Regions
First Smoke-Free Rental Community in N.J.; Good for Health As Well As Turnover Costs
The second phase of Alexan CityView, a Trammell Crow Residential apartment community on the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, N.J. is designed to be 100 percent smoke-free. It is the first of its kind in New Jersey and nearly unheard of in the New York Metropolitan marketplace.
DEAL OF THE DAY: Berkadia Commercial Mortgage Originates $18,664,000 for Altamont Summit Refinance
Portland, Ore.–Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC originated $18,664,000 in permanent, variable-rate debt through its Freddie Mac program to refinance Altamont Summit, a 439-unit multifamily community in Portland, Ore.
New LEED Credential Expands to Canada
The Green Building Certification Institute, which provides third-party confirmation of LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing, has launched the LEED Green Associate (Tier I) credential in Canada. According to the Green Building Certification Institute, the new credential–launched only in 2009–is its fastest growing, having been earned by about 4,500 people worldwide already.
U.S. Energy Group Joins Residents, Management of Brooklyn Community in Fundraising Effort for Haiti
The U.S. Energy Group, TedPin Realty and Metropolitan Property Services, Inc., have all come together for a fundraising effort that will support Habitat for Humanity International’s work in Haiti.
NWP Services Corp., RealPage Both Launch New Programs for the MF Industry
NWP Services Corp.’s (NWP) TotalCSA is a 100 percent Vacant Recovery solution for the apartment industry. Part of NWP’s CSA Monitor offering, TotalCSA allows for identification, automated resident billing and recovery of 100 percent of electric and gas expense due to utility theft during the apartment resident’s lease, from the move-in to move-out date. TotalCSA is expected to recover 30 percent more in vacant charges.
SPECIAL REPORT: Educational Sessions at MBA Conference Track Mortgage Bankers’ Concern with Problem Loans
Las Vegas—Master servicers are witnessing greater numbers of borrowers trying to force the transfer of their loans to special servicing, according to Kevin Donahue, senior vice president of PNC Real Estate/Midland Loan Services Inc. “Borrowers are becoming a little savvier” in pursuing their alternatives, said Donahue. They understand that the master servicer cannot perform “material modifications” on the loan, he said.
HUD Funds Greening of Harlem Apartment Community
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the West 135th Street Apartments, a 10-building complex in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, a $3.6 million Green Retrofit Program (GRP) loan, the first of its kind to a multifamily residential property. The GRP loan will provide part of the funding necessary to make major renovations to the property, with an aim toward increasing its energy efficiency, reducing utility costs and otherwise greening the residences.
42-Story Crystal Point Wins Community of the Year Award
Most high-rise developments often have one thing in common: long, uninspiring hallways. But a new 42-story condominium project, Crystal Point, tries to change things up a little. The building is planned in such a way that its corridors are cut in half with elevators positioned in the middle of the residential floors. This provides the building with a very intimate feel, which is what the architects intended.
Crescent Resources Multifamily Property Wins First-in-State LEED Certification
The 312-unit Circle at Concord Mills, a multifamily garden community, has earned this distinction of having the first building in Cabarrus County, N.C.–its clubhouse–to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. According to the developer, Charlotte-based Crescent Resources, the certification is also the first for any part of a multifamily garden community in the entire state.
MARKET SNAPSHOT: Sacramento Supply Constraint a Bright Spot
The biggest bright spot for the multifamily market in the Golden State’s capital is the fact that there is no new supply coming online, which will eventually lead to positive absorption, notes Mark Leary, principal in ARA’s (Apartment Realty Advisors) Pacific office. In addition, the shadow market is on the decline.