Apartment Choice

18 Aug 2017, 09:44 In 2007, I lived in a one- bedroom apartment , wasn’t married, had no kids, no pets, was an outright retail planner working almost exclusively on a range of Tesco projects, and had a respectable hairline. Come 2017, I cannot claim any of that to be true, writes Sebastian Tibenham , executive director at Pegasus Group. I’m married, have two kids, three pets, work across a range of development sectors , my retail client, now Asda, makes up just 10% of my workload. Am I happier and more sustained at work and at home? Yes! Why? Diversification. Not only is diversification important in running a business, and experiencing day to day life, it is vital for our towns, cities, the economy and our industries. Unfortunately, the planning industry in the North West, and particularly the housing sector, a fundamental industry within our economy, was too targeted and not sufficiently diverse in 2007 to recover quickly from the deep recession. Throughout 2007/8, the proportion ...

GREENWICH, CONN. — Monument Partners LLC , an entity owned by affiliates of Starwood Capital Group and Milestone Apartments Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: MST.UN), has entered into an agreement to acquire Landmark Apartment Trust Inc. in an all- cash transaction valued at $1.9 billion, including the assumption of existing debt. Under the terms of the deal, Starwood Global Opportunity Fund X, through a controlled affiliate, will acquire Landmark Apartment Trust ’s ownership interest in 19,615 units in 63 apartment communities . The portfolio is located in eight Sunbelt states, with major concentrations in Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte and Nashville. Milestone — which will acquire 4,172 units in 15 assets as part of the transaction — will serve as property manager for Starwood’s portion of the portfolio. “This acquisition highlights our confidence in multifamily housing as an asset class that represents an attractive risk-reward proposition for our investors,” says ...

The Crest at Sugarloaf, Lawrenceville, Ga. PPD Holdings Investment Group refinanced loans for two of its multifamily properties in Greater Atlanta. The company also received preliminary loan approval for the construction of two apartment communities in southwest Florida. The credit facilities total $111 million. A $28 million loan on The Crest at Sugarloaf, a 540-unit property in Lawrenceville, Ga., was originated by The Guardian Life Insurance Co. Another $19 million loan were obtained from PPM America for The Crest at Berkeley Lake, a 382- unit apartment community in Duluth, Ga. PPD Holdings is in the process of refinancing The Crest at Laurel Canyon, a 350-unit in Canton, Ga. Pending construction loans A $34 million HUD 221(d)(4) loan for the construction of a 200-unit, Class A apartment community in Naples, Fla., is pending approval . The development will be named The Crest at Naples. PPD also anticipates finalizing construction financing for a 264-unit community in Bonita Spr...

A decade after the crash, Shannon Valley housing estate , on the outskirts of Ballaghaderreen, in Co Roscommon, remains unfinished and partly in ruins. Although the number of “ unfinished housing developments ” has fallen sharply since 2010, Shannon Valley is one of hundreds that still dot the country. The Guls: ‘Every day I put rats in the bin’ Fatima Gul says her little brother, Yousaf, doesn’t like the rats. He jumps up on the sofa or the table in the living room when they come into the house. Their parents don’t allow Fatimar, who is 10, or her nine-year-old sister, Maryam, or Yousaf and his twin, Zohra, who are five, to play near the houses on the other side of their green. It’s too close to the rats and the rubble. Shannon Valley “ ghost estate ” outside Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon. Photograph: Simon Carswell" height="349" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3181475!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg" width="620...

SOUTH BEND — Additional details emerged Thursday concerning plans for a mixed-use apartment project and full-scale brewery near Four Winds Field. “What we’re doing is we’re going to build a first-class experience but at an affordable rate,” Andrew Berlin , owner of the South Bend Cubs , said of the project. The Redevelopment Commission agreed Thursday to contribute $3.4 million to the project for building and infrastructure improvements. Situated directly outside Four Winds Field, Berlin Place will feature 120 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and 10,000 square feet of ground- floor retail space across four buildings. Details have yet to be worked out, but rental rates will be “competitive” with the local market, Berlin said. Twenty-eight of the 120 apartments will face the field, he said, and include balconies with “enough room to entertain.” A rooftop party deck will overlook left field on one of the buildings, he said, with 360-degree views of the stadium and downtown. As ...

RICHMOND, Va.--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Landmark Apartment Trust , Inc. (“Landmark” or the “Company”), a multifamily real estate investment trust with assets located in select metropolitan areas throughout the Southern United States , announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) pursuant to which it will be acquired by Monument Partners, L.L.C. (“Monument”), an entity owned by affiliates of Starwood Capital Group and Milestone Apartments Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: MST.UN) (“Milestone”), in an all- cash transaction valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including the assumption of existing debt. Upon completion of the transaction, Landmark will become a privately held company. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Monument will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Landmark and all of the outstanding common units of Landmark’s operating partnership, Landmark Apartment Trust Holdings, LP, for $8.17 per share or...