while property values have regained all ground lost during the financial crisis, they remained unchanged in June, according to Green Street Advisors.











Housing Leads Construction Demand



IRVINE, CA-As commercial construction flattens and institutional construction declines, housing is the one area where new development spending is rising, Auction.com’s Julie Zisfein tells GlobeSt.com.











McNally: Why I Am Resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce



WASHINGTON, DC-Mike McNally speaks about what he hopes to accomplish by resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce.











Tug-of-War Brews Over Green Standards in Federal Buildings



WASHINGTON, DC-In an UPDATE to Tuesday's story, Skanska's Mike McNally tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy that his real beef is with the American High-Performance Building Coalition, which opposes the latest version of LEED.











IPA's Murdy: More Consolidations Coming



LOS ANGELES-Institutional Property Advisors national director Brian Murdy predicts more real estate entities will consolidate in the coming months.











Weak Labor Market Dampens Rent Growth



NEW YORK CITY-The latest data on apartment rents show that landlords hiked monthly rents an average of 0.7% in the second quarter, a notch above the 0.6% increase posted three months earlier.








C & W Beefs Up Industrial Team




National





C & W Beefs Up Industrial Team



CHICAGO—The announcement of new hires for their industrial group quickly follows several top hires for the Capital Markets group.








Wednesday, July 10, 2013

North American Real Estate Continues to Rise




National





North American Real Estate Continues to Rise



CHICAGO—The fundamentals are improving in most regions, and the firm strongly recommends investing in large distribution centers in major US hubs.











Buyers Take Straight, Narrow Course



MIAMI—Buyer and sellers are coming closer to the same page after five years of low-yield alternatives. Will they meet in the middle this year?








Consider Us Professionals. Period.




National





Consider Us Professionals. Period.



NEW YORK CITY-From REBNY’S Deal of the Year award-winner comes a wealth of experience and the sentiment that male, female, young, old, all those in commercial real estate just want to be considered professionals.








Commercial Property Values Flatten




National





Commercial Property Values Flatten



NEWPORT BEACH, CA-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, while property values have regained all ground lost during the financial crisis, they remained unchanged in June, according to Green Street Advisors.











Housing Leads Construction Demand



IRVINE, CA-As commercial construction flattens and institutional construction declines, housing is the one area where new development spending is rising, Auction.com’s Julie Zisfein tells GlobeSt.com.








McNally: Why I Am Resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce




National





McNally: Why I Am Resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce



WASHINGTON, DC-Mike McNally speaks about what he hopes to accomplish by resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce.











Is Discontent Brewing Against LEED?



WASHINGTON, DC-In an UPDATE to Tuesday's story, Skanska's Mike McNally tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy that his real beef is with the American High-Performance Building Coalition, which opposes the latest version of LEED.








Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Weak Labor Market Dampens Rent Growth




National





Weak Labor Market Dampens Rent Growth



NEW YORK CITY-The latest data on apartment rents show that landlords hiked monthly rents an average of 0.7% in the second quarter, a notch above the 0.6% increase posted three months earlier.








Could Libor Be Headed for A Spike?




National





Could Libor Be Headed for A Spike?



NEW YORK CITY-CRE investors feel “a fear of the unknown,” says Savills US Dan Gorczycki over the potential impact of Libor’s takeover by NYSE Euronext.








Hot-Spot Prices Rise, Rates Improve




National





Hot-Spot Prices Rise, Rates Improve



IRVINE, CA-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, median home prices rise and cap rates are positive for most of the cities RealtyTrac found to be retirement hot spots.








A Bumpy Road to Normal




National





A Bumpy Road to Normal



NEW YORK CITY-Economist Mark Zandi’s glass is clearly half full, and in his most recent report, he characterizes the positives and the possible derailing events that face us.











Retirement Hot Spots Are In CA, OR



IRVINE, CA-Rancho Mirage and Seal Beach, CA, as well as Florence, OR, rank among RealtyTrac’s top 15 retirement hot spots for real estate investing.








Monday, July 8, 2013

Auction.com: Growth Slows to a Crawl




National





Auction.com: Growth Slows to a Crawl



IRVINE, CA-The US Census Bureau’s May construction-spending report finds that this indicator has fallen short again, according to Julie Zisfein of Auction.com Research.








ULI Welcomes Lynn Thurber As Chair




National





ULI Welcomes Lynn Thurber As Chair



WASHINGTON, DC-Thurber's tenure begins as ULI ramps up its building healthy places initiative. We speak with Thurber about this and other goals she has for ULI over the next two years.








Friday, July 5, 2013

Jobs Continue To Grow---Bit by Bit




National





Jobs Continue To Grow---Bit by Bit



WASHINGTON, DC-Bit by bit, unemployment numbers creep down on a monthly basis, as Friday morning's release of US Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers reveals. Still the gains were not enough to move the needle on unemployment rates.








Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Formation Makes $400M Senior Housing Deal




National





Formation Makes $400M Senior Housing Deal



ALPHARETTA, GA-The 36-asset portfolio, spread across 13 states, offered Formation Capital and co-investor Safanad “a rare opportunity” to combine high-quality real estate and operating partners, says CEO Beckwith.








Guidance for Energy Savings




National





Guidance for Energy Savings



ATLANTA-Piedmont West is proving that even a high-tech, power-hungry medical office building can drive energy efficiency that competes with other building types








Tuesday, July 2, 2013

ARCP Will Merge with ARCT IV




National





ARCP Will Merge with ARCT IV



NEW YORK CITY-When the deal closes, ARCP will have a 45-million-square-foot net lease portfolio and a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $10 billion.











RealtyTrac Starts Renovation Loan Center



IRVINE, CA-The new loan center helps buyers and homeowners take advantage of the FHA’s little-known 203k renovation loan program.











CRE Web Portal Releases Android App



SANTA ANA, CA-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, First American Title Insurance Co. releases a mobile version of the myFirstAm application for Android.








Ares, HCN Close on Mega-Deals




National





Ares, HCN Close on Mega-Deals



LOS ANGELES and TOLEDO, OH-Ares Real Estate Group now counts AREA CEO Lee Neibart as global co-head, while Health Care REIT’s Sunrise deal brings 10,000 senior living units into its fold.











Historically Low Cap Rates Fall Again



CHICAGO-The Boulder Group has just released a study showing that rates for single-tenant net-leased properties went down in the second quarter.











Taking Stock of an Industry in Recovery



NEW YORK CITY-In the days since we first posed the question, industry leaders have shared their views on commercial real estate as a leading economic indicator.











Prologis Acquires Partners' Interest in Fund



SAN FRANCISCO-The locally based firm purchased its partners' 72% interest in Prologis Institutional Alliance Fund II, bringing the entire 4.9-million-square-foot portfolio onto its balance sheet.








Monday, July 1, 2013

$5,619,400 Quick Close Loan for Houston Multifamily


$5,619,400 Quick Close Loan on a 382 Unit, Class C Houston Multifamily Project
Transaction Description: Bryan Shaffer successfully placed the acquisition/reposition debt for a distressed 382 unit Multifamily property that was 40% occupied at funding.  The loan closed within 7 days from when the lender received this loan request.  The non-recourse loan to an international Borrower was sized to 70% of purchase plus 100% of “good-news” dollars to $3,000,000.

Challenge:  Funding a severely distressed building with break-even cash flow in a 7 day window presented a significant challenge.  The “off-shore” structure of the Borrower added an additional level of complexity.   

Solution: Leveraging our long-term relationships and experience with an international Borrower, GSP was able to quickly identify the correct lender and close the transaction within the 7 day-deadline.  Mr. Shaffer customized an ownership structure to allow for the release of the construction funds within the timeframes of the buyer. 


Rate: 11%
Term: 18 Months
Amort: Interest Only
LTC: 70% + $3M rehab
Non-recourse

Brokers: Bryan Shaffer


A Roadmap for Housing Finance Change




National





A Roadmap for Housing Finance Change



WASHINGTON, DC-If a group of Senators have their way, this is what mortgage finance reform will look like.











GSEs in Congress' Crosshairs



WASHINGTON, DC-Last week a bipartisan group of Senators unveiled a bill that would effectively remake housing finance and dismantle the GSEs. But Congress is awfully active these days.