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ULI Selects Four Finalists

For Hines Design Face-off

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Urban Land Institute has selected teams from Harvard University, the University of Maryland's College Park campus, North Carolina State University/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Pennsylvania as finalists for the eighth annual Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition.

The winner will receive $50,000 and $30,000 will be split among the three remaining finalists. The four finalists were picked from a field of 48 universities, representing nearly 660 students on 132 teams in the U.S. and Canada, submitting designs for a 73.5-acre site in San Diego. The final phase of the 2010 competition will conclude April 8 when competitors present their programs to the jury committee in San Diego and the winner announced.

The competition was based on a hypothetical situation in which San Diego's Centre City Development Corporation, acting on behalf of the San Diego Redevelopment Agency, has requested proposals for the redevelopment of a 30-block area of East Village. The hypothetical scenario also assumed the owners of individual parcels comprising the majority of the acreage want to combine their parcels into one site. The student teams were to act as a multidisciplinary full-service development team and create a development proposal with financials, a master land use plan and an urban design scheme.

"All submissions created a strong sense of place and showed the ability to transform an idea, while figuring out how to lay out an idea that could actually be built with financial strength and feasibility," said Lizanne Galbreath, managing partner of Galbreath & Co., the jury committee's chairwoman. "The final four all had a sense of contextual orientation, how to properly fit it into the greater area of San Diego, and a strong central theme which tied into all the blocks and neighborhoods around them."

Winning recognition for honorable mention were teams from Cornell University, University of Texas at Austin, a joint entry from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Madison, joint entry by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University and two entries by separate teams from the University of Pennsylvania.

Gerald D. Hines, chairman of Houston-based Hines, funded the competition with a $3 million endowment. "Through this competition, we are raising awareness among the students of the key role high-quality urban design plays in creating sustainable living environments," Hines said. "Real estate development is a very exciting, imaginative field. It involves many disciplines and interaction with so many parts of our world—finance, politics, science, and psychology—it affects the lives of so many people."

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TAR Honors Members

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Association of Realtors has named Jane Caskey of Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper, Realtors in San Antonio as its realtor of the year.

In other honors, Patricia Webb, director of board services for the 8,000-member association was accorded the Tom D. Morton Award. Peggy Santmyer of the Santmyer team in Dallas was named educator of the year. Other honors went to the MetroTex Association of Realtors and boards in Austin, Houston and San Antonio.

The New Braunfels/Canyon Lake Association of Realtors received the 2009 government affairs outstanding achievement award while Dave Dalzell of Abilene was accorded the inaugural Texas Realtor Hero Award for his volunteer service to the Workforce Solutions Board of West Central Texas.

During the winter meeting, TAR inducted the following members into the National Association of Realtors Omega Tau Rho fraternity: Socar Chatmon-Thomas, Jay Gohil and Robert Wright, all of Austin; Bob Leonard of San Antonio; Eloise Eriksson Martin of Dallas; and Howard Zielke of Rockwall.

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TREC Young Guns' 2010 Leaders

DALLAS – The Real Estate Council Young Guns has unveiled this year's executive committee for its 350 plus members.

The three-year-old committee is a sub-membership level of TREC. "The TREC Young Guns group is excited about continuing to impact north Texas through connecting the future industry leaders with real community initiatives," said Gary Sanchez of the Beck Group and TREC Young Gun chairman. "We want to plug the best and brightest into The Real Estate Council’s efforts, where they can make a difference in the industry and community."

In addition to Sanchez, the committee includes Stacy Meeley of Corgan Associates, Stephanie Seno of CB Richard Ellis and Kyle Wisdom of Zom Texas Inc., all program chairs; Adam Herrin of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP, parks chair; Melissa Hodges Hernandez of Henry S. Miller Brokerage LLC, marketing/PR chair; De'Juan and De'On Collins of Collins Capital Investments, involvement chair; Nathan Nash of Hunter Equity, membership chair; Will Thelmer of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr PC, foundation chair; and Holland Morris of TREC, foundation liaison chair.

"These young leaders have dedicated thousands of hours of volunteer time in support of TREC and its initiatives. TREC Young Guns provides these young professionals a great place to network with others in the industry, develop their leadership skills, and volunteer their time for making our community a better place," said Jim Berry of Deloitte and TREC chairman.

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NMHC Names 2010 Board

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The National Multi-Housing Council has named Peter F. Donovan, senior managing director for CB Richard Ellis, as chairman for the next two years.

Thomas S. Bozzuto, chairman and CEO of the Bozzuto Group in Greenbelt, Md., was appointed as vice chairman; Daryl J. Carter, CEO of Irvine, Calif.-based Avanath Capital Partners, as treasurer; and Bob DeWitt, vice chairman, president and CEO of Boston-based GID Investment Advisers LLC, as secretary. All will serve two-year terms.

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Peter Co-Chairing NAA Committee

AUSTIN – For the second consecutive year, Campus Advantage CEO Mike Peter will co-chair the National Apartment Association's student housing committee.

The committee was established in 2007 to promote the industry. The NAA will host the third annual national student housing conference Feb. 22-23 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino at 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South in Las Vegas. Details and registration: http://www.naahq.org/shc

"The NAA student housing committee is dedicated to ensuring that student housing remains a top NAA focus area," Peter said. "The committee's commitment to service and the training of NAA members will continue to drive our agenda through 2010."

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CoreNet's 2010 Singapore

Summit Gains Traction

SINGAPORE – CoreNet Global has pre-registered more than 150 leading real estate professionals for its 2010 Singapore Summit.

The summit will be held March 23-25 in the Shangri-La Hotel. CoreNet's agenda includes educational tracks. The conference theme is "Paradox: Balancing Contradictions in an Uncertain World." Featured speakers will include Graeme Maxton, writer and commentator for The Economist; Roman Scott, chairman of the Calamander Group; and Fredrik Haren, author and presenter on the subject of creativity and idea generation.

"We are very encouraged by the strong advance registration and sponsorship response that the Singapore Summit has received from many of the world's leading corporations, government agencies and academia," said Nigel Harris, CoreNet Global's Asia regional chairman. He added that the support from world-class companies and organizations "reinforces the importance of the event, which is being held at a critical time for the development of an industry that has had to circumnavigate major challenges over the past 18 months from drops in real estate values, property incomes and cash flows due to a limping economy."

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USGBC Picks Retail Team

To Create LEED Guide

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Green Building Council has selected its production team for the new Green Retail Guide: Integrating LEED into your Leasing Process.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers Corp., Green Building Services Inc. of Portland, Ore., and Austin-headquartered Ecoxera are partnering on the project, which will serve as a resource guide to complement the USGBC's LEED for Retail rating system. The new publication, which will be released around midyear, will cover tenant and landlord relationships in prospective and existing LEED certified buildings, how buildings affect the environment and tenants, common types of lease transactions and the impact on LEED goals, tenant guidelines, sample site assessments and case studies.

"By collaborating with Regency Centers and a team of industry leaders, the guide will provide invaluable guidance for retailers and their service providers, allowing all parties to make informed and mutually beneficial green decisions," said Marc Heisterkamp, the USGBC's director of commercial real estate.

The retail guide is intended to serve as a manual for integrating green strategies into selecting, leasing, building out and occupying retail space. "We expect the Green Retail Guide to help retail real estate professionals better understand the various leasing implications for achieving high performance green buildings," said Mark Peternell, Regency's vice president of sustainability.

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Dallas Regional Chamber Marks 2010 Start

DALLAS – The Dallas Regional Chamber will hold its annual meeting Thursday at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas.

The meeting will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the hotel at 1717 N. Akard St. The agenda includes the presentation of the chairman's award to recognize outstanding service by a volunteer.

On the dais will be Robert W. Best, board chairman and CEO of Atmos Energy Corp., and David R. Corrigan, president and CEO of Corrigan Investments Inc. Best was last year's board chairman; Corrigan takes over the role for 2010. Other speakers include Ambassador James C. Oberwetter, president of the Dallas Regional Chamber, and W. Mike Baggett, chairman emeritus of Winstead PC, this year's presenting sponsor.

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ULI Creates Open Space Design Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has created an awards program to recognize excellence in the design and development of urban public open space.

Amanda M. Burden, chair of the New York City Planning Commission and director of the New York Department of City Planning, and last year's laureate of the ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development is funding the new award. The ULI Amanda Burden Urban Open Space Award will be announced at ULI's spring council forum, slated for April 14-16 in Boston.

There is a Feb. 19 deadline to register for the award, which is $10,000 in cash to an individual or organization of the winning open space project."It has been my life's work to celebrate the essence of city life and to create great public open spaces," Burden said. "All great planning comes down to the granular approach of how a building meets the street, how a street feels, how you feel walking in the city and coming to public spaces that are inviting. Public space is why you stay in the city."

Last October, Burden was selected for the J.C. Nichols Prize, which included a $100,000 honorarium that she suggested be used to seed the public open spaces award program. The award, open to ULI members and non-members, is earmarked for projects located in North America and at least 10,000 sf. Other criteria require open space entries to have been open from one to 10 years to the public, represent a lively gathering space and made a positive transformation on the surrounding community. More information about the program is available at www.uli.org.

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Real Estate Research Group

Holding 2010 Conference

IRVING, Texas – The Association of Real Estate Research Professionals has tapped North Texas to stage its first national conference. Headlining the two-day event features Dr. Raymond Torto, global economist fo CBRE Econometric Advisors, and Dr. Sam Chandan, chairman and chief economist of Real Estate Econometrics.

The conference will be held Jan. 20-21 in Archon Group LP's conference center at 6011 Connection Dr. in Irving. The event is open to the first 100 registrants. To register, contact Tamara Adamson, vice president of Arledge Partners in Dallas or go to http://arerp.eventbrite.com, which also has a full agenda.

The association, founded in September 2007, is a forum for communications, data sharing and best practices across all commercial real estate sectors. Jack G. Kern is the founding managing director. In addition to Adamson and Kern, the planning committee for the 2010 conference included, McKim Barnes, Rene Circ and Doug Prickett, Archon's research director.

Following morning sessions on the opening day, Torto's keynote address will focus on meaningful research in an age of uncertainty. Chandan, keynote speaker on the following day, will discuss the U.S. economy, U.S. real estate economy and provide a forecast. 

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North Texas CCIM Seats 2010 Officers

PLANO, Texas – The North Texas chapter of the CCIM Institute has put its 2010 leaders in place, with Alex Johnson, CCIM, president and CEO of KW Commercial/Laurex Realty Advisors, as the president.

The new slate of officers for the 520-member chapter includes Susan McClure, CCIM, president of KW Commercial/McClure Partners; Joe Garrett, CCIM, executive vice president of Colliers International; and Pamela Spadaro, CCIM, senior vice president of US Trust Bank of America.

In 2007 and 2008, Johnson was named as a rising star by Chicago-based CCIM Institute. The North Texas chapter's territory includes Waco, Tyler, Amarillo, Abilene, Midland and Lubbock.

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TREC's 2010 Board In Place

DALLAS – The Real Estate Council's 2010 board of directors have taken their seats, with Jim Berry, managing partner of North and Central Texas Audit Services, in place as chairman.

Melissa Eastman, senior vice president and national business development manager of Stewart Title, is this year's vice chairman and Mark Gibson, executive managing director and founding partner of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP, is chairman elect.

"We appreciate these new directors and those continuing their service," said Michelle Corson, president of TREC, which is marking its 20th anniversary this year.

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TREC Allocates $775,000

To Dallas Organizations

DALLAS – As part of its 2010 Community Breakfast, The Real Estate Council will award more than $445,000 in technical services and $300,000 in cash area nonprofit organizations focused on housing, economic development, education and the environment.

The breakfast will be held Jan. 21 at 7:30 a.m. in the Fairmont Hotel, Regency Ballroom, 1717 N. Akard St., Dallas. Keynote speaker is Terdema Ussery, president and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. The breakfast is sponsored by Ernest & Young, Haynes and Boone LLP and Stewart Title.

Shared Housing Center Inc. will receive $225,000, of which $75,000 is cash. TREC and the organization are developing a 20-unit, LEED-certified transitional housing project in East Dallas to house single mothers with children from 12 to 24 months old as they seek independent housing.

St. Anthony Foundation will get $40,000 in a 50-50 split of cash and technical services. The funding will go toward modular classrooms and a media/technology center.

Forest Heights Neighborhood Development Corp. is ticketed for $150,000, including $50,000 in cash. The nonprofit is developing the third phase of senior citizens' duplexes.

Circle of Support Inc. will get $50,000, also in a 50-50 split of cash and assistance. The funding supports the Girl SMART and SMART Boys summer learning programs.

Uplift Education has been accorded a 50-50 grant, totaling $50,000. The organization is in the process of acquiring lad beside Hampton Preparatory to develop two science labs.

Builders of Hope Community Development Corp. has been allocated $166,650, of which $66,500 is cash. The funding is earmarked for appraisals, surveys and environmental studies for a 26-property portfolio of sub-standard houses that it recently acquired. The work is a pre-requisite for applying for funding from the City of Dallas to revitalize the West Dallas neighborhood.

Big Thought will get $50,000 in a 50-50 combination of cash and services. The funding targets after-school programs, including a career and workforce readiness component and a real estate curriculum to introduce youth to architecture, design and other creative aspects of the industry.

Communities Foundation of Texas will get $15,000 in cash plus technical assistance, which is an educational force for public policy issues.

Technical assistance and ongoing project development services will be provided to Central Dallas Community Development's ReVision project; YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas' Women's Resource Center; Innercity Community Development Corp.; Dallas City Homes; Jubilee Park Community Corp.; and Dallas County Buffalo Soldiers, Joppa Rodeo.

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2010 Leaders Elected by

Real Estate Editors Group

Lauren Beale of LA Times is 2010 Pres.

The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) has elected Lauren Beale of the Los Angeles Times as its President for the 2010 year. Stephen Gandel of Time magazine is the new Vice President. Holden Lewis of BankRate.com is now Chairman of NAREE's Board of Directors. Hui-yong Yu of Bloomberg News is the new Board Secretary and Jean Dimeo of Building Products magazine has been re-elected as Treasurer.

Harold Bubil of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Matthew Valley of National Real Estate Investor were elected Active Directors. Associate member Julie Reynolds of Move Inc. was elected Second Vice President and Donna Reichle of the National Association of Home Builders was elected Associate Director.
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Coming: 2010 Tarrant County Forecast

FORT WORTH – Industry and regional leaders will gather Jan. 13 for the annual Tarrant County Commercial Real Estate Forecast.

The event, slated for 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., will be held in the Fort Worth Convention Center at 1201 Houston St. in Fort Worth. The registration deadline is Jan. 11 – www.fortworthchamber.com/events. Proceeds benefit the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce's economic development program.

The annual event historically draws a standing room-only crowd. This year, as before, industry leaders will focus on Tarrant County's standing nationally and regionally for the office, residential, retail and industrial sectors. Also this year, the discussion will include tips for meeting the challenges of 2010 and predictions for when the recession will end.

Ben D. Loughry, MAI, FRICS and managing partner of Integra Realty Resources DFW LLP will discuss Tarrant County's national standing. Other speakers are Rob Sell, partner in Village Homes LP and V Fine Homes LP of Fort Worth; Susan A. Halsey, partner in Jackson Walker LLP; James M. Makens, president of the local firm, the Makens Co.; Michael K. Berry, president of locally based Hillwood Properties; and Todd Burnette, managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle.

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Rockefeller Donates $200,000 to RPIC

PHOENIX – The Rockefeller Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to the University of Arizona's Responsible Property Investment Center.

The center, founded in 2006, is a joint project of the University of Arizona and Boston College Institute for Responsible Investment. The grant will be used to help plan the center's expansion.

The center promotes socially and environmentally responsible property investing in the U.S., acting as a portal for connecting investors, managers and developers with best practices, research and business relationships.

"We believe Responsible Property Investing will be a key leverage point in mobilizing resources to create more sustainable communities and livable cities," said Benjamin de la Pena, associate director for urban development at the New York-based Rockefeller Foundation. He cited the "close synergy" that the center's work will have going forward with initiatives such as building climate change and transportation.

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NTCAR Names 2010 Exec Board

DALLAS – With the calendar ready to flip, the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors has announced the 2010 leaders for its board of directors.

Chad Cook of Hillwood Investment Properties has been named president while Jim Yoder of Jones Lang LaSalle assumes the president-elect's role. John Lancaster of TIG Real Estate Services will be next year's secretary/treasurer.

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North Texas CCIM Readies

2010 Rollout, New Courses

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – The North Texas chapter of the CCIM Institute has carved out an aggressive 2010 for its 600 members.

The international organization with 60 chapters, counts the North Texas chapter as one of its largest. Under a franchise agreement, North Texas CCIM next year will host 12 educational programs designed by the institute. In addition, the locally based Site To Do Business and Redex, a technology platform to aid brokers update listings, has been combined into CCIM Technologies Inc. to set the stage for Redex's first quarter rollout.

"Locally, we're going to be very, very involved," said Charles "Mac" McClure III, outgoing CCIM Institute president and founding member of the North Texas chapter. "It's going to be a very exciting year."

The 12 educational classes are part of a $3.5 million initiative by CCIM Institute resulting in the rewriting and updates of its core courses, according to McClure. The program opens with a two-day introduction followed by CCIM 101, a financial analysis course; CCIM 102, an intensive market analysis course that includes GIS tools; CCIM 103, leasing; and CCIM 104, a decision-making course that combines the three other classes into one case study.CCIM Technologies has been structured as a subsidiary of the CCIM Institute.

Redex cost $2 million to develop. Like Site To Do Business, it was developed for the institute by California-based ESRI Inc., which is holding a 20-year contract as the Redex service provider.

McClure has led the institute for three years. He will remain a senior instructor as he has for the past quarter of a century after he steps down from the national leadership role and resumes his focus on his real estate company, McClure Group Inc. of Addison, Texas. Replacing McClure is Richard E. Juge from the New Orleans chapter.

Among the accolades of the North Texas CCIM chapter are four national presidents have come from its ranks. The chapter meets monthly at the Park Cities Club in North Dallas.

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NTCAR Awards

DALLAS – The North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors has released the names of the finalists for the 2009 Young Citizen Award, which will be bestowed Nov. 12 at the Stemmons Service Award ceremony.

This year's nominees are Lindsay Allen of Apartment Realty Advisors, Ben Appleby of Duke Realty Corp., David Liggitt of CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. and Charlie Morris of Colliers International.

The annual awards ceremony will be held in the Belo Mansion at 2100 Ross Ave. in downtown Dallas. The event gets underway at 6 p.m.

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CREW Honors Top 20 Under 40

LAWRENCE, Kansas – In a first-time presentation, Commercial Real Estate Women has honored 20 members for their commitment to the industry and leadership. The honorees were chosen from 120 nominations for the "20 Under 40" award.

The honors were bestowed at the recent 2009 CREW Network Convention & Marketplace in Boston, a recognition program that coincides with the Kansas-based organization's 20th anniversary. "These women represent the future of our industry," said Jane Snoddy Smith, 2009 president of CREW Network and partner at the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. "They are leaders who will ensure that commercial real estate grows as a diverse marketplace."  

The program's first recipients, including affiliated CREW chapters, are Rebekah Bahn, senior adviser for Grubb & Ellis|Gundaker Commercial in St. Louis; Julie A. Baird, national counsel for First American Exchange Company LLC in San Jose, Calif.; Kristen B. Pleasants, vice president of Wachovia Real Estate Securities in Charlotte, NC; Julissa Carielo, president of Tejas Premier Building Contractor Inc. in San Antonio; Monica J. Ceres, attorney and co-chair of the leasing practice area for Giodano, Halleran & Ciesla PC in New Jersey; Michelle Cottrell, president of Design Management Services, also a member of ICREW New Jersey; Heather Denny, executive vice president and COO of McDonald York Building Co. of Raleigh, NC, and a Triangle CREW member; Melissa N. Goins, founder and president of Maures Development Group LLC in Milwaukee; Melissa Gross-Arnold, shareholder in Lewis, Longman & Walker PA in Jacksonville, Fla.; Rosella Harvey, senior associate of NorthStar Advisors LLC and a CREW Pennsylvania member; Kimberly A. Havens, project manager of Wilson Meany Sullivan in San Francisco; Jacquelynn Henke, senior project manager of sustainability for Allston Development Group of Harvard University, NEWiRE Boston;  Peggy Howard Hey, manager of real estate for Carolinas HealthCare System, also with CREW Charlotte; Elizabeth Sherwood Krol, client program manager for Shaw Environmental Inc., also Boston; Jennifer A. Marler, partner in the real estate practice group of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP and a CREW St. Louis member; Tiffini C. Miller, manager of commercial development for DFW International Airport and CREW Dallas member; Janice Paine, vice president of investment properties for NAI Olympia Partners, INDY CREW; Nicole L. Reeves, senior vice president of FirstBank of Northern Colorado and member of CREW Northern Colorado; Tracy Lynn Steele, partner of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Philadelphia; and Mandi L. Wedin, vice president of ASB Real Estate Investments in Washington, DC.

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Nov. 16 Fund Raiser Set

For Veteran Mike Toon

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – The Dallas/Fort Worth brokerage community, rallying to the side of an injured colleague, will hold a benefit golf tournament to help cover costs of an anticipated long recuperation. "Tee Time for Toon" is slated for Nov. 16 at Bridlewood Golf Club in Flower Mound.

Veteran broker Mike Toon was injured Aug. 16 in a motorcycle accident near Fort Worth. He sustained second- and third-degree burns, eight broken ribs, punctured lung and lacerated liver in addition to numerous fractures.

Brokers recently did a spontaneous collection of donations at the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors' annual expo in Dallas, but "Tee Time for Toon" is the first official fund-raising campaign to help their injured colleague. "We could certainly always use more," said Carla Machulis of Peloton Real Estate Partners in Dallas, one of nine professionals on the fund-raising committee. "It's all going to Mike and the family. It's our goal to get as much as we can."

"Tee Time for Toon" marketing began last week. To date, four of seven sponsorships have been sold – gold, platinum, driving range and putting contest and 45 players have already signed up for the tournament play. Still available is the lunch sponsor, $2,500; and silver sponsor, $2,100; and a hole sponsorship, $2,000. The player fee is $180 per individual or $600 per team. Online registration is available at http://images.stadis.net/users/ntcar/library44.pdf. Tee time is 8 a.m. at Bridlewood at 4000 W. Windsor Dr.

"The response has been very good," Machulis said, adding the most commonly asked question has been "what can I do to help."

The fund-raising committee includes Don Dowell of Fults Commercial; Jim Donaldson of UGL Equis; Tom Cruikshank, independent, and his wife Ginger of 3Form USA; Tom Ridenour, independent; Darryl Cothron and Darrell Payne, both with Peloton Real Estate Partners; and Eugenia Robbins of RER Solutions Inc.

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Four Finalists in 2009 Stemmons Face-Off

DALLAS – The North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors will host its annual Stemmons Service Award Nov. 12 in the downtown landmark, the Belo Mansion.

This year's finalists for the prestigious award are Dave Anderson, executive vice president of CB Richard Ellis Group Inc.; Riis Christensen, senior vice president of Transwestern Dallas; Steve Lieberman, founder of The Retail Connection; and Buddy Tompkins, senior director of leasing for GVA Cawley.

NTCAR also will present its Young Citizenship award at the event. The festivities get under way at 6 p.m. in the 2101 Ross Ave. building.

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NMHC Redesigns Web Site

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Multi Housing Council has rolled out a newly designed and expanded Web site.

The reworked site includes portals for green practices, government affairs, consumers, research and statistics, advocacy tools, networking and supplier partners. It also features tools to directly connect to social media networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and others.

"NMHC has long been recognized as a leader in promoting the use of technology in the apartment sector," said Kim Duty, vice president of communications for the Washington, D.C.-based association. "Our new Web site enhances that role, making it easier for industry executives to stay informed and stay connected."  The new web site can be accessed at www.nmhc.org.

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NMHC Dissects Off-Campus Student Housing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a new report, the National Multi Housing Council has probed the student housing sector to determine if the off-campus housing option lives up to its label as being recession-proof.

The organization weighed freshman application data for 63 universities and compared the statistics to last year's levels and 2003. Researchers also took total enrollment figures into consideration, including dormitory vacancy rates.

Jim Arbury, senior vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based organization, said findings show applications and enrollments have increased at most universities. The only states showing a decline are those that dramatically cut higher education budgets or universities that are geographically constrained.

"Overall, we find that student housing is recession-resistant because of U.S. demographics, which are producing an increasing number of high school graduates," Arbury said.  "But the economy can affect what type of housing students can afford.  An oversupply in certain individual markets can also create problems for developers." The 2009 report and previous years are available at www.nmhc.org/goto/StudentHousing. 

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TREC Reveals Top Attractions

For 18th Annual Gala in Dallas

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – To fund its mission to give back to the community, The Real Estate Council will host its 18th annual gala Oct. 8 to raise capital for on-going key initiatives for affordable housing, education, job creation and the environment.

TREC's fall gala, debuting this year as the Giving Gala, will be held in the Anatole Sculpture Garden on the grounds of the Hilton Anatole at 2201 Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. Attendance historically tops 1,000 professionals. This year, TREC's board of directors is underwriting the event costs, allowing all ticket sales, auction proceeds and sponsorships to go directly to the TREC Foundation for its 2010 awards to Dallas-area organizations.

"Since 1990, TREC has invested $7 million in cash and $75 million in pro bono professional expertise in the community to many local organizations," said Dan Fryman of Comerica Bank and TREC Giving Gala chairman.

The Giving Gala's headline act will be Jack Ingram, a CMT Music Award winner who's just released a new record, "This Is It." The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart.

Also, TREC has added a special auction item – three specially designed playhouses by Balfour Beatty Construction LLC and HKS Inc.; Entos Design Inc. and Tri-Tex Construction Inc.; and  Corgan Associates Inc.  and MAPP Construction LLC. The playhouses will be on display at the Giving Gala.

The playhouses, each roughly 8-foot square, will be constructed with green building features and child-safe finish-outs, with optional battery- or solar-powered components. Fund-raiser guidelines require the three teams to deliver their playhouses to the desired locations of winning bidders and ready them for placement on a 64-sf level foundation.

TREC's 2009 Giving Gala's presenting sponsors are Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Republic Title Co., with Holt Lunsford Commercial as this year's limelight sponsor. Spotlight sponsors are Crow Holdings, Corgan Associates, CMC Commercial Realty Group, Ernst & Young LLP, Thackeray Partners LP, Jackson-Shaw Co. Inc., Winstead Sechrest & Minnick and Comerica Inc.

For 17 years, the event was called the Unsung Heroes Gala. Its name has changed, but not its mission: raising needed funds to make Dallas a better place to live and work. "What you love about the event won't change," the TREC committee pledges in its invitation.

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NTCAR Retail, ICSC Partner

On New Industry Conference

By Connie Gore

PLANO, Texas – Looking at the present and future, the indisputable fact is the nation's recession has changed consumer spending habits for a long time to come, possibly forever.

The changing face of the retail marketplace drew 420 commercial real estate professionals to the inaugural DFW Retail Trends Conference and International Council of Shopping Centers' Deal Making session, patterned after the national event held each year in Las Vegas and a Southwest show hosted annually in San Antonio. The conference, sponsored by North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors, was held in the Marriott at Legacy Town Center, an anchor component for the Shops at Legacy, trophy real estate of the event's lead sponsor, Oak Brook, Ill.-based Inland Western Retail REIT.

"We have to know how best to market, how to change the way we do business," said keynote speaker Al Myers, senior vice president of business development for Retail Forward Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. "We are looking at trends and best practices that are going to thrive when we come out of this recession."

If Myers and his team of analysts are correct, the retail sector will gain some traction in the fourth quarter and continue north throughout 2010. There are still "choppy" times ahead, he forewarned. "We don't think things will snap back as they have in past recessions."

The recession's impact has consumers in "post-materialism" mode as values move away from rabid consumption toward a more simple lifestyle mortared in financial goals to spend less and save more, Myers said. Value, environmental/sustainable awareness and social marketing are creating profit winners in today's marketplace. Myers' A-list includes localization, a strategy that marries neighborhoods to bricks and mortar through local suppliers and local character to create a loyal shopper base. The upshot, he said, is "retailers are rethinking business, including media."

The post-recession retail scene will be considerably changed as a result of the hard times, according to Myers. Customer demands will be focused on customization, the experience and technology to make shopping easier and faster, translating into a growth in services and non-traditional spaces. "By 2015, we'll be a true global economy," Myers said. "We're really saying we have to be relevant to today's shopper. In 2015, we'll be marketing one on one."

The NTCAR-ICSC partnership created committees with some of the top names in the business, including Inland's CEO and president, Michael J. O'Hanlon. NTCAR Retail's committee had Jean Smith of United Commercial Realty, Steve Zimmerman of the Retail Connection, Clay Mote of Venture Commercial and Robin Barrow of Colliers International. Representing ICSC were Pam Goodwin, Goodwin Commercial Properties, Philip C. Pearson of RREEF, Sue Hageman of Annandale Real Estate and Jeff Kittleson of CB Richard Ellis.

The day included an owner/developer panel, moderated by Mickey Ashmore, president and CEO of United Commercial Realty, and a retailer panel led by Alan Shor, president and co-founder of the Retail Connection.  A four-hour ICSC-style deal-making session, coinciding with networking and Happy Hour, brought the day to a close.

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TREC Names 2009 Recipients

For $746,000 in Cash, Services

DALLAS – The Real Estate Council Foundation has awarded $300,000 in cash and more than $445,000 in technical assistance to eight organizations.

The 2009 Community Impact Initiatives are funding affordable housing, job creation, education and the environment. "TREC's Research and Development Committee has worked very hard reviewing every proposal and performing due diligence to select these organizations that fit within our program areas and provide a technical assistance component for our members," said Michelle Corson, TREC president. "We look forward to working with each organization, some new and some of longtime partners."

The program is funded through donations to TREC Foundation's charitable events, FightNight and the Giving Gala, and pro bono professional support. TREC's community partners are Bank of America Foundation, Citi Foundation, Compass Bank, Frost Bank and Wachovia Foundation, a Wells Fargo company.

The Shared Housing Center Inc. will receive $75,000 in cash and an estimated $150,000 in technical assistance services. TREC will assist the 25-year-old organization with development of a 20-unit, LEED-certified traditional housing complex in East Dallas. Green Haus will provide residences for single mothers with children from 12 months to two years in their transition to independent housing.

TREC will provide $20,000 in cash and $20,000 in technical assistance to St. Anthony Foundation, an open-enrollment public charter school founded in 1946. TREC's role will be to help the school in the construction of modular classrooms and a media/technology center beside the school, providing room to serve another 100 students.

The Forest Heights Neighborhood Development Corp. will receive $50,000 in cash and $100,000 in technical services. TREC and the 16-year-old organization will develop a third phase of duplexes for senior citizens. The corporation's mission is to improve the quality of life in the community surrounding St. Phillips School near Fair Park.

The Circle of Support Inc. has been allocated $25,000 in cash and $25,000 in technical services to support its Girl S.M.A.R.T. and S.M.A.R.T. Boys summer learning retention programs, targeting 260 children in southern Dallas County. TREC will help to find office space and volunteers for various programs.

TREC also is giving $25,000 in cash and $25,000 in technical assistance to Uplift Education, which provides college preparatory education to students of all income levels in low-income neighborhoods near five charter schools. TREC's cash allocation will be used to acquire land beside Hampton Preparatory to develop two science labs and increase the school's capacity. Engineering and property management services will be provided by TREC members.

Builders of Hope Community Development Corp. is getting $66,650 in cash and $100,000 in technical assistance. The TREC capital is funding a grant to underwrite appraisals, surveys and environmental studies needed to get funding from the City of Dallas for 26 sub-standard houses in West Dallas that the nonprofit organization recently bought. TREC also has set up a $50,000 line of credit to cover the organization's construction costs prior to implementing the affordable housing project. TREC members will provide services for structural engineering, reduced-cost environmental assessments, title, architectural design and finance consulting.

Big Thought, founded in 1987, is receiving $25,000 in cash and $25,000 in technical assistance to develop a real estate curriculum for its public school program. Big Thought's five-year plan is to reach 98 schools in the Dallas Independent School District, making it one of the largest programs of its kind in the U.S. The real estate initiative will be incorporated into Big Thought's "Thriving Minds After School" program, designed to stimulate creativity and learning through high-quality arts and cultural experiences.

The Communities Foundation of Texas has been awarded $15,000 in cash. The organization supports education and investment of intellectual capital to influence public policy.

The 2009 Community Impact Initiatives also will extend technical assistance and ongoing project development services to the Central Dallas Community Development's ReVision Project to provide feasibility assessments for three competing plans to redevelop two city blocks in downtown Dallas;  the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas' Women's Resource Center to a design charrette, cost estimating, development, consulting, structural and environmental assessments and legal assistance; Innercity Community Development Corp. for consulting services for transit-oriented development; Dallas City Homes to expand its capacity for building and due diligence; Jubilee Park Community Corp. for development consulting for seniors' apartments, title and brokerage services; and Dallas County Buffalo Soldiers, Joppa Rodeo for engineering, business plan development and legal services.

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CCIM Institute Launching

Industry-Shaping Change

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – Buoyed by nearly 350 brokers at a weeklong inaugural event, CCIM Institute leaders yesterday unveiled industry-shaping initiatives for its members.

Charles A. "Mac" McClure, a Dallas veteran who's president of the Chicago-based organization, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to provide its time-honored designation to CCIM members with 10 or more years in the organization. The Oxford, England-based RICS is the oldest commercial real estate organization in the world, with its membership now topping 165,000 in 170 countries. It was founded in London in 1868 and granted a Royal Charter in 1881 by Queen Victoria.

North Texas CCIM members also got a sneak preview of a Sept. 19 release of an enhancement to the national organization's proprietary technology, Site To Do Business. When the add-on goes live, STDB subscribers will be able to customize demographical maps by layering visual perks, such as property photos and site-specific data to dress up presentations.

Rolling out in 2010 will be CCIMREDEX, a property data exchange designed to eliminate the tedious task of entering and re-entering data for each listing service. With CCIMREDEX, professionals will enter data just once and all services with the listing will be updated.

"It will really change the way people do business," said Jay R. Lucas, president and CEO of STDB Inc., the opening speaker for the North Texas CCIM chapter's "Success Symposium" in the Fairmont Hotel at 1717 N. Akard St. in downtown Dallas.

STDBonline.com is a portal to generate more than 100 different reports, using up-to-date information from 25 databases and offering 3,800 thematic map options. Other enhancements this year have included Pictometry imagery, submarket study areas and specialty packages based on product type.

In Lucas' terms, the "old way" of doing business was "location, location, location." In today's world, he stressed that it's "location, timing and demographics."

At the crux of CCIM's initiatives is a philosophy to put the best tools possible into its members' hands and provide a foundation for networking, education and cutting-edge technology. McClure, reminding the crowd of the challenging times, reiterated his motto for success: confidence, focus, a winning game plan, self-discipline and competitiveness.

McClure said the U.S. economy became derailed when companies became focused on "greed" instead of their customers, employees and stockholders. "We are now in the middle of the greatest Depression since 1928," he said. "Stockholder value is only as good as customer satisfaction and employee morale. The better morale you have in a company, the better your chance of success."

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Breakfast of Champions Spotlights

Success Strategies for Businesses

IRVING, Texas – The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce Sept. 10 will host a Breakfast of Champions, followed by a series of breakout sessions designed to be a road map for success for small business owners.

Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Dallas-based Strategic Partners Inc. and former Texas Railroad Commissioner, is the keynote speaker for the breakfast, which gets underway at 8 a.m. in the Westin DFW North Hotel at 4545 W. John Carpenter Freeway. With stimulus money still flowing, she will provide insight for successful selling to the government marketplace.

Breakout sessions begin at 9:40 a.m. and end at 11:40 a.m. Panels of experts will be on hand to discuss public relation strategies, social networking for business, marketing business for success, using the Dallas Business Journal to generate business and financing sources for businesses and entrepreneurs. Also, several U.S. Chamber of Commerce small business "blue ribbon award" winners will be on hand to share their formulas for success. The day's sessions also include creditworthiness and tips for working with bankers, developing strategies for educational resources and using wireless technology for business and balance.

"Every attendee should be able to get ideas from the event that will generate revenue, or cost savings, that will far exceed the cost of registration," Don Williams, director of economic development for the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, said in a prepared statement.

Partnering on the event are chambers of commerce from Arlington and Coppell, the Irving Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and media sponsor, the Dallas Business Journal. Additional information and registration is available at www.irvingchamber.com.

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UTA Introduces Real Estate

Repositioning Certification

ARLINGTON, Texas – Playing to the heart of today's market, the School of Architecture and College of Business Administration at the University of Texas at Arlington this fall will introduce a certificate program targeting property repositioning.

The 13-hour, graduate-level course, featuring best practices and strategic solutions, will be directed by visiting professor, Michael P. Buckley, former director of the MSc in Real Estate Development Program at Columbia University. Dr. Fred Forgey with UTA's College of Business will teach financial analytics. The adjunct faculty is comprised of leading commercial real estate professionals from Dallas/Fort Worth.

Enrollees will earn a "Certificate in Property Repositioning + Turnaround Strategies" – with minimal time required away from the office. The course targets mid-career professionals. Weekly classes will be taught in intensive 1.5-day sessions at the UT campus, with select classes available in downtown Dallas.

The certification program is being introduced as a timely response to current economic conditions, which "have caused an almost complete stop in new real estate development and a severe recession in the design, development and construction industries," according to UTA's marketing brochure. "An increasing supply of real estate assets has fallen into economic distress. These assets must be returned to profitable use and absorbed by the market before new development can resume."

Core sessions are property/ asset repositioning, due diligence, asset restructuring, real estate development financial analysis and valuation. Industry roundtables will feature recognized experts. The adjunct faculty includes Michael Dalton, CCO of the Archon Group; Peter K. McKee Jr., partner in Andrews Kurth LLP; Jay Small, vice president of KeyBank; John Walsh III, president and founder of TIG Real Estate Services; Embree "Chuck" Bedsole, managing director of Alvarez & Marsal; Herb Weitzman, chairman and CEO of the Weitzman Group and Cencor Realty; Jody Thornton, managing director of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P.; Susan Mead, partner in Jackson Walker LLP; Jonathan Edmondson, acquisitions director of Westmount Realty; and Robert Dupuy, partner in Brown McCarroll LLP.

Registration is online at http://grad.uta.edu. For additional information, www.uta.edu/architecture/realestate.

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NTCAR Readies Stage

For 25th Annual Expo

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – Neither the recession nor repeated gloomy forecasts for the commercial real estate industry will undermine the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors' annual expo, the largest gathering of its type in the Southwest. This year, as in the past, it's a sell-out for all exhibition space and pre-registration numbers have breached the 500 mark.

"This is the fall kick-off for the market. It's an opportunity for professionals to get together and meet with people they don't get to meet with during the rest of the year," said Brian Jetty, executive director of the 16,000-member NTCAR.

The 25th Annual Commercial Real Estate Expo will be held Aug. 26 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sheraton Dallas, formerly the Adams Mark Hotel, at 400 N. Olive St. in Dallas. Admission is free to members; $10 for non-member registration prior to Aug. 21; and $20 after Aug. 21 and at the door for members and non-members.

Jetty said there will be 130 exhibitors for this year's event, which is on pace with pre-registrations to date. The event draws professionals from all across Texas, with the crowd usually topping 2,000 in pre-registrations and walk-ins. To pre-register, go to www.ntcar.org.

Jetty said the state of the industry and recession required NTCAR's committee to "be more resourceful" this year to secure sponsorships and fill the exhibition room. In the past, he said the development community, looking to promote new projects, led the roster of NTCAR exhibitors. With development on the sidelines this year, NTCAR turned to owners, economic development corporations, law firms, architectural firms and construction companies to fill in the gap for exhibition space alongside brokerage houses. Lead sponsors are Jones Lang LaSalle, Downtown Dallas and the Greater Irving/Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development.

"They still have to market," Jetty stressed. "It's coming together nicely so far."

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Coming Soon: Commercial Real Estate Week

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – Bracing for a crowd of 500 professionals, the North Texas CCIM chapter has unveiled a stellar lineup of local brokers and municipal officials for the inaugural Commercial Real Estate Week 2009.

Most events will be held at the Fairmont Hotel at 1717 N. Akard St. in downtown Dallas, except for the CCIM educational workshops of the Robert L. Ward Center for Real Estate Studies. CCIM's "It's a Whole New Business" workshop will be staged opening day – Aug. 31 – in Addison Conference Centre at 15650 Addison Rd. Also on opening day is an introduction to commercial real estate for minorities, moving into its third year as the seed for Commercial Real Estate Week 2009.

CCIM advanced negotiations workshops are penciled for Sept. 1 and 2 in the Plaza of the Americas at 700 N. Pearl St. in downtown Dallas. A troubled assets workshop will be held on closing day, Aug. 4, in Addison Conference Centre.

Alex Johnson, founder of Laurex Realty Advisors and event chairman, said the 2009 event is the largest one that the 525-member North Texas CCIM chapter has ever held. A 25-member planning committee was needed to bring the plan to fruition.

Opening day kicks off with a breakfast seminar, featuring Site To Do Business president, Jay Lucas, CCIM Institute president Mac McClure and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. At noon, Steve Brown of the Dallas Morning News will moderate a panel of economic development leaders from Plano, Fort Worth, Frisco, Arlington and Dallas.

Texas A&M Real Estate Center's chief economist Mark Dotzour will be featured at an opening day session, with the afternoon headlined by a panel of brokers who promise to reveal their success strategies. Moderating the panel is Christine Perez of the Dallas Business Journal. The line-up includes Scot Farber of Grubb & Ellis, Allen Gump of Colliers International, Eddie Liebman of the Weitzman Group and Brian O'Boyle of Apartment Realty Advisors.

"With an expert lineup like this, everyone in commercial real estate should want to go," Johnson said. "We've got the EDCs from the top five cities in North Texas. How often do you get that to happen?"

Sponsors are the City of Frisco, Edelman Public Relations and Denton EDC. Exhibit booths and tables will be hosted by the cities of Dallas and Plano, the Allen Group, IREM, Sperry Van Ness/Dunn Commercial, Henry S. Miller Brokerage, Old Republic Title, CB Richard Ellis, Realhound, Scott Brown Commercial and the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors, which has its annual expo slated for Aug. 26 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Sheraton Dallas at 2101 Stemmons Freeway.

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ULI Releases Sustainability Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Keeping sustainability issues in the spotlight, the Urban Land Institute has released a new report highlighting the importance of sustainable land development for mitigating climate change.

Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, published by the Urban Land Institute, was prepared by Cambridge Systematics Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. The report examines the impact of reductions in US carbon emissions that could result from changes in transportation- and land use-related actions and strategies to decrease vehicle use and miles traveled. The ULI report was done as an information tool as governments at all levels work on proposals and plans to meet President Barack Obama's directive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80 percent of the 2005 level by 2050.

ULI senior vice president Dean Schwanke and several federal officials, elected and appointed, released the report at a press briefing."To really make a dent in carbon emissions, solutions are needed that incentivize more concentrated and pedestrian-friendly development patterns that reduce auto dependency.  Focusing solely on energy efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels will not sufficiently address the problem," Schwanke said.

As much as two-thirds of the development expected to exist in the U.S. by 2050 is not yet built, causing ULI to make a call to end urban sprawl. "A much better response is well-planned, compact development that offers a mix of uses and encourages walking, biking and taking public transit," Schwanke said. "The greenest car is the one that is not needed for every trip to get from one place to another."

In addition to land use, the Moving Cooler report covers transportation pricing and taxes, public transportation improvements, non-motorized transport such as walking and biking, regulations to moderate vehicle use and speed, intelligent systems, expanded highway capacity and more efficient freight movement. To determine the impact of the greenhouse gas emission, each strategy is measured against a baseline that represents current trends.

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BOMA Unveils Online EER

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Building Owners and Managers Association has gone online with the 2009 Experience Exchange Report (EER) in a new format with added user-friendly updates. Previously, the report was available only in book or CD formats.

BOMA worked with San Francisco-based Kingsley Associates to develop the Web-based EER, which combines the industry's most comprehensive data on commercial real estate income and operating expenses by market. Among the enhancements is the ability to query data by market, submarket, building size, building type, age and ownership. Users can export data into charts, PDFs and Excel files plus run historical performance comparisons.

"The retooling of the EER comes at a critical time, as industry professionals recognize that benchmarking is paramount to success in a down economy," remarked BOMA International chair and chief elected officer James A. Peck, RPA, FMA, senior director of asset services for CB Richard Ellis. He pointed out the online EER is easier and faster to query income and expense data.

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July 31: Stemmons Award Deadline

DALLAS – The North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors is accepting nominations for the 2009 Stemmons Service Award through July 31.

The award will be presented at a gala Nov. 12. The honor is presented to a NTCAR member who best exemplifies the highest standards of a commercial real estate broker. Criteria includes years of service and professional memberships, civic involvement and active production level. Forms are available at www.ntcar.org.

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Peck Leading BOMA

ALBUQUERQUE – The Building Owners and Managers Association International has elected Jim Peck as chairman and chief elected officer for a one-year term.

Peck, with 25 years of industry experience, is senior director of asset services in the Albuquerque office of CB Richard Ellis.  "I am honored to represent CB Richard Ellis in this new position and look forward to being an advocate of commercial building owners throughout the United States and the world," he said. "This is one of the most challenging periods for commercial real estate owners. It is my hope we can focus on solutions to our current challenges and assist commercial property owners going forward."

BOMA, based in Washington, D.C., has more than 18,000 members who own or manage in excess of nine billion sf of commercial properties in North America. Since joining BOMA in 1986, Peck has served two years as president of BOMA/New Mexico and currently is the association's government affairs chairman. He also was instrumental in launching BOMA's 7-Point Challenge, most recently getting his hometown to endorse the program and become the second U.S. city to sign on to the energy-efficiency challenge.

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NAREE Names Winners in

Realty Journalism Contest

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) announced the winners of its 59th Annual Journalism Awards.  NAREE’s awards program recognizes excellence in reporting, writing and editing stories about both residential and commercial real estate.   

This year's Robert F. Brennan Award for Best Overall Entry by an Individual went to Mara Der Hovanesian of BusinessWeek magazine.  The best Freelance Collection Award went to Sharon Stangenes for her freelance contributions to the Chicago Tribune.  The James D. Carper Award for Best Entry by a young Journalist went to Polyana da Costa, Daily Business Review.

The award winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.  Professor Patrick S. Washburn, a former news reporter and editor, chaired the panel of jurors.  A record number of entries from professional journalists across the U.S. were received this year.  Prizes, totaling $10,000, were awarded in 30 different categories.

A list of judges’ comments is available at www.NAREE.org. 

This year’s winners are:

Category 3: Best Commercial Real Estate Report in a Daily Newspaper
Winner: Eric Pryne, Seattle Times
Second Place: Polyana da Costa, Daily Business Review

Category 4: Best Home Design Feature in a Daily Newspaper
Winner: Charlotte Sutton, St. Petersburg Times
Second Place: Eugene L. Meyer, Freelance writer, New York Times

Category 5: Best Report or Feature in a Daily Newspaper Under 250,000 Circulation
Winner: Amy Jeter, The Virginian-Pilot
Second Place: Andrew Gomes, Honolulu Advertiser

Category 6: Best Report or Feature in a Weekly Business Newspaper
Winner: Jonathan O’Connell, Washington Business Journal
Second Place: Melissa Castro, Washington Business Journal

Category 7: Best Real Estate, Mortgage or Financial Report in a Magazine
Winner: Mara Der Hovanesian, Business Week
Second Place: Ken Bensinger, SmartMoney Magazine

Category 8: Best Home Design Feature in a Magazine
Winner: Brad Reagan, SmartMoney Magazine
Second Place: Kathleen James, Design New England

Category 9: Best Trade Magazine Report for the Residential Real Estate, Mortgage/Finance or Building/Development Industries
Winner: Craig Webb, ProSales Magazine
Second Place: Donna Kimura, Affordable Housing Finance Magazine

Category 10: Best Trade Magazine Report for the Commercial Real Estate Industry
Winner: Kim A. O’Connell, Traditional Building Magazine
Second Place: Denise Kalette, National Real Estate Investor

Category 11: Best Online Residential Real Estate or Mortgage/Finance Report
Winner: Kathleen M. Howley, Bloomberg News
Second Place: Bob Ivry, Bloomberg News

Category 12: Best Online Commercial Real Estate Report
Winner: Hui-yong Yu, Bloomberg News
Second Place: Kathleen M. Howley, Bloomberg News

Category 13: Best Blog
Winner: Glenn Roberts Jr., Inman News
Second Place: Boyce Thompson, Builder

Category 14: Best Broadcast Report—Online, Radio or Television—Local, Network or Cable Channels
Winner: Amy Hoak, MarketWatch/Wall Street Journal Digital Network
Second Place: Shannon Behnken, Tampa Tribune/WFLA TV
Category 15: Best Spot News Report
Winner: Roger Showley, San Diego Union-Tribune
Second Place: Greta Guest, Detroit Free Press

Category 16: Bob Bruss Award for Best Column
Winner: Roger Showley, San Diego Union-Tribune
Second Place: Kenneth R. Harney, Washington Post Writers Group

Category 17: Best Series
Winner: Les Shaver, Multifamily Executive
Second Place: Eve Samples, Palm Beach Post

Category 18: Best Collection of Work by an Individual
Winner: Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune
Second Place: Shannon Behnken, Tampa Tribune
Honorable Mention: Stephanie A. Armour, USA Today

Category 19: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section More Than 250,000 Circulation
Winner: Mary James, Thom Kupper, Cathy Lubenski, Emmet Pierce, Michael Rocha, Chris Ross, Roger Showley Jim Watters and Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune

Second Place: Steve Brown and Sheryl Jean, Dallas Morning News

Category 20: Best Newspaper Real Estate or Home Section Less Than 250,000 Circulation
Winner: Patrick Twohy, Ryan Pate, J. K.  Dineen, Steve Ginsberg, Melanie Stevens, Amanda Bishop, Blanca Torres, Sarah Duxbury, and Jessica Saunders, San Francisco Business Times
Second Place: Kristy Eppley Rupon, The State Newspaper

Category 21: Best Shelter Magazine
Winner: Gail Ravgiala, Jill Connors, Estelle Bond Guralnick, and Bruce Irving, Design New England
Second Place: Mary James, SD Home

Category 22: Best Residential Trade Magazine
Winner: Denise Dersin, Evan Potler, Deborah Leopold, Ethan Butterfield, John Caulfield, Pat Curry, Nigel F. Maynard, Jenny Sullivan, Claire Koltko, Melissa Goldweitz, and Sola Ayeni-Biu, Builder
Second Place: Jean Dimeo, Katy Tomosulo, EcoHome

Category 23: Best Commercial Trade Magazine
Winner: Matt Valley, National Real Estate Investor
Second Place: Lisa Nardone, Lauren Pinch, Joanna Masterson, Construction Executive

Category 24: Best Web Site Solely Devoted to Residential or Commercial Real Estate and/or Home Design
Winner: Janine Sieja, Neil Pinchin, Sarah Weissman, Kris Goodfellow, Cyberhomes.com

Category 27: Best Investigative Report or Series
Winner: Peter Coy and Mara Der Hovanesian, Business Week
Second Place: Eleanor Yang Su, Agustin Armendariz, Emmet Pierce and Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune

NAREE, founded in 1929, is celebrating its 80th anniversary at its annual journalism conference in Washington, DC. NAREE is the only professional association for the nation’s journalists covering residential and commercial real estate for the consumer, business, and trade media.

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BOMA Adds Performance Program as Building Tool

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Building Owners and Managers Association International has launched a program to recognize commercial properties demonstrating best practices in operations and management.

The BOMA 360 Performance Program is an online self-assessment tool for evaluating six major areas of building management. "The BOMA 360 Performance Program is a truly revolutionary program that will add value to commercial buildings at a crucial time," said Richard D. Purtell, BOMA International chair and chief elected officer and a portfolio manager for Santa Ana, Calif.-based Grubb & Ellis Management Services Inc. "This program takes a holistic view of all aspects of excellence in building operations and management, making it unique to the marketplace today."

The best practices' checklist covers emergency and disaster planning and recovery plans, energy management, financial management, equipment maintenance and education and training.

"By focusing on all major aspects of building operations and management, BOMA 360 provides a multi-faceted benchmark comparing each building to the industry’s best operating practices," said Ray H. Mackey Jr., BOMA International vice chair and COO and partner of Dallas-based Stream Realty Partners LP. The BOMA recognition instills "confidence for building owners and peace of mind for building tenants," he added.

The first list of BOMA 360 Performance Buildings will be unveiled June 29 at the 2009 BOMA International Conference & The Office Building Show in Philadelphia.

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ULI Rolls Out Publication

On Global Demographics

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Putting the world's future land use under the microscope, the Urban Land Institute has released a new publication, Global Demographics 2009: Shaping Real Estate's Future.

The authors are M. Leanne Lachman, president of Lachman Associates LLC of New York, and Deborah L. Brett of Deborah L. Brett & Associates in Plainsboro, N.J. The publication is the second in an annual series that explores the impact of demographic trends on real estate investment and development worldwide.

The 2009 publication takes special aim at Europe, Africa and the Middle East while crisscrossing the globe with insight about the U.S., rest of the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Among the topics are labor force, education, productivity, personal income, purchasing power, poverty and retailing.

"This book reaffirms that population and demographic shifts will continue to place enormous pressure on urban areas around the globe," explained Rachelle Levitt, executive vice president for ULI's global information group. "How cities are developed, how they welcome new residents, how they accommodate all income groups, and how they use energy and natural resources are all crucial elements of urban sustainability."

In the publication, the authors concluded the greatest population increases during the next 40 years will be in China, India and the U.S. The world's fastest growing regions will be Africa, the Middle East and southeastern and southern Asia. Europe is the only region worldwide that will decline in population through 2030.

Other highlights show the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand will again offer attractive real estate investment and development opportunities once the recession eases. Additionally, many developing nations are emerging consumer markets, with increased numbers of moderate- and middle-income households.

"Demographics are the foundation of real estate decision-making. Population, household, and income characteristics – and the direction of future trends – determine whether demand will exist for new housing or retail space, and household mobility suggests where that new space should be built," according to the report. Likewise, growth in labor force influences the success of office and industrial properties.

With population growth underwriting investment, real estate development "requires sensitivity to urban form and sustainable designs – new communities that offer mixed uses, walkable environments and access to jobs," the authors wrote. "The real estate implications of demographic changes around the world are enormous."

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Brokerage Community Rallies

To Help Paralyzed Colleague

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – Showing that they never forget one of their own, Dallas/Fort Worth's tight-knit circle of commercial real estate brokers will stage a fund-raising event June 11 in Victory Park's AT&T Plaza for a former colleague who sustained a severe spinal cord injury while cutting tree limbs at his home in Fayetteville, Ark.

In the past six weeks, the rank and file of D/FW brokerage firms has contributed more than $111,000, putting the high-profile committee of fund-raising leaders within reach of a $125,000 goal for Tommy VanZandt, a leading broker for Transwestern in Dallas for 10 years. In 2000, VanZandt relocated his family to his Arkansas hometown and started his own firm, Sage Partners.

When word reached Dallas about VanZandt's accident, Transwestern's president of the Central Region, Jack Eimer, set wheels in motion to help his long-time friend, wife and two teen-age sons. After surgery, Van Zandt was transferred to Craig Hospital in Denver, where he is facing six months of rehab and mounting medical bills for the uninsured portion of his coverage as well as the day-to-day costs for his wife, Robyn, to be at his side.

"He's a fine, fine man. He was one of our top leaders in Dallas/Fort Worth. As a company, Transwestern wanted to do something for Tommy and his family," said committee co-chairman Randy Garrett. "The team has basically been working around the clock to do this."The initiative has brought together all levels – from junior brokers to company presidents – and all brokerage firms in Dallas/Fort Worth. In essence, they've traded in their competitive boxing gloves to form an unbroken circle of friendship to help one of their own.

"To raise this much money in this economy from commission-only people, that's pretty phenomenal. It's been purely commercial real estate and family donations," Garrett said. "It's a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and a lot of love for Tommy and his family. Dallas is coming together to take care of one of its own."

A special website, www.tommysniteout.com, details the June 11 activities, including sponsorship opportunities. The event's co-chairs are Eimer, Garrett, Kim Butler and Riis Christensen. Bret Bunnett, president of Capstar Commercial Real Estate Services in Dallas, is the honorary chairman and featured speaker. The list of committees is a virtual Who's Who of the industry.

VanZandt's sons, Ross and Jack, and friends and family from Arkansas will attend the fund-raiser. The committee has arranged for streaming live video to Denver for VanZandt and his wife. An audio link also is being arranged. VanZandt's recovery can be followed at www.friendsoftommyv.blogspot.com.

Tickets are $10 each. All proceeds benefit the VanZandt Family Trust. The event will feature three bands: Boys Named Sue, RumbleFish and The 1031's.

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TREC, Officials Dedicating

$80,000 Affordable Project

DALLAS – The 25-member Associate Leadership Council for The Real Estate Council will dedicate its latest residential renovation at 10:30 a.m. today.

A 98-year-old, 525-sf home at 4523 Congo St. was deconstructed by hand and materials reused to rebuild a LEED-certified, affordable home with 880 sf. The project is the first of three houses that the Associate Leadership Council will rebuild with bcWORKSHOP, a community design center and design builder leading the rehabilitation of Congo Street in the Jubilee Historic Neighborhood near Fair Park. Keynote speakers at the dedication ceremony are Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and councilwoman Pauline Medrano.

The project is valued at $80,000, including grants and in-kind donations of materials and services. More than 2,000 volunteer hours went into the planning and rebuilding.

The fund raising included raffle tickets, a TREC Foundation grand and donations from American Roofing, Bartlett Drilling, CMC Rebar, Daltile, Gill Excavating Co., Inc., Hatfield Drywall, Hull Associates, LLC, King Building Services, LMC, Prism Electric, Inc., Summit Lumber, TDIndustries, Texas Plywood, Turner Forest Industries and Venture Mechanical. 

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$1 Million in Grants Available

For CCIM's STDBOnline 3.0

By Connie Gore

FORT WORTH – Looking for a new way to tell the story? CCIM Institute has launched its newest version of STDBOnline, introducing Site Analysis 3.0 with a $1 million giveaway in 200 grants for members in good standing.

The proprietary tool's developer, ESRI, is providing the grants through March 2010 or until the till is exhausted. "This is the largest ever software grant to the real estate industry," said Simon Thompson, director of commercial marketing for the Redlands, CA-based ESRI.

The new version of STDBOnline ("Site To Do Business") made its local debut at the Real Estate Technology Expo in Fort Worth, one of the many CCIM training grounds in the U.S. More than 250 brokers from the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and the Chicago-based CCIM Institute attended the two-day event at the Omni Fort Worth in the downtown.

Each quarter, Thompson said ESRI will award 50 packages of GIS software, data and training. The grant program covers all commercial property types, non-traditional CRE ventures such as healthcare and specialized manufacturing sectors and small businesses. Applications are available at www.esri.com/ccim.

Thompson said STDBOnline's new version has debuted at a particularly crucial time for the industry since many professionals are or will be engaged in due diligence for properties in the Troubled Asset Relief Program. "This will help commercial real estate professionals take inventory and understand the financial opportunities that are out there," he explained.

At Saturday's training session, Jay R. Lucas, CCIM, president and CEO of STDB Inc., said more changes are in the works this year for STDBOnline Site Analysis 3.0, which is an integration of 14 databases for generating reports for prospecting, site searches and demographics.

The database roster includes Experian Business Data, National Geographic Topography and AGS CrimeRisk. Microsoft Virtual Earth is coming soon, Luca and Thompson said.

Lucas said the goal is to easily and quickly provide as much mission-critical information as possible for decision-making processes and prospecting. The broad-based list of choices includes business lists, comparison reports, interactive thematic maps or summary reports -- all easily converted into PDFs or Excel spreadsheets. STDBOnline Site Analysis 3.0 is so refined that an employee base can be winnowed down to show if it's the home of the CEO, executives or temporary workers. The many presentational tools include a cache of nearly 6,000 company logos that can be used as map icons to plot locations to visually enhance reports.

"What we're looking at is how can we build a case for a story? Once you learn it, you can do it quick," Lucas said, citing the clear-cut advantage that CCIM members will have over competitors with STDBOnline Site Analysis 3.0's depth of up-to-date demographical information.

CCIM has training sessions planned for other U.S. cities as well as Webinars. Additional information is available at www.stdbinfo.com and www.stdbonline.com.

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ULI Release: Real Estate

and the Financial Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Urban Land Institute has released a new publication, Real Estate and the Financial Crisis, the second one that it's published for long-time member, Anthony Downs.

The real estate finance expert and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow offers candid insights and an insider's view about the financial market melt-down and the long-term consequences in the new release. Downs also analyzes public policy responses and makes policy recommendations for commercial and residential real estate lending plus scenarios for a new era in the financial sector.

In the book, Downs considers four scenarios for moving beyond the current financial crisis:
Scenario one: weak U.S. recession, speedy return of credit availability by late 2009 – likelihood of occurring, 15 percent.
Scenario two: strong U.S. recession in 2009, continued lack of real estate credit availability until 2010 – likelihood, 65 percent.
Scenario three: serious U.S. recession, collapse of the dollar, higher interest rates and a prolonged recession through 2010 – likelihood, 8 percent.
Scenario four: two- to three-year recession, massive federal spending, inflationary pressures, high interest rates – likelihood, 12 percent.

"There will be no return to the easy availability of financial credit for real estate during most or all of 2009," Downs writes. "Only in 2010 and beyond will such a return be possible, though certainly not assured. That situation is consistent with the likelihood of the 2008-2009 American recession lasting well into 2010."

Like other experts, Downs says the capital markets won't stabilize until confidence is restored. To achieve that end, he says there are four necessary ingredients: passage of time, steady improvement of space market conditions, favorable comparison of real estate to other asset classes and a downward adjustment of property prices "to reflect the new investment and economic realities."

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Real Estate and the Financial Crisis (978-0-87420-119-2; Urban Land Institute, 2009) is available at bookstores and through the Urban Land Institute at www.uli.org or by calling 1-800-321-5011.

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NTCAR Honoring Trio

DALLAS – The North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors will honor a well-known trio of real estate professionals, inducting two into the Hall of Fame and according a third with a lifetime achievement award.

This year's inductees are Lucy Billingsley, partner and co-founder of the Billingsley Co., and Jesse Pruitt, partner and principal of CMC Commercial Realty Group. The Michael F. McAuley Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to J. Reagan Dixon, the fourth professional to receive the honor.

The 22nd annual Hall of Fame and reunion will be held May 7 at Brook Hollow Golf Club at 8301 Harry Hines Blvd. in Dallas. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 6 p.m. For reservations, contact www.ntcar.org.

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CREW Deadline Approaching

For $100,000 Scholarship

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Commercial Real Estate Women Network is seeking candidates for a $100,000 scholarship, with winners to be announced at its 2009 convention and marketplace slated for the fall in Boston.

For the second consecutive year, CREW will be awarding 10 $10,000 scholarships to women, who are full-time students in their junior or senior year in an accredited real estate program at a college or university. The scholarships will be based on academic excellence, with each recipient receiving a paid internship program at a commercial brokerage firm.

The winners will be announced at CREW's annual convention, slated for Sept. 30 through Oct. 3 in Boston. The deadline to apply is April 30.

"Our scholarship program represents a critical link in our outreach efforts," said Gail Ayers, CEO of CREW Network. "In an attempt to bring more diversity to the field of commercial real estate, we are introducing it through various programs to teens, college students and professional women at all stages of their careers."

Also, CREW Network this year started raising funds for an endowment as a permanent funding vehicle for the scholarships. The endowment also will enable the organization to increase the scholarship amount for the annual awards. Additional information and applications are available at www.crewnetwork.org.

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Texas Shoot-Out Challenge

DALLAS – NAIOP North Texas will hold its fourth annual Texas Shoot-Out Real Estate Challenge April 2 at Dallas Country Club.

The event features graduate-level teams from University of Texas, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M, Baylor University, Texas Tech University, Rice University and Texas Christian University.  The teams will be competing for $10,000 and $7,500 cash prizes, to be split between the students and colleges.

"Our goal with the event is to bring the North Texas real estate community closer to the universities' real estate centers," said Gregory Fuller, president of NAIOP North Texas. "This competition has been a huge success as the teams attempt to solve real-world commercial real estate challenges and present their solutions."

The Texas Shoot-Out is open to the public, beginning at 4 p.m. when a panel of 10 real estate executives from the area's top real estate firms will judge the teams' solutions. The Shoot-Out's lead sponsor is PlainsCapital Bank; LYNOUS Talent Management provided this year’s case study.

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CCIM Plans Inaugural

Real Estate Week

By Connie Gore

DALLAS – The North Texas CCIM Chapter is making plans for its first "Real Estate Week," a mixture of credit courses, expert panels, Success Symposium and networking receptions.

The executive committee has just floated a call for sponsors and volunteers to help with the event, slated for Aug. 31 through Sept. 4 at Westin City Center at 650 N. Pearl St. in Downtown Dallas. The event is open to all commercial real estate professionals, with discounts available for members of CCIM and North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors.

"We thought it would be a good opportunity to gather members of the commercial real estate community together for an educational program," says David Schnitzer, vice president of Dallas-based Weitzman Group.

The executive committee has Schnitzer chairing the marketing committee; George Tanghongs of Lee & Associates DFW in charge of sponsorships; Crystal Abrego of Henry S. Miller Brokerage LLC handling logistics; and Alex Johnson of Laurex Realty Advisors leading the cultural diversity committee.

Schnitzer says 400 to 500 professionals are expected to attend the five-day program being hosted by the 580-member CCIM chapter. The courses are eligible for CCIM credits, with talks underway to offer credits for continuing education too.

The courses begin Tuesday, Sept. 1, and conclude the following day. The classes are "Introduction to Commercial Real Estate," a CCIM-based program geared toward minority members, and "Advanced Negotiations" in a workshop format.

Thursday, Sept. 3, is the Success Symposium, which is being billed as the "main event." The day gets under way at 7:30 a.m., beginning with a "Site to Do Business" breakfast seminar. The one-day event will feature keynote speakers CCIM Institute president Mac McClure and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. The day's agenda includes a North Texas Economic Development lunch panel, featuring EDC directors from Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano and Frisco. The afternoon sessions include an economic overview by Dr. Mark Dotzour, chief economist for Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center and a panel of the region's top brokers, who will be sharing their success strategies and tips. The day wraps up with a networking reception. 

NTCAR is planning a bus tour for Friday, Sept. 4. Schnitzer says the itinerary has yet to be decided.

Schnitzer says Real Estate Week is a spin-off of the chapter's diversity week, which has been held for three consecutive years. The five-day fee is $50 for CCIM and NTCAR members, $100 for non-members and $150 at the door. The chapter is seeking sponsors for the event and about 30 volunteers to help with tasks like setup, registration and cleanup.

"We hope to be a success. We hope the economy isn't going to take too much of a toll," Schnitzer says. "We know it's going to have some impact."

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CBRE Provides

Donations to 50 Groups

Los Angeles – CB Richard Ellis Group is giving 50 charities more than 200 vacation packages, including 100 to Wounded Warrior Project, at a premier beach and golf resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization which acts to assist men and women severely injured during military service.

The donation of the vacation certificates, good for a three-night stay at the Hilton Cabo San Lucas, consists of a three-night stay, $500 food and beverage allocation and two spa visits. The vacation donations result from the CBRE's decision to forego its 2008 Recognition Conference, which honors the company's top producing U.S. professionals and has been held annually for more than 20 years..

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NAIOP Gives Award to

to Tom Lynch of CBRE

Tom Lynch, a senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis received the Industrial “Broker of the Year” Award given by the Houston Chapter of NAIOP. NAIOP (National Association of Industrial & Office Properties) is a national association with more than 17,500 members and a network of 57 chapters that represent the interests of developers and owners of industrial, office and related commercial real estate throughout North America. NAIOP provides communication, networking and business opportunities for all real estate related professionals; provides a forum for continuing education; and promotes effective public policy, through its grassroots network, to create, protect and enhance property values.

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Four Texans Make NMHC's 2009 Board

Four executives from Texas have joined the National Multi-Housing Council's 2009 board of directors. Rick Graf, president of American Management Services in Dallas was added to the board's executive committee. Also joining the board of directors is William S. Robinson, director of multifamily investments for Archon Residential in Irving, Brian L. Dinerstein and John Caltagirone, principals of the Dinerstein Cos. in Houston.

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HOLBA Award Goes to Bonnie Kelley

Houston – CB Richard Ellis is pleased to announce that Bonnie Kelley of CB Richard Ellis has received the coveted Landlord “Representative of the Year” Award given by the Houston Office Leasing Brokers Association (“HOLBA”). HOLBA, established in 1987, is a local organization with 70 members and was the host for the event for its tenth straight year.

“We are pleased and proud for Bonnie to have earned this award,” said Rob Neblett, board member president for HOLBA.

Bonnie, a senior vice president with CB Richard Ellis, specializes in office leasing and in 2007 she was responsible for leasing approximately 800,000 sf in multiple markets including CBD, Bellaire, Galleria, and Energy Corridor. Bonnie recently leased 287,000 sf to Dow Chemical, 247,000 sf to WorleyParsons Group and 174,000 sf to Mustang Engineering, earning her the number one, top producer spot for 2008 within CBRE’s Houston office.

“Bonnie Kelley exemplifies our Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. She is creative, smart, hard working and fun to be associated with. In addition to developing an abundant professional career, Bonnie leads a balanced and rich personal life. We are all better because of our association with Bonnie Kelley – we are very proud of her!” says John Holland, Sr Managing Director responsible for CB Richard Ellis’ business in South Texas.

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RealtyNewsReport.com Wins

Major Journalism Award

       RealtyNewsReport.com has been named a winner in the Best Web Site category in the 56th Annual Journalism Awards competition of the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE).
          RealtyNewsReport.Com was founded by veteran journalist Ralph Bivins, who worked at Texas newspapers for a number of years before launching the popular web site in 2004.
         The NAREE award winners were selected by a panel of expert judges from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Commenting on RealtyNewsReport.Com, the judges said: "This is a truly entrepreneurial site, which provides a newsy, chatty report with a friendly interface. Bivins has extensive print journalism experience in the real estate field, and it shows.”
         RealtyNewsReport.com was a second place winner in the Best Web Site category with RealEstateJournal.com, a Dow Jones product, winning first place.
          "It is an honor to receive this prestigious award," Bivins said. "The NAREE contest attracts entries from many outstanding journalists around the country."
          NAREE, founded in 1929, is the nation's largest organization of journalists who cover residential and commercial real estate, real estate finance, investments, construction and design.
       Houston-based RealtyNewsReport.Com focuses on national and regional real estate news and economics coverage. This blend of information has proved to be a winning combination that attracts thousands of readers and information seekers.
        "I also want to thank our outstanding webmaster, Analee Micheletti, who deserves a great deal of credit. Her talent has made the site attractive and keeps people tuned-in to RealtyNewsReport.com," Bivins said.

Upcoming Events

March 23

Moody's Executive Briefing,

W Dallas-Victory, 2400 Victory

Park Lane, Dallas, 8 a.m. to noon.

Speakers: Moody's economists

Steve Cochrane and Ed Friedman.

March 25

North Texas CCIM luncheon,

Park City Club, 5956 Sherry

Lane, Dallas. Speaker: Don Williams,

former CEO of Trammell Crow Co.

March 26

NTCAR Office Bus Tour,

Central Expressway to High

Five, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

www.ntcar.org.

March 30

ULI, NTCAR, TREC Sustainability

Symposium, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

CityPlace Conference Center,

2711 N. Haskell Ave., Dallas.

April 7

Dallas Regional Chamber luncheon,

Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 400 N. Olive St.,

Dallas. Featured speaker: Federal

Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke,

noon to 1:30 p.m. To register,

www.dallaschamber.org/events.

April 7

NTCAR Q2 meeting, Frontiers of

Flight Museum, 6911 Lemmon Ave.,

Dallas. Topic: Distressed Assets:

Opportunities,Challenges' panel led

by Glen Esnard of Grubb & Ellis.

April 9

NTCAR Industrial Bus Tour,

Southern Sector, 11:30 a.m.

to 4 p.m. www.ntcar.org.

April 14-16

ULI Real Estate Summit, Hynes

Convention Center,Boston. For

details, www.uli.org.

May 21

NTCAR office bus tour, Las Colinas,

8 a.m. to noon. www.ntcar.org.

July 25-27

RealPage's RealWorld User

Conference, Wynn Las Vegas.

www.realpage.com/realworld.