Real Estate Matters

This week, Shane MacSwan, a senior real estate student, joins the Real Estate Matters podcast to share his insights about the industry and his unique path to the University of Alabama.

This week, AmyBeth Simbeck, Vice President of Communications for the CCAP program, joins the Real Estate Matters podcast to share her insights and expertise in the field.

Retail Specialists' Senior Property Manager, Jason Clark, joined the podcast this week to talk about his career in commercial real estate which stems back to his internship with ACRE.

Ben Williamson, a senior associate at Live Oak, joined the podcast this week to share his insights and experiences in commercial real estate.

This week, meet the 2024 CORE President Carri Roper. Roper, a Bessemer, Alabama native, used the CORE program to jumpstart his career in real estate.

Joshua Davis, former CORE ambassador, joins the real estate podcast after taking a job as the Recruitment Associate at Retail Strategies. 

Katy Lincoln, a commercial real estate professional and licensed broker, joins the podcast to talk about her career path and her new venture as founder and owner of Lincoln Holdings.

Seth Little, Senior Attorney at Dallas Anthony & Jeffords PLLC, joins The Real Estate Matters podcast to talk about the self-employed tax credit program.  

Co-hosts James and Stuart discuss the 2024 housing market predictions by industry leaders such as NAR, MBA, and NHAB/ 

Sophie Williamson, President of The Academy and a senior at The University of Alabama joins the podcast to talk about her journey through the industry and the opportunities that the Alabama Center for Real Estate granted her.

Richard Henry, a commercial real estate investor and broker in Tuscaloosa, AL joins the podcast to talk about his transition from selling Druid City Properties to launching Right Space Commerical. 

Alecia Cassidy, Assistant Professor of Economics at Alabama, joins the podcast to talk about her research, "Cleaning up the Great Lakes: Housing market impacts of removing legacy pollutants"

Charlie Norton, Vice President of the Transaction Services group at Harbert Realty Services, joins us again to discuss marketing with Stuart and James. 

Hunter Harrelson, Owner/CEO of Beachball Properties, joins the podcast once again to talk about the pros and cons of COVID-19 on rentals in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. 

Bennie Waller, Instructor of Finance at the Culverhouse College of Business here at The University of Alabama comes on the podcast to talk about the pros and cons of renting and a little bit about growing up on a tobacco farm. 

James Benedetto, Communications Coordinator at ACRE, joins the podcast to talk about his background and his new position at ACRE and what is planned for the future here at ACRE. 

John Coley, Broker, and Owner at Lake Martin Voice Realty, joins the podcast to talk about the waterfront market at Lake Martin and new amenities such as the new golf course right on the water. 

Clint Thompson, production manager with Mortgage Banc, joins the podcast to discuss mortgage strategies that buyers can use to offset rising mortgage rates and home prices, demographic trends that support housing demand, and his outlook for inflation and interest rates. 

Charlie Norton, leasing and brokerage associate at Harbert Realty Services, joins the podcast to discuss Birmingham's commercial real estate market and the effects of rising rates to CRE activity.

Lochrane Chase, Director of Leasing & Business Development with Sloss Real Estate, joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of Birmingham's commercial real estate landscape. Topics include historic preservation, Pepper Place, walkability, urban shopping, and the growing demand for rooftop bars & restaurants. 

Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, joins the podcast to discuss recent trends in the housing market, the impact of rising mortgage rates, and her outlook for 2023.

Hunter Harrelson, Owner/CEO of Beachball Properties in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, joins the podcast to discuss the vacation rental market, Baldwin County, and the growing regional economy. 

Helena Johnson, ACRE's CORE Coordinator, joins the podcast to discuss the CORE program and to share student success stories from the first year.

Today on the podcast we are joined by Rhett Loveman, founder and owner of Terramoor. We talk entitlements, acquisitions, and development.

Brock Corder is the President of The Builders Group, a diversified residential construction company established in 2001. Brock joins the podcast to discuss recent projects, the "missing middle," and the various amenities offered by the Tuscaloosa area. 

Alecia Cassidy, assistant professor of economics with the Culverhouse College of Business, joins the podcast to discuss her recent research including the effects of energy efficiency disclosure on home values. 

Russ Richardson, owner of Richardson Appraisal in Tuscaloosa, joins the podcast to discuss residential market conditions, the effects of rising mortgage rates, and the different approaches used to determine value. 

Tony Lee, compliance supervisor and business development specialist with the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, joins the podcast to discuss changes to AHFA's Step Up program and how Mortgage Assistance Alabama helps those affected by the pandemic. 

Kartik Desai, Evan Watts & James McCormick of D&A Companies join the podcast to discuss recent projects in Birmingham. Topics include the appeal of Birmingham, their unique approach to design and architecture, and the importance of passive design and sustainability. 

Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, joins the podcast to discuss recent trends in the housing market, the impact of rising mortgage rates, and her outlook for 2023.

Hunter Harrelson, Owner/CEO of Beachball Properties in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, joins the podcast to discuss the vacation rental market, Baldwin County, and the growing regional economy. 

Helena Johnson, ACRE's CORE Coordinator, joins the podcast to discuss the CORE program and to share student success stories from the first year.

Today on the podcast we are joined by Rhett Loveman, founder and owner of Terramoor. We talk entitlements, acquisitions, and development.  

Brock Corder is the President of The Builders Group, a diversified residential construction company established in 2001. Brock joins the podcast to discuss recent projects, the "missing middle," and the various amenities offered by the Tuscaloosa area. 

Alecia Cassidy, assistant professor of economics with the Culverhouse College of Business, joins the podcast to discuss her recent research including the effects of energy efficiency disclosure on home values. 

Russ Richardson, owner of Richardson Appraisal in Tuscaloosa, joins the podcast to discuss residential market conditions, the effects of rising mortgage rates, and the different approaches used to determine value. 

Tony Lee, compliance supervisor and business development specialist with the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, joins the podcast to discuss changes to AHFA's Step Up program and how Mortgage Assistance Alabama helps those affected by the pandemic. 

Kartik Desai, Evan Watts & James McCormick of D&A Companies join the podcast to discuss recent projects in Birmingham. Topics include the appeal of Birmingham, their unique approach to design and architecture, and the importance of passive design and sustainability.   

Bill Barnhill & Stuart LaGroue of Omega Properties join the podcast to discuss all things self storage. Topics include the growth of self storage in markets across the Southeast, current and upcoming developments, and how the business cycle impacts the industry.

David Fowler, owner and managing partner of Development Solutions in Birmingham, joins the podcast to discuss the medical office market. Topics include recent projects, the trend towards mixed-use, and the impact of Covid to the medical office sector. 

Dr. Alan Tidwell, the Alabama Association of Realtors Chair of Real Estate at UA, joins the podcast to discuss his recent paper about the relationship between political uncertainty and residential development. 

John Coley of Lake Martin Voice Realty joins the podcast to discuss recent activity and trends in Lake Martin's waterfront market.

Nadia Niakossary, Business Development Manager at RCP Companies in Huntsville, joins the podcast to discuss MidCity District, a mixed-use development by RCP Companies. Nadia describes the evolution of Huntsville and the important role that a city's culture plays in attracting businesses and residents. Additional topics include the Huntsville Amphitheater, the city's growing culinary scene, Trader Joe's, and Topgolf. 

Mark Ritter, CEO of MBFS and Nu Direction Lending joins the podcast to share his insights on how credit unions can be a source of funding for real estate investors and small business owners. Mark discusses the advantages of using a credit union, commercial real estate lending through a credit union, and negotiating small business and commercial loans with your lender.

Orchestra Partners Principal Hunter Renfroe and Development Manager Caroline Jenkins join the podcast to share how Orchestra Partners' mission and approach sets them apart from other Alabama developers, how Orchestra Partners has evolved over the last six years, the projects they currently have going on in Birmingham, and what's next for the company.

James Lomax, director of asset management and leasing at Corporate Offices Properties Trust (COPT) joins the podcast to share his perspective on office and retail commercial properties post-pandemic and his insights on what to expect in these sectors in the future. AT COPT, James is responsible for market performance of revenue generating assets at Redstone Gateway, a 468-acre amenity-rich office park joint venture development adjacent to Redstone Arsenal as part of an Enhanced Use Lease with the federal government. He believes leadership is best displayed through community service. In addition to his role at COPT, James has served as past president of Rotaract Club, was a local Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year nominee in 2017, 2019, 2020, and was a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man of the Year nominee in 2015. He is currently a board member of the Huntsville Rotary Club and the treasurer of the North Alabama Commercial Real Estate Association (NALCOM). He was appointed by the Huntsville City Council to the Medical Clinic Board - Fifth Avenue in 2016 and re-appointed in 2020. James is a featured regular contributor to the Alabama Center for Real Estate Blog. COPT is a member of ACRE's Alabama Cabinet.

EXIT Realty Regional Owner Troy Dooley joins the podcast to share information about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and how independent contractors and small businesses with 20 employees or less can take advantage of these forgivable loans.   Troy and his wife Kathy have set up a website to help walk people through the process of applying for a PPP loan including the ability to apply directly from the website.  Visit pppopportunity.com to learn more.

Roger Ball, senior real estate analyst with Commercial Valuation Services and ACRE Advisory Board of Trustee member joins the podcast to discuss the real estate appraisal industry including what appraisers do, how to get started in the industry, where he thinks appraisal is headed post-COVID, and his insights into the current real estate market.

ACRE Data Analytics Coordinator Stuart Norton discusses economic development with Don Erwin, former economic development manager for the Alabama Power Company and vice president of corporate development for Barber Companies. Erwin earned his bachelor of science in economics at the University of Alabama in 1978 and also studied business and German at UAB. He began working for Alabama Power as a writer and editor for training manuals while in college and began working in IT technical support in 1980. He joined the company’s economic development department in 1990 and helped expand the utility's efforts to recruit businesses from Europe, including its coordination with the state in landing Mercedes-Benz US International in 1993. Erwin's role in securing George Barber's Barber Motorsports Park led to him moving to Barber Companies as a member of the executive board with responsibilities for corporate development and government relations in 2002, after almost two years with the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. While working for Barber's commercial real estate operation, they did a deal in 2005 that resulted in the Innovation Depot, a 140,000 sq. ft. international award-winning incubator that currently houses more than a hundred companies and 1,300 employees in downtown Birmingham. Erwin retired in 2020. Erwin's first novel, Buffalo Hunting in Alabama, draws from his experiences as a corporate recruiter. The book was self-published in 2020.

ACRE Data Analytics Coordinator Stuart Norton talk to D. Scott McLain, CCIM, principal and managing broker of Coldwell Banker Commercial McLain Real Estate about real estate and economic development in north Alabama including updates on retail, multi-family, land and residential sectors.    -- D. Scott McLain, CCIM, of Huntsville, Alabama, is Principal and Managing Broker of Coldwell Banker Commercial McLain Real Estate. McLain has served as Southern Division Chair of Governmental Affairs for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Additionally McLain serves as Chair of the Retail Group of Coldwell Banker Commercial globally and also has served as member of the Coldwell Banker Commercial National Advisory Board. McLain is a retail developer, an advocate for downtown redevelopment, and a proponent of adaptive reuse of existing real – estate improvements. Very active in local, state, and national civic, political, and professional activities, McLain holds a degree in Public Policy from Duke University and a Juris Doctor degree from Cumberland School of Law. Most recently, McLain graduated from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) for the Advanced Management Development Program (AMDP) designation in commercial real estate (2007), and serves on the Harvard GSD Alumni Council.         Scott is a member of ACRE's Leadership Council.

Callan Childs, Director of Design and Development for Sloss Real Estate and Amanda Loper, Principal at David Baker Architects, join ACRE Data Analytics Coordinator Stuart Norton to share how they partnered together to create a unique space with intentional design at Pepper Place in Birmingham. As urban placemakers, they create unique spaces to draw people back to Birmingham’s urban core. Working together, their synergy has been instrumental in the design and connectivity of Birmingham’s creative Pepper Place district. Their latest project was bringing James Beard award-winning ice cream maker, Jeni Britton Bauer, to Birmingham with her first-ever Alabama-based store and the first ground up building in Pepper Place in over 10 years. Childs and Loper talk through the space evolution, decision making process and lessons learned. The focal point of Birmingham’s Lakeview Design District, Pepper Place is among Birmingham’s 24 commercial revitalization districts that are subject to design review protection. This highly visible renovation project has been celebrated in numerous newspaper and magazine articles and a CNN television feature.