Articles About Student Housing

One-fourth of American workers have saved less than $1,000 for their retirement, according to a report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).  The EBRI survey reveals that 27 percent reported saving less than $1,000 for retirement, not counting the value of their home or defined-benefit plans.  A similar percentage reported saving between $1,000 and […]

The Obama administration has announced a new initiative to assist troubled homeowners by helping them refinance with government-backed mortgages that cut monthly payments.  The program would also temporarily reduce payments for unemployed borrowers who are actively job hunting.  The government is encouraging lenders to write down the value of loans for borrowers participating in modification […]

Olgga Architects took an inventive approach to creating student housing in Le Havre, France, by building a 100-unit complex using recycled shipping containers.  The result is stylish student housing that is portable, affordable, durable and eco-friendly. Called the “Crou”, the 2,841-meter (30,700 SF) pyramidal structure stacks the shipping containers on top of each other. The […]

The commercial bond market may be opening up slightly as Bank of America (BofA) prepares to sell $460 million worth of bonds collateralized by properties owned by Fortress Investment Group. The bonds that BofA is arranging are ineligible for TALF, another positive sign that the commercial mortgage market might finally be showing signs of improvement. […]

Because the United States is producing an increasing number of high school graduates who go on to attend college, student housing apparently is recession-proof  real estate.  This is the finding of a recently released report from the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) that studied the recession’s impact on college enrollment and on-campus dormitory vacancy rates. […]

Economic development organizations are stepping in to help plug the credit hole.  We all know what the economy is like today, and it is unlikely that the industrial and commercial real estate markets will soon turn around. As an economic developer, I see another side of the economy where both communities and businesses are seeking opportunities […]

Amidst the most dire financial crisis in a generation, Chicago has created a magnificent rejoinder to all the bad news.  The Russian writer Dostoevsky once said that “Beauty will save the world.”  Seeing Renzo Piano’s new Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago makes you believe that it just might.  First of all, how […]

Even during a steep recession, the demand for the right niche product like student housing remains strong because people know they need education and training to compete effectively in a fast-shrinking job pool.  At a time when universities have seen their endowments and investment revenues decrease because of the state of the equity markets, private-sector […]

Contrary to popular perceptions, significant CBD office leases are still being signed, recession or no recession. A case in point is KPMG LLP’s recent inking of a 15-year lease for 260,000 SF in the Aon Center at 200 East Randolph Street in the prized East Loop market.  The accounting and advisory firm will relocate its […]

In a transaction that demonstrates the inherent strength of the red-hot student-housing market, an Australian firm recently purchased the 725-bed Illini Tower in Champaign, IL, for approximately $60 million.  Do the math and you’ll find that the cost-per-bed adds up to a whopping $82,758.  The building serves students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. […]