WASHINGTON, DC-Enhanced Use Leasing, a process that allows the government to out-lease underutilized land and buildings to the private sector, gets the once-over at a gathering of government representatives and emissaries from the financial services world at a recent Ernst & Young-sponsored event.

CHESAPEAKE, VA-In a deal valued at approximately $5.5 million, an area investment group snaps up the 53,000-sf office at 1435 Crossways Blvd. Armada Hoffler, the seller, is one of the former occupants.

GAITHERSBURG, MD-Ownership of Rosewood at Flower Hill, a garden-style apartment community off I-270, changes hands in a recent deal. A Stellar Advisors affiliate takes the 240-unit property, which last sold in 2001 for $22.6 million.

WASHINGTON, DC-The Real Estate Media Inc.-sponsored commercial real estate conference attracts nearly 500 industry insiders, showing a marked increase in attendance over the event's debut in the metro area market last year.

SPARKS, MD-The US headquarters building of PHH Arval gets a new owner in a $42-million deal. New owner BentleyForbes takes over ownership of the 216,000-sf office property just as construction wraps up.

WASHINGTON, DC- Allen-Edmonds Shoe Corp. lands itself a prime retail spot on the ground-level of the Blake Building, a 300,000-sf prime office property in the popular Golden Triangle area of Downtown. The men's shoe retailer will occupy a 1,100-sf space.

WASHINGTON, DC-Global real estate services provider Newmark & Co. beefs up its metro area office coverage with the addition of a three-person team of industry hotshots. M. Anthony Gould, Patrick W. Nalls, and Aaron Katz make the move to the firm from CB Richard Ellis.

LAUREL, MD-Washington Real Estate Investment Trust adds to the industrial portion of its portfolio with the purchase of the 140,000-sf structure at 8880 Gorman Rd. WRIT makes an $11.5 million, all-cash acquisition of the fully occupied building.