Tuesday, October 22, 2013

US Economy Adds Disappointing 148,000 Jobs in September


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US Economy Adds Disappointing 148,000 Jobs in September

WASHINGTON, DC-The unemployment rate dropped to 7.2%, but it is not likely that the Fed will be begin tapering.



Understanding Bldgs. Is Key for Sustainability

IRVINE, CA-Knowing the energy consumption of a building and what specifically is using up that energy is important in order to reduce usage, said speakers at the Solar Decathlon and XPO in this UPDATE to an earlier story.



SIOR Pushing Technology Use for Members


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SIOR Pushing Technology Use for Members

CHICAGO—The organization will have its Fall conference in Chicago this week and hopes to get attendees to use mobile apps and online communities.



NMHC: Apt. Sector Takes 'A Small Step Back'

WASHINGTON, DC-The council’s latest quarterly survey of apartment market conditions showed all four indexes were below the break-even line for the first time in four years.



Monday, October 21, 2013

The Risks of Adaptive Reuse


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The Risks of Adaptive Reuse

MIAMI—Multifamily adaptive reuse projects come with risks and rewards. Columbia Residential's Jim Grauley shared both sides of the story with GlobeSt.com's Jennifer LeClaire in this exclusive interview.



Crown Castle and AT&T Reach $4.8B Deal on Cell Towers

HOUSTON, TX-Long term lease backs will give AT&T use of the tower capacities for a minimum of 10 years.



Collaboration Makes Vulcan Tick


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Collaboration Makes Vulcan Tick

SEATTLE-Input from a variety of sources has helped Vulcan achieve its award-winning success with South Lake Union, the firm’s Rob Arron tells GlobeSt.com’s Carrie Rossenfeld.



Monitor Buildings for Energy Savings

IRVINE, CA-Monitoring and measuring your building is one of the secrets to keeping energy costs down, said panelists at a recent Bank of America sustainability panel here.



NRG Energy to Buy CA Power Co. for $2.6B


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NRG Energy to Buy CA Power Co. for $2.6B

WEST WINDSOR, NJ-A Princeton based powerhouse electric company is acquiring a bankrupt California coal and wind producer and in the process will become one of the country's largest renewable energy providers.



Marriott, Hilton Portfolio Trades for $430M

WASHINGTON, DC-MCR Development LLC, a New York City-based company acquired 26 Marriott and Hilton hotels from Western International for $430 million.



C&W: Industrial Poised for Strong Growth

NEW YORK CITY-Warehouse vacancy has been slipping for some time, while leasing and construction are on a steady rise, says a new report.



Friday, October 18, 2013

Medical Campus Projects Helps City's Revitalization


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Medical Campus Projects Helps City's Revitalization

BUFFALO, NY-Healthcare is one of the major drivers of this city's revival, with Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus projects leading the way.



3 Groups In Fannie Mae's New $1B REMIC

WASHINGTON, DC-The GSE added a seven-year group in response to investor demand this time, Josh Seiff tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy.



Thursday, October 17, 2013

Brixmor Eyes $800M Target in IPO


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Brixmor Eyes $800M Target in IPO

NEW YORK CITY-The shopping center operator’s debut as a publicly traded REIT could be the largest in the retail sector since Simon Property Group’s $840-million IPO in 1993.



Mission Capital Director Moves West


National

Mission Capital Director Moves West

NEWPORT BEACH, CA-Gregg Applefield has relocated here from Mission Capital’s New York City office and tells Carrie Rossenfeld the firm will capitalize on its ability to bring capital to all parts of the country.



Law Firms Reach the Tipping Point

CHICAGO—For the first time in seven years, more than half of US cities with high concentrations of top law firms can be considered landlord-friendly markets.



A Closer Look at Fannie Mae's C-Deal

WASHINGTON, DC-While investors have some exposure to risk, there is also upside for them, Fannie Mae's Laurel Davis tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy.



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Resort Sector Gains Momentum


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Resort Sector Gains Momentum

LOS ANGELES-According to research from JLL, the resort sector is experiencing its best year since 2007 with $2.5 billion in transactions.



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Senior Housing Prospects Looking Up


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Senior Housing Prospects Looking Up

CHICAGO—In this UPDATE to last week's story, Greystone's Neal Raburn bolsters the general feeling at last week's NIC conference in Chicago that the outlook for senior housing remains solid.



Fannie Mae Prices Inaugural C-Deal

WASHINGTON, DC-The GSE launched the series with a $675 million offering that will settle on Oct. 24.



Fitch Ratings Places US on Ratings Watch Negative


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Fitch Ratings Places US on Ratings Watch Negative

WASHINGTON, DC-Like it was in 2011, the ratings agency is displeased with how Washington is handling the nation's fiscal affairs.



Moody's Gives ARCP the Nod with Investment Grade


National

Moody's Gives ARCP the Nod with Investment Grade

NEW YORK CITY-The ratings agency is giving the net lease REIT a stable rating as it prepares for a pair of mergers that will take its enterprise value to $10 billion.



Meyer: Spec Building In 82% of Markets


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Meyer: Spec Building In 82% of Markets

SAN DIEGO-The industrial sector is bullish on big boxes, and speculative demand is ramping up, but there is little danger of overbuilding, say experts at NAIOP’s Development ’13 in these EXCLUSIVE videos from JLL.



REOs Rise in Three Western States

IRVINE, CA-Oregon, Nevada and California rank among RealtyTrac’s states with the top-10 highest REO increases during third quarter, the firm reports in this UPDATE to an earlier story.



Carlyle Group Steps into Gov't Void with Its Own Economic Stats

WASHINGTON, DC-In the absence of official government statistics, companies are relying more heavily on private sector stats generated by associations and, now, companies like the Carlyle Group.



Freddie Mac Sells $195M in First Bulk Loan Sale

McLEAN, VA-These are seasoned assets from the GSE's pre-conservatorship days, Freddie Mac's Mike Lipson tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy. "Securitization is still our main vehicle."



CapX Launches Energy Tool

CHICAGO, IL-The new offering will help building owners, contractors and engineers secure financing for their energy savings project.



Foreclosures Hit 36th Month of Decreases

IRVINE, CA-September US home-foreclosure activity is down 27% from a year ago, bringing starts to a seven-year low, RealtyTrac reports.



Friday, October 11, 2013

A&G Realty Hires Mike Matlat



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A&G Realty Hires Mike Matlat


MELVILLE, NY-The firm is looking for the 2-year veteran to bring in non-retail tenants looking to occupy space in shopping centers or other unconventional locations.







Platform Brings Crowdfunding to CRE Entrepreneurs


NEW YORK CITY-Having been beta tested on nine projects across the US, GroundBreaker is now available for public use, GlobeSt.com has learned exclusively.





$37M Outpatient Center Under Construction



National



$37M Outpatient Center Under Construction


LOS ALAMITOS, CA-The need for medical office space prompts Pacific Medical Buildings in San Diego to move forward on its 70,000-square-foot MOB at Los Alamitos Medical Center in Orange County.







Foreign Capital Scarce among HCRE Investments


MINNETONKA, MN-Healthcare Real Estate Insights cites a report from Real Capital Analytics, indicating that foreign investment in healthcare real estate fell dramatically in 2012 and has continued into 2013.







Tech Demand Should Traverse US


NEWPORT BEACH, CA-Most markets across the country will feel the effects of tech firms’ demand for creative space, Gary Baragona, Jason Katz and Simon Dillon from CBRE tell GlobeSt.com in this UPDATE to an earlier story.





Are Hospitals Still In Real Estate?




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Are Hospitals Still In Real Estate?



SAN DIEGO-They may not be exiting the business entirely, but increasingly more health systems are relying on brokerage firms to do their real estate legwork, according to speakers at NAIOP’s Development ’13.








Thursday, October 10, 2013

Seniors Housing Holds Investors' Interest




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Seniors Housing Holds Investors' Interest



CHICAGO—Attendees at this week's 23rd NIC National Conference in Chicago expect investors to maintain a healthy interest in senior housing, even with the recent boost in interest rates.











CWCAM Puts $2.6B Portfolio on the Block



BETHESDA, MD-Additionally, Auction.com will be marketing more than $650 million of assets across a variety of property types on CW Capital’s behalf in early December.








Crow Holdings Tops $1B with Fund VI




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Crow Holdings Tops $1B with Fund VI



DALLAS-The largest to date of Crow Holdings Capital Partners’ series of funds, Fund VI will be directed toward investments that could range from multifamily to convenience stores.








Sustainability Goes Beyond Energy Bills




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Sustainability Goes Beyond Energy Bills



SAN DIEGO-The value of developing green buildings can engender tenant loyalty and have ROI that transcend reduced energy usage, say speakers at NAIOP’s Development ’13 conference.











Preparing for the Obamacare "Perfect Storm"



CHICAGO—The new healthcare law will bring millions of new customers at the same time providers have to care for an aging population.











Non-Gateway Office: A Better Bet Than It Seems



LOS ANGELES-The differences between fundamentals in a non-gateway market—Omaha, for instance—and a core CBD are surprisingly small, says a new white paper from CBRE.








Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Investors Send Mixed Signals on REITs




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Investors Send Mixed Signals on REITs



WASHINGTON, DC-The third quarter was a dud, except for September, which did relatively well. What is going on?








Industrial Moving to Mega-DCs




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Industrial Moving to Mega-DCs



SAN DIEGO-The efficiencies of having one large distribution center over several smaller warehouses are driving the demand for large industrial properties, say speakers at NAIOP’s Development ’13 conference here.








$5B Non-performing HUD Loans Goes to Market




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$5B Non-performing HUD Loans Goes to Market



WASHINGTON, DC-The offering consists of 29,000 non-performing residential loans supported by some 16 million pages of loan documents, DebtX CEO Kingsley Greenland tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy.











Small RE Firms Looking for Big Partners



CHICAGO—In this UPDATE to Monday's story, J.D. Salazar explains that smaller real estate firms, such as his Champion Realty, may need to merge with larger ones to truly compete in a changing business landscape.








Tuesday, October 8, 2013

A Bright Long-Term Future May Hit Speed Bumps Near-Term




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A Bright Long-Term Future May Hit Speed Bumps Near-Term



NEW YORK CITY-Washington wrangling and economic uncertainty may create some upheaval, but ultimately the city will flourish, said panelists at RealShare New York.








Alcatel-Lucent: Cuts: How Deep in NJ?




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Alcatel-Lucent: Cuts: How Deep in NJ?



NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ-Word came from France that Alcatel-Lucent will cut 10,000 jobs around the globe, but no particulars were given on how the knife will fall in New Jersey.








Harrison Sells 43 Self-Storage Facilities




National





Harrison Sells 43 Self-Storage Facilities



CHICAGO—The Chicago-based Harrison Street Real Estate Capital has completed what they say is the largest self-storage portfolio transaction to date.











Bisacquino: Shutdown, Debt Ceiling 'Give People Pause'



WASHINGTON, DC-Despite the uncertainty over whether politicians can work together on substantive matters, “there’s no question that the industry is coming back,” NAIOP’s president and CEO tells GlobeSt.com.








Monday, October 7, 2013

ARCP, ARCT IV Revise Merger Agreement




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ARCP, ARCT IV Revise Merger Agreement



NEW YORK CITY-The combinations with ARCT IV and CapLease, both expected to close by year’s end, will give ARCP an enterprise value of $10.2 billion, says ARCP CEO Nicholas Schorsch.








GSA to Landlords: You'll Get Paid ...Eventually




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GSA to Landlords: You'll Get Paid ...Eventually



WASHINGTON, DC-All bets are off if the US defaults on its debt, JLL's Joe Brennan tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy. "A deficiency of funds argument could be used then."











Campus Evolution Aims to Go Beyond



NEW YORK CITY-“We have a philosophy that we’re building the first campus-centric brand in the country,” CEO Andrew Stark tells GlobeSt.com.











Griffin REIT Acquires Verizon Wireless Building



WARREN, NJ-The building Verizon Wireless has leased through 2020 was sold to a California-based company for $40 million, GlobeSt.com has exclusively learned.











NAIOP: Gov't Uncertainty Clouds Development



WASHINGTON, DC-A lack of clarity on budget policy and tax reform “will hold us back from our true potential to really drive greater job creation and economic growth,” says NAIOP’s Bisacquino.











REISA Reveals Board, Award Winners



LAS VEGAS-The Real Estate and Investment Securities Association releases to GlobeSt.com EXCLUSIVELY its list of board members for 2014 and the ACE Award winners at its 2013 Annual Conference and Trade Show here this week.








Friday, October 4, 2013

Carlyle, Canopy JV On CRE Debt Platform




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Carlyle, Canopy JV On CRE Debt Platform



NEW YORK CITY-The venture will originate loans of $5 million to $15 million against all commercial property types in markets across the US.








Unemployment Stats: Another Shutdown Casualty




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Unemployment Stats: Another Shutdown Casualty



WASHINGTON, DC-It's 8:30 am on the first Friday of the month. Do you know where your unemployment statistics are?











DDR Closes Acquisition of 30 Power Centers



BEACHWOOD, OH—The shopping center giant acquired the properties, which total about 11.8-million-square-feet, from Blackstone, its joint venture partner.











Origin Launches New $100M Fund



CHICAGO—The fund will secure a diverse set of investment properties in 12 cities across the US.








Thursday, October 3, 2013

Flaherty Out, JLL's Martin In at HCP




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Flaherty Out, JLL's Martin In at HCP



LONG BEACH, CA-Following the termination of chairman, president and CEO James A. Flaherty III, the healthcare REIT’s board has separated the chairman and CEO roles.








Office Buzz: More Alley Vacations




National





Office Buzz: More Alley Vacations



SEATTLE-Touchstone’s A-P Hurd tells GlobeSt.com that emerging office trends include reduced energy usage and the challenge of growth in congested urban environments in this preview to NAIOP’s Development ’13 conference in San Diego next week.











JLL Forms Partnership with Auctioneer



CHICAGO—Beginning in December, JLL will join with the firm Williams & Williams and hold a series of global real estate auctions.








Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Digital Realty, Prudential Reveal $369M JV




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Digital Realty, Prudential Reveal $369M JV



SAN FRANCISCO-Digital Realty seeded the JV with nine Powered Base Building data centers totaling 1.06 million square feet and valued at approximately $366.4 million.








RCAP Inks Deal for ICH in Schorsch Double-Header




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RCAP Inks Deal for ICH in Schorsch Double-Header



NEW YORK CITY-The deal to acquire Investors Capital Holdings follows on RCAP’s announcement that it would buy Hatteras Funds Group, adding ICH’s liquid alternative investment funds to its platform.








Auction.com Sells $83M in Two Weeks




National





Auction.com Sells $83M in Two Weeks



IRVINE, CA-The firm closes on 24 commercial assets in 14 states between September 6-20. The highlights included retail and office properties in Louisiana, South Carolina and California.











Historically Low Cap Rates Go Up Slightly



CHICAGO—The recent increase in interest rates pushed up cap rates for retail and office, but industrial remained unchanged.











Apt. Development Seen Tapering in 2014



DALLAS-The research firm predicts that new multifamily construction will slow “until investors and developers see new supply absorbed and market conditions recalibrated.”








Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Report: NYC Rents Now Average $3,049 a Month




National





Report: NYC Rents Now Average $3,049 a Month



NEW YORK CITY-In a real estate report released today, real estate research firm Reis states that New York City is the only market of 79 nationwide to have average apartment rates top $3,000 a month.








Apollo, Hudson Realty JV on $200M Loan Deal




National





Apollo, Hudson Realty JV on $200M Loan Deal



NEW YORK CITY-The collateral for the portfolio, sold by Georgia-based United Community Banks Inc., spans multiple property types across the Southeast and Wyoming.











The Real Cost of Flood Insurance Reform



TAMPA, FL—The Biggert-Waters Act, a flood insurance reform, is now a reality for commercial real estate owners. The big question is: How are the rate increases expected to affect commercial real estate investment?








All-Cash Purchases = 45% of Home Sales




National





All-Cash Purchases = 45% of Home Sales



IRVINE, CA-The percentage rises from 39% in July and 30% in August 2012, reports RealtyTrac in this UPDATE to an earlier story.








Investor Appetite Grows for CRE Mortgages




National





Investor Appetite Grows for CRE Mortgages



WASHINGTON, DC-Banks, GSEs and life companies are leading the charge in demand for these assets, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports.











Report: Rising Caps Will Meet Stronger CRE



CALABASAS, CA-To help offset rising cap rates, investors in search of yield are becoming “more open to some of the opportunities in the smaller markets,” Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp.’s William Hughes tells GlobeSt.com’s Paul Bubny.