Multifamily Trends
May_June 2008
Feature Article
Over the Top
by
Mike Sheridan
Developers are raising the bar on the amenities they offer to potential purchasers of luxury high-rise apartments.
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In This Issue
- Construction Begins on Block 21
Austin, Texas, is a city blessed with both sense and sensibility. Its commitment to environmentally sustainable practices, codes, and incentives makes the capital a role model for the state, as well as the country. The city also has vibrant cultural sensibility, grounded in its vibrant music and arts scenes and self-proclaimed cool vibe. Both identities will be melded in the burgeoning Second Street District downtown, a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use area planned as a model for sustainable development. Block 21, the last piece of the Second Street District puzzle, is being developed by Austin-based Stratus Properties, with local architecture firm Andersson-Wise leading the design team. - Creating Community in Downtown Los Angeles
Two former industrial buildings located in a part of Los Angeles that had seen little investment for decades are converted into live/work loft condominiums. - FCC Bans Telecom Exclusives in Apartments
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in March voted unanimously to ban exclusive agreements between telecommunication providers and owners of apartment buildings. The new ruling allows apartment tenants to choose their preferred service provider and will prompt competition, the FCC said. - Letter from the Publisher
- Making the Connections
There is much more to multifamily housing than the proverbial bricks and mortar. When looking for a place to live, people want access to a range of activities and services to enrich their lives in multiple dimensions. This holds true no matter the income bracket or the geographical location, although the nature of these elements will vary depending on specific financial, physical, and other constraints. This issue of Multifamily Trends illustrates several projects in which the blending of living units with other elements was of paramount importance from the start. - MFT Cover May/June 2008
- MFT TOC May/June 2008
- Minimizing Risk
The highest level of protection for the multifamily owner/operator is a combination of supplemental insurance products designed specifically for the apartment industry. - Mixed Income
With thoughtful design and attentive management, the same complex can comfortably house people from across the economic spectrum—from the homeless, the disabled, and others who face high barriers to securing affordable housing, to those who have plenty of disposable income. - Modular Comes Home
To some extent, modular housing is going back to its multifamily roots—to a time before the single-family housing boom skewed the business. - Old Law Creates New Problems
Two recent rulings by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida leave multifamily developers in a quandary. - Regional Spotlight: The West
Although funds are still available and unique products generate interest, multifamily tightens the reins in the West. - Return to Fundamentals to Increase Property Values
Investors in multifamily housing real estate still have opportunities to make smart deals in spite of the U.S. economic downturn, says R. “Ryc†Nicholas Loope, director of the master of real estate development program at Arizona State University. But he cautions commercial property owners to focus on fundamentals to keep their current property values up as vacancies increase and capitalization rates rise. - The State of Multifamily Development
A roundtable of advisers identifies bright spots despite the economic challenges currently facing the industry and the nation. - What Women Want
An insider’s view of how the preferences of women affect planning, landscape design, graphics, and architecture.