FGBC's GreenTrends Coming to South Florida in October

Hollywood Hosting Florida Green Building Coalition Conference

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (August 20, 2016) - The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the leading certifier of green construction projects and a cornerstone of sustainability efforts in the state, announced today that this year’s GreenTrends Conference, “Put Your Money on Green,” will be held Oct. 20-21 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Hotel in Hollywood, Fla.

An exciting and informative lineup of programs and speakers will be offered at FGBC’s GreenTrends to promote, educate and support green building design, construction and operations.

FGBC’s “Florida Green” designation represents achievements in a number of categories, such as energy efficiency, water conservation, site preservation, indoor air quality, materials, and durability, including disaster mitigation. FGBC certification programs are the only standards developed with climate-specific criteria to address issues caused by Florida’s hot-humid environment and natural disasters.

The state’s signature green building event in October brings together industry leaders to focus on sustainability with multi-level workshops and educational sessions, renowned national experts on trends and hot topics and specialized training.

GreenTrends, “Put Your Money on Green,” also offers attendees, stakeholders, sponsors, and partners a much wider opportunity for professional engagement and business development networking.

The AAA Four-Diamond rated Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is South Florida’s ultimate destination for fun and entertainment offering great accommodations, signature and award-winning restaurants, a 4.5-acre tropical pool oasis & Beach Club, a full-service Rock Spa, fitness center, high-energy nightlife, and boutique shopping.

For the latest information on registration, programs and speakers, visit www.GreenTrends.org.

About the Florida Green Building Coalition

The Florida Green Building Coalition is the leading certifier of green projects in Florida. To date it has 13,300 residential, over 25 million square feet. of commercial and high-rise space, 60 land developments, and 86 local governments participating in its certification programs. FGBC certification programs are the only standards developed with climate specific criteria to address issues caused by Florida’s hot-humid environment and natural disasters. The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) is a nonprofit 501(C)3 Florida corporation founded in 2000 dedicated to improving the built environment. Its mission is "to lead and promote sustainability with environmental, economic, and social benefits through regional education and certification programs." For more information about the FGBC “Florida Green” certification programs visit www.floridagreenbuilding.org.

Top Clinton Economic Advisor Cites Importance of Housing to the Economy

(REAL ESTATE WIRE) - Gene Sperling, a top economic advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, today said that housing will play an important role in a Clinton administration.

"For Hillary Clinton, growing middle class jobs and middle income security is the single lens in which she will judge economic policy," Sperling said in an address to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Board of Directors at their Midyear Meeting in Miami. "What better helps the middle class than housing? Housing creates jobs in the United States. There is probably no other sector that creates jobs throughout income levels - from construction jobs to professional and servicing jobs."

Noting that the credit pendulum has swung too tight in the aftermath of the Great Recession, Sperling cited a study from the Urban Institute that compared credit availability during the pre-crisis levels to the standards of today. The study found that 5 million fewer home loans have been issued as a result of current tight lending standards.

"Our challenge now is to never swing back to where we were, but to get to an equilibrium where people who are creditworthy can get the housing they need," said Sperling. "This will lead to increased housing starts, construction and affordable housing, which we need in this country."

Sperling noted that the issue of housing finance reform is "really tough," but stipulated that a government backstop is essential to protect the 30-year mortgage.

"You need a backstop to ensure the United States of America still has a 30-year fixed mortgage," said Sperling. "That is something that gives people the opportunity to become home owners in this country."

If Clinton is elected president, Sperling said she will:

·Defend and expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.

·Encourage communities to implement land use strategies that make it easier to build affordable rental housing near good jobs by increasing funding for infrastructure banks and competitive grant programs.

·Support common sense relief for community banks and make sure that any reforms level the playing field so that Wall Street banks do not have any advantages over community lenders.

·Focus on a major infrastructure plan in which "she sees construction and housing as part of that larger infrastructure."

Regarding the mortgage interest deduction, Sperling said that Clinton's tax plan would retain the mortgage interest deduction but cap the marginal rate at which households can take their deductions at 28 percent. "So for 98 percent of Americans, the mortgage interest deduction is completely untouched," said Sperling.

Housing Starts Rise 4.8 Percent in June

Nationwide housing starts rose 4.8 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.19 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. Overall permit issuance increased 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.15 million.

"This month's uptick in production is an indicator that the housing market continues to move forward," said NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, a home builder and developer from Bloomington, Ill. "At the same time, builders are adding inventory at a cautious pace as they face lot shortages and regulatory hurdles."

"The June report is consistent with our forecast for a gradual but consistent recovery of the housing market," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. "Single-family production should continue to strengthen throughout the year, buoyed by job growth, new household formations and low mortgage interest rates." 

Single-family housing starts rose 4.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 778,000 units in June while multifamily production ticked up 5.4 percent to 411,000 units.

Regionally in June, combined single- and multifamily starts increased in the Northeast and West, with respective gains of 46.3 percent and 17.4 percent. The Midwest registered a 5.2 percent loss and the South fell 3.4 percent. However, single-family production rose in all four regions. 

Both sectors posted permit gains. Single-family permits edged up 1 percent to a rate of 738,000 while multifamily permits rose 2.5 percent to 415,000.

Permit issuance increased 9.4 percent in the Northeast and 8.3 percent in the South. Meanwhile, the Midwest and West registered respective losses of 2.8 percent and 10.1 percent.

Crossman & Company Continues Growth with Launch of Private Client Investment Sales Division

ORLANDO, Fla. (July 21, 2016) -- Crossman & Company, the Southeast’s premier real estate services firm focused on serving retail landlords, continues to expand its operations and sales force by announcing the launch of the company’s Private Client Investment Sales Division.

“Crossman & Company has done an excellent job servicing our institutional level clients as they execute their disposition strategies. The Private Client Investment Sales Division will provide the same exemplary service to high net worth investors and retail owners throughout the Southeast US,” explained John Crossman CCIM, CRX, the firm’s president

Dan Colachicco

The firm is undertaking an aggressive hiring plan to expand its investment sales force, focusing on experienced agents within a track record of success in markets throughout the Southeast.

“In order to navigate the complexities of today’s commercial investment real estate environment, private client investors and owners need strong brokers more than ever. Our extensive transactional expertise over the past 25 years combined with our breadth of service in the Southeast positions our firm to increase our dominance in the retail real estate markets that we serve,” added Crossman.

The announcement comes on the heels Crossman & Company opening their newest office in Miami, Fla.

“We are actively seeking aggressive, entrepreneurial individuals of high integrity to join our team as we expand this platform for our non-institutional clientele,” said Dan Colachicco, Senior Managing Director of Brokerage Services, who will be spearheading the growth of the division. “Joining this new division at Crossman & Company provides skilled agents with an excellent level of support, a stellar brand that they can be proud to associate with, and virtually unlimited earning potential.

The firm expects to hire multiple agents in the seven states they currently cover during 2016. A particular focus will be on hiring experienced agents for the company’s Miami and Palm Beach County offices.

“In addition to our brand recognition, new agents will be provided with all of the tools needed to operate efficiently, as well as a centralized batch of resources to support their professional growth,” Colachicco said.

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, Crossman & Company just opened a Miami office and now has 25,678,368 square feet under leasing and management comprising of 347 properties.

For more information, contact Dan A. Colachicco at dcolachicco@crossmanco.com, visit www.crossmanco.com, or call (407) 423-5400.

About Crossman & Company

Crossman & Company is the premier real estate firm focused on serving retail landlords exclusively throughout the Southeast – with offices in Atlanta, Boca Raton, Tampa, Miami and Orlando – representing more than 340 shopping centers and over 25 million square feet in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina and Virginia. The company was founded in 1990 with the goal of providing exemplary service to our clients around four core values: Maintain enthusiastically satisfied clients; Demonstrate servant leadership; Practice kindness, openness and humility; and Develop new talent. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.crossmanco.com.

Remodeling Market Index Holds Steady in Second Quarter

WASHINGTON, July 21 - The National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 53 in the second quarter of 2016. Although it slipped one point from the previous quarter, it is still the 13th consecutive quarter with a reading above 50.

An RMI above 50 indicates that more remodelers report market activity is higher (compared to the prior quarter) than report it is lower. The overall RMI averages ratings of current remodeling activity with indicators of future remodeling activity.

"Overall, remodelers are reporting steady work in the second quarter," said 2016 NAHB Remodelers Chair Tim Shigley, CAPS, CGP, GMB, GMR, a remodeler from Wichita, Kan. "With an increase in calls for bids, we should see the market pick up slightly moving forward."

The RMI's current market conditions index came in at 54, decreasing by a single point from the previous quarter. Among its components, major additions and alterations dipped three points to 52, minor additions and alterations fell one point to 53 and maintenance and repair remained unchanged at 56.

At 53, the RMI's future market conditions index remained unchanged from the previous quarter. Among its four components, calls for bids increased two points to 53, the amount of work committed rose one point to 53 and appointments for proposals stayed even at 52. Meanwhile, the backlog of remodeling jobs decreased five points to 53.

"At slightly above 50, the overall RMI is in line with our forecast of steady growth in the remodeling market for 2016," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. "Current economic conditions and a rising need to improve the nation's aging housing stock in the face of changing demographics are supporting growth for the remodeling sector."

For data tables on the RMI, visit www.nahb.org/rmi. For more information about remodeling, visit www.nahb.org/remodel.

Florida Green Building Coalition Announces First Scholarship Winner

ASHANTAE GREEN

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the leading certifier of green construction projects and a cornerstone of sustainability efforts in Florida, has announced that Ashantae Green is the recipient of the inaugural FGBC Scholarship for post-secondary education.

Green is a student at Florida State College at Jacksonville. In addition to her own studies, Green has mentored local high school students through the Architecture, Construction & Engineering (ACE) Mentoring program for seven years. 

She is the founder of Sickle Cell & Sustainability, a community group created to raise awareness and sponsor events on the topics of Sickle Cell disease and living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. The group was formed to honor her 2-year-old son who has Sickle Cell disease.

Green will be recognized during the annual GreenTrends Conference Oct. 20-21, 2016 in Hollywood, Fla. She also will receive a complimentary one-year FGBC membership allowing her to take part in all FGBC activities, including serving on committees, participating in the leadership elections, and contributing to the certification standards development process.

FGBC launched the statewide scholarship program for students pursuing careers in green building or related sustainability disciplines. Scholarships can be renewed for up to four years. The next call for applications will open in March 2017 for the 2017-2018 academic year.

For more information visit www.floridagreenbuilding.org.

About the Florida Green Building Coalition

The Florida Green Building Coalition is the leading certifier of green projects in Florida. To date it has over 12,800 residential, over 22 million s.f. of commercial and high-rise space, 60 land developments, and 81 local governments participating in its certification programs. FGBC certification programs are the only standards developed with climate specific criteria to address issues caused by Florida’s hot-humid environment and natural disasters. The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) is a nonprofit 501(C)3 Florida corporation founded in 2000 dedicated to improving the built environment. Its mission is "to lead and promote sustainability with environmental, economic, and social benefits through regional education and certification programs." For more information about the FGBC “Florida Green” certification programs visit www.floridagreenbuilding.org.

Builders Call for End to Regulatory Overreach During National Homeownership Month

WASHINGTON

ED BRADY

-- As the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) celebrates National Homeownership Month in June, builders continue to demand affordable housing for all Americans, calling for sensible reforms to burdensome regulations that increase the cost of housing.

"The aggressive over-regulation of the housing industry is putting the American Dream of safe and affordable housing at risk," said NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, a home builder and developer from Bloomington, Ill.  

In May, NAHB released a study, Government Regulation in the Price of a New Home, which showed that on average, government regulations account for 24.3% of the final price of a new single-family home. In fact, the regulatory costs for an average single-family home went from $65,224 in 2011 to $84,671 in 2016 - a 29.8% increase in five years.

"Regulators at all levels of government - local, state and federal - must understand that their actions have real consequences," said NAHB Chief Executive Officer Jerry Howard. "The cost of regulation in the price of a new home is rising more than twice as fast as the average American's ability to pay for it. That is simply not sustainable." 

NAHB has been fighting back against costly regulations that fail to meet their intended goals, including the Department of Labor's new overtime rule that was implemented without considering its impact on small businesses, consumers, workers and the economy. 

The 100% increase to the salary threshold for overtime eligibility will hit the home building industry particularly hard and harm housing affordability. It will reduce job-advancement opportunities and the hours of full-time construction supervisors, leading to construction delays, increased costs and less affordable housing options for consumers.

"Common sense reforms to the regulatory approval process would open the doors of homeownership to more Americans across the country," Brady said.

During National Homeownership Month in June, and throughout the year, NAHB and its 700 state and local affiliates work hard to make affordable housing a reality and a priority to our nation's leadership. 

"Homeownership remains a core American value to consumers across the country," Brady said. "In addition to building stronger communities, homeownership provides a solid foundation for family and personal achievement. It is critical that we keep this dream within reach, and not price out buyers with needless overregulation."

Crossman & Company to Lease Posner Commons

Crossman & Company, one of the Southeast’s largest retail leasing, property management and investment sales firms, has added Posner Commons, a 630,000 square foot regional shopping center in Davenport, Fla. to its impressive leasing portfolio. 

In addition, Crossman & Company will manage a portion of the center totaling 434,710 square feet. 

“I am very proud that we will be representing this tremendous property. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our team’s knowledge, experience and the ability to deliver positive results for our clients,” said Crossman & Company President John Crossman, CCIM, CRX.

The Crossman & Company team of John Zielinski, Chief Operating Officer; Dan Colachicco, Senior Managing Director, Brokerage Services; Marc Cook, Director, Client Services and Katherine Rush-Heath, Senior Leasing Associate, worked closely with support staff to sign the 80-acre power center.

Posner Commons was developed by the Trammell Crow Company and opened in 2008. It is centrally located at the intersection of Interstate 4 and US Highway 27 in growing Polk County.

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, Crossman & Company now has 25,678,368 square feet under leasing and management comprising of 347 properties.

"Location plays a pivotal role as we move forward, as do outstanding demographics and high visibility,” noted Zielinski, CCIM. “We look forward to maximizing the performance of Posner Commons.”

Spaces range from 1,400 square feet. Current anchor tenants among the 60 stores include Target, Best Buy, Books-A-Million, Cinepolis IMAX, JC Penney and Staples.

For more information, visit www.crossmanco.com or call (407) 423-5400.

About Crossman & Company
Crossman & Company is the premier real estate firm focused on serving retail landlords exclusively throughout the Southeast – with offices in Atlanta, Boca Raton, Tampa, Miami and Orlando – representing more than 340 shopping centers and over 25 million square feet in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina and Virginia. The company was founded in 1990 with the goal of providing exemplary service to our clients around four core values: Maintain enthusiastically satisfied clients; Demonstrate servant leadership; Practice kindness, openness and humility; and Develop new talent. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.crossmanco.com.

Apartment and Condominium Market Remains Steady in the First Quarter

 The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) remained essentially unchanged in the first quarter of 2016 after rising one point to 53. This is the 17th consecutive reading of 50 or above.

The MPI measures builder and developer sentiment about current conditions in the apartment and condominium market on a scale of 0 to 100. The index and all of its components are scaled so that a number above 50 indicates that more respondents report conditions are improving than report conditions are getting worse.

The MPI provides a composite measure of three key elements of the multifamily housing market: construction of low-rent units, market-rate rental units and "for-sale" units, or condominiums. The component measuring low-rent units increased four points to 54 in the first quarter, while market-rate rental units and for-sale units both dropped one point to 58 and 48, respectively.

The Multifamily Vacancy Index (MVI), which measures the multifamily housing industry's perception of vacancies, remained essentially unchanged with a decrease of one point to 39, with higher numbers indicating more vacancies. After peaking at 70 in the second quarter of 2009, the MVI improved consistently through 2010 and has been fairly stable since 2011.

"Multifamily developers remain cautiously optimistic about the market," said Andrew Chaban, CEO of Princeton Properties in Lowell, Mass., and chairman of NAHB's Multifamily Council. "Market conditions remain favorable and demand is still strong, so we expect to remain in positive territory."  

"This quarter's Multifamily Production Index reflects construction at high levels as the market finds a balance between supply and demand," said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. "A consistent reading of over 50 only bolsters the view that multifamily housing starts have recovered to a healthy rate and will remain relatively stable through 2016." 

Historically, the MPI and MVI have performed well as leading indicators of U.S. Census figures for multifamily starts and vacancy rates, providing information on likely movement in the Census figures one to three quarters in advance.

For data tables on the MPI and MVI, visit www.nahb.org/mms.