May 09, 2013

Keller Williams Realty

Crouch

Han

Barbon

Ashwood

Allen

Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams Realty has added 15 brokers to the greater Seattle office so far this year. Industry veterans Jan Horning, Susan Shorett, Sara Washburn and Scott Crouch joined the company. Keller Williams also hired Julie Allen, Tim Ashwood, Andrea Barbon, Christian Codd, Joe Darza, Jessica Drugge, Amy Farrow, Sandra Farrow, Sandra Firestein, Bert Han, Odina Kolsch and Ana Pereyra, all of whom are new to the industry. Keller Williams says it is the largest real estate franchise operation in the U.S. It has 700 offices and more than 80,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada.

Red Lion Hotels

Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels said it sold the Kalispell Center Mall in Kalispell, Mont., for $11.6 million. The buyer is an entity related to Salt Lake City-based Woodbury Strategic Partners and Spokane-based Goodale & Barbieri Co., two real estate development and investment companies. As part of the agreement, Red Lion will continue to run the attached 170-room hotel. The hotel has a fire place, an outdoor courtyard with a fire pit and whirl pool, a renovated solarium with an indoor pool and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. With this transaction, Red Lion has sold all of its non-hotel properties.

EMB Management

Associa's EMB Management, which provides services to homeowner associations and developers, has opened a new office in South Lake Union at 1100 Dexter Ave. N., Suite 100. Dallas-based Associa says it is North America's largest community association management firm. It has 8,000 employees and more than 150 offices in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

NAIOP forecast event May 15

A panel of real estate brokers will look into the crystal ball to forecast trends in local real estate at NAIOP's May 15 breakfast meeting. The event begins at 7 a.m. and is at the Four Seasons Seattle. J.J. Shephard, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle will moderate. Panelists are Greg Inglin, senior vice president at Colliers International; Casey Trees, vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle; and Susie Detmer, senior director at Cushman & Wakefield Commerce. They will look at office, industrial and retail. Cost is $35 for members and $60 for nonmembers. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/18tVLAV

CREW luncheon on McMenamin's Tacoma

Commercial Real Estate Women of Seattle and Sound will hold its first South Sound luncheon Tuesday, May 14, at 11:30 a.m. at Hotel Murano in Tacoma. A panel will discuss McMenamin's plans for the 100-year-old Elks Hall in Tacoma. The Oregon-based company plans to build 45 hotel rooms, space for live music, a ballroom, three restaurants and a brewery. Construction is expected to begin later this year. Heather Burgess, a founding partner of boutique real estate firm Phillips Wesch Burgess PLLC, will moderate. The panelists are: Bob Levin, economic development services division manager for the city of Tacoma; Grace Pleasants, director of Heritage Collection LLC and George Signori of Ankrom Moisan Architects in Portland. Cost is $45 for members and $65 for nonmembers. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/12engLp

Windermere Real Estate

Seattle-based Windermere Real Estate added Hunter Properties of Bend, Ore., to its network. Windermere's Central Oregon team now includes more than 50 brokers in its Bend and Redmond offices. Hunter is owned by Lawnae Hunter, who has 35 years of experience in the industry including running a real estate company on California's Central Coast. Hunter is also adding a new partner: Tona Restine. Windermere has 300 offices and 7,000 employees in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Mexico.

May 02, 2013

Sesame Communications

Sesame Communications, which helps dental and orthodontic offices expand their online presence, doubled its office space in Seattle's Reedo building at 542 First Ave. S. The company has occupied the third floor since 2010, and will now take the second floor as well. Sesame said it has expanded its workforce by 189 percent, and increased revenues by 261 percent since 2010. The Reedo building was renovated in 2005 to add energy-efficient systems and utilities.

HomeStreet Bank

HomeStreet Bank — Commercial Real Estate, formerly HomeStreet Capital, provided $5.6 million for refinancing the North Auburn Business Park, owned by Cinderella Properties LLC. Katie Plett, HomeStreet Bank relationship manager, facilitated the agreement. The 143,000-square-foot, six-building industrial complex is near state Route 167 and 37th Street Northwest.

Contaminated land conference June 6

NAIOP, Northwest Environmental Business Council and the Washington Department of Ecology will hold a conference June 6 on the challenges involved in cleaning and redeveloping contaminated property. The all-day event begins at 8 a.m. in the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. Speakers will examine the risks, cleanup techniques, and how to manage legal and regulatory issues. Information and registration is at http://bit.ly/12W3m7Y

ULI event on cool businesses

Restaurant and retail experts will speak at the Urban Land Institute's May 8 meeting on “Purveyors of Cool: How Creative Business Owners Bring Life to a Neighborhood.” The event begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Washington Shoe building, 410 Occidental Ave. S. Kelly Kost, retail strategist with Downtown Works, will moderate the discussion. Panelists will show how creative businesses benefit a neighborhood. Panelists are: Ethan Stowell of Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Bryce Phillips of Evolution Projects, Jim Graham of Graham Baba Architects and Anne Marie Koehler of CBRE. For more information, contact ULI at Northwest@uli.org or (206) 224-4500.

June 14 real estate law event, golf

John A. Bender of Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland will lead a discussion about legal issues in the real estate industry at 9 a.m. June 14 at the Vashon Golf and Swim Club, 24615 75th Ave. S.W. The event is sponsored by The Seminar Group. Topics include renewable energy projects, purchase option issues, real estate ethics and permitting. Lunch will follow, and there will be a golf game at 1:15 p.m. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/YmNQDH