Raoul Thomas, founding member of CGI Merchant Group, has managed to diversify his company’s investments in retail properties, hotels and urban offices. With his background in investment banking he likes to focus on project finance in capital markets. When acquiring an investment Thomas looks to hedge the company’s risk by coupling it with other sources…

Allen Morris, CEO of the Allen Morris Company, recently recounted one of his many visits to Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong is a fast paced, bustling and aggressive business center and Morris believes that Miami can unleash its potential in a similar way. Miami is based strategically between North and South America allowing it to…

Airbnb is causing problems for condo and property associations as of late because of their disregard for rental rules and regulations. Short-term rentals through sites such as Airbnb and HomeAway bring strangers into the building and raise concern over security of the property. While these rentals add more profit to owners, condo associations are bothered…

Doral will lead northwest Miami-Dade County’s metamorphosis from swampland to work-life-play oasis as big-name developers bring large-scale, mixed-use development to the city in the coming years. http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/print-edition/2015/07/17/transformations-the-projects-and-ideas-reshaping.html

m2e client Related Group is seeking approval for a 42-story condo-hotel in Hollywood. Hyde Beach House Condo-Hotel would have 265 condo-hotel units and 77 residential condo units. http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2015/07/08/hollywood-to-consider-tower-by-related-group-13th.html

Welcome back first-time homebuyers! As quoted by Lennar Corp. Chairman and CEO Stuart Miller during a second quarter investor conference call. First-time homebuyers are coming back to the marketplace. “We are starting to see the first-time homebuyer come back to the marketplace. But from a basically very flat level of virtually nonexistent first-time homebuyer to…

Homebuilders are more confident about their prospects since last year which means higher demand for new homes has risen. Read the full story.

From the Miami Today June 11th issue – Congratulations to m2e client, The Related Group, for being honored at the 11th Annual South Florida Good to Great Awards Luncheon. The ceremony was held at the Hilton Downtown Miami during a Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce conference.

Thumbs up to Suzanne Amaducci-Adams & Ronald Kriss, clients of m2e for ensuring that Coconut Grove’s “Monty’s is going to stay Monty’s”.  The multimillion-dollar sale of the retail complex & marina was a complex deal that took over six months to close.  Read more here