Capital Markets

WASHINGTON, DC-After having joined forces to survey disclosure practices in mortgage-backed securities markets, the US Department of the Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight release a study with suggestions for improvements.

HOUSTON-Infometrics Market Center, eight years in development, is introduced to Houston by Moody Rambin Interests. The Web-based tool delivers real time data for leasing, marketing and property management.

ROCKVILLE, MD-The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute gets good news with the governor's recent allotment of funding from the fiscal 2004 capital budget for the $50-million development of the Center for Advance Research in Biotechnology II.

TACOMA, WA-The Ted Brown Music and Thea's Landing projects receive federal tax incentives from the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. Tacoma is the only place in the region to receive a special designation allowing for such credits.

ARLINGTON, VA-Developers of One Liberty Center are now in receipt of a financing package for the amount of $76.6 million. The 315,000-sf office building is just one phase of a multi-faceted project that will result in the 1 million-sf mixed-use development Liberty Center.

LONDON-Shopping centres and retail outlets saw an 11.3% decrease in shopper numbers on Christmas Eve but an 8.6% increase on Boxing Day (26 December) this year compared to the same days in 2001, according to figures released by the FootFall Index.

DALLAS-Shareholders get until midnight Friday or an extra five trading days in the $61-million tender offer for common stock of Transcontinental Realty and Income Opportunity Realty. The merger is settlement for a class-action lawsuit.

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA-Developer J.H. Snyder Co. obtains $41-million construction take-out loan for the recently completed, 240,000-sf retail and entertainment center. The lender was Sonnenblick-Eichner Co.