February 2012 Table of Contents

2012 promises to take multifamily’s drivers on one hell of a ride. Read more

Meet five multifamily firms that know how to make the most of their very specific markets. Read more

I’m as averse to change as the next guy. When I got to have someone as talented, prolific, and energizing as Shabnam Mogharabi do a perfectly good job of motivating her team; producing important print, online, and in-person products and platforms to engage you; and creating value for our titles in this community, why would I take it as good news when she announced she intended to move on? Read more

A slew of five-year CMBS loans will come due this year, but how will they refinance? Read more

Last month, Christopher Hanback, a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of the Holland & Knight law firm, expressed optimism that a district-court judge would uphold a summary judgment rejection in a case the Justice Department (DOJ) filed against Dallas-based JPI Apartment Construction. Others weren’t so sure. It turns out he was right. Read more

A pioneer of the student housing industry, GMH is plotting its second act. Read more

The returns are starting to come in from 2011, and it looks like apartment owners were the winners. Earlier today, New York–based Reis reported that vacancy fell to 5.2 percent. That’s the lowest number since late 2001. New Haven, Conn., with a vacancy rate of 2.1 percent, and New York City, with vacancies at 2.4 percent, were the tightest markets. Read more

The benchmarks upon which floating- and fixed-rate loans are based have been incredibly low for awhile now—but how long can it last? Read more

The market for repositioning deals is expected to pick up this year, and Freddie Mac is taking "a hard look at its adjustable rate programs" to better tailor them to value-add plays. Read more

Long known as the energy capital of the world, resource-rich Houston is fast developing additional assets that make the metro a shining multifamily market. Read more