Monthly Archives: December 2011

Will rising rents send consumers back to the housing market?

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

The wave of housing foreclosures that has swept the country — RealtyTrac reported that foreclosure filings were made on 610,337 U.S. properties in the third quarter, an increase of less than 1 percent from the previous quarter — has had … Continue reading →

Posted in multi-family, national commercial real estate | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Catering to renters by choice in Minneapolis

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

Future residents of Minneapolis’ Vue apartment development will rent here not because they can’t afford a monthly mortgage payment. They won’t call this community home because they lost their single-family homes to foreclosure or don’t have high enough credit scores … Continue reading →

Posted in Minneapolis commercial real estate, Minnesota real estate, multi-family | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Arbor makes history with loan for apartment complex in Michigan

Posted on December 21, 2011 by

  Arbor Commercial Mortgage’s $18 million FHA-insured loan for the refinancing of College Towne West Apartments in Lansing, Mich., doesn’t look unusual at first glance. But this loan is actually an historic one: It’s the nation’s first FHA-insured loan using … Continue reading →

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Leopardo protects his Blind Side

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Before the film “The Blind Side” became a box office hit and its story was familiar to millions, Jim Leopardo,  founder and CEO of Hoffman Estates-based Leopardo Cos.,  was involved in a similar story that netted almost identical results. Not … Continue reading →

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Offering an alternative to LEED certification

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

Founded in 2010, the East Lansing, Mich.-based Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities provides the nation’s only alternative to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. The founders of this organization, known more commonly by its acronym of SERF, say that … Continue reading →

Posted in Michigan commercial real estate | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sad in Detroit and St. Louis, happy in St. Paul, Omaha and Madison?

Posted on December 13, 2011 by

Men’s Health Magazine recently published a list guaranteed to anger the residents of at least 100 cities, unless, of course, these residents are too depressed to work up a good lather. Yes, the magazine in late November released its list … Continue reading →

Posted in Detroit commercial real estate, Kentucky commercial real estate, Louisville commercial real estate, St. Louis real estate, Wisconsin commercial real estate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What makes a commercial real estate Hall of Famer? Find out this month

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

The December issue of Midwest Real Estate News is easily my favorite of the year. That’s because it’s when we run our annual Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame. The odds are good that you know how this works: We … Continue reading →

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Alter Construction Group’s Jacque Judy: Taking the fright out of the construction process

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

As vice president of Skokie, Ill.-based Alter Construction Group – part of the Alter Group – Jacque Judy has had to adjust to a market unlike one even the most veteran of real estate professionals have seen. What’s the secret … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago Commercial Real Estate | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lights could go out at Sears corporate headquarters in Illinois

Posted on December 1, 2011 by

A local showdown over tax incentives between Hoffman Estates-based Sears Holding Corp. and the state of Illinois just took a dramatic turn as Ohio has reportedly offered the retailer a package of $400 million to move its headquarters to Columbus. … Continue reading →

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