Archive for May 2008
Dollar Struggles As Market Awaits New Housing Data
New York–The dollar traded against the euro at close to the lowest point in more than two weeks Monday morning due to concern that a report due this week will suggest the housing decline is seriously hurting the U.S. economy, according to Bloomberg. The dollar declined the most against the Canadian dollar and Mexican peso.…
Read MoreGoing Green from the Ground Up
By Jo Ann Jarreau, ASLA, LEED AP, Jarreau Inc.Consumers have reached an environmental turning point. According to the latest research, the vast majority is “seriously concerned” about the environment and believes that a company’s environmental practices are important in making key purchasing decisions. For builders and property owners who can prove a commitment to sustainability,…
Read MorePoggenpohl’s Dining Desk
Poggenpohl’s new dining desk is a slender, large-size dining table with a variable functional area. The area can be opened lengthwise, either by hand or with the aid of an electrical motor ,and the open center can be filled with stainless steel panels, a cutlery tray or chopping board. Stainless steel trolleys can be pushed…
Read MoreDEAL OF THE DAY: Green Park Financial Closes $13.2M Acquisition Loan for Student Housing Property
By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorBethesda, Md.–Green Park Financial recently provided a $13.2 million acquisition loan for Warehouse Apartments located in Chapel Hill, N.C. Green Park structured the loan with a five-year term, three years of interest only, followed by a 30-year amortization. The loan was underwritten to an 80 percent loan-to-value with a 1.17x…
Read MoreARA Taps into High-Growth Seniors Housing Market with New Division
By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorDallas–Atlanta-headquartered Apartment Realty Advisors recently launched its National Seniors Housing Group, which will be based in Dallas.“We looked at research on the long-term outlook for this market and realized that it has tremendous growth potential,” Brian O’Boyle, ARA principal and partner in the seniors housing group, tells MHN. “We believe…
Read MoreSPECIAL REPORT: BIM Is a Growing Trend, Necessitating Collaboration
By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorBoston–Continuing with the theme of architects needing to accept responsibility for their buildings, the speakers of Friday’s BIM (Building Information Modeling) panel discussion at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) National Convention and Design Exposition discussed the advantages of using this integrated technology.Collaboration and early involvement are two key points for…
Read MoreLEED 2009 Opens for Public Comment
By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorWashington, D.C.–The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors today released details of LEED 2009 for public comment. LEED 2009 is part of the LEED v3 vision articulated by USGBC. It includes LEED 2009 – LEED rating system updates/revisions, revision and evolution of the LEED certification process and…
Read MoreGreen BluWood Promotes Sustainable Building
Resistant to moisture absorption, mold and fungi growth and termites, BluWood is designed to protect a building for life, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional wood.A wood framing component, BluWood is comprised of a two-part coating, the first of which, called an Infusion-Film, repels water and defends against mold growth. The second coat…
Read MoreProducts Seen on the AIA Show Floor
Colored Glass Blocks by Pittsburgh Corning IntroducedUsed for interior applications only, Pittsburgh Corning’s new Designer Select Art series of colored glass blocks provides architects and interior designers the opportunity to collaborate. The blocks also offer residents a wider variety of color.This series marks the company’s introduction pf colored glass blocks, which are available in burgundy,…
Read MoreDoes the Rise in Multifamily Starts Indicate the Slump is Over?
The Commerce Department announced Friday that multifamily housing had helped new home construction grow 8.2 percent in April, just one day after the National Association of Home Builders said homebuilder confidence currently is hovering only one point above its lowest-ever level. Welcome to the mixed-signal housing market! Multifamily housing starts rose an impressive 36 percent…
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