Apr 21, 2011

Westlake Associates, Capital Financial

Hunter

Gary Hunter joined Westlake Associates as managing broker. He previously was with Colliers International. Hunter also operates Capital Financial LLC, a hard money brokerage firm and commercial mortgage company that matches developers and private lenders.

Bentall Kennedy

Bentall Kennedy says it has created the largest single-owner LEED office portfolio. The firm is a North American institutional real estate investment adviser with U.S. headquarters in Seattle. It recently received LEED certification for 17 more office buildings owned by Multi-Employer Property Trust in eight markets. This is the second portfolio of buildings certified by Bentall Kennedy for MEPT through the volume LEED pilot program for existing buildings. Bentall Kennedy's portfolio of certified buildings has 44 office buildings with nearly 7.5 million square feet. Buildings in the program use 30 percent less water and 32 percent less energy than the national average.

The Cascade Team

The Cascade Team, which brokers residential real estate at a 1 percent listing commission, is opening an office at 1718 N.W. 56th St. in Ballard. With the lower commission, Seattle sellers can save about $8,000 in brokerage fees on the sale of a median-priced home, said Krista Mehr, branch manager. Cascade has about 100 agents with offices in Bellevue, Issaquah and San Diego.

Keller Williams Realty

Broker Maggie Valle joined the Keller Williams Realty Seattle Metro West Market Center. She worked at RealEstate.com until its recent closing.

Colliers International

Colliers International hired Mark Keschl as national director of retail, CoStar reports. He will be based in Boca Raton, Fla., and in charge of adding clients and recruiting brokers to expand the Seattle-based company's retail group.

Apr 14, 2011

NBS Financial Services

Photo courtesy of NBS Financial Services [enlarge]

Wallingford Center was built in 1904 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

NBS Financial Services Executive Vice President Mike Wood arranged a $4.2 million loan from Symetra Financial for Wallingford Center, a mixed-use property on North 45th Street in Wallingford. Wood said one challenge was the land is leased from the Seattle School District and some lenders avoid buildings with ground leases, but the location and the more than 90 percent occupancy made a strong case. The center was built in 1904 as Interlake Elementary and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lorig of Seattle bought the building in 1984 and renovated it into two floors of retail and 24 studio apartments.

Windermere Real Estate

Hathaway

Scott

U.S Bank

Catherine Danigelis was named senior vice president and Pacific Northwest region manager for U.S. Bank Community Lending, Commercial Real Estate. She is responsible for teams in Seattle and Portland that provide construction, permanent and acquisition loans for affordable housing projects in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. She reports to Kyle Hansen, executive vice president.

Bentall Kennedy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Bentall Kennedy the 2011 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award for maximizing energy efficiency across its portfolio. It's the highest Energy Star award. Bentall Kennedy, whose U.S. headquarters are in Seattle, is a real estate investment adviser that manages 130 million square feet of commercial properties in North America. The award recognizes the company's energy audits and retrofits, and its new medical office building sustainability program, which it said have saved $4 million since 2007.

Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle is offering what it says is the first iPhone app providing commercial real estate research and interaction with Jones Lang LaSalle employees. The free app will soon be available in a variety of languages. The company has a Seattle office.

Madison Marquette

Bentall Kennedy, the new owner of Westwood Village, a grocery-anchored retail center in West Seattle, hired Madison Marquette Retail Services to manage the property. Rob Pittman, VP of management services for Madison Marquette's Northwest region, said his company will improve operating performance and “drive value through several key new initiatives.”