From marionoc at MIT.EDU Tue Feb 28 09:03:34 2006 From: marionoc at MIT.EDU (Marion Cunningham) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:03:34 -0500 Subject: [Crealums] MIT/CRE E-NEWSLETTER -- February 2006 Message-ID: <004701c63c6f$c4716500$7f00ae12@mit.edu> MITCenter for Real Estate Interdisciplinary o Innovative o Industry Relevant o International Greetings! This has been a busy month for the MIT Center for Real Estate. Two of the Center's research initiatives released major results, the Alumni/ae Association co-sponsored a successful symposium, and we?ve been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe. Not bad for the second month of the year! This newsletter covers the following topics: * Commercial Real Estate Data Laboratory (CREDL): New MIT index measures returns in commercial real estate * Housing Affordability Initiative (HAI): Boston Area Housing Approaches An Acre Per Home * AACRE-NEWIRE Symposium How Much More? Risk and Return in Real Estate Development Ventures * Seeking Thesis Topics * Upcoming Events * Alumni/ae Networking * Jobs (Select new additions highlighted) * MITREX * Reminders and Notices _____ Commercial Real Estate Data Laboratory (CREDL): New MIT index measures returns in commercial real estate (2/2006) CRE?s Commercial Real Estate Data Laboratory (CREDL) has made its first major release: a Transactions-Based Index (TBI) of Institutional Commercial Property Investment Performance. The TBI is an important tool for more accurately comparing real estate investment performance against other investments like stocks and bonds. Using econometrics and statistical methods, CREDL researchers were able to create an index based on actual transactions (unlike appraisal-based measurements), the first of its kind for commercial real estate. The first results, released on February 22, 2006, showed a 34% return on investment in commercial real estate during 2005. To read more about the CREDL project click here. Housing Affordability Initiative (HAI): Boston Area Housing Approaches An Acre Per Home (1/2006) New single-family home construction in the greater Boston metropolitan area is consuming about twice as much land as existing single-family housing, and half of the region?s new single-family homes were built on lots of nearly an acre or larger. These results are based on research conducted under the auspices of the Center's Housing Affordability Initiative and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP). For more information on the Housing Affordability Initiative and the Initiative's recent findings, please visit http://web.mit.edu/cre/research/hai/index.html. February 16th AACRE-NEWIRE Symposium How Much More? Risk and Return in Real Estate Development Ventures On February 16, 2006, a symposium co-produced by the Alumni Association of MIT?s Center for Real Estate (AACRE) and the New England Women in Real Estate (NEWIRE) sought to answer the question, "What is a fair rate of return?" Analysts generally agree that developing real estate is far riskier than simply purchasing real estate as stabilized, fully-leased assets. A speculative industry by nature, real estate development must offer higher returns to compensate for the inherently higher risk, but how much higher? Read more. _____ Seeking Thesis Topics Our students are beginning to consider topics for thesis research during the coming summer and we?re interested in your proposals for thesis topics. The master?s thesis is typically 60-100 pages in length, a tightly focused piece of research which must be completed in only three months. Theses can use corporate data, but should involve issues of general interest to the industry. Past theses have included academic topics, pedagogical topics, case studies, and feasibility analyses. Topic proposals should be about a page in length, and contain a clear question or problem, proposed methodology, and an estimate of the support you can provide for the student. Proposals need to be received by early March in order to be reviewed and considered by the faculty for this year?s students. Please send your proposals to Maria Vieira, Associate Director of Education, mvieira at mit.edu, or fax to: 617-258-6991. Alumni/ae Networking Alumni/ae Weblog In order to allow our alumni/ae to connect with one another, announce events, seek career advice, and share business opportunities, CRE has created an Alumni/ae Weblog (http://amps-tools.mit.edu/cre-alumniblog/). On the weblog, you can find events and information geared to alumni/ae and see what your fellow alumni/ae are doing. Post your own news and comments, or send us your feedback or ideas for the weblog, by emailing Karen MacArthur at macarthr at mit.edu. Calling all Europe-based Alumni/ae Do you work with or have an interest in European Real Estate? A network of Europe-based alumni/ae has formed, and their goal is to develop and expand the real estate network. If you are interested in joining the MIT/CRE European network, e-mail Nick Spencer (CRE '03) with your contact details. Nick can be reached at nspencer at credogroup.com. Jobs The CRE provides job listings and resources for those looking for jobs. Recent listings include: ? Senior Production Analyst, CB Richard Ellis; Boston, MA ? Real Estate Manager, Construction Project Manager, Project Design Architect, Internships (Summer 2006); Target, Minneapolis, MN ? Chief Operating Officer, Forest City Commercial Group; Cambridge, MA ? Manager, Corporate Real Estate, Marriott International, Washington, D.C. Please visit http://web.mit.edu/cre/jobs/index.html to view the most recent listings. Send your job listings (with contact information) to Marion Cunningham at marionoc at mit.edu. Upcoming Events ? PRESENTATION -- Westwood Development Group -- March 8, 2006 @7pm -- Presentation Location: 26-152 ? REAL DEAL -- AEW Capital Management -- March 22, 2006 @6:30pm -- Center for Real Estate Professional Development Courses start in June! NEW Classes in Advanced Real Estate Development, Entrepreneurship, and Brownfields will be offered! _____ MITREX Updates The MIT Real Estate Exchange, MITREX is a searchable database available to all alumni/ae, students, staff and faculty of the CRE, and Industry Partners. We?re constantly posting new information to MITREX, including the following recent updates: * What's a Fair Return in Real Estate Development * Japanese Market Information for January 2006 * Jones Lang LaSalle -- Company Overview If you haven?t already signed up to access MITREX, please do so at http://cre-mitrex.mit.edu/index.html. _____ Reminders and Notices * Support the Center for Real Estate ( http://web.mit.edu/cre/giving/index.html). The need for funding to support the "new vision" of the Center is ongoing. Please continue your support! * The 2006 Version of the CRE Alumni Directory is available. To request an electronic copy of the CRE Alumni Directory, e-mail mit-cre at mit.edu. * Join the Alumni Association of the CRE, AACRE ( https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/user/PayDues.dyn?groupID=189). Thanks to joining the larger MIT Alumni Association, CRE alumni/ae can pay their dues on line. Log in using your Infinite Connection login. Select the dues type you'd like to pay from the simple, secure, one-page form. Enter your billing and credit card information, and your dues are paid for this fiscal year (7/1 to 6/30). If you would prefer to complete your membership by mail, go to the CRE alumni web site and download the membership form. * MIT Real Estate Excha nge, MITREX ( http://cre-mitrex.mit.edu/index.html). Currently, MITREX has 352 members and 337 items. Sign up today, this promises to be an invaluable tool. * MIT/CRE Resume Book ( http://web.mit.edu/cre/resumehome.html). Take a look, our students and graduates are impressive! * Job Listings ( http://web.mit.edu/cre/jobs/index.html). Have a job you want to fill or seeking a new opportunity? We have the right person and the right job! Send your job listings (with contact information) to marionoc at mit.edu and they will be posted. * Update Your Alumni Contact Information (http://web.mit.edu/cre/alumni/update.html). We want to stay in touch and keep you informed. To help us do so, please use this URL to update your contact information. * Alumni Network Services ( http://alum.mit.edu/index.html). Visit the MIT Alumni Association's web site to find addresses and contact information for classmates. * Alumni Projects ( http://web.mit.edu/cre/alumni/index.html and http://web.mit.edu/cre/alumni/alumprojects.html ). Send me ( marionoc at mit.edu) notices of your projects, publications, promotions, and noteworthy events for posting on the MIT/CRE web site and/or alumni/ae blog. Best regards, Marion Cunningham Managing Director MIT/Center for Real Estate 77 Massachusetts Avenue W31-310 Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 Phone: (617) 253-2680 Fax: (617) 258-6991 http://web.mit.edu/cre/ CRE: Our Graduates Build the Future -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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