Jessica Fiur is the editor-in-chief at Multi-Housing News and Commercial Property Executive and writes the award-winning blog What Renters Want.

Jessica has been with the company since 2011 and previously was with Weekly Reader and IQPC. Contact Jessica at jessica.fiur@cpe-mhn.com, on Twitter @jfiur or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafiur/.

Kevin Smith Joins CAPREIT Inc. as Senior Vice President

CAPREIT Inc., a privately owned real estate company, announced it has hired Kevin Smith as a senior vice president.

Chance Partners Teams with Carlyle Group on Mixed-Use Development at FSU

Chance Partners LLC and The Carlyle Group have begun construction on the Catalyst, a mixed-use development that sits a few blocks from Florida State University.

Balfour Beatty Communities Awarded DOE Grant for Residential Energy Savings Program

Balfour Beatty Communities LLC has been selected for a Smart Grid Data Access Award from the Department of Energy through its property management division, Balfour Beatty Military Housing Management LLC.

Economy Watch: Consumers Pull Out Plastic in June

The Federal Reserve reported that U.S. consumers borrowed more in June than they did in May.

Carl Marks Advisory Group Advises PJ Finance’s Unsecured Creditors Committee To Achieve “Par” Recovery

PJ Finance Company LLC, owner of 32 apartment complexes with nearly 10,000 units located in major metropolitan areas throughout the Sunbelt region, has successfully completed a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.

Amenities Geared Towards Seniors Take Center Stage at New Affordable Community

Heritage Oaks Senior Apartments, an Oakdale, Calif.-based seniors community, recently opened for low income seniors age 55 and older.

New York-Based Residential Real Estate Franchise Operation Heads into New Markets

Rapid Realty NYC is currently scouting out locations for new franchises in Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Tampa, Fl., as well as other markets across the country.

Americans’ Optimism About the Economy and Personal Finances Stalling Despite Underlying Continued Confidence in the Housing Market

Housing market confidence among Americans continues to trend in a positive direction despite stalling optimism about the economy and personal finances, according to results from Fannie Mae’s June 2012 National Housing Survey.

ARA Expands National Affordable Housing Roster with Addition of Four

Atlanta-headquartered ARA, a privately held investment advisory brokerage firm focusing on the multihousing industry, announced the expansion of its National Affordable Housing Platform with new team members in Seattle; Austin, Texas; and Houston.

Freddie Mac Announces Ninth K Certificates Offering This Year, K-710, Backed By Multifamily Mortgages

Freddie Mac recently announced a new offering of Structured Pass-Through Certificates backed exclusively by fixed-rate multifamily mortgages with a seven-year term.