By Erin Brereton, Content ManagerWashington, D.C.–USA Today recently named National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun–who is responsible for NAR’s real estate statistics and forecasting–as one the top 10 economic forecasters.Yun is ranked fifth on the annual list, which acknowledges forecasting accuracy.”NAR is proud of USA Today’s recognition of Lawrence Yun and his economic forecast accuracy,” says Dale Stinton, NAR executive vice president and chief executive officer. “He is a highly regarded economist, and the housing and real estate industry have come to rely heavily on his economic analyses.”Yun has been with NAR–which represents 1.3 million residential and commercial…

By Erin Brereton, Content ManagerAbu Dhabi–The company that manages government-owned real estate assets in Abu Dhabi recently selected architectural firm Otak International, headquartered in Lake Oswego, Ore., to lead the design-build process for a Dh1.6 billion ($435 million) green mixed-used complex.As lead architect on the Al Bateen Wharf Hotel project, which will add townhomes, shops and restaurants to the Bateen Canal waterfront in the United Arab Emirates, Otak will provide landscape architecture, design coordination, structural and civil engineering services. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company’s 54,000-square-meter Al Bateen Wharf Hotel will feature a 15-story, 400-room hotel tower and…

By Erin Brereton, Content ManagerSilver Spring, Md.–Commercial real estate company Behringer Harvard, global asset manager Brookfield Real Estate Opportunity Fund and real estate company Fairfield Residential LLC have together arranged funding for a 15-story apartment building in Silver Spring, Md.Fairfield Residential intends to develop the Cameron House property into a $128.9 million Class A apartment building with 325 one- and two-bedroom apartments.With an estimated 302,469 square feet of rentable space, the property will also include a clubhouse, rooftop pool and 7,330 square feet of ground-floor retail space.”The development sits in one of Montgomery County’s most appealing neighborhoods, known for its…