Saturday, January 26, 2008

Making Your Apartment Community Ads Better

What should you include and not include in marketing photos of your apartment community?  According to apartmentmarketingblog.com leave out photo shots that include your community signs and pool as almost every community has one and many use these boring subjects in their shots.  Use your imagination and some of these tricks:
1.  Wet down all black-top surfaces before being photographed.  If you notice in movies many shots you have seen have wet blacktop surfaces.  This adds some attractiveness to the setting.
2.  Make sure balconies and patios are organized and clear of unattractive items such as hanging clothes, workout equipment etc.
3.  Ensure that all your amenities appear perfect before the photo shoot.
4.  Invest in top-quality models that don't look dated or unappealing.
5.  Use high-quality stock photography of the neighborhood or area - or better yet have your professional photographer take your own so you do not duplicate what other communities are using.
Burt

IRS to Examine 1031s

If you have used a Section 1031 tax-defered exchange recently be sure to hold on to your documentation. The IRS is stepping-up their review of these types of transactions according to a Wall Street Journal report. The IRS has been urged by the Treasury in a recent report will be reviewing the 1031 rules and will be performing in-depth reviews of like-kind exchanges. Part of the reason is the the increase in tax-deferred exchanges doubling in 2004 to 338,500 from the 1998 figure. This represented almost $74B in deferred taxes.
Burt

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Consultant: city should add hotels

A critical mass of higher end hotels, supported by restaurants and stores, is slowly taking shape in downtown Napa, but more are needed, a consultant told the Napa City Council Tuesday.
Source:  Napa Valley Register

Napa backs out on Ghisletta annexation

The Napa City Council has decided to withdraw its annexation application for the 142-acre Ghisletta property in southwest Napa.
Source:  Napa Valley Register

Saturday, January 19, 2008

RERC-CCIM Investment Trends Quarterly 4th Quarter 2007

Click to Download Report (large PDF).

The Industry Insider

Top Story

Bankers Re-Evaluate Deteriorating Real Estate Loan Portfolios

Troubles Mainly Limited to Residential, but Starting To Bleed Over Into Commercial Lending
Source:  CoStar Group

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Town Center costs coming into focus

Yountville residents are closer than ever to getting their brand new community center, equipped with a multi-purpose room for programs and events, an expanded library and outdoor plaza for community gatherings — that is, if a ballot initiative drafted by critics of the costly project doesn’t put the project on ice.
Source: Napa Valley Register

Friday, January 4, 2008

California builders say housing slump will turn around this year

In a forecast released Thursday, the California Building Industry Association said developers will secure permits for 128,400 single-family and multifamily units this year, up from an estimated 116,250 in 2007. The 10 percent gain would stand in sharp contrast to the 29 and 21 percent drops in housing permits in 2007 and 2006, respectively.  "We believe that California has weathered the subprime storm of 2007, the market has almost corrected and that 2008 represents an opportunity to move forward," said Alan Nevin, the Sacramento association's chief economist, on a conference call.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Industry Insider

Top Story



 
Source: NAA

Top Stories of 2007 Could Spoil 2008

Tightening Credit Could Hurt U.S. Commercial Real Estate and Housing; Could Break Up More of Last Year's Mega Mergers.
Source: CoStar Group

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Grubb & Ellis Predicts Sluggish Economy in 2008 Will Be Enough to Keep Demand for Commercial Real Estate Steady

"Even in the absence of a recession, the U.S. economy is likely to expand at a sluggish pace. Monthly payroll job growth is expected to average 75,000 in 2008, quite modest but enough to keep a floor under demand for commercial real estate," said Robert Bach, Senior Vice President, Chief Economist of Grubb & Ellis. "The new year will bring a new set of acquisition and disposition goals for investors, motivating buyers and sellers to close the expectations gaps and meet somewhere in the middle."
Source: Fox Business

For the Bay Area real estate industry, 2007 went from boom to tizzy

Still, real estate executives were quick to point out that the Bay Area is faring better than other parts of the country. And, even within the Bay Area, the market is uneven with some areas suffering considerably and others holding steady.
Source:  San Francisco Chronicle