Regions

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorFort Lauderdale, Fla.–The leasing center for Altman Development’s Satori, a 279-luxury mixed-use rental community in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is slated to open in the next few weeks. Leasing will begin at that time.The leasing center features an interactive Sales Touch System, which allows prospective residents the ability to search for an apartment on a 40-in. touch screen, using their own criteria. Additionally, Satori is the first rental community in South Florida to offer resident apartment customization. We have an actual sample of our kitchen and master bathroom in the leasing center, so prospective residents can walk…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorNew York–The Senate voted 74-25 last night for the $700 billion economic bailout plan, the House rejection of which caused panic among investors and the stock markets to plunge on Monday. So far, most multifamily executives have endorsed the bill, many saying that something needs to be done to ease the credit crunch.Patrick S Madore, vice president, mortgage banking at Thomas D. Wood & Co., agrees for the most part except, he tells MHN, “I am not a 100 percent behind this package. The politicians are using this as a vehicle to push a lot…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News Editor, MHN and Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor, CPNMiddletown, Conn.–Chestnut Hill and Northwoods Apartments, two multifamily communities accounting for an aggregate 650 residences in Middletown, Conn., have just come under new ownership. Entities operating as Northwoods Apartment Associates L.L.C. and Chestnut Apartment Associates L.L.C. took the two Class A properties, located approximately 15 miles south of Hartford, off the hands of Middletown-Oxford L.P. and Connecticut Colony Associates L.P. in a transaction valued at $75 million. Carrying the address of 4 Town Colony Dr., Chestnut Hill features 314 units encompassed in seven three-story structures. The community was…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorNew York–Sales have begun at Two Northside Piers, a new 30-story, 270-unit waterfront condominium community in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. The tower, which is being developed through a joint venture of Toll Brothers City Living, RD Management LLC and L&M Development Partners, and designed by FXFowle Architects, is the second phase of Northside Piers, the first new residential development at Williamsburg’s waterfront.The development of Northside Piers is the result of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning of 2005. “The city started working with the local development and political communities and looked at rezoning for residential use because the industrial uses…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News Editor and Keat Foong, Executive EditorWashington, D.C.–Multi-housing groups regret the House’s rejection yesterday of the $700 billion package to provide the financial markets with much needed liquidity. While citizens across the nation appear so far to be opposed to what they see as the plan’s bailout of  Wall Street, multi-housing observers come down on the side of passing the package in the interest of maintaining liquidity in the market. Jim Arbury, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC), echoed this sentiment. “It is unfortunate that the bailout package did…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorNew York–Some of the largest financial institutions in the United States have been merged, acquired or have filed for bankruptcy in the last couple of weeks. With yesterday’s rejection of the $700 billion bailout package, concern about availability of credit, which has already been scarce, has deepened further. While multifamily deals in the US continue to take place with the help of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD), how will the credit crisis that has ripple effects across the world impact foreign investment into the multifamily sector in…

By Keat Foong, Executive Editor and Anu Kher, Online Editor Reno, Nev.—Like everyone else, multi-housing owners and developers are alarmed by yesterday’s plunge in the stock markets. “I am concerned,” said Bob Nielsen, president of multi-housing developer Shelter Properties Inc., and vice chairman and secretary of the board of the National Association of Home Builders. “The stock market is certainly an emotional gauge. It was Wall Street crying for help.” Nielsen said he is worried about the availability of financing, especially for new construction, for multi-housing. “Looking for credit is more difficult than it has been,” he said. He also…

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorNew York–The Visionaire condominium and Battery Park Conservancy’s maintenance facility were selected as the grand prize winners of New York’s 2008 Green Building Competition, co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.Developed by Garden City, N.Y.-based The Albanese Organization and designed by Pelli Clark Pelli Architects, the 35-story Visionaire is home to the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that maintains the parks and open spaces of Battery Park City. The Battery Park Conservancy is located on the first floor of the…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News Editor, MHN and Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor, CPN Los Angeles–Sperry Van Ness has completed the sale of a 15-unit Koreatown apartment community for $2,850,000. The property, located at 868 S. Kingsley Dr., is in the heart of Koreatown near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. Built in 1929, the 100 percent occupied property is comprised of six one-bedroom, one-bathroom units; three one-bedroom, one-bathroom units with lofts and six two-bedroom, two-bathroom units. Monthly rents range from $1,197 to $1,550. The seller invested approximately $400,000 on capital improvement including modernized kitchens, new flooring, fixtures, and numerous…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorWashington, D.C.–Days into debate and discussions on Capitol Hill regarding a $700 billion bailout package to stabilize the financial industry, the House of Representatives voted this afternoon against the bill in its current state. The vote against the measure was 228 to 205, with 133 Republicans joining 95 Democrats in opposition. One hundred and forty Democrats and 65 Republicans had backed the bill. Over the weekend, support for the bailout had seemed strong, with several politicians declaring it close to passing.  After Its failure today, the Dow plunged 778 points. The Dow closed down 6.89…