March 04, 2010

In the Multifamily Trenches

Premature Construction?

Like a lot of people, I read this week's Wall Street Journal story "Builders Get Back in Game" with great interest. The piece started with story about Zaremba Group, which is building a 325-unit project near Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. (before saying a ballpark development is great hedge against recession, take a look at what is happening-or not really happening-in the wasteland surrounds Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Oh, and that's actually a good real estate market right now.) Read more...

 
 
February 28, 2010

In the Multifamily Trenches

Silencing Affordable Housing

Last fall, I reported on North Carolina becoming the first state to include an "affordable housing" clause in its fair housing law. According to a Feb. 19 article in the Charlotte Business Journal, the law has been untested—until now. Read more...

 
 
February 28, 2010

In the Multifamily Trenches

Federal Disaster

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows the extent to which 2005 federally-funded disaster programs for the states of Louisiana and Mississippi following hurricanes Katrina and Rita disproportionately favored homeowner assistance over rental repair. Read more...

 
 
February 22, 2010

In the Multifamily Trenches

Forest City Makes A Move

Forest City Enterprises announced an interesting way to create liquidity within it's current portfolio. The Cleveland based company has announced a joint venture with Bernstein Management Corporation to acquire a 50 percent ownership in three residential multifamily properties, totaling 1,340 rental units, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Read more...