Business Specialties Investments
CBRE Investors Closes $2.1B Real Estate Fund
May 14, 2008
By: Denise L. Meyer, Contributing Correspondent

CB Richard Ellis Investors has announced the closing of CB Richard Ellis Strategic Partners U.S. 5 to new investors.  Strategic Partners U.S. 5 consists of two limited partnerships, with raised equity commitments of $2.1 billion from institutional investors in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. The funds are expected to have total purchasing power of $6.4 billion.

Strategic Partners U.S. Value 5 plans to make value-added investments to reposition assets, stabilize moderate levels of vacancy, invest in “controlled risk” development and pursue a portfolio accumulation strategy in highly rated major metropolitan areas in the United States.

The Partnership will also execute extensive repositioning programs primarily in distressed assets with high levels of vacancy, invest in “early stage” development, acquire and reposition portfolios and invest in operating companies that control high-quality real estate. Both funds will invest in office, multi-family, industrial and retail properties.

According to a CBRE spokesperson, Strategic Partners US 5 will execute both value and opportunistic investment styles instead of being limited to one or the other as it has been with other funds.

The Strategic Partners U.S. program is part of a global closed-end real estate private equity fund series that has closed 14 funds/investment programs since 2000 with $7.5 billion in committed equity and more than $22 billion in total purchasing power.
 
The Maryland Daily Record reported today that another CBRE division, CBRE Realty Finance Inc., has been sued by investors. According to the Daily Record, that suit claims that CBRE deceived investors before its initial public offering by failing to disclose the risk of two real estate loans. Citigroup Inc., Wachovia Corp., Deutsche Bank AG, Credit Suisse Group and JMP Group Inc., underwriters of the September 2006 IPO, are defendants in the suit that involved a deal with Annapolis based Triton Real Estate Partners L.L.C.

 
Recent Investments Headlines
Post Sells Atlanta Apartment Property, Refinances Others
Aug. 21, 2008
It’s only Wednesday and already it’s been a big week for upscale multi-family developer Post Properties of Atlanta. The REIT has sold its 250-unit Post Oglethorpe apartment community in Atlanta’s Brookhaven area for $38.5 million and has refinanced two apartment complexes held in joint ventures. In addition, two of the big three credit rating agencies recently had some news for the company.
Pacific Office Properties Nabs $195M Portfolio
Aug. 21, 2008
Pacific Office Properties Trust Inc. and an institutional co-investor have acquired a portfolio of seven Southern California office complexes for $195 million. The combined properties contain more than 1 million leasable square feet across 15 office and flex buildings.
Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman Expands U.S. Platform
Aug. 20, 2008
As the real estate investment market continues to be challenged by credit and liquidity issues, Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman has announced it will expand its U.S. platform into new markets to help meet increasing demand for access to debt and equity capital sources.
Spear Street Takes Austin Office Portfolio
Aug. 20, 2008
San Francisco-based Spear Street Capital has acquired an office property portfolio consisting of Riata Corporate Park and Riata Crossing in Austin. The complex includes 13 buildings totaling about 1.1 million square feet in the northwest submarket of that city, not far from the JJ Pickle Research Campus of the University of Texas at Austin, a center for electronic, aerospace, mechanical, petroleum and environmental-health engineering research.
U.S. Hotel Deals Down 81 Percent Mid-2008: JLL Report
Aug. 20, 2008
The volume of U.S. hotel transactions for the first six months of 2008 plunged 81 percent from the year-ago period, to $6 billion, according to a Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. The firm based the conclusion on its proprietary database, which tracks transactions $10 million deals and above. In the first quarter 2008 transaction volume was relatively stronger at $3.4 billion.
 

 

220-Acre Mixed-Use in Works Near University of Missouri
August 20, 2008
By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor -- A 220-acre parcel near the University of Missouri's Discovery Ridge research park in Columbia is on tap to sprout a gargantuan mixed-use project. Forum Development Group, the owner of the land, recently wrapped up...

Icahn Nabs AT&T's Dallas HQ in Sale-Leaseback
August 20, 2008
By Tonie Auer, Southwest Correspondent -- Transferring its headquarters from San Antonio to Dallas, telecom giant AT&T Inc. has moved into a 37-story high-rise and sold the building in a sale-leaseback deal to Icahn Enterprises for an undisclosed amount. The...

W.P. Carey Closes $58M Sale-Leaseback in Germany
August 20, 2008
By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor -- New York City-headquartered W.P. Carey, acting through its publicly held non-traded REITs CPA(R):15 and CPA(R):17 - Global, has completed a sale-leaseback transaction in Germany with U.K.-based automotive supplier Wagon Plc. The properties involved are...

Och-Ziff, Kolter in $1B Southeast Residential JV
August 20, 2008
By Scott Baltic, Contributing Editor -- New York-based Och-Ziff Capital Management Group and Kolter Group of West Palm Beach, Fla., have announced the formation of a $1 billion joint venture that will target residential properties in the Southeast that are...

REal Talk with Adam Perrotta-Tuesday
August 19, 2008
By Adam Perrotta, News Writer --In the latest example of a firm looking to snap up debt in the wake of the credit crunch, Apollo Real Estate Advisors has pumped up funding for its debt investment fund to $930 million....

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August 15, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --Oh what a conundrum! Family business: Should I, or shouldn't I? In my opinion there really isn't a right or wrong answer to this question. It is simply a matter of personal preference....

What to Do When Marketing Goes Wild
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By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer N2growth --Have your company's marketing initiatives wandered astray? Is the proverbial tail starting to wag the dog with respect to your current marketing campaigns? How do you know when marketing is out of control?...

Six Mistakes Real Leaders Avoid
August 01, 2008
By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --I recently had a reader ask: "Is there a simple test that can be used to quickly determine an executive's leadership ability?" The short answer is yes. There are, in fact, a great...

Top Brokers Do Deals in Bad Markets, Too
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By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer N2growth --Many in the industry long for the frothy markets of 2005 when sellers experienced record low cap rates, buyers were aided by loose credit and a strong flow of funds from the capital...

Know Thy Customer
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By Mike Myatt, Chief Strategy Officer, N2growth --How well do you really know your customer? Let me put this as simply as I can. If you want to succeed in business you must be in touch with the demands of...