MFE Multifamily Executive: Full Article Here More than half of all renters with expiring leases decided to renew in August. And, when they did, they paid, on average, a 5.4% increase in monthly rent, according to an MPF Research analysis of lease transaction data from Carrollton, Texas-based parent company RealPage. In all, 51.1% of the nation’s apartment renters whose leases were …

A major business news source has highlighted Huntsville as one of “The Unlikely Cities That Will Power The U.S. Economy.” Bloomberg Business recently profiled Huntsville for its growing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Redstone Arsenal and Curse were among organizations featured in the Sept. 3 article. The story shows 16.7 percent of (or …

{Full Article Here} Publix supermarkets could build a new $34 million distribution center in Birmingham. According to Fox 6, the Jefferson County Commission said today the popular supermarket chain plans to build the facility at the Jefferson Metropolitan Industrial Park in McCalla. The project would reportedly bring close to 200 jobs to the area. Jefferson County Commission President David Carrington …

{ Full Article Here } A large hotel-dining-apartment development on the vacant former downtown Holiday Inn site should be under construction early next spring. According to a recently-revised contract with the city, the developers of the $70 million CityCentre at Big Spring project intend to start work first on the hotel and retail space. The contract says developers hope to have the …

{ Full Article Here } Automotive supplier Kamtek Inc. plans to invest $80 million in a proposed Pinson Valley expansion that will add 120 jobs to the existing facility. The BBJ first reported Kamtek’s plans on Sunday night. The Birmingham City Council plans to vote Tuesday on an agreement that will convey around 78 acres of land near Kamtek’s Birmingham …

Developers’ focus on high end contributes to shortage of affordable units; construction costs too high to build middle-income housing { Full Article Here } The Verona apartment complex in suburban Denver doesn’t have the flashy amenities some tenants covet. No infinity pool. No rooftop lounge. No concierge service. Still, demand at the 1980s-era complex is so strong that the landlord …

{Full Article Here} Kamtek Inc.’s plans for a major expansion in Birmingham will be even larger than the $80 million facility the auto supplier is building in Pinson Valley. On Tuesday, state officials and the company said Kamtek would invest a total of $530 million in the area in an expansion that will create 354 jobs. In addition to the …

  {Full Article Here} The share of Americans who own their homes fell to the lowest level in almost five decades, extending a multiyear decline as families struggle to regain ground lost during the financial crisis and rentals gain favor. The U.S. homeownership rate was 63.4 percent in the second quarter, down from 63.7 percent in the previous three months, …

{Full Article Here} German-based manufacturer Schmidt Maschinenbau GmBH has chosen Auburn as the site for its first U.S. manufacturing facility. According to Made in Alabama, the website for the Alabama Commerce Department, Schmidt USA will manufacture engine components including balance shafts and gear wheels for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. The facility will come with a $17 million investment and will …

{ Full Article Here } NMHC/NAA, joined by a broad real estate coalition, released groundbreaking research on July 9 highlighting the critical role like-kind exchanges play in helping the multifamily industry provide housing to America’s workforce. Congress is combing the entire tax code as it seeks revenue to overhaul the nation’s tax laws, and there is a significant threat that …