Thursday, May 23, 2013

Blackstone REIT Upsizes Stock Offering




National





Blackstone REIT Upsizes Stock Offering



NEW YORK CITY-An affiliate of the Blackstone Group, Blackstone Mortgage Trust could raise up to $659 million in a stock sale intended to finance acquisition of a loan portfolio.











Lehman Sells Half Its Stake in EQR, AvalonBay



NEW YORK CITY-The sale of a combined 23 million shares of Equity Residential and AvalonBay occurs about a month after the end of a lockup period following Lehman’s sale of Archstone to the two REITs.








Traffic Group Cites Interchange Advantages




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Traffic Group Cites Interchange Advantages



SAN DIEGO-In an UPDATE to an earlier story, the innovative diverging diamond interchange reduces commercial properties’ impact on public roads, Wes Guckert of the Traffic Group tells GlobeSt.com.











Retailers Adapt, Capture Market Share



LAS VEGAS-In an update to an earlier story, ICSC panelists and attendees say retailers are evolving and embracing new ways to attract customers and improve operational efficiency.








OPERS to Invest $1.3B in US Real Estate




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OPERS to Invest $1.3B in US Real Estate



COLUMBUS, OH—The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System is looking to make the investments through various avenues including both debt and equity.











First Potomac Prices Offering to Net $91.1M



WASHINGTON, DC-The capital markets have been good to REITs in the last few years.











Self-Storage Gaining Notice



CHICAGO—In this UPDATE to Tuesday’s story, Marc A. Boorstein of MJ Partners explains why investors should consider self-storage real estate on par with other sectors.








Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Fannie Mae to Market $2.2B Legacy CMBS




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Fannie Mae to Market $2.2B Legacy CMBS



WASHINGTON, DC-The GSE is putting these securities on the market to comply with an FHFA directive to reduce its non-agency portfolio, Kimberly Johnson, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President of Multifamily Capital Markets, tells GlobeSt.com's Erika Morphy.











Saks Reportedly Explores Possible Sale



NEW YORK CITY-The flagship Saks Fifth Avenue store alone is believed to be worth more than $1 billion, the New York Post reported Tuesday.








25 REITs Most Likely To Buy Your Property in 2013




National Commercial Real Estate News From CoStar Group





25 REITs Most Likely To Buy Your Property in 2013



This may well be the year that property owners in secondary and tertiary markets get a chance to cash in on the spending spree of the nation's largest publicly held REITs and real estate operating companies.

The torrid pace of acquisitions seen within this sector over the past two years is expected to continue this year, but with more buyers casting their nets across more markets.

As a whole, public REITs and REOCs doled out more than $54 billion...









Corporate Relocation Activity Picking Up As Business Confidence Rises



As business confidence in the economic recovery deepens, corporate c-suites are at least thinking about when and where to expand their operations.

Although the evidence is largely anecdotal so far, commercial real estate brokers and corporate site selection consultants tell CoStar they've noticed a general increase in the number of corporate expansions and headquarters relocations after sitting on their hands through the recession and early recovery...






A Positive Attitude Seals Deals




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A Positive Attitude Seals Deals



TAMPA-Sharon Bragg, vice president, Tampa Agency Leasing for Jones Lang LaSalle may not have planned to enter commercial real estate, but find a positive attitude works wonders in negotiations.











Urban Retail Begins and Ends with Design



LAS VEGAS, CA-According to panelists at ICSC’s RECon 2013, best practices for urban retail developments are first to think about design, then community support, and transit and parking issues.











Robotic Parking is Green, Economical



SAN DIEGO-Robotic-parking technology uses less land than standard parking garages, is good for the environment and minimizes crime opportunities, Wes Guckert, CEO of the Traffic Group, tells GlobeSt.com’s Carrie Rossenfeld.











Tech's Influence Provides Retail Opportunity



LAS VEGAS-Randi Zuckerberg, founder and creative director of Zuckerberg Media, and keynote speaker at ICSC, points out how innovations in mobile and tech can give retailers a competitive advantage to retailers today.








Tuesday, May 21, 2013

At ICSC, New Concepts, New Approaches




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At ICSC, New Concepts, New Approaches



LAS VEGAS-GlobeSt.com networked broadly during ICSC after hours. From Marcus & Millichap's retail trends event to the Diversity Reception to JLL, C&W and Faris Lee cocktail parties. But partying aside, retail execs still spoke frankly to us about market outlook.