Ted Jones at ACRP/SIOR August 26th, 2010

Ted Jones with Stewart Title was the featured speaker this morning, August 26th. His message on the new business model for the 2011 economy is pretty simple. It's Adapt, Mitigate, Migrate or Die.

Brian Cogburn with Hyde Park Investments, Reid Wilson with Wilson, Cribbs & Goren and John Duffie with Nelson Duffie Interests

Once again; it's a good thing this is Texas. Real estate values in Houston are basically twice as good as the US averages. This also looks like the best buying opportunity since 1988/1989. And best bets are land and hotels.

                 Marty McAdams with McAdams Associates and Melanie Fregoe Edmundson with Phase Engineering

O'Connor Retail Forecast Wednesday August 18th, 2010

Kathy Riggs and Kathleen O'Connor both with O'Connor and Associates and Speaker John McFarlin with Coldwell Banker Commercial United
John McFarlin with Coldwell Banker Commercial United is neither economist nor a retail expert but he gave a great presentation today at the O'Connor Retail Forecast Luncheon. John is an ex football coach who knows how to prepare for the upcoming opposition and in this case it's the retail economy.
Where is Retail going? It's going to the Internet and the brick & mortar will more and more be turning into discount and outlet locations. For example: Macy's is devoting it's entire capital expenditure budget to e commerce. They expect a return of $5.50 for each $1.00 allocated. Target will be expanding 350 of its stores to feature groceries. The major drugstores are doing the same thing. They want to be convenient one-stop-shops.

ULI Houston Tuesday August 17th 2010

ULI held a panel discussion Tuesday entitled "Real Estate Rx--expert diagnosis for properties in distress". The panel was moderated by Fred Caldwell with Caldwell Companies and included: Fred Balda with Hillwood Residential; Russell Ingrum, Exec. Vice President, Investment Properties, Institutional Group CBRE Capital Markets; Jeff Majewski, Exec. Managing Dir., Grubb & Ellis and Tim Williamson with Wells Fargo Bank. The panel mirrored most recent expert opinions in that the worst is behind us, 2010 is much better than 2009 and thank god we live in Texas. Tim Williamson offered some hope for developers and investors looking for project funding. To the surprise of many he announced that Wells Fargo is increasing it's commercial real estate exsposure and is agressively lending money.

David Hightower with Wolff Companies, Jim Casey with CBRE and Rusty Tamlyn with HFF

HRBC Commissioner Jerry Eversole

Commissioner Jerry Eversole was feature speaker at Thursdays HRBC breakfast and had a follow-up to comments made at the Tuesdays Harris County Commissioners Court. In response to a Houston Chronicle article titled "Verbal fireworks in Commissioners Court". Commissioner Eversole made it quite clear that he hopes County Judge Ed Emmett continues in his position forever.

In more pertinent information to commercial real estate interests the Commissioner announced that sections F1 and F2 of the grand Parkway are commencing September 10. This portion of the Grand Parkway will be crucial to the new Exxon Mobil facility which will house 12,000 employees. Also starting up will be Coventry Homes on their 1,600 acre tract.

Laurence Bernell with Bernell Realty Group, Dick Klein with The Richard Klein Company, Ed Taravella with Taracorp and Bud Friedman with Fort Bend Real Estate Corp.