By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorAtlanta–Mezzo, a spa-inspired condominium in Atlanta, has unveiled its model home at 2171 Peachtree Rd., between the Midtown and Buckhead neighborhoods of the city.Mezzo’s model home (pictured) is a 2,022-sq.-ft. two-bedroom, two-bath unit, with a living room, a study and a 165-sq.-ft. terrace.The home features Brazilian cherry wood floors and cabinetry, Marron Cahiba granite countertops; Viking appliances; furnishings by Yes Home!; surround sound by GAL Electronics; Silent Gliss motorized window treatments; walk-in closets by Closets and More; and lighting by The Lighting Loft.The Mezzo condominium project features 94 units ranging in size from approximately 1,300…

New York–Buyers and sellers in New York City are more hesitant about real estate deals than they were several months ago, according to The New York Times.Sellers recently have removed their listings from the market, hoping that the busy spring real estate season will bring more offers. Some have decided to wait a year or more for the market to improve. Owners who are motivated to sell now are finding that attracting buyers is more difficult than ever. As a result, the amount of money that needs to be spent to renovate and stage apartments for sale has become a…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorAtlanta–RentBureau, an online repository of rental payment histories, has partnered with CsS Services Inc., a resident screening company, to supply CsS with resident rental payment histories to be included as a part of CsS’s resident screening reports.Apartment owners and managers using CsS Services to screen resident applications will now have access to over four million rental payment records in RentBureau’s National Rental Data Exchange (NRDE) database.Owners and managers of more than 60,000 apartment units throughout Georgia currently use CsS. “By using RentBureau’s rental payment data, CsS will be able to make better decisions with more…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorBartlesville, Okla.–Boston Capital has recently invested in Brookhaven Plaza Apartments, a 120-unit multifamily development in Bartlesville, Okla., located 40 miles north of Tulsa. Boston Capital has paid $18,900 per unit to acquire this property.The general partner is Summit America Properties Inc., an affiliate of Montgomery, Ala.-based Summit Asset Management LLC., an owner, developer and manager of multifamily housing.“We will continue to provide our developer partners and our investors the best finance and investment programs in the business while expanding on our commitment to provide the finest affordable housing to families in Oklahoma and communities throughout…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorDallas–Icon Partners LLC will develop Midtown, a new 3.7 million-sq.-ft. mixed-use development, to be located at the intersection of I-635/LBJ Freeway and the Dallas North Tollway, halfway between downtown Dallas, and North Dallas and Frisco.The 20-acre phase one of Icon’s Midtown is being built on the east side of the Dallas Galleria, with frontage along I-635/LBJ Freeway and Noel Road. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2009, with opening of the residential tower expected in early 2011.“Icon’s Midtown will be developed as a walking community,” says Paris Rutherford, president of Icon Partners LLC. “It…

Honolulu, Hawaii–Fifield Companies has selected Charles Pankow Builders Ltd. to build the Allure Waikiki, a $158 million luxury condominium tower located in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii.The 35-story tower will contain 291 one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 833 sq. ft. to 1,633 sq. ft., each with a private lanai. Design for the project also calls for a 19,500-sq.-ft. recreational terrace, 9,000 sq. ft. of dining and/or upscale retail space as well as 32,000 sq. ft. of parks and gardens. The project also includes 175,000 sq. ft. of parking for 458 cars.Architects Hawaii Inc. designed the…

Washington, D.C.–The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday, indicated inflation and low consumer confidence are slowing the economy, according to The New York Times.Large item retail sales–including items such as cars and dishwashers–declined in the first two months of 2008. Regional banks gave less loans to businesses and to individual borrowers.The report, compiled by the central bank’s various districts, said “economic growth has slowed since the beginning of the year.”Residential and commercial real estate markets are still dragging, and sales were slow in almost all districts, the report said. Home sales in Boston, Minneapolis, St. Louis and other areas have…

Washington, D.C.–The number of American homes going into foreclosure hit the highest level on record in the fourth quarter of last year, according to the Federal Reserve.At the same time, homeowners’ share of home equity dropped to its lowest point since World War II, The Wall Street Journal said.Total American household wealth dropped $533 billion to $57.7 trillion–the first decline since 2002, influenced by housing-related asset values falling by $170 billion, the Federal Reserve said. The value of other financial assets, including stocks, declined by $254 billion.More than 2 percent of the nation’s 46 million mortgage loans were in the…

Washington, D.C.–Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac received new, higher limits on the loans they can buy or guarantee in 71 housing markets on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports.The new limits–part of the recently signed economic stimulus bill–affected almost all of Southern California. The area received new limits of up to $729,750, the current maximum, increased from $417,000. The limits vary per area and are based on median home prices.The loan limits were increased to help increase home sales and refinancings in high-cost markets. The limits apply to loans originated from July 1, 2007, through the Dec. 31, 2008.

By Erin Brereton, Content ManagerRaleigh, N.C.–Boston Capital Real Estate Partners recently closed its investment in a 350-unit, garden-style community that will be located in Raleigh, N.C.The Fairfield Corporate Center Apartments is being developed by multifamily developer Fairfield Residential, which is headquartered in San Diego and Grand Prairie, Texas. The development is Boston Capital’s fourth joint venture with Fairfield–a partnership Boston Capital feels has helped it weather the recent housing market difficulties.“Boston Capital continues to thrive in a challenging economy largely due to the strategic partnerships we have established with Fairfield Residential and other premier partners throughout the country,” says Mark…