Construction Maison

MANATEE -- A proposed lakeside apartment complex bordered by newer townhomes and single family homes may soon bring more market-rate rentals to University Parkway. A property owner-controlled by Gilbane Building Co. of Rhode Island has submitted a final site plan to Manatee County that calls for 180 apartment units at 3415 Broadway Ave. The six- building complex would occupy a little more than nine acres in an area with fewer rental options than University Park to the east. Contacted about details the project, a representative of the property owner, University Groves Property LLC , declined to comment. Gilbane operates an office in Lakewood Ranch. Laurie Rastovski, a real estate agent with Michael Saunders & Co. who specializes in rentals, said new apartment units near the west end of University Parkway will be welcome. Having previously worked as a leasing agent at a large apartment complex nearby , she sees the demand. "In that area, it's going to be nice to have s...

Waterford Lakes is a suburban, family-centric haven that’s probably best known for the Waterford Lakes Town Center , a formidable shopping center that spans both sides of State Road 434 , known locally as the Alafaya Trail. Proximity to the University of Central Florida and Florida State Road 408 are also prime motivators for those considering a move to this east Orlando community . Waterford Lakes is a neighborhood, not a city; homes here have an Orlando address . Waterford Lakes residents want for very little in the way of major shopping and dining — huge big-box merchants (Old Navy, Super Target, Best Buy, etc.) are prevalent, along with popular restaurant chains , a massive Regal theater , and smaller but equally well known retailers. Despite a preponderance of big names, independent shops and cafes do proliferate, though you’ll need to search them out. Most blend into the architecture, most of which is new and attractive, but largely strip-mall/shopping center-style. Near th...

Apartment rents for new leases in King and Snohomish counties jumped nearly 5 percent in the second quarter and almost 10 percent over the past 12 months, according to a new survey. In the second quarter, the average rent for new leases was $1,405, up $124 from a year ago, market- research firm Apartment Insights Washington reports . The firm tracks rents , vacancies and concessions at apartment complexes with at least 50 units. The annual rent increase for the latest period was the largest seen locally since Apartment Insights began tracking the market in 2005. It also is well ahead of the national average : Texas- based MPF Research said U.S. apartment rents soared in the second quarter and climbed 5. 2 percent annually , a 15-year high. Most Read Stories Unlimited Digital Access. $1 for 4 weeks. “While apartment rents are rising at a significant pace all across the country, the nation’s average price increase is being skewed quite a bit by the surging rents in the Western re...

Recent data shows that the average rent-to-salary ratio in Beijing is 58 percent. Some expats say they are not surprised because rent is expensive in Beijing. Photo: IC Helena Javitte, 28, from France has just moved into her new apartment in Xinyuan Xili in Chaoyang district. It is her third apartment in her four years in Beijing. For Javitte, who works at Sanlitun SOHO and commutes via scooter, a convenient location is the top priority, followed by the apartment and its price in that order. Her rent is about 40 percent of her wages, but she thinks it's worth the convenience. "I'm willing to spend more money than average on the apartment," she said. According to a recent report released by Shanghai-based E-house China R&D Institute, the average rent-to-income ratio in Beijing is as high as 58 percent, followed by Shenzhen, Guangdong Province with 54 percent, Sanya, Hainan Province with 48 percent and Shanghai with 48 percent. The figure has triggered discussions...

Perryman Construction Management is building the 30-unit multi- family Hayspur development in Nampa. Photo courtesy of Mountain Peak Marketing " width="300" height="169" /> Perryman Construction Management is building the 30-unit multi- family Hayspur development in Nampa, shown here. Photo courtesy of Mountain Peak Marketing Apartment projects are going up across the Treasure Valley from Boise to Meridian to Nampa and to the next frontier in multi- family housing , Kuna. Some 2, 700 apartment units are in various stages of construction among those cities. Some are recently completed and some are being built in phases.  That is a stark contrast to the near zero multi- family construction in 2010 in metro Boise. Multi- family housing has evolved in the 21 st century, largely moving away from large buildings with hundreds of units. Locally, many developers have settled for the common denominator of sets of fourplexes with the occasional six-, eight- ...