Archive for August 2009

Wonderful change is afoot in one of LA’s most notorious neighborhoods. Jordan Downs, located in the heart of the community of Watts, in South Los Angeles, is targeted for redevelopment. The design team, led by the capable staff at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) is in the midst of the…

Last month, I attended a press briefing given by Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI), which invests in real estate on behalf of institutional clients. Here is what PREI CEO Allen Smith said. The company has sold more than $1 billion in commercial real estate this year, and Smith said that a lack of liquidity has…

 Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with some of the industry’s most green-oriented executives, whom MHN had invited to judge our Second Annual Green Initiative Awards. Needless to say, it was quite an experience to get together with a group of four individuals who are so completely devoted to sustainability that, in at…

Some time ago I wrote about a new senior housing community that was being proposed in my neighborhood. Since this is a product type that my company also designs, I was quite interested in who was proposing just what, so I followed the process. I can’t recall exactly how it happened, but I ended up…

Last month, I attended a press briefing given by Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI), which invests in real estate on behalf of institutional clients.   Here is what PREI CEO Allen Smith said. The company has sold more than $1 billion in commercial real estate this year, and Smith said that a lack of liquidity…

“Should 5% appear too small, be thankful I don’t take it all.” Taxman (c) The Beatles, 1965 Property values are declining in virtually all sectors of commercial real estate and with local governments seeking relief any way they can get it, assessments are rising. In New York, starting in January the Department of Finance released…

Consider for a moment the above inquiry. It is merely a simple (if not terribly creative) tactical question, designed to engage a prospect in conversation. Think about it for a minute—even if you don’t use the phrase yourself, have you ever seen it fail to evoke the desired response? Me neither. There’s a similar phrase…

Sometimes news events remind me of the ancient plagues. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, frogs rain down from the heavens or a comedian gets elected from Minnesota. In a way, that kind of makes sense because after electing a professional wrestler governor, a comedian was the next step. I do wonder…

Delaware Apartment Association Expands Scope of Services Since the economic crisis began, the apartment industry has looked for a variety of ways to help renters stay in their apartments. But sometimes, despite these efforts, residents do lose their homes. The Delaware Apartment Association wants to help. As Kevin Wolfgang, President of the Delaware Apartment Association,…