Table of Contents August 2006

FEATURES

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  Hit List

  Dan Haefner, the chief information officer at Atlanta-based Lane Co., had a decision to make. With an ever-growing number of projects on Lane's technology to-do list, his own team was already stretched from rolling out a new Web-based property management system at the company. Then, a new request...

   
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  Foreign Interest

  In the past, buying multifamily properties in the United States was a no-brainer for foreign investors if they could afford it. The selling point: stability. With political and economic stability, foreign investors can feel secure about putting their money in American apartments, according to Wayne...

   

Cover Story

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  Back to School

  Four days. Two thousand-plus anxious students and all their frantic parents. 110 degrees. Twenty-five Place Properties' employees and 60 university staffers. Welcome to move-in week for students at Kennesaw State University, outside of Atlanta.

   

FROM THE EDITOR

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  Vanishing Act

  I saw the successions of signs while I was on the road, just as their posters must have planned. But these real estate-related signs didn't capture my attention because of their glossy photos or glowing promises; they were notable for their stark and emotional appeal to those driving by. Homemade...

   

NEWS + NUMBERS

Direct Reports

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  On Alert

  Is your apartment community prepared in the event of a terrorist attack? That question is top of mind in the real estate community as next month marks the fifth anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11. While it's difficult to discuss the possibility of future attacks, the anniversary...

   

PEOPLE + PLACES

Apartment Life

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  Split Decision

  If you've read any newspapers or business journals in formerly hot condo markets across the country, you'll know that condo developers, converters, investors, and the real estate agents selling these properties probably aren't too happy. Sales have slowed and values are stagnant.

   

Facelift

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  Perfect Shape

  No one was more excited to see The Octagon's debut than the 80-plus-year-old alumnae of the Metropolitan Hospital School of Nursing. The 1941 through 1958 graduates recently gathered at the site of their former school in Roosevelt Island, N.Y., to see its transformation into a 500-unit mixed-income...

   

Corporate Ladder

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  People Person

  Cynthia Y. Thompson is banking on her past to enhance her future. With nearly three decades of experience in the regional banking industry, she brought her human resources expertise to Mid-America Apartment Communities in May, when she was named the company's senior vice president and director of...

   

SALES + SOLUTIONS

New Developments

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  Family Style

  Even with its unusual challenges–namely, building a part-rental, part-for-sale housing development for both seniors and foster children on 47 acres of wetlands–Pam Goodman, president of Boston-based Beacon Communities Development, just couldn't say no.

   

Done Deal

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  Dealing in Dreams

  Former Hollywood resident Darin Beebower remembers when Tinseltown wasn't on the A-list. "When I'd get home from work, guys would be asking me if I wanted to buy drugs," recalls the multifamily division director for Los Angeles-based Madison Partners, a full-service commercial brokerage. "You were...

   

Tech Specs

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  Maxed Out

  We know how you feel. When it comes to broadband Internet connectivity at your properties, ever-changing technology can leave your head spinning, while draining your wallet. First, you had to hard-wire your buildings to keep up in the amenity race. But much of that effort seemed pointless when DSL...

   

PRODUCT STUDIO

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  Universal Appeal

  Do you associate a bathroom grab bar with grandma? Think again. These bars are making their way into conventional multifamily communities as developers realize that everyone can use a little more support.

   

LANDMARKS

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  Montclair Lofts

  Montclair Lofts, located in the heart of Miami Beach's famous South Beach, is a fusion of old and new. The original building was a post-war apartment structure, but it was transformed into a larger condominium complex by local architectural firm Oppenheim Architecture + Design, which surrounded it...